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Reflections |
Johnny Miller
Professional golfer, broadcaster
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Love him or hate him, one thing can’t be denied: Johnny Miller is a Hall of Fame golfer with two major victories to his credit.
Since retiring from golf in 1994, Miller has become well known as a broadcaster. Younger fans may only know Miller this way. But older fans know that from 1974 to 1975, there was no better player in the world at attacking the flag. As proof, Miller has 25 career victories, including the 1973 U.S. Open and the 1976 British Open.
Many superintendents know Miller best for talking about “grain” on greens and fairways. At the 2007 Golf Industry Show, where Miller was the keynote speaker at the Opening Session, he briefly mentioned this sore subject, and though he did not back off his comments on grain, he did tell the room full of superintendents that he believes that their work — caring for the land — is a higher calling.
— Seth Jones, GCM senior associate editor
"When I started playing Harding Park in San Francisco, we weren’t real wealthy, so I had to get out there before everybody else, because that course got so much play. So I was out there dodging guys on the mowers, guys raking the bunkers… I had to be careful not to hit those guys. Then in the old days, I’d be out even late at night where the guys had those old quick coupler sprinklers, would be out there all night long doing the watering. I can’t say I totally related to it all, but I sure appreciated a well-groomed course, and a taken-care-of course. I think it’s become a lot more appreciated — the condition of a course, and the value of a superintendent and even all of his staff — it has risen way up. Before it was like ‘Caddyshack,’ when it’s ‘the pool or the pond?’ — the guys that worked on the course were definitely swimming in the pond. But now it’s become where you’re a bit of a celebrity if you’re a great superintendent and run a great show and your course is the best in the whole area — that guy has some clout. The value of the superintendent has really risen in the last 30 years. Now, (golf courses) almost bid on a superintendent — like an NFL football coach." |
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