What single person has inspired more of today's best architects?

[Ran Morrissett]

The most logical candidates seem to be (in no order):a. Pete Dyeb. Alister MacKenziec. Donald RossI am sure there are others for argument sake but I imagine the truth lies above.

[Tim_Liddy]

Ross for the great fundamentals of golf course routing and the proper layout (dimensions) of a golf hole.  MacKenzie for his artistic brilliance and use of strategy from the green back to the tee.  Dye for his forwarding of the art form in so many ways.I think Ross wins by a slight edge because he was the first to do everything so well.  I can not imagine how difficult it must have been to build greens, bunkers, and tees and make them work artistically and functionally) in different soils, etc. throughout the U.S.

[TEPaul]

With the qualifier "today's best", it would have to be Pete Dye when you consider the interesting evolution of his own career in that his changing style started a renaissance away from the era of Jones-Wilson et al. The fact that Dye was the first of the post WW2 era to return to the origins of golf for study and inspiration and that this homage led other Dye-sciples to do the same is a major inspiration in todays best architecture (Doak, Weed, Coore, Hanse etc).Dye's inspiration is interesting in that it led others not to necessarily copy him but to follow his lead in an interpretive sense.Since their (Pete & Alice) mecca in the mid 1960s their influence has been there competing quietly on a dual track with the high production architects of the American modern age school. The renaissance in design largely inspired by Dye is really catching hold now, in my opinion. I would analogize the stage of the renaissance to a remark Churchill made about a particular point in WW2. "We are at the end of the beginning"

[Jeff_Mingay]

What about John L. Low? His emphasise on strategy was unique at the time. His writings contained in "Concerning Golf" are a watershed in the history of design. And, in general, he had a profound impact, and subsequent influence, on many of the great "Golden Age" architects, who, in turn, are influencing the best architects practicing today.

[Bob Ellington]

John L. Low? No chance. Everything he put in words, Ross and MacKenzie actually did in the dirt and numerous first class courses stand testimony to that. Which do you think is more important?I would say this Pinehurst #2 will be the most influential course in the first decade of the century.

[Bob Ellington]

Unlike Dye, Tom Doak has put a lot down on paper and combined that with building courses - what has been his influence over the past five years or so? More or less than Dye's (strictly in the past five years)?

[Jeff_Mingay]

There's no question Doak has had a bigger influence than Dye within the last five years. Tom's writing turned alot of people in the right direction during that period of time. And now he's putting all that knowledge into the ground.

[Jeff_Mingay]

And, Bob -- don't be so down-on John Low. His words were quite powerful. And what he did in the ground at Woking had an influence on alot of people.

[Tom_Doak]

This one is pretty much a no-brainer -- it's Pete and Alice Dye.Most of the "young architects" you've mentioned -- myself, Bill Coore, Bobby Weed, and Rod Whitman, plus Jason McCoy [G. Norman], Tim Liddy, and Lee Schmidt -- got our start in the business on a Pete Dye construction crew.I'm flattered that people think I've had some influence with my writing, but I think that really, my biggest influence has just been to show that someone with ideas and no family ties or PGA Tour badge can make it on their own, and it's inspired that many more young guys to try.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tom -- You're wrong!Sure you've shown everyone that a guy without a "family name", or an affiliation to a PGA Tour player can make it in the business, but your influence on guys my age has been great. Seriously. I won't argue with the fact that you, Liddy, Whitman, Coore, etc. learned alot from the Dyes, as you were fortunate enough to work with them on-site. But their audience was limited in comparison to your own, in terms of your writing. I was fortunate to grow up playing golf on a wonderful Ross course, and my dad took my brother and I around to Harbourtown, and many other fine golf courses at a younger age that all sparked my interest in architecture. But I'll tell you what, as much as I was fascinated by all of the holes I was seeing, I now know that I wasn't really getting it until I read "Anatomy of a Golf Course" over, and over, and over, back in the mid-1990's, as a (fairly) naive 20 year old. So don't kid yourself. (But don't take enough credit to lead you toward arrogance either!)

[Jeff_Mingay]

I think my posts here deviated from the actual question?!?! Whoops!I guess I read the heading as "What single  person WILL inspire more of TOMORROW'S best architects?"Answer: TOM DOAK...Nonetheless, keep up the good work Tom!