Golf Commentator Dream Team

Build your teams. Pick a currently working team (as in currently doing the job now or in the last three years) and pick an all-time team.

You need two in the booth, three on course/towers and one post round interviewer.

Go.

No current dream team on radar.

All time:

Summerall and Venturi. Feherty. McCord. Maltbie. Interviewer: Kessler

Summerall and Venturi were my favorites, but I'd want Miller involved - conundrum. Roger and Dottie on course and Feherty can do the interviews.

All time Summerall and Venturi, with Maltbie, Rosburg, and Judy Rankin on the course. Interviewer, don’t care. They’re all pretty bland. Current, nobody. Maybe the guys from the Euro Tour broadcast. I don’t know their names. But it’s not just the commentators, it’s the production. Too many commercials, which is only going to get worse with the new contract. The obligatory sponsor CEO interview. The incessant FedEx Cup updates, with the hidden FedEx Cup messages, like how the current FedEx leaders have done in this tournament, etc. Take a so-so commentator then script half of what they say and you get the current state of golf on TV.

Would it be unkind of me to say that there is absolutely no one from any of the CBS, NBC, etc, etc teams that I would want on any of these lists? I’m sticking with Sky Sports and BBC commentators. In addition to that, there is something of a crossover because there are some guys doing it now that make my all time list.

Current

Booth - Ewen Murray & Butch Harmon

On Course - Wayne Riley

Tower - Andrew Cottar & Rich Beem

Interview - Tim Barter

All Time

Booth - Ewan Murray & Peter Allis (when he was younger and knew what he was talking about);

On Course - Wayne Riley

Tower - Colin Montgomerie & Dave Marr

Interview - Dougie Donnelly

All of it anchored by David Livingstone who was in Sky Sports Golf terms, the pro’s pro when it came to presenting.

Ian Finch, Baker Finch or Ian Baker Finch with Miller and Venturi

Miller and Mickelson in the booth.

I'll just do an all time list

ANCHOR/ HOST: Jim McKay

18th TOWER PLAY BY PLAY: Jim Nantz and it's not even close.

18th TOWER ANALYST: Ken Venturi edges out Dave Marr and Lee Trevino

17th TOWER: Peter Oosterhuis

16th TOWER: Gary McCord

15th TOWER: Ben Wright

14th TOWER: Shane Bacon: others on the list would be Frank Glieber, Dan Hicks and Verne Lundquist for no reason other than something amazing always happens when Verne is around

ON COURSE/ INTERVIEW THE WINNER: David Feherty

ON COURSE: Bob Rosburg: others would be Judy Rankin and Roger Maltbie

And then I'll need to fit Peter Alliss in there somewhere, we're doing four hours each on Saturday and Sunday I can get him ten minutes.

CBS: 6 (Feherty included)

ABC: 3

FOX: 1

NBC: 0

I figured CBS would dominate and they did. I'm also naming CBS broadcasting legend Frank Chirkinian as the director to run this zoo.

That all time team gets my vote !

Miller, Faldo, Feherty, McCord, Wadkins.

I'll answer my own questions.

Current, I like Faldo and Nantz, Lundquist is active still so he gets a tower (with AC) for the reason Darth gave, Judy Rankin and Dottie Pepper do an outstanding job IMO, Feherty doing the post round interviews.

All time, Venturi and Nantz Tower/on course - Oosterhuis, Pepper, Lundquist Interviews - Feherty

^Lot of overlap on my list. Reflects I think we are in a pretty good time for golf coverage/commentary.

Booth: Tirico, Faldo, Nance

Course: Feherty, Nobilo, Rankin, Immelman (Either one)

Studio: Duval, Nobilo, Montgomery

Ha ha. I would love that one. Johnny Miller was one of the best. He could be really snarky and seemed like he would wind people up. I miss him. Phil would be talking about ball spin speeds with wedges and lots of other wonky stuff. He would be telling every player to go for it.

Ken Venturi and Pat Summeral were great too. Summeral is million times better than Jim Nantz. CBS should fire him and put Johnny Miller with Faldo. I am sure Johnny would do something each broadcast to piss Faldo off.

Was Roger Maltbie the guy on the course with Miller? Johnny would say "hey Rodg - how is his lie down there and other stuff." Miller is a classic.

All time dream team:

Alliss and Faldo in the commentary box (Alex Hay and Tony Johnstone in reserve)

Ken Brown and Wayne Riley on the course

Feherty doing the interviews

Nick Dougherty as anchor

Slight Euro bias (ahem) but have to say the quality is light years ahead.

CBS was almost perfect back in the day (circa 1986-1992). Pat and Kenny in the booth. McCord was doing his thing. Tom Weiskopf and Bobby Clampett would show up for the Masters. Steve Melnyk, Bob Murphy, Ben Wright, and Verne were pros. It was a pleasure to watch them work.

Peter Alliss and Johnny Miller in the tower

IBF and Byron Nelson and Ken Venturi on the holes coming in ... with some Nobilo and Duval sprinkled in

18th Tower - Miller, Nantz

Other towers - Lundquist, Wright, Clampett, Oosterhuis, Venturi

On Course - Feherty, Nobilo

Commentary - Alliss

Nantz, Miller Alliss

whatever grouping talks the least

All time:

Studio: Jim McKay

Lead announcer: Pat Summerall. However I would love Australian Dennis Cometti (even if he isn't a golf guy) or a roulette wheel of BBC guys. I could even do Brent Musberger or Al Michaels. Not because they are known golf commodities, but because they are extremely good commentators capable of broadcasting anything.

Analyst: Ken Venturi, and Miller for time to time.

Towers:

Verne Lundqvist

Chris Schenkel

Roger as one of my course walkers

And Feherty as my interviewer.

Faldo, Nance, Azinger, feherty

Peter Alliss and Brad Faxon in the booth; Shane Bacon in a tower, and Rossie and Ranking working the course. I'd like to have 1997 Peter Kessler conducting interviews, but not sure he can do the 60 second interview format. I'd give the interview to Trevor Immelman for his technical insight.

Mike Tirico and Johnny Miller in booth. I don't know that they were ever paired up, but they're my favorites as anchor and color commentator.

Johnny Miller and Gus Johnson in the booth.

Nantz in a tower.

Nobilo and Bones on the course.

Mellanie Collins doing post rounds.

Charles Barkley, Tony Romo, and Larry David in the booth.

Fax, Feherty, and JT on the ground.

I always enjoyed the announcers on the European Tour. Rentan Laidlaw was excellent. They all know when to talk and when to be silent.

Booth: Judy Rankin and Johnny Miller. Perfect mix of sweet/sour, tastes great/less filling, day/night, arrive/leave. Etc etc etc.

Tower/Course: Dottie Pepper and Gary McCord. Roger Maltbie (course)

Interview: Peter Kessler