Bush 41 Shouldn't Be in the World Golf Hall of Fame
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 23, 2010 10:58 AM EDT
in Pro Golf
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PrintWhen the World Golf Hall of Fame sent out their press release announcing the 2010 class of inductees to be inducted next Spring in St. Augustine, a number of things stuck out. Ernie Els - an active player - will be inducted. Doug Ford, whose career should have been rewarded long ago with a spot in our Hall, will be immortalized.
And then (with no disrespect in passing over Jock Hutchinson), there's George H.W. Bush.
George Bush in the Hall of Fame? His son played more golf during his presidency, even before he made the symbolic gesture of not golfing post-9/11 (at least that we saw).
Bush has attended every Presidents Cup. Great! Not a reason to get in the Hall of Fame. Roger Maltbie has been there for all of them, and he was working. Where's his Hall pass?
The ex-President has done great work to raise money for Hurricane Katrina and Asian tsunami victims. Kudos for that, but there are no points on the ballot for humanitarian work outside of the sport.
If anything, George HW Bush should be in the skydiving hall of fame. He did it for many years on his birthday. That's gutsy.
As Adam Schupak points out, Bush was voted in by a committee of administrative/executive types in the sport. No group of players or writers would vote him into the Hall, so these guys took care of it. Perhaps it was a thank you for supporting golf, especially since it is difficult to do politically. Then again, the vast majority of Bush 41's golf PR work has been since his term ended. Is that really a lifetime of achievement? Hardly.
Lifetimes of achievement are for people like Laura Davies, or Colin Montgomerie, or a slew of other names that would be better suited for the Hall of Fame than President Bush.
At the same time, though, it is very problematic to enshrine players with good days left. No other sport does that. Sure, golfers have much lengthier careers and terms of service to the game than other sports. It makes appreciating their career with an induction that much more excruciating of a wait.
In other sports, there is a countdown clock from the second a player retires until their possible Hall of Fame ceremony. With the likes of Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa - legends who stopped playing earlier than most would - we can have that kind of anticipation. That's not so true on the men's side. Frankly, Bernhard Langer - already in the Hall - and Fred Couples are still writing their Hall of Fame plaques, and could for another five years.
But ask me to make a choice and I would prefer active players over president-turned-pitchman any day.
Let's clear the ranks of golfers - touring pros and teaching professionals alike - who have dedicated their lives to serving and growing the game before we consider filler material like President Bush. Our nascent Hall needs all of the true golf names it can get, not dignitaries doubling as spokespeople.
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Pretty sure you’re missing part of the point on the “Hall of Fame(ous)” there in St Augustine. It is, first and foremost, a business. Bush is not going to cause thousands of golf fans to swarm to the Hall exibit, but he is an extremely high profile, modern name in the world of golf. He is connected with the Presidents Cup as the first US President / honorary captain. He is also the elder living link to the Walker Cup. Bush brings an extra bit of prestige to the Hall.
I’m not disagreeing with you that there are other real golf people who should be in the Hall – including AW Tillinghast – and puttng active major tour players in the Hall when they have 10 more years in the spotlight is ridiculous – but Bush is not a terrible person to put in the Hall. You can point your finger at other things he has done to make people look away from his place in golf heritage, but the facts are still there. The Bush family has been very important to the golf world over the years.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Being important to football doesn’t get you in their HOF. I’m still outraged Chris Berman got in, even in an honorary capacity. Sporting hall of fames should be first and foremost for athletes, not administrators or anything like that. With golf, I’d say players, teaching pros, equipment & course designers get in above any administrator or ambassador. That’s more my problem with Bush getting in.
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by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 23, 2010 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
you sure about that ? Better look again. There are owners and coaches and inovators in the NFL hall of fame. You made that point, and then said that you were mad about Chirs Berman ?
Believe it or not – there are other people who are important to the game outside the ropes.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I don’t disagree that people outside of the ropes made big things happen. Frank Chirkanian is a good example.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 23, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Is it a World hall of fame
or just like other American sports HoF’s ? And why Bush ? Prince Andrew is a golf nut over here and is a member of the R and A. Get him in too. And while we are at it, how about Alice Cooper…he plays golf better than Bush ever could too :)
Good point
There needs to be a less American-centric emphasis in the Hall. There is certainly room enough to include everyone who is deserving, and carrying an American passport is not a criteria. After all, after football, golf is the second most global game on the planet.
by Charles Boyer on Sep 23, 2010 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
because it is an American way
of honouring their sports stars ( which I think is a good way of doing that ) it makes it hard to take it seriously overseas. for that reason alone, I think it’ll probably stay American-centric as you say.
it’s called the World Golf HoF, but most of the people who go see the place are American – and again – it is a business, so they want people that are recognized by the people coming to see it. Kind of a disappointing way to look at your customers – there’s no real attempt to educate people about great names outside the US other than names you probably already know.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Court,
When you went to St Andrews, did you go into the British Golf Museum ? the Hof could be a bit like that, ie more educational, don’t you think ?
Sure did – loved it. But there’s a difference between a museum and a Hall of Fame. (personally – I don’t see a whole lot of purpose in a HoF) I like how you’re looking at it – at least a museum changes from time to time when a new exhibit is developed. HoF’s pretty much only change when a new bust is installed, and it’s not worth going to see just that.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Yeah
But I suppose when a Hall of famer has passed away he becomes part of a museum…much like Old Tom Morris :)
I wonder if Bush The Elder were a CEO who had done much the same for the game but NOT been in politics if we would even be having this discussion. Would we worry (or not) have S.C. Johnson of the Band-Aid and furniture wax fortune with as much vigor?
The real discussion in my mind is something that Court touched on: why is A.W. Tillinghast not in there, if not as a designer then as a sportswriter? Before there was a Grantland Rice, Tillinghast was the main writer covering latter 19th century golf. His design work speaks for itself too.
Then there’s George Herbert Walker, who has a Cup named for him. He was also a USGA president. No offense to President Bush – a man I greatly respect – I think that his grandfather is more deserving.
Ultimately, a Hall of Fame should have some standards of merit, and not rely on favoritism and/or cronyism. Perhaps all of them do to some extent, but all should work very hard to prevent it. Baseball probably does it the best, whereas golf’s Hall is really a Hall of Famous, aka “Who’s Your Buddies?”
Is Peter Alliss in ?
I have no idea, but he must deserve a place there for his contribution to golf.
nope – no Peter Alliss – should definitely be in for broadcasting.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
or at least
for coining the world’s most used phrase on the putting green.
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
Isn’t George H.W. Bush the honorary chairman of the First Tee program, too? I mean, it’s not exactly like winning a major, but the man has been an ambassador of the game, so it’s not like he just got in for playing a lot of golf and being famous.
I personally don’t think sports halls of fame should be open to those that didn’t compete or have a direct effect on the competitions, (i.e. coaches/managers, commissioners, etc.), but the WGHoF has a category for people that have had an impact outside the ropes, and to me, it’s hard to argue that GHWB hasn’t been a valid ambassador of the game.
I don't object to the induction if
he’s there as a representative of his family, that has demonstrably been good for the game.
However, the honorary chairperson of anything may make a 15 second TV commercial once every couple of years because of who he is, not what he’s done. That’s hardly a contribution worthy of HOF membership.
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
I think he’s done a bit more than a 15 second commercial every couple of years. This is part of the write-up from the WGHoF:
President Bush helped raise the profile of the sport of golf considerably during and post his Presidential administration. He has been recognized by the golf community over the years, including receiving the 1997 PGA of America Distinguished Service Award, the USGA’s 2008 Bob Jones Award and the 2009 PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1996, President Bush served as honorary chairman of The Presidents Cup and has since attended every Presidents Cup. He is an honorary member of the PGA, honorary chair of the USGA Museum and Archives President’s council and has served as honorary chairman of The First Tee since 1997.
Again, not exactly like winning a major, but these various awards, recognitions, and honorary memberships tell me that he’s done a little bit more than 15 seconds of commercials every two years.
by Double Eagle on Sep 23, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Tiger Woods
has done more to raise the profile of the sport of golf than anyone since Arnold Palmer.
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
And that really has nothing to do with this debate whatsoever. The fact that someone else has done more or even the most, doesn’t mean that a different individual hasn’t done enough him/herself.
I actually think it’s a bigger joke that they induct active players into the World Golf Hall of Fame. To me, that’s a major no-no. HoF should be exclusively post-career. I could deal with it if it came after someone moved on to the Champion’s Tour. But putting in active PGA Tour players is a joke.
by Double Eagle on Sep 23, 2010 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, Palmer and some guy named “Jack.”
by Charles Boyer on Sep 23, 2010 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I was referring to what I consider watershed events. Arnie had the charisma to get large audiences for golf on television. Jack built on that, but he wasn’t the catalyst. Today almost everyone knows something about golf because Tiger, for better or worse, is the most recognized athlete on the planet.
"(I)f you think you've got an inside track to absolute truth, you become doctrinaire, humorless and intellectually constipated." Saul Alinsky
And again...
…if it were up to me, he’d never even be eligible. Nor would journalists and other people on the fringe of the game.
by Double Eagle on Sep 23, 2010 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I just don’t see “raising the profile of the game” as a firm enough characteristic to get into the HOF. Lots of people did that in various ways. It needs to be a clearer standard.
Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.
by Ryan Ballengee on Sep 23, 2010 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s tough to have clear standards on something like that. That’s why HoF inductions come out of some voting process. You need to have broad criteria and trust the voting bloc to just know when someone belongs. Of course, it doesn’t work like that all the time, but they usually get it mostly right.
If you try to create some kind of standards then there are going to be people left out that probably should be there. For instance, say they had a requirement of at least one major. Then, someone comes along and wins 100 tournaments over 40 years but never gets a major. Yes, I know, very unlikely, but still, why create a standard in the first place that leaves out someone like that?
To me, it’s a much bigger travesty when someone deserving gets left out than when someone a little under-qualified squeaks in. Of course, you could argue that under-qualified people water down the significance, but I don’t necessarily think that’s the case if there are only a few marginal individuals in there.
by Double Eagle on Sep 23, 2010 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I have no problem with him getting in the
HOF, heck any 80+ year old man who would jump out of an airplane is probably not afraid of any putt. Not a big deal.
I’m headed to the course to continue my quest for the HOF……of course I’m afraid of EVERY putt…….got work to do……:) Temps here today in the low 90’s….I’ll probably take a jacket!
The Saints ARE the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS....WHO DAT!
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