Medinah Country Club (Course #3)

18 holes with... Mark Rolfing

NBC analyst gets an early look at Medinah in advance of Ryder Cup

Courtesy of Teddy Greenstein
Chicago Tribune

Mark Rolfing's squibber ("short, crooked and horrible") off the 15th tee at Medinah left the NBC/Golf Channel analyst in the rough, 220 yards from the hole.

Rolfing debated his next shot — lay up on the short par-4 or try to reach a green protected by a pond and sprawling bunker.

So I wondered: WWJD?

What would Johnny do?

Rolfing has been friends with brash NBC analyst Johnny Miller for two decades. He praises Miller as "brilliant" and is savvy enough to know "you can't get in the last word with him."

Miller's word on this shot, according to Rolfing, would be …

"Don't be crazy. You're not that good. Know your limitations."

And he would have been right. Guarding against hitting a fade into the water, Rolfing pulled his 5-wood approach, leading to a double bogey.

Rolfing laughed it off. Whether he's holding a putter or a microphone, the 63-year-old DeKalb native is ego-free. He knows the star of the show.

For his day job, it's guys like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Luke Donald.

On this day, the star was Medinah, which he predicted will be a "fabulous" Ryder Cup home. Golf's ultimate team competition, a three-day nerve-fest that pits Yankees against Euros, will come to Chicago's western suburbs Sept. 28-30. NBC will provide coverage.

"This is a great venue," said Rolfing, who covered his first Ryder Cup in 1991. "There will be so many exciting holes."

Start with the 15th. Architect Rees Jones transformed what had been a mundane 392-yarder into a thrill-seeking par-4 that could play as short as 280.

"Bubba Watson can probably put it on with a 3-wood," Rolfing said.

Yeah, but the left-hander probably would have to hit a cut shot that starts at the pond to pull it off.

This was Rolfing's first time playing the new 15th — and his first time playing Medinah's signature No. 3 course in 15 years. (It was also his first round of the year, so an 86 from 7,000-plus yards wasn't bad, even for a former member of the European and Asian tours.)

"I knew this was the toughest course in America," Rolfing said after being left with a 35-foot par putt on No. 1.

No one ever has questioned Medinah's teeth, but the gossipmongers have been in force regarding the conditions. New turf, coupled with a 7-inch rainstorm, left the course in ragged shape last summer.

Other Chicago-area clubs blocked off the late September dates in hopes of a last-minute venue switch. And there were rumors Medinah No. 3 would be closed to members all season.

Think again. Thanks in part to the removal of 850 trees that limited air circulation, Medinah is in terrific shape. Its greens are smoother than a baby's behind.

"It's the best I've seen this golf course in 25 years," said Jason Kinander, a Ryder Cup chairman and husband of WMAQ-Ch. 5 sportscaster Peggy Kusinski.

Tickets are sold out, and hospitality sales are at a record level with 250 companies buying in. After initially offering 53 chalets, the PGA of America bumped that to 76. One remains available.

Here's guessing spectators will be able to spot a certain six-time NBA champion on the grounds. Michael Jordan is a Medinah member whose love for international golf competition led him to serve as honorary captain for Fred Couples' 2009 Presidents Cup team.

Not that Rolfing is an insider or anything, but when U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III sought Jordan's cell number, he asked Rolfing. (And it was Love and roommate Buzz Peterson who gave Jordan his first set of clubs when they attended the University of North Carolina.)

Rolfing and Jordan have been dueling on the golf course since the early '90s, usually just before the annual celebrity event in Lake Tahoe.

They play an individual match and best ball with a partner; last year Rolfing brought Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Rolfing refuses to play for more than $50, but Jordan's competitive fire still rumbles like an active volcano.

Speaking of which...

"One time we're playing in Hawaii, and my ball is on the green," Rolfing said. "Michael is in the lava, and he's taking practice swings. He's hitting lava chunks to put debris in front of my ball. I tell him, 'You can't do that!'

"He takes out his phone and says, 'Hey, I'm having trouble with a ruling.' Then he hands me the phone. It's Tiger. He says, 'You're not gonna win this argument.' "

Rolfing was smart enough not to try.

tgreenstein@tribune.com
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein

18 Holes with ... Mark Rolfing

Five-second bio: The NBC/Golf Channel analyst, Northern Illinois degree-holder and Michael Jordan golf buddy has relocated to Chicago in anticipation of the Sept. 28-30 Ryder Cup at Medinah.

Where: Medinah Country Club, No. 3 course (silver tees: 7,007 yards).

Rolfing's handicap: 4.

What he shot: 86.

How he describes his game: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Rolfing."

Video: NBC/Golf Channel analyst Mark Rolfing on shooting 86 at Medinah

More About The 2012 Ryder Cup

PDF: Medinah's Wrinkles Add Risk And Reward To The Ryder Cup (Golf Digest, October 2012)

PDF: Center Stage (Golf World, September 17, 2012)

Rees Jones Talks About Medinah on Chicago's 670 The Score

Medinah Country Club Prepared To Host 2012 Ryder Cup

Medinah's New 15th Will Give Pros A Difficult Decision, And May Decide The Outcome

Preparing Medinah for the 2012 Ryder Cup

Medinah (Course #3) Redesign Summary - 2002 To Present

18 holes with... Mark Rolfing

Medinah's 15th Hole Undergoes Dramatic Redesign In Advance Of 2012 Ryder Cup