| World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum | |
| Established: | (past location: May 19, 1998) |
| Location: | Pinehurst, North Carolina |
| Type: | Professional sports hall of fame |
| Visitors: | 350,000/year (2009) |
The World Golf Hall of Fame was, until recently, located at World Golf Village between Jacksonville, Florida and St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States. It is unusual amongst sports halls of fame in that a single site honored both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.[1] It is moving back to Pinehurst, North Carolina, with the new campus opening in 2024.
The Hall of Fame Museum Building was designed by the specialist museum architecture firm E. Verner Johnson and Associates of Boston. They also produced the museum master plan that established the size, mission and qualities of the museum and the surrounding facilities and site.
The Hall of Fame Museum features a permanent exhibition and a rolling program of temporary exhibitions. Designed by museum design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the Hall of Fame and exhibition area contains exhibits on the game's history, heritage, and techniques; major players and organizations; golf course design, equipment, and dress.[2]
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and was originally privately operated by Diamondhead Corp., then owners of the Pinehurst Resort. It opened in September 1974 with an initial class of 13 members.[3] Initially it was a local project, but the PGA of America took over management in 1983 and acquired full ownership in 1986.
Two other halls of fame have been merged into the World Golf Hall of Fame. The PGA of America established one in 1940, which was merged into the Pinehurst Hall in the 1980s. The Hall of Fame of Women's Golf was established by the LPGA in 1951, with four charter members: Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias. It was inactive for some years, but in 1967 it moved into its first physical premises, which were in Augusta, Georgia and was renamed the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. In 1998 it merged into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
In 1994 the global golf industry established a non-profit making body called the World Golf Foundation to promote the sport, with the creation of an enhanced Hall of Fame as one of its main objectives. Construction at the new site in St. Johns County, Florida began in 1996 and the new facility opened on May 19, 1998, and closed in September, 2023.
The new USGA Pinehurst Golf House, now housing the hall of fame is scheduled to open in 2024.[4]
In October 2013, the Hall announced that it was reviewing its selection process and that there would be no induction ceremony in 2014.[5] [6] A new process was announced in March 2014.
Starting in 2014, members were inducted into the Hall of Fame in one of four categories: Male Competitor, Female Competitor, Veterans, and Lifetime Achievement categories. Elections are held every other year with induction ceremonies in odd number years beginning in 2015. The process has changed from that used from 1996 to 2013. The minimum qualifications for male and female competitors are: minimum of 40 years old, or five years removed from "active competition" and 15 or more wins on "approved tours" or two "major wins". The veterans category is primarily for those golfers whose careers ended before 1980 and includes both amateurs and professionals. The lifetime achievement category remains from the old system.[7]
The Hall again revised the criteria in 2020 and now recognize two categories: Competitor and Contributor.
A 30-member nominating sub-committee composed of Hall of Fame members, World Golf Foundation Board organizations and members of the media will choose from among the eligible candidates and nominate a total of 10 individuals (four male competitors, four female competitors, and two contributors).[8] A separate 20-member selection committee will then vote on all four ballots.[9] Election to the Hall of Fame will require 75% of the vote and each year's election class is limited to two from each ballot and five total.[7] [10]
In 2016, the Hall announced that the age requirement would be raised to 50 from 40 years old.[11] In 2020, the age went from 50 to 45.[12]
From 1996 to 2013, members were inducted into the Hall of Fame in one of five categories: PGA Tour/Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, International, Lifetime Achievement, and Veterans.
Current and former PGA Tour and Champions Tour players were eligible for this ballot if they met the following requirements (beginning with 1996 election):
Election requirements:
| Years | % of returned ballots needed for election | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–2000 | 75% | |
| 2001–2003 | 65% | |
| 2004–2013 | 65%, in the event that no candidate receives 65%, the nominee receiving the most votes with at least 50% is elected |
Voters voted for up to 30% of the players on the ballot. If a player was named on less than 5% of the ballots for two consecutive years, they were dropped from the ballot. Players not elected could remain on the ballot indefinitely[13] (prior to 2007 the limit was 10 years, from 2007 to 2009 the limit was 15 years).[14]
LPGA Tour golfers were eligible through a point system. Since 1999, LPGA members automatically qualified for World Golf Hall of Fame membership when they meet these three criteria:
Before 1999, players had to win 30 tournaments, including two majors; 35 tournaments with one major; or 40 tournaments in all to automatically qualify. At one time, players had to win two different majors to qualify with 30 wins, but this was changed earlier in the 1990s.
This point system is still used for selection to the LPGA Hall of Fame.[15] However, in March 2022, the ten-year requirement was scrapped, and a point for winning an Olympic gold medal was added to the criteria.[16]
Men and women golfers not fully eligible for PGA/Champions Tour ballot or the LPGA Tour point system were eligible for the International ballot if they met the following requirements[17] (beginning with the 1996 election):
Election requirements: same as PGA Tour ballot.
There was also a "lifetime achievement" category through which anyone who had made a major contribution to the organization or promotion of the sport may be selected, for example, Bob Hope. These members were chosen by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors. Most played golf, in some cases with some competitive success, but it was not their play alone which won them a place in the Hall of Fame.
The last category was created to honor professional or amateur players whose career concluded at least 30 years ago. These members were also chosen by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors.
New members are inducted each year on the Monday before The Players Championship[18] (previous to 2010 in October or November), and by May 2013 there were 146 members. Beginning in 2010, the ballots are due in July with the results announced later in the year. New entrants in the Lifetime Achievement and Veteran's categories are announced at irregular intervals. For example, Frank Chirkinian was elected in the Lifetime Achievement category in an emergency election in February 2011, with the vote presumably held because he was then terminally ill with lung cancer;[19] when it became clear he would not live to attend his induction, he videotaped his acceptance speech in late February, less than two weeks before his death.[20]
Unless stated otherwise these men were inducted mainly for their on-course success. The exceptions mostly correspond with the lifetime achievement category, but not quite. For example, Charlie Sifford was notable as a player but was inducted for lifetime achievement.
Walter Hagen Ben Hogan Bobby Jones Byron Nelson Jack Nicklaus Francis Ouimet Arnold Palmer
Gary Player Gene Sarazen Sam Snead Fred Corcoran – many-faceted promoter and administrator Joseph Dey – executive director of the USGA and the first commissioner of the PGA Tour Chick Evans Tommy Armour Jerome Travers Bobby Locke Herb Graffis – golf writer and founder of the U.S. National Golf Foundation Billy Casper Bing Crosby – celebrity friend of golf who founded his own PGA Tour event Clifford Roberts – co-founder of the Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament Walter Travis Lawson Little Ralph Guldahl Lee Trevino Julius Boros Jimmy Demaret Bob Hope – celebrity friend of golf who founded his own PGA Tour event Cary Middlecoff Robert Trent Jones – golf course architect Bob Harlow – promoter who played a key role in the early development of the PGA Tour
Peter Thomson Tom Watson
Roberto De Vicenzo Raymond Floyd William C. Campbell – two-time President of the USGA Gene Littler Paul Runyan Horton Smith Harry Cooper Hale Irwin
Chi-Chi Rodríguez Richard Tufts – ran Pinehurst and served as President of the USGA Johnny Miller
Seve Ballesteros Lloyd Mangrum Jack Burke Jr. Deane Beman – Commissioner of the PGA Tour 1974-1994
Bernhard Langer (inducted with 2002 class)[21] Greg Norman Payne Stewart Karsten Solheim – golf equipment manufacturer and founder of the Solheim Cup Ben Crenshaw Tommy Bolt Harvey Penick – golf instructor
Nick Price Leo Diegel Charlie Sifford
Isao Aoki Tom Kite
Vijay Singh (inducted with 2006 class)[22] Larry Nelson Henry Picard Mark McCormack – sports agent who represented many top golfers; the developer of golf's first world ranking system, adapted into today's Official World Golf Ranking Hubert Green Charles B. Macdonald – inaugural U.S. Amateur champion, founding Vice-President of the USGA and "Father of American Golf Architecture" Kel Nagle Curtis Strange
Bob Charles Pete Dye – golf course architect Denny Shute Herbert Warren Wind – golf writer Craig Wood
Christy O'Connor Snr José María Olazábal Lanny Wadkins Dwight D. Eisenhower – former U.S. President Ernie Els Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki Doug Ford Jock Hutchison Frank Chirkinian – television producer, known as the 'father of televised golf' for the impact he had on golf broadcasting. George H. W. Bush – former U.S. President Phil Mickelson[23] Dan Jenkins – golf writer[24] Fred Couples[26] Ken Venturi[27] David Graham[30] Mark O'Meara[30] A. W. Tillinghast – golf course architect[30] Davis Love III Retief Goosen Billy Payne − Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club Dennis Walters − disabled golfer and inspirational speaker and performer Tiger Woods[31] Tim Finchem – Commissioner of the PGA Tour 1994–2017[32] Johnny Farrell[33] Pádraig Harrington[33] Tom Weiskopf[33]The first five women on this list were grandfathered in 1998 from the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf, which was founded in 1951, via the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, which was inaugurated in 1967. The list shows the years when they were originally inducted into the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf. Unless stated otherwise the women on the list were inducted primarily for their on-course achievements. Players marked with an (f) denotes they were elected twice -- once individually, and once collectively for the 2024 nominations announced on March 8, 2023 for the 13 LPGA founders.
Betty Jameson (f) Patty Berg (f) Louise Suggs (f) Babe Didrikson Zaharias (f) Betsy Rawls Mickey Wright Glenna Collett-Vare Kathy Whitworth Sandra Haynie Carol Mann Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe JoAnne Carner Nancy Lopez Pat Bradley Patty Sheehan Dinah Shore – celebrity friend of the LPGA; founded a tournament that eventually became a major Betsy King Amy Alcott Beth Daniel Juli Inkster Judy Rankin Donna Caponi Judy Bell – administrator; first female President of the USGA Marlene Bauer Hagge (f) Hisako "Chako" Higuchi
Annika Sörenstam
Marlene Stewart Streit Ayako Okamoto Karrie Webb Marilynn Smith (f)
Pak Se-ri Carol Semple Thompson Hollis Stacy[34] Meg Mallon
Lorena Ochoa Peggy Kirk Bell Jan Stephenson Marion Hollins[35] Susie Maxwell Berning[36] Beverly Hanson[33] Sandra Palmer[33]