If quality golf courses are what Greg Maddux desires this summer, along with a reasonable opportunity to participate in the World Series this autumn, it’s all over but the signing.
Chicago wins. At least, when we’re talking the little white ball. Playing with the Cubs would afford the free-agent pitching star infinitely more chances to tee it up on world-class layouts than if he were to join the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco Giants.
But he already knows that.
“Oh, I completely agree,” Maddux was saying Thursday over the telephone from his home in Las Vegas. “I know that from being with the Cubs before. The courses there are better than the ones in California, and there are more of them.”
According to Golf Digest’s ranking of “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for 2003-04, San Francisco has only two addresses worth his while–the Olympic Club, rated 16th on the list, and San Francisco Golf Club, No. 28.
Los Angeles also offers only a couple, Riviera (26) and Los Angeles Country Club (27).
Meanwhile, Chicago and surrounding suburbs rock (weather permitting). There’s Medinah C.C. (13), Olympia Fields C.C. (24), Chicago G.C. (33), Butler National (42), Cog Hill (60), Shoreacres (82) and Rich Harvest Links (99).
“Can’t go wrong on any of those,” Maddux went on. “But don’t make it out like golf is going to be a factor. I mean, yeah, I like to play, but those stories about how I played every day when I was in Atlanta with the Braves, that’s not true. I’m a baseball player.
“Just like it came out that I’ll wind up pitching on the West Coast because we bought a home there. It’s a beach house, south of L.A. My wife, Kathy, loves the ocean, so we bought a little retirement home before I retire. But I’m not retiring, and we’ve not leaving Vegas.”
Naturally, if Maddux selects the Giants, he can branch out and make a day trip to fabulous courses down the coast, such as Cypress Point (3), Pebble Beach Golf Links (5), Spyglass Hill (43) or Pasatiempo (91).
The pickings would be slimmer if he went to the Dodgers: the Quarry (72) is in the desert at La Quinta, near Palm Springs for goodness sakes. And gas is expensive out there.
Besides as a Cub he still would get more for his miles at Milwaukee C.C. (40), or Whistling Straits (71) and Blackwolf Run (79) in Wisconsin, or Point O’Woods (76) just around the corner in Benton Harbor, Mich.
His only complaint might be this minor problem called winter, but he’s not even complaining about that.
“Cold doesn’t bother me,” Maddux said. “I like it. I liked working in it at Wrigley Field, because I think it can help a pitcher. But as I said, my decision will be about baseball. And I don’t know when it’ll be. That story that came out about me setting a deadline for next week, I never said that.”
Yes, but when we called his house the other day, Kathy said he wasn’t home. He was playing golf, right?
“Yeah, but I’m not playing today,” Maddux said, without confirming the Giants and Dodgers, in fact, are offering him a deal, as have the Cubs. “Wherever I wind up will depend on a chance to win, location and the contract, in no particular order.
“I know Chicago and loved it there. Also, everything I’ve been told about the people in the Cubs’ organization now is positive. Whatever happened there before, and the reasons I left for Atlanta after coming up in the Cub system, that has nothing to do with my decision now. That would be like basing my decision on the golf courses there, which, like I said, are great.”
He can say that again, and maybe he will. Cubs fans, put on your golf gloves the next time you go out to shovel snow and cross your fingers. Fore?
