The Southern Ohio Section is proud to announce the two newest members of the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame: Tom Littlepage, PGA and Ed Mitchell, PGA. Littlepage and Mitchell join an exclusive group of leaders and difference-makers in our Section’s history.
Tom Littlepage gained his PGA Membership in 1959 and held numerous positions within the SOPGA during his career, along with winning multiple Section awards. Littlepage became the Section Treasurer in 1979 and worked his way up to Secretary and, eventually, Section President in 1983.
He was also honored as the Section’s Bill Strausbaugh Award winner in 1984 and 1986, along with being awarded the SOPGA Legacy Award in 2018. The Legacy Award honors a Past President or prominent SOPGA Member who has shown exemplary devotion and commitment to enhancing the well-being of the Southern Ohio PGA.
Littlepage’s professional accomplishments include designing and building the second nine holes at Stillwater Valley Golf Course in Versailles, Ohio. He also helped design the second nine holes at Greenville Country Club in Greenville, Ohio. He has mentored many current PGA Professionals and coached multiple levels of golf teams throughout his career.
Joining Littlepage in the Hall of Fame is Ed Mitchell. Mitchell is extremely passionate about the education and development aspects of golf. He helped revolutionize club fitting with his signature loft & lie machine and recently developed SwingFit Data Analysis program for high school and college golfers to advance their games.
Mitchell served on the PGA Junior Golf Academy and the PGA National Education Committee for four years each. He has won numerous awards from both the South Florida Section and the Southern Ohio Section, including the 2016 SOPGA Legacy Award.
Along with our newest Hall of Fame inductees, we’re proud to announce the winners of the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award and Legacy Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was created to honor amateurs who have greatly contributed to the game of golf in the Southern Ohio Section PGA.
We are proud to announce Ed Heimann as the winner of this prestigious award. Heimann is a tailor at Hamilton Tailoring Company, who just happens to make the famed Green Jacket awarded to the Masters winner each year. He also happens to be a very accomplished golfer, with multiple Club Championships at Hyde Park Country Club.
The Legacy Award was created to supplement the SOPGA Hall of Fame. The award honors a Past President or prominent SOPGA Member who has shown exemplary devotion and commitment to enhancing the well-being of the Southern Ohio PGA. The Legacy Award recognizes moments from our history that helped pave the foundation of the Section or promoted the game of golf in an extraordinary manner.
We are proud to announce Steve Groves, PGA as this year’s Legacy Award winner. Groves currently serves as the Head Golf Professional at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club. He also previously served in the same role at Airport Golf Course and Champions Golf Course.
He is a Hall of Famer and a Past President of the Section. He has also served as the Tournament Chairman during his long tenure in our Section. It’s safe to say this Section wouldn’t be where it is today without Steve’s commitment, hard work and dedication to our Section.
Congratulations to all four of these very deserving candidates on their honors this year.