Hate to be the one to break the news...but my guess is that 60-70% of the golfing population is more interested in playing a course designed by Nicklaus or Norman than one designed by Doak, Coore-Crenshaw, C. B. Macdonald, Dr. MacKenzie, Raynor, Colt etc. To the 75%, Nicklaus, Norman, etc are the hottest brands
Paul:
I am not one to let my ego get the better of me, but it's not so much that I think my brand has gone up as that theirs have gone down. I think Nicklaus and Norman have spoiled their brands via over-saturation, and I can't remember the last time either of them opened a course that got a lot of attention.
Honestly I think that's been true since the Rio Olympic design competition. It was clear that all of those guys thought their brand would win the day, and it was just as clear that the Olympic Games did not want anyone else's brand -- they considered their own brand far more important, and anything else a distraction. But there was no recognition at all about that from Nicklaus, Norman, or Player.