“A Good Walk Spoiled” —Golf — The All Time Best — WFM’s Hall of Fame
Mark Twain, the great American novelist and humorist summarised the game of golf nicely- “Golf is a Good Walk Spoiled.” All who have played the game can smile and shake their head in agreement- some of us more than others. A whimsical attitude can be the most effective way to manage the challenges of the game. Social commentators have done their best. Internet searches on golf generate a multitude of sites focused on hilarious quotes associated with this grand game. I am tempted to rattle off one after another and call it a day. On reflection, such laziness would be disrespectful to a game that deserves serious intellectual attention. At its heart, golf is a game designed to be described in flowing and poetic sentences- refined prose that seeks to capture the elegance, beauty, dignity and timeliness of the craft. Golf is hard and it has a spiritual and aesthetic dimension. It is played in gorgeous venues of natural beauty. Some courses are wild and others are manicured to an emerald perfection. The game is played in all weather conditions. Legendary architects and designers have produced cathedral like settings- inspiring world class players in the pursuit of perfection and inspiring golf mad galleries. Natural beauty, combined with athletic excellence and gentlemanly traditions is the essence of golf.
When detailing my appreciation of the sport and my admiration for it greatest players, I speak with great humility. I play golf, enjoy it immensely, watch it on television religiously on weekends. Unfortunately, I have never broken 90 and the first time my handicap dropped below 20 was in my 70th year on the planet. An illustrated dictionary would have my photo on the first tee next to the entry for “Mediocrity.” So be it!! I am a student of the game’s magnificent history and am comfortable sharing my insights on the game’s best players. Golf is timeless and one of its strengths is the continuity over eras. You can compare players from different generations. The best courses have been around for a century. Golf is noble venture. Another historian and one of the great leaders of the 20th century was also a golf fan and succinctly summarised the basic challenge. “Golf is a game whose aim is to put a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons ill designed for the purpose.” Touché Winston- he may have been a retrograde imperialist but certainly could cut to the heart of the matter.
Quoting Churchill inspires a short history lesson. Golf was born in Scotland in the mid 15th century. Yes, the British Islands did invent both soccer and golf which may explain the incredible arrogance and condescension still associated with its citizens. Its original format was for players to hit pebbles over sand dunes with bent sticks. King James of Scotland banned golf in 1457 because it was distracting nobles and knights from archery practice, but the ban was lifted in 1502 when a successor King James took up the game himself. Golf has been played at St Andrews since 1550 when Archbishop Hamilton decreed from the pulpit that golf was a suitable pastime for Christian men. In 1764, St Andrews opened the first 18 hole course. It continues to host the British Open every 5 years today. No other sport can match golf’s longevity. The Brits were also the source for the first great course architects, Alistair Mackenzie and Donald Ross who were responsible for some of the world’s most outstanding venues. These gentleman were born in the 1870’s and had completed much of their best work by the 1920’s. America fell in love with game in the early 20th century and has never looked back. I think Trump is telling people he invented it!! A transformative moment was when Amateur Francis Ouimet beat two British legends, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the 1913 US Open at Brookline. In 1912, there were 350,000 golfers in the United States. By 1924, there were 3 million players. Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam and became one of the most renowned sports personages in the Roaring 20’s- at the same level as Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey. Walter Hagen became an international celebrity- a man of wine, women, song and championship level golf. The game of golf developed a loyal following that grew steadily. Impressive!
The nature of the game has remained constant. Champions must possess a multidimensional skill set. Talent is critical, but practice, discipline and a strong work ethic are absolutely required. An accomplished golfer must be powerfully long off the tee, accurate and precise on the approach shots, possess superb touch and short game around the greens and own a rock solid and repeatable putting stroke. Wonderful hand - eye coordination is a must. Mastering the menu of shots will accelerator a player’s climb up the ladder, but reaching the golf summit demands mental toughness, singular concentration and a temperament that reflects grace under pressure. A world class golfer must embrace the game’s hallowed traditions, manage the media and his fans with class and abide by the game’s culture and customs. The fans expect no less. Civility, sportsmanship, respecting your opponents, following the canons and rules religiously are deeply embedded principles. Patience, endurance, stamina and perseverance are character components shared by all the greats.
The individualism inherent in golf is key to its appeal. There is no place to hide during a final Sunday round at a Major Championship. You are alone with your thoughts. Your caddy can provide distances, read putts and make recommendations, but execution is all on the individual swinging the club. The reality is you are presented endless opportunities to fail- to choke- to defeat yourself. When confronting every conceivable challenge, you understand there are no guarantees and no excuses. It is the “purest” form of athletic challenge. There are no team or chemistry issues impacting the result. Your score is not impacted by a bad umpire call or a mistaken referee ruling. No one strikes you out, tackles you for a loss, blocks your shot, fires a forehand past you or tries to knock your head off. Baseball, football, basketball, tennis and boxing are amazing, but golf is unique in its narcissism. It is on you! The ball doesn’t move and neither does the hole. You can’t blame a coach who benches you or plays you out of position.
Consider how champions are crowned in other sports. A tennis “singles” match requires individual execution, but you have highly motivated opponent on the other side of the net. How they play is an element outside of your control. You can play great and lose and turn in a mediocre performance and win. To win a major, a tennis player must defeat 7 other players in a 128 man field. In golf, you must beat all 127 other players. In tennis, you start fresh with each new match. In golf, the results are cumulative and reflect every shot struck over 4 grueling days. As Sam Snead said to his good buddy, Ted Williams, the best baseball hitter ever— “Ted, you need to understand golf, in golf every shot counts, we have to count our 'foul balls.'” In baseball, you can strike out three times and still be the game hero when you hit a ninth inning home run. In golf, only hitting 25 percent of your shots successfully is a catastrophe. In the final analysis, golf is fascinating, it is stirring, it is addictive and it is aggravating. But it can also be exhilarating and inspiring. Arnold Palmer, the ultimate golf sportsman captured the attraction best.
“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated. It satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is rewarding and maddening, but ultimately it is the best game mankind ever invented." It is also the sport most representative of life in general. Listen to the wisdom of golf’s great gentleman and philosopher Bobby Jones. “You get good breaks on bad shots and bad breaks on good shots- but you have to play the ball where it lies.” Thank you Mr Jones!
Golf has its critics. It is often portrayed as a bastion of elitism, the preserve of fat cat capitalists and complacent and snobby country club types. There may be an element of truth to that caricature. BUT, many championship golfers have come from the middle class or humble backgrounds. The game has MASS appeal. 68 million people play a round of golf annually worldwide. In the United States, 48 million people teed it up in 2024. There are 39,000 golf courses spread over 206 countries. The game is international in scope with 15 countries producing a major champion and tours in Asia, South Africa, South America, and the Mideast. Of course, we have the PGA and the DP World Tour. We have the Ryder Cup, the President’s Cup, the Walker Cup and the Solheim Cup. The television coverage is wide ranging and the purses are enormous. Woods, McIlroy and Mickelson have earned over 100 million dollars on the course. Golf superstars are media darlings, influencers and magnets for product advisers. Golfers now embrace fitness, heathy eating and mental coaching. The equipment has improved and is probably the biggest change in the past 50 years. The best players are hitting the ball farther than ever. Golf is a critical part of the sports calendar and is also representative of societal changes. The women’s game is exploding and there is more diversity in the player ranks. It is very healthy.
Golf is big business, but it is also romantic and timeless. TV is a great fit for golf. There is natural beauty, strategic drama, compelling individual narratives and storylines, accessibility and respect for tradition. There have been many outstanding players over multiple eras and I will now enter the hazard and identify my All Time Best Male Golfers. My criteria is any player who was active after I was born. This eliminates Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen and Byron Nelson, but they get a consolation award- THE OLD TIMERS HALL OF FAME. I have considered active players who have already won Majors and displayed excellence over a sustained period. Obvious benchmarks are Majors won, tournament victories, World Rankings and Hall of Fame recognition. Drum roll please!
1. JACK NICKLAUS: Unquestionably, the greatest golfer of All Time. Tiger was on a pathway to surpass him, but encountered some personal and heath detours in the later stages of his career. Mr Nicklaus (the Golden Bear) had a complete game- outstanding in all phases. He holds the record with 18 Major championships and won all 4 Majors at least 3 times. Amazingly, he was a runner at the Majors on 19 other occasions and finished in the top five 56 times. Always in the hunt and always the pre- tournament favourite. He had 73 PGA tournament victories. He won the season ending Tour Championship 3 times. He was a great Ryder Cup player. He was originally Darth Vader to Arnold Palmer’s Luke Skywalker, but eventually won the masses over with his skill, class and longevity. A first rate course designer who remains a great Ambassador for the game.
2. TIGER WOODS: The most talented and competitive player ever. RUTHLESS- a winner. He has 15 majors, 82 PGA victories, 2 Players Championships (the Fifth Major) and 2 Tour Championships. Actually, a mediocre Ryder Cup record. He was charismatic and TV ratings exploded during his 8 year reign as the No 1 player in the world. A cultural force who still remains a leading spokesperson for the game. A hero to just about everyone currently on tour. They all grew up watching him and was the gold standard for a generation.
3. GARY PLAYER: A native South African and an international golf icon. He battled Nicklaus, won 9 majors, 24 PGA tournaments and an incredible 170 international wins. Played forever- a fitness nut- brilliant putter. Highly intelligent fellow- outspoken. Ice in his veins.
4. BEN HOGAN: Purest ball striker in history. 9 Major titles and 64 PGA victories. Great comeback after brutal injury in auto accident. Taciturn Texan who would intimidate opponents. Great instructor with best teaching book and video.
5. SAM SNEAD: Sweet swinging Sammy- the smoothest and most elegant swing- beautiful to watch- easygoing and witty. Won 7 Majors and 82 PGA tournaments. Legendary battles with Hogan. Liked his cigarette and whiskey.
6. ARNOLD PALMER: Mr Charisma- the Pied Piper of Golf’s modern era; Uber popular; catalyst for explosion of golf’s mass appeal; clutch player- daring- many startling comebacks and a couple of stunning collapses. Won 7 Majors and 62 PGA events. An advertising agencies dream product spokesperson.
7. TOM WATSON: The ultimate gentleman; rival to Nicklaus; phenomenal at British Open; won 8 Majors and 39 PGA tournaments. Ranked No 1 for 61 weeks.
8. PHIL MICKELSON: overshadowed by Tiger, but a gifted and talented player- took risks- fans loved him. Won 6 Majors and prevailed in 45 PGA tournaments. Won PGA Championship at 50.
9. LEE TREVINO: Mexican-American who started as ball retriever at municipal course and became a legend. Witty- always a quip at hand. 6 Majors and 29 PGA victories. Charismatic crowd pleaser, but super tough down the stretch.
10. SEVE BALLESTEROS: The King of the Spaniards; died too young; brought Europe back into the Ryder Cup conversation; wanted to cut his opponents heart out; fearless- very creative- best player out of rough ever. Won 5 Majors. 9 other PGA events and 93 tournaments worldwide.
11. NIC FALDO: An Englishman who loved the pressure. 6 Majors, 9 PGA wins and 43 worldwide. Outstanding at Ryder Cup. Boring TV analyst.
12. RORY McILROY: Northern Irishman- golf prodigy; highest profile player today- 110 million dollars in winnings; Has 5 Majors and one of only 6 players to win all 4 Majors in a career. 29 PGA victories and 20 more on international tours. Has 2 Player championship trophies and 3 Tour Championships; most outstanding player of his generation although keep eye on Scheffler. No 1 in world rankings for 125 weeks. Heartbreaking losses in 3-4 other Majors. If he stays heathy, could win 3-4 more Majors and end up in top 5 on this list. My favourite player to watch. He and Mickelson always kept it interesting!
13. GREG NORMAN: The Great White Shark- ranked No 1 in world for 332 weeks. Won 2 British Opens but defined by his 8 runner-up finishes- many in mind numbing circumstances. Won 20 PGA events and 88 tournaments worldwide. A golf entrepreneur and a driving force behind LIV. controversial now, but very popular player in his prime. Was very close to being a top 5 guy here but came up short in some winnable majors.
14. BILLY CASPER: Another great player in the Nicklaus dominated era- low key but precise ball striker and excellent putter. Won 3 Majors and 51 PGA tournaments.
15. ERNIE ELS: The Big Easy. Sweet swinging South African- poetry in motion- always in rhythm. 4 Major Championships and 70 career victories worldwide. Ranked in Top 10 for 758 weeks. Classy guy.
16. NICK PRICE: Phenomenal player; won 3 Majors, 18 PGA events and 30 international tourneys. Was No 1 in world for 18 months.
17. RAYMOND FLOYD: A gritty competitor- great frontrunner and at his best on the biggest stages. 4 Majors, 22 PGA and 14 international wins in his trophy case.
18. BERNHARD LANGER: German- a three time Major Champion, 3 PGA wins- 40 international victories and an incredible 50 wins on the Senior Champions tour.
19. BROOKS KOEPKA: 5 Majors earns a spot on this list;
20. SCOTTY SCHEFFLER: Current No 1 with 3 majors and 16 PGA victories. On path to a top 5 spot.
Honorable Mention: Hale Irwin, Vijay Singh, Johnny MIller, Jordan Spieth, Justin Justin, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau.
