The Most Powerful People in Golf....How do you determine?

[Eric Smith]

Eric,

what's that got to do with golf? We all know Arnie's a great guy who is very charitable.  And he was hugely influential in the early 60's in growing the popularity of the game, much as Tiger is today, but that was before most of the people on this board were born...

Would the hospital even be possible w/o the game of golf?  The game that Arnold Palmer still plays and the game that he put all of his efforts into.  His influence won't go away anytime soon.

[Jud_T]

ugh, only 6 1/2 hours left till cocktail hour      god forbid anyone question one of the game's greats. a thousand mea culpas....

[Eric Smith]

ugh, only 6 1/2 hours left till cocktail hour      god forbid anyone question one of the game's greats. a thousand mea culpas....

It isn't that important Jud!  I just posted some info on the reach of his influence. You have a right to disagree with his ranking on this meaningless list of the influential.

[Eric Smith]

They had Arnold Palmer tall-boys in the cooler at Palmetto!  

[Mike_Young]

Lou,
If I had to try and decide I would base it on who could affect the game either positively or negatively the most...
so I would say...
Tiger Woods-  obvious
Jack Nicklaus- obvious
John Daly- whether I agree with him or not...he has a huge following and many many golfers listen to him
USGA Equipment committee- of course that is more than one person
Any indvidual course owner that has his own money at risk and has to make a profit without subsidies-  I know that is a lot of people but pick one....

I don't see where any architects association executives , equipment company executives or management companies make that much difference...JMO

Mike,

You don't think Wally Uiheim is more powerful than the USGA equipment committee?

Also, I don't see how being exposed to financial risk has any link to your power?

Scott,
I don't think WU is more powerful than USGA equipment committee....
The question from Lou was "influential" and so I think financial risk has a lot to do with it....all the guys on that list can afford the "sizzle" that is created by marketing .....the guys out there making the every day decisions about which golf car to lease , which range ball to purchase, which mower to buy and how often to fertilize have an entirely different look and feel for the industry....these guys have to make the note and a living....so much of what we see from management companies is guys running RE development courses for the Developer and trying to keep the losses at a minimum so that they are not subsidized more than necessary by the RE.....but the overwhelming majority of courses don't have the luxury of a "minimum loss"....THUS when all the hoopla dies down they make te most critical decisions as a group for the game.....IMHO

[Greg Tallman]

The list should not be mistaken for the best intenioned.

Would the GAME be better off without 30-50% of those on the list?

I cannot see ANY architect being very influential in the game these days and that is no knock on anyone... just an economic reality.

[Jud_T]

David,

Looks more like a Power Slice based on his setup in the picture...

[Lou_Duran]

If economics have a bearing in this discussion, how about President Obama, the Chinese Communist Party, and, perhaps at least until recently, the International Olympics Committee?

[Mike_Young]

The list should not be mistaken for the best intenioned.

Would the GAME be better off without 30-50% of those on the list?

I cannot see ANY architect being very influential in the game these days and that is no knock on anyone... just an economic reality.

Greg,
I agree with your post and I don't think would be better or worse with 30-50% of those on the list not being on the list.....

Lou,
I thought of Obama etc but it said people "in" golf and he would be considered an outside influence to me

[Joe Hancock]

I would answer the thread title by saying "the guy on the D-8".

 

[Mike_Young]

I would answer the thread title by saying "the guy on the D-8".

 

Not if you were using Deere....

[Tom_Doak]

I cannot see ANY architect being very influential in the game these days and that is no knock on anyone... just an economic reality.

Greg:

I agree with this entirely if you are talking about the game IN AMERICA ... because there aren't any courses being built in America, so how is a golf course architect going to influence what happens?

But since the golf business is moving overseas (to China in particular), I think an architect who builds courses in China has a tremendous chance to affect the future of the game's growth there.

[Greg Tallman]

I cannot see ANY architect being very influential in the game these days and that is no knock on anyone... just an economic reality.

Greg:

I agree with this entirely if you are talking about the game IN AMERICA ... because there aren't any courses being built in America, so how is a golf course architect going to influence what happens?

But since the golf business is moving overseas (to China in particular), I think an architect who builds courses in China has a tremendous chance to affect the future of the game's growth there.

Very valid point Tom... Spanish was hard enough to learn, I shudder at the thought of tackling Mandarin.

[Bill_McBride]

Has Arnold done anything influential in the past 25 years? aside from opening up some commercial endorsement avenues on a riding mower and phoning in some very mediocre golf course designs?   

Helped get the Golf Channel underway so we junkies have something to do with our idle hours.

[Jud_T]

Bill,

Good point.  I spaced out on that one....