Gary Crist, JD'73
Professional golfers around the world should think about lining up to play pre-tournament pro-am rounds with golf and entertainment law expert, Gary Crist, JD'73. He seems to have the Midas touch - his partners always end up winning the tournament.
A golfing enthusiast, Crist played in pro-am rounds with professional golfers Don January, Alice Miller, and Billy Ray Brown, who went on to win their tournaments in thrilling fashion, by sinking dramatic putts in sudden death.
Crist's love for golf started early. He played golf for the state championship Southport High School team in Indianapolis and golfed throughout his undergraduate career. Attending law school became his conduit to a career in sports. "I was able to use my law degree to get into business as an attorney and find a professional way to get into sports," he said.
Following his first job with Wilson Sporting Goods' Pepsico law department in Chicago, his trademark and endorsement expertise lead him to his dream job working representing the Professional Golfers Association.
From 1982 to 1989 - during the heyday of renowned golfers Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Jerry Pate, and Tom Watson - Crist served as the associate general counsel for the PGA Tour in Ponte Vedre, Fla. Crist represented the organization, marketing, licensing and trademark, corporate legal matters, real estate, taxes, insurance, and risk management. "The whole gamut." He even had the opportunity to sign a $25,000 check to his childhood hero, Arnold Palmer.
Later, during a stint with the PGA of America, Crist was involved in the antitrust case in Orlando with golf merchandise trade shows and instrumental in enforcing the integration of Shoal Creek. In 1990, Shoal Creek still had a restrictive policy disallowing African Americans to play golf at the club, but PGA policy barred restrictive clubs from hosting tournaments. The club changed its policy in order to host an event.
Eventually Crist established a private sports and entertainment law practice in Jupiter, Fla. In addition to practicing law, he is a freelance author for several golf magazines, including Golf Journal and GolfWorld and a frequent lecturer on sports law and related topics. Crist is also the author of In the Zone: A Novel about Championship Golf. The book gives readers an "inside the ropes" perspective of the PGA Tour, including a glimpse of the action, people, and politics involved in professional golf and big business.
He is currently of counsel to a number of golf industry organizations, including the National Golf Foundation, the PGA TOUR Tournaments Association, the International Golf Association and Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach.