TGJ Podcast 67

Mike Madden and the Invisible Hand of Golf

An auction winner becomes a lifelong friend thanks to Ballybunion, Philly Cricket, Muhammed Ali and a famous bus
Aerial image of Old Head Golf Links

If you’re open to it, the game can provide some life-changing surprises. So it is with Mike Madden and host Tom Coyne. Madden, son of legendary NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden, and Coyne never knew each other before they teed off. Now, Madden is passing him secret turducken recipes and they’re talking about a trip to play in Ireland. This conversation retraces the steps of their round at Philly Cricket, Madden’s preservation of Muhammed Ali’s legacy, and his small role in the video game bearing his father’s famous face. But really, it’s a story about how our game can turn strangers into fast friends. And one absolutely incredible bus.

“I arrived at Old Head one day and I was going to play my jet-lag round, and the sign says ‘Winds to 55 miles an hour, gusts to 90.’ And I’m in the locker room putting on my rain gear and a guy comes in and says, ‘You’re not going to go play?” And I go, ‘Sir, I woke up in California today to play golf.’”

-Mike Madden