[John Blain]

I have always thought that the World Golf Hall of Fame was somewhat of a joke and just a marketing tool for the PGA Tour. My feelings were confirmed in a nice column by GolfWeek's Jim Achenbach regarding Doug Ford and others who aren't as "popular" as some who are already in the Hall.

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2009/dec/20/hall-fame-voting-full-complexities/

Thoughts?

-John

[Jim_Kennedy]

James Achenbach knows well that it should be called the Hall of Shame for the terrible way the PGA treated Dick Stranahan, who was the curator when the hall was in Pinehurst. He wrote an article about it in 2000, 2001

Dick was the Pro at Wyantenuck CC in Great Barrington. I knew him there through my association with some members and visited him a couple times after he took the job in Pinehurst. A side note: if you wanted a job from him he'd crack the pro shop door open, hand you an iron, and tell you to hook one onto the first tee. Dick could drive the first green from just out front of the shop. Check the distance, tremendous when you remember that he was using persimmon and balata. He qualified for a US Open and a couple of PGAs around 50 years ago.

Anyway, the PGA hired him for the Pinehurst job so Dick gives up his job at Wyantenuck and he and his wife move down there. When the WGV took over the hall the PGA fired him when he was one year short of his pension. They promised him some consulting work if he'd sign an agreement saying he wouldn't sue them so he did, and they screwed him anyway. His wife died of cancer and he ended up living in a trailer in Ca..

What a pathetic organization, and what a pathetic way to treat a human being, especially one whose whole life was golf.

Dick was voted into the first CT Section Hall of Fame in 2008, but I don't know if he attended.   

[John Moore II]

Well, any sports hall of fame is as much a popularity contest as about real greatness. Then again, how many really great golfers aren't popular?? Thats an interesting question as well. Come up with another noteable person who is not in the hal other than Doug Ford and maybe we'll call this a trend. Otherwise, its just bad luck.

And in regards to the PGA jacking over that guy, it doesn't surprise me. Most guys involve in the PGA these days see nothing but dollar signs in what they do. They don't care about people or anything else really, just profit. I hate to say that about an organization I was a part of, but its the truth. And anyone who is in the business and doesn't agree with me, I don't care. Open your eyes, you'll see. A once great professional organization has become the slave of money an really doesn't care about the individual members anymore. Sad.

[JNC Lyon]

John K. Moore:

I came up with three golfers who deserve to be there who currently are out:

1) Dave Stockton.  How is this guy not in the Hall?  He won two majors, was a Ryder Cup captain, and had a fairly dominant Champions Tour career.  More recently, he fixed Phil Mickelson's putting.

2) Mark O'Meara.  He won two majors in a single season.  He was a consistent contributor to the Ryder Cup team.

3) Fred Couples.  He won the Masters, is a former world number one, and was an brilliant contributor to the United States in team competition.

It is hard to understand Jose Maria Olazabal (to take nothing away from a great player) got elected in 2009 ahead of these three players.

[Kevin Pallier]

I came up with three golfers who deserve to be there who currently are out:

1) Dave Stockton.  How is this guy not in the Hall?  He won two majors, was a Ryder Cup captain, and had a fairly dominant Champions Tour career.  More recently, he fixed Phil Mickelson's putting.

2) Mark O'Meara.  He won two majors in a single season.  He was a consistent contributor to the Ryder Cup team.

3) Fred Couples.  He won the Masters, is a former world number one, and was an brilliant contributor to the United States in team competition.

It is hard to understand Jose Maria Olazabal (to take nothing away from a great player) got elected in 2009 ahead of these three players.

JC

Is Fred Couples really "deserving" of a place ?

Plenty of golfers have won one Major and he didn't win that much outside the US ?

[Kyle Henderson]

It is a hall of "Fame,"  not one of "accomplishment." Clearly, popularity is a major consideration.

[David_Elvins]

Are 'Halls of Fame' in general just a crass American celebration of the celebrity? 

Should a game as reserved and traditional as golf even have a Hall of Fame? 

Wouldn't a Museum do a better job of serving the game of golf and respecting its principles? 

[Phil_the_Author]

Each year I receiveb numerous emails asking why Tilly is not in the Hall of Fame and what can be done about it. I reply to all that whatever pressure may be used to use it; to write letters & make phone calls and to remember that not only is the hall lessened by Tilly's absence but by many others who long ago proved a lasting influence on how the game is played by the creation of golfs masterpieces of playing fields.

Consider some who are not in versus some who are... Change the names anyway one wants, but it is beyond my understanding how what grand accomplishment in the game surpasses these others and more...

Harry Colt or Bob Hope?
William Flynn or Dinah Shore?
Seth Raynor or Sir Michael Bonnallock?
George Crump or Clifford Roberts?
Perry Maxwell or Dwight D. Eisenhower?
AW Tillinghast or Mark McCormack?

[Dale Jackson]

Philip I agree with the points you make and almost all the comparisons.  However, Sir Michael's record as an amateur player AND administrator may be without equal.

Obviously, I take nothing away from Seth Raynor or the others you list (if nothing else, to do so would result in immediate expulsion from this group!) but Sir Michael is, IMO, certainly more than worthy.

[Anthony Gray]

  Look how long it took The HOF to recognize C B Macdonald and Allen Robertson. Unexplanable.

  Anthony

[Phil_the_Author]

Dale,

My point isn't that Sir Michael or any of the others are undeserving, but simply that for some reasons, personalities and administrators are considered far more important to the game than architects. I simply can't understand it...

[Dale Jackson]

Dale,

My point isn't that Sir Michael or any of the others are undeserving, but simply that for some reasons, personalities and administrators are considered far more important to the game than architects. I simply can't understand it...

To which I say amen brother.

[Mac Plumart]

Phil...

NICE post and very much right on the money.  Interesting!!

[JNC Lyon]

I came up with three golfers who deserve to be there who currently are out:

1) Dave Stockton.  How is this guy not in the Hall?  He won two majors, was a Ryder Cup captain, and had a fairly dominant Champions Tour career.  More recently, he fixed Phil Mickelson's putting.

2) Mark O'Meara.  He won two majors in a single season.  He was a consistent contributor to the Ryder Cup team.

3) Fred Couples.  He won the Masters, is a former world number one, and was an brilliant contributor to the United States in team competition.

It is hard to understand Jose Maria Olazabal (to take nothing away from a great player) got elected in 2009 ahead of these three players.

JC

Is Fred Couples really "deserving" of a place ?

Plenty of golfers have won one Major and he didn't win that much outside the US ?

Couples won 15 times on tour.  One of those victories was a major, and he also won two Players Championships.  He also made huge contributions to American Ryder Cup and President's Cup teams.  Couples was, for ten years, one of the standout American players.  He won two Euro tour events.  He won four World Cups.  He has one of the five best wedge games of the last thirty years.  He deserves it more than any one-time major winner in the modern era.

By the way, O'Meara also won a US Amateur as well as the two professional majors.  Seriously, how is this guy not in the Hall?

[Kalen Braley]

Don't forget that Freddie is also one of the biggest man sluts on tour too.  His congical  visits with the ladies make Tiger look like a saint!!!

But I guess no one cares about him!!      

[mike_beene]

Is larry Nelson in?He should be if he is not.Anyway,who cares.I would rather go to the museum in Gullane any day..

[ed_getka]

Are 'Halls of Fame' in general just a crass American celebration of the celebrity? 

Should a game as reserved and traditional as golf even have a Hall of Fame? 

Wouldn't a Museum do a better job of serving the game of golf and respecting its principles? 

David,
    Good points. I've never been to any of the sports halls of fame that we have here in the US. I am contemplating taking my youngest son to Cooperstown to see the baseball hall of fame this summer.
    The USGA museum in Far Hills is certainly more in keeping with what you are advocating.

[John Moore II]

Are 'Halls of Fame' in general just a crass American celebration of the celebrity? 

Should a game as reserved and traditional as golf even have a Hall of Fame? 

Wouldn't a Museum do a better job of serving the game of golf and respecting its principles? 

David,
    Good points. I've never been to any of the sports halls of fame that we have here in the US. I am contemplating taking my youngest son to Cooperstown to see the baseball hall of fame this summer.
    The USGA museum in Far Hills is certainly more in keeping with what you are advocating.

And the PGA of America has its museum in Port St. Lucie. Its a pretty nice place and has a lot of old golf books. Well done building.

[Matt_Ward]

Jim K:

Thanks for sharing the story on Dick S ! Very sad indeed.

Gents:

Couple of thoughts -- too many times when the word "world" is thrown into the picture you get people here in the States who only view Americans as worthy of incluision.

Let me also point out that far too many people blow way oiut of proportion the notion of what constitutes "greatness."

I take a very conservative approach to various hall of fames -- far too many times there is this compulsion that one MUST induct someone all the time. After a bit of time -- you get a hall of half-greats that only got there because others like themslves were inducted previously and the log rolling continues on and on.

Fred Couples was a fine player for quite some time. In my book, he's not a Hall of Famer. Ditto the idea that Dave Stockton is one as well.

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