I have to tell you that this post puzzles me. Its a good one, simply because we should celebrate all visionaries who have taken the chance, and have been successful at doing it. Please lets not de-rate the people who deserve to be labeled visionaries with people that are simply doing it for anything less then full passion.
Now David, to address your ideas of visionary:
1. Mike Keiser-Undoubtedly so, but like all true visionaries, he probably doesn't even think of himself in this vein.
2. Steve Wynn-Would anyone actually put him a class with George Crump? Lets just say that he is a visonary when it came to over-commericializing Las Vegas. and it wasn't even his idea. It was Ben Siegel's
3. Donald Trump-ABSOLUTELY NOT! The Donald is a promoter and hype creator. He has NO clue about Golf Course Architecture other then having a secretary or assistant call Hendersonville, NC.
4. Herb Kohler-Maybe, but he has to overcome a lot of "A" hole issues (From what I'm told) before he deserves to put up on any pedestal.
5. Terry Friedman-No. I don't know Terry Friedman, nor have met him or Mr. Keiser. But I can't help to think that he was just following Mr. Keiser's lead.
My idea of Modern Day Visionaries:
1.Bill Coore-He is Neo, he is the one. (Ruthlessly stolen from The Matrix)
2.Ken Bakst-Maybe the Greatest, Most Intelligent, Most Knowledgable Developer mankind has ever known.
3.Howard Hughes-OK, maybe he didn't design any golf courses, and maybe he was crazy towards the end. Still, he was a genius. He could have owned every architecture firm ever started if he wanted to.
4.Orson Welles-I would have loved to have seen Orson Welles design a golf course. He would have forbidden all of the environmentalists from ever stepping on to the property. He also would have more then likely even forbidden the people who were putting the money up for the course. If he was a golfer and was given the chance to build and design, it would have been epic.
There are more, many more!