Name: Martin Brodeur
Age: 39
Club: Essex County Country Club
Handicap Index: 3.7

Martin Brodeur has been the last line of defense of the New Jersey Devils for 19 seasons, leading the only NHL team he’s ever played for to Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000, and 2003 while earning more victories and registering more shutouts than any goaltender in NHL history. Brodeur has set the standard for goaltending, but as an avid golfer he very much appreciates the opportunities he has off of the ice when he can turn in his mask, sweater and stick for a visor, polo shirt, and a set of golf clubs. We caught up with Brodeur, who carries a 3.7 Handicap Index as a member of Essex County Country Club in West Orange, N.J., to discuss his golf game. Watch for an expanded profile of Brodeur in an upcoming issue of The Met Golfer in 2012.

How long have you been playing golf?
I started at 10 years old and played for five or six years, but after that hockey took over. So I left the game on the side for a few years to concentrate on hockey, and when I made it to the NHL I got back into it. I’ve been playing more seriously for the last eight years, around 70 to 100 rounds per year, so that’s not too bad.

Do you have the chance to play during the season at all on road trips?
I try when we go to Florida because I’m a member at Quail Ridge Country Club in Boynton Beach, so when we’re down there to play the Panthers I try to sneak out and get nine holes in. Sometimes when we go out to Phoenix I try, but playing on the East Coast weather-wise there aren’t many areas you can play during the season.

Are you the best golfer on the Devils?
Right now Andy Greene and I are similar, but we don’t have that many golfers. We used to have Jamie Langenbrunner as the top guy, but now he’s in St. Louis. We have a few guys that like to play like David Clarkson, but there aren’t many real golfers on our team.

Who needs lessons on the team—probably thinks he’s better than he is?
David Clarkson, for sure.

Who do you play most of your golf with?
I have a friend back home who I play a lot with, and one of my buddies is a member at Essex County and we play most of the time, but I get to play with my wife, Genevieve, a lot, too. She shoots under 100 all the time, so it’s fun and we have a good time when we play. It’s tough to find a game sometimes—in the summer I don’t work, so I have to find a game because everybody else is working—so my wife is someone I play with a lot.

What are your favorite Met Area courses?
I have a lot of nice friends that like to play golf also, so I go to Baltusrol quite often, which is a place I love to go. I play Ridgewood Country Club, my buddy is a member there so we get to play there a lot. Trump National in Bedminster, too. My former teammate John Madden [now with the Florida Panthers] used to belong there so I’ve played there a few times.

You have countless hockey achievements; do you have any golf achievements to add to that list?
I had a hole-in-one at Essex Fells Country Club. When I did it the head pro at Trump National-Bedminster was with me, Mickie Gallagher, and it was nice to have somebody witness it! In my bar back home I have all my Stanley Cups, my gold medals and the other precious trophy I have is my golf ball from that shot on a little stand.

What was your lowest round and where was it played?
I actually played par golf for the first time at Balmoral, my home course in Quebec. I shot 72 and that was my best round. I shot 72 at Essex County, which was one over par. So those are my two top rounds. I sometimes have a hard time playing good golf when I go out and play a different course. I had a fun time last year at the Lake Tahoe Celebrity challenge, though.

You’ve played in games for the Stanley Cup and the Olympic gold. Compare the pressure of those games to the pressure of holing out every putt and playing in front of a gallery.
It was a challenge for me, especially holing out those putts, even the one- and two-footers. After the first round I got a little better at it, but I’m definitely a lot more comfortable playing hockey in front of people, that’s for sure.

Retirement is not something you look forward to and you might not for a while, but is playing golf in the Met Area something you look to do after you hang up your skates and pads?
Yeah, I’m going to stick around this area. I especially love the quality of the golf courses in this area—it’s second to none. I’ve played a lot of them and there are still a lot of them I’d like to get the chance to play and it will be easier for me when I’m retired. So I’m definitely looking forward to that time—not too soon, but it’s going to be a fun time because of my passion of golf.