Hall of Fame

Brian Jones, PGA, earned PGA of America Member Professional status in 1999 and secured his spot in history as a 2023 Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Inductee. 

From the young age of 11, Jones has spent most of his life around the game of golf. His early interest in golf was fostered by Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Famer Bob Hauer, PGA at Crest Hills Country Club in Cincinnati, OH. Hauer helped Jones develop his game from the junior golf level to excel as a four-year letterman and Captain of the Men’s Golf Team at the University of Cincinnati. Upon completing his education, Jones continued to learn from Hauer about the inner workings of golf as a business. In addition to Hauer and his wife Gail, Jones also spent time learning under another Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Famer, Gil Gusweiler, PGA at Kenwood Country Club.

Throughout his career, Jones has devoted himself to becoming the best PGA Professional he can be and, in turn, helping his colleagues excel to their full potential as well. He is a PGA Certified Professional in Teaching and Coaching, Golf Operations, General Management and Executive Management as well as being named a U.S. Kids Top 50 Master Coach multiple years in a row. 

Jones has spent time giving back to the community with The First Tee of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky as well as providing instruction to the military community with PGA H.O.P.E. Southern Ohio. 

He served as a SOPGA Chapter Officer before moving on to a role as Section Officer, culminating in his tenure as SOPGA President from 2011-2013. Brian went on to serve on the PGA of America Board of Directors as District 5 Director from 2019 to 2022.

Jones’ impact on the industry has been recognized with accolades including Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year (2008), Teacher & Coach of the Year Award (2018), Professional Development Award (2010), Youth Player Development Award (2016), Bill Strausbaugh Award (2023), and Patriot Award (2023).

William (Bill) Wood, PGA, earned PGA of America Member Professional status in 1969 and claimed his spot in history as a 2023 Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Inductee. 

From the caddy shack to the Head Professional, Wood was a staple at Cincinnati Country Club in Cincinnati, OH for more than 54 years. The Northern Kentucky native made his way across the Ohio River daily to caddy at Cincinnati Country Club beginning at the ripe old age of 11. From there he ascended into the pro shop as an Assistant Professional continuing to learn the industry ropes from Head Professional Freeman Haywood, Jr. Aside from a stint in the army and another as an Assistant Professional at Seminole Golf Club in Florida, he spent his entire career at the eminent Cincinnati facility.

For 37 years, Wood was devoted to teaching the next generation the fundamentals, etiquette and traditions of the game. Along the way he taught and mentored 17 PGA of America Member Professionals who moved into roles as PGA Head Professionals or Directors of Golf. Wood retired from the club in 2009. 

Wood’s impact on the industry has been recognized with accolades including 2022 Southern Ohio PGA Legacy Award.

Ray Rash, a 40-year member of the PGA of America has been elected into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame.

Rash began his career working in upstate New York but spent most of his professional career serving clubs in the Miami Valley. He was an Assistant Professional at Dayton Country Club and NCR Country Club under Hall of Famer’s Jim Gilbert and Jeff Steinberg. Rash went on to spend 20 years at the Head Professional at Miami Valley Golf Club in Dayton, OH.

While at Miami Valley Golf Club, Rash had a significant impact on his fellow professionals. He taught and mentored Brian Tyra, Ben Stewart and Colin Miller, all who went on to lead as Head Professionals at noteworthy clubs in the Dayton area and beyond. He also gave back to the Dayton Chapter and Southern Ohio PGA by serving on numerous committees and hosting various tournaments at his club.

Rash was recognized for his accomplishments as he was awarded the Golf Professional of the Year in Southern Ohio in 1994. He also claimed the Merchandise of the Year (Private) in 1988 and Professional Development Award in 1996.

JR Ables, a 45-year member of the PGA of America, has been elected to the 2021 Hall of Fame class for the Southern Ohio PGA.Ables was born and raised in Mount Vernon, Ohio. He got his introduction into the game of golf at 13 years of age and quickly immersed himself in the sport. Ables noted that he tried to learn as much as he could, as quickly as he could, which led him to eventually join Rod Myer, the Men’s Golf Coach and Head Professional at Ohio State University as an Assistant Professional in 1971.

Ables stayed on at Ohio State for nine years, eventually taking on the role of Co-Head Professional and Assistant Men’s Coach in 1974 and Head Women’s Coach in 1976. Beginning in 1980, Ables started focusing full-time on teaching the game. He was a Teaching Professional at Bash Recreation from 1980 to 1982 before he mov

ed on to the Head Professional and Co-Owner role at Eastland Golf Center. From 1989 through 2018 he owned and operated his own golf centers, first at Ables Golf Center on Polaris and then at Ables Golf on Avery in Dublin, OH. Since 2019, he’s taught the game at a number of facilities in the Columbus area.

A noted instructor, Ables was named the Southern Ohio PGA Teacher of the Year in 1987 and 1992.

One of his career highlights came in 2010 when then student Rod Spittle qualified for the Champions Tour event in San Antonio, TX. Rod called on Ables to caddie in the event which Spittle went on to win in a sudden-death playoff over six-time PGA Tour winner, Jeff Sluman.

Ables prides himself on programs he’s created and the success that many of his junior students have had over the years. In 1982, Ables created Maximum Golf, an off-season program focused on exercise and strength training that continues today with more than 40 attendees annually. Junior students that he has taught and coached include Leila Raines, Holly Niederkohr, Allison Harper and TT Crouch.

Over the years, Ables estimates that he’s given nearly 90,000 lessons. He has always focused on delivering the same consideration and effort, regardless of the skill level, and has lived by a single philosophy: keep it simple with the right fundamentals.

Congratulations to JR Ables, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2021 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Tom Littlepage, PGA, elected to PGA Membership in 1959, has made his mark on history as a 2020 Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Inductee. Littlepage began his career in the golf industry at Saginaw Country Club in Saginaw, Michigan before moving to the Southern Ohio Section in 1970. Throughout his career, Littlepage held a variety of positions at facilities around the western part of the Section in addition to working his way to hold the Section President position in 1983. Littlepage has been honored for his success in the industry as the Southern Ohio PGA’s Bill Strausbaugh Award in 1984 and 1986, and the SOPGA Legacy Award in 2018.

Littlepage’s professional accomplishments include designing and building Stillwater Valley Golf Course in Versailles, Ohio. Additionally, he helped design the second nine holes at Greenville Country Club in Greenville, Ohio. Tom served as the Head Golf Professional at Greenville Country Club from 1978-1989.  Littlepage also built two stand-alone driving ranges.  He has mentored many current PGA Professionals and coached multiple levels of golf teams throughout his career.

Congratulations to Tom Littlepage, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2020 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Ed Mitchell, PGA, elected to PGA Membership in 1967, has claimed his spot in history as a 2020 Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Inductee.

Known for his passion about education, Mitchell has dedicated his career to learning and sharing the newest developments in golf equipment. He helped revolutionize club fitting with his signature loft & lie machine and recently developed the SwingFit Data Analysis program for high school and college golfers to advance their games.

The current Michigan resident has a long history with the Southern Ohio PGA.  In 1983, Mitchell moved his family to Dayton where he started an indoor learning center.  During this time he realized the club fitting industry had many challenges and the equipment on the market was not accurate. He set out to solve this problem and created Mitchell Golf in 1988. Today, Mitchell® Golf Equipment Company, is known as the worldwide leader for professional grade club repair tools.

The current Michigan resident has a long history with the Southern Ohio PGA.  In 1983, Mitchell moved his family to Dayton where he started an indoor learning center.  During this time he realized the club fitting industry had many challenges and the equipment on the market was not accurate. He set out to solve this problem and created Mitchell Golf in 1988. Today, Mitchell® Golf Equipment Company, is known as the worldwide leader for professional grade club repair tools.

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 PGA Section and the Southern Ohio PGA Section, including the SOPGA Professional Development Award in 2009 and the SOPGA Legacy Award in 2016. He has also served as the official clubmaker and repair person at The Masters.

Congratulations to Ed Mitchell, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2020 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Bob Sowards, PGA, was inducted into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2019.

Sowards a native of Sciotodale, OH, made a name for himself early in life, finishing as a co-champion of the 1986 OHSAA AA state championship. He went on to compete at Glenville State College in Glenville, WV. While at Glenville, Bob was a four-time All Conference athlete in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990. He lettered in golf all four years while receiving All-American Honors twice and being named WVIAC Golfer of the Year in 1987, 1989, and 1990.

Soward turned professional in 1991. He competed on the Nationwide Tour in 1998, 2004 and 2009, competing in 76 total events. He also earned his PGA Tour card through the 2007 qualifying school and was a rookie in 2008. His best finish was a T-9 in the Wyndham Championship.

Sowards has become one of the most decorated PGA Professional competitors in the history of the PGA of America. He won the PGA Professional National Championship at Longaberger Golf Club in 2004 and has claimed the PGA of America National Club Professional Player of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2014. Sowards has won the PGA of America National Senior Club Professional Player of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2021 along with the Senior PGA Professional National Championship in 2018.

Locally, Bob has claimed the Southern Ohio PGA Player of the Year honors 18 times and won the Southern Ohio PGA Professional Championship ten times.

Sowards is an 18-time PGA of America Southern Ohio Section Player of the Year and is a 10-time winner of the Southern Ohio PGA Section Championship. He has most recently won the Senior Section Championship four times (2018-2021) while claiming Senior Player of the Year honors over the same time period. Bob has also played on 16 Ohio Cup teams.

Sowards has won the Ohio Open Championship and the Senior Ohio Open Championships three times each.

Congratulations to Bob Sowards, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2019 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Pat Delaney, PGA, began working in the golf industry as an assistant Professional at Losantiville CC in Cincinnati, OH. In 1982, Pat was elected to PGA Membership and has spent much of his career in Southern Ohio serving the Memberships of Springfield Country Club, Sycamore Creek Country Club and Urbana Country Club.

In addition to his service to the members at his clubs, Delaney dedicated over 10 years of service to the governance of the Southern Ohio PGA, serving as President from 2013 through 2015. 

Pat made a name for himself competing on the course. In 1978, he claimed medalist honors at US Amateur Qualifying in Toledo, OH. He claimed titles in the Southern Ohio PGA Assistant Professional Championship as well as the Dayton Chapter Championship. Upon becoming a Senior, Delaney earned the Southern Ohio PGA Senior Player of the Year title in 2008 and 2010. He also claimed the Senior Section Championship in 2010, 2016 and 2017 and has competed on the Ohio Cup team ten times.

Pat cherishes the personal relationships he’s made at each facility and those with his fellow PGA Professionals. Also being able to use his educational marketing skills to run his facility. As such, being the leader of the golf program and being accessible as the golf professional at his facility is one of his favorite aspects of the business. When asked, Pat stated “My favorite of all was after the Pro-Member at Piqua CC with many fellow professionals listening to Pete Brown tell stories of his path to the PGA Tour and of all the great players of his era.”

Congratulations to Pat Delaney, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Paul became a PGA member in 1956 and spent the majority of his career serving the members of Zanesville CC in Zanesville, OH. He served on various committees and notably started the Zanesville District Golf Association so that players would have championships to compete in.

Paul had an illustrious playing career with many highlights:

• Winner, Columbus Chapter Championship – twice
• Southern Ohio PGA Player of the Year – twice
• Queen City Open Champion – 65
• Southern Ohio PGA Assistant Professional Champion – twice
• Won many of Pro Ams held in chapter
• 1985, 1986 – Southern Ohio PGA Senior Section Champion
• 1998 National Quarter Century Championship (Florida)
• Qualified – 3 National PGA Championships
• Qualified – 1962 US Open (Oakmont CC)
• Qualified – Senior PGA Championships
• Qualified – 3 USGA Senior Opens

13-career Hole-in-Ones

Thomas is a member of the Zanesville DGA Hall of Fame (’01) and was the longest serving PGA Member in the Southern Ohio PGA, having been a member for more than 64 years.

Congratulations to Paul Thomas, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Tom Kendrick, PGA, was inducted into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2017. He began his career in golf as an assistant professional at Miami Whitewater Forest Golf Course in 1970 where he started working in the golf shop two years prior. In 1974, he became the head golf professional at Miami Whitewater Forest Golf Course and received his PGA membership in 1975. 

Kendrick spent 32 years with the Hamilton County Park District eventually becoming the head of the Golf Department as the Golf Manager, overseeing seven municipal golf facilities within the district. After his time with the Park District, he was hired by the PGA of America serving as a PGA Career Consultant where he spent 15 years dedicating his time to mentoring and serving other PGA professionals with their career goals in the Southern Ohio PGA as well as serving various other PGA sections in the northeast. 

Kendrick successfully completed the PGA Certified Program in 2006 through the Golf Operations career track. He was the winner of the Southern Ohio PGA’s Merchandiser of the Year (Public) in 1993 and was a recipient of the Horton Smith Award in 2000. Due to his success as a merchandiser, Kendrick served as a speaker for the National PGA education seminars and workshops doing programs on merchandising and customer service training. He was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati PGA Hall of Fame in 2003 after helping grow the game through numerous programs teaching both youth and adults in the Cincinnati area. Tom retired after serving the golf industry dutifully for 47 years. 

Congratulations to Tom Kendrick, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2017 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Steve Jurick, PGA was inducted into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2017.  Throughout his career, promoting the game of golf was Jurick’s core mission and passion. The Southern Ohio native entered the golf business at the Military Course at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, now called Prairie Trace. He then spent his apprenticeship years as an Assistant Professional in Florida at Patrick Air Force Base GC, now called Manatee Cove and Spring Lake Golf Club in New Jersey before moving back to the SOPGA Section and taking on contractual Head Professional roles with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission at two entry level golf facilities, Woodland and Dunham, before transitioning to the 27-Hole Facility at Glenview Golf Course.

In 1997, Jurick transitioned into Golf Association Management, becoming one of the first PGA members to serve an Amateur Association.  In his role as the first full-time staff member, Miami Valley Golf Association flourished by providing services to the Greater Dayton Region, an area that had been underserved for decades.  Under his leadership, this new association also provided financial and organizational support to other smaller golf and turf non-profits.  Steve was also instrumental in the development of the Charitable arm of the Association, which provides grants and programing to support the game and our underserved communities. 

While developing as a professional, Jurick also remained true to the core of the industry, the love of our game, by keeping up with his game on the course. His playing resume includes events on many developmental tours as well as multiple national PGA and Senior Professional Championships and the U.S. Senior Open in 2015. 

As a lifetime servant of the game, Steve remained active on various sectional, regional and national boards and committees supporting our game and its many initiatives.  He was elected as the 30th President of the Southern Ohio PGA and has received many honors and awards, among them the Professional Development Award in 2002 and 2022 from the SOPGA.

Congratulations to Steve Jurick, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2017 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Larry Drehs, PGA, is a 2017 inductee to the Southern Ohio PGA’s Hall of Fame. His time in the golf industry started in 1980 at Greenville Country Club. In 1981, Larry moved to Hyde Park Golf and Country Club where he would remain for the remainder of his career. Becoming a PGA Member in 1984, Larry spent almost the entirety of his career serving the membership at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club. During his career, he has represented and modeled all that the PGA badge represents to the members of Hyde Park, his community, and his fellow PGA Golf Professionals. 

Larry has also served the Southern Ohio Section in numerous roles. He held roles within the Cincinnati Chapter spanning from 1990-1996. These roles included Chapter Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and President.  Additionally, Larry served as Chapter Education Chairman and was  a speaker at a number of winter workshops specializing in club fitting/instruction and marketing.

During his time in Southern Ohio, Larry has received a number of awards from the section for his outstanding work. He was the Private Merchandiser of the Year in 2009. In addition to this award, he was also the SOPGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1995 and a two-time Professional Development Award winner in 1995 and 2013.

Congratulations to Larry Drehs, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2017 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Zachary Fink, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2016. Zach began his career as a golf professional in 1978 when he was hired as an Assistant Professional at Winton Woods Golf Course. This began a Hall of Fame career that has seen him wear many hats as all PGA Professionals do. Zach’s career has taken him to leadership positions at several area courses including Bel-Wood Country Club, California Golf Course, Glenview Golf Course, and Kitty Hawk Golf Center. He also oversaw six golf courses for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and was the owner of the Rollandia Golf Center and Magic Castle.

Zach gave back to the Southern Ohio PGA throughout his career. He served on the Southwest Chapter Board of Directors as well as the Southern Ohio PGA Board of Directors. He was the President of the Southern Ohio PGA from 1999 to 2000.

He was recognized by his peers as he received the SOPGA Junior Golf Leader Award in 2000 for his work with inner city youth and the Tony Yates Junior Golf Academy. 

As a player, Zach’s been a two-time qualifier of the PGA Professional Championship and three-time qualifier of the Senior PGA Professional Championship. Locally, he is a three-time Greater Cincinnati PGA Match Play champion (1984, 1986 and 1990), Dayton PGA Chapter Stroke Play Champion and has won many local Pro-Am competitions.

Congratulations to Zachary Fink, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2016 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jeff Steinberg was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2016.  Jeff turned professional in 1970 and became a member of the PGA of America in 1973. He spent his time at various clubs throughout his career including being the head professional at Berkleigh Country Club, Metropolis Country Club, Springfield Country Club and NCR Country Club. In 1994, he joined Meadow Links Golf and Academy where he would continue to teach for the remainder of his career. 

Jeff also found success as a player throughout his career. Playing in a total of 34 PGA Tour events between 1973 and 1980, Jeff was able to compete at the highest level of professional golf, making the cut in numerous events during his time on the PGA Tour. Jeff competed within the Southern Ohio Section for a number of years, claiming the Section Player of the Year in 1988. 

Jeff’s approach to teaching was to start with the weakest fundamentals of his student and build from there.  Basing his teaching philosophy off of some of the games greatest instructors like Harvey Pennick, Jeff has been able to help golfers of all skill levels grow their game and find more enjoyment on the golf course.

Congratulations to Jeff Steinberg, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2016 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Gil Gusweiler was inducted into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2014. He was elected to PGA membership in 1983. Gusweiler turned professional in 1980 and served three years at Golf Center at Kings Island. In 1983, he accepted an assistant professional position at Kenwood Country Club before being named Director of Golf in 1990. Gusweiler remained there for 35 years before retiring in 2018. Gusweiler has mentored 10 Assistant Professionals to become PGA head professionals including Brian Jones, PGA, Michelle Lipka, PGA, Mike Murphy, PGA, and Paul Hobart, PGA among others.

Gil held a number of offices within the SOPGA including Secretary, Vice President, and President from 2007-2009. From 2011 through 2013 Gusweiler served as PGA of America District 5 Director serving Northern Ohio, Southern Ohio and the Michigan PGA Sections.

He was also an accomplished player. During his playing career, Gil won the 1999 Southern Ohio PGA Section Championship. Outside of the Section, he competed in the 1999 Nike Dayton Open on the PGA Tour as well as the 2007 U.S. Senior Open played at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin.

In addition to his time at Kenwood Country Club and his accomplished playing career, Gil won multiple awards within the Southern Ohio PGA. He  was the recipient of the Southern Ohio PGA Professional of the Year in 2006, Private Merchandiser of the Year in 2004, and became a Quarter Century Member of the PGA of America in 2008.

Congratulations to Gil Gusweiler, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2014 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Gene Samborsky was inducted into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2012. Gene spent the first 35 years of his career at Western Hills Country Club in Cincinnati, OH, where he held the course record prior to the course renovation at 62. After his retirement, Gene spent his time teaching at Robin’s Nest Par 3 and Driving Range. 

He was the recipient of the Southern Ohio PGA Professional of the year in 1979 and  the Southern Ohio PGA Player of the Year in 1982 and 1984. He was also a member of the Greater Cincinnati PGA where he was the Player of the Year in 1982 and 1983 and inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Hall of Fame in 1996. 

His desire to serve others was not only just on the golf course. Gene served in the Army as Specialist Fourth Class in the Vietnam War from 1966-1968 as a medic. 

Congratulations to Gene Samborsky, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2012 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Steve Groves was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2011. Steve spent his time at several facilities across the section including the Ohio State University Golf Course, The Lakes Golf and Country Club, Champions Golf Course, Airport Golf Course, and Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club. He also spent time at Orchard Lake Country Club in Michigan, Dubuque Golf and Country Club in Iowa, and Canton Brookside in Northern Ohio. Steve spent seven years as the Head Women’s Golf Coach at The Ohio State University where he held the position from 1980-1987. He was the 2007 Southern Ohio PGA Professional of the Year.

Steve is a 1973 graduate of The Ohio State University and was a member of the men’s golf team. During his career, he was a 3 time All American, with two of those selections being first team. 1973 was a great season for Steve which saw him claim the individual title at the Big Ten Championship as well as win the 1973 Ohio Amateur Championship later that summer. He was a 3 time All American for Ohio State Men’s Golf.

In addition to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame, Steve is also a member of the Lancaster High School Athletics Hall of Fame and the Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame as a result of his exceptional career as a Buckeye. He would go on to play in two U.S. Open’s, a PGA Championship, and two Senior PGA Championships during his playing career.

Congratulations to Steve Groves, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2011 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Geoff Hensley, the longtime PGA Head Professional at Coldstream Country Club was elected into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2011.

Geoff took up golf at age 13 and played at Clovernook Country Club. After high school, he received a golf scholarship to the University of Cincinnati and played Varsity golf for four years. During his time, he participated in three NCAA Championships. 

After graduation in 1971, Geoff turned professional and started in the PGA at his home club under Hall of Famer Bob Harrison, PGA. Over the next couple of years, Geoff would work for Jim Childs, PGA, at Kings Island GC and Gene Samborsky, PGA, at Western Hills CC. In his winter’s, he would go south and play mini-tours. 

After several unsuccessful attempts at the tour schools (1974-1976), he used the privilege to go out on the PGA tour under his Class A status in 1977. He played until April 1978 before losing his playing privileges. He returned to his home in Cincinnati and began work at Hidden Valley Lake GC on the border of Ohio and Indiana. After a 6 year stint at HVCC, he moved to Leawood, Kansas for a three-year residence, before returning back to Cincinnati and Coldstream Country Club. He spent 28 years as Head Professional there, retiring with Pro Emeritus status. 

Wanting to keep a hand in the game with teaching and golf operations, he went to work at the Ivy Hills CC in 2015, retiring a second time in 2020. He now has moved to North Carolina to be closer to family. 

Off the course, Hensley was dedicated to being the best PGA Professional possible and because of that, he earned the distinction of being a PGA Master Professional in 1990.

On the course, Geoff made a name for himself in Southern Ohio. He was the 1987 SOPGA Player of the Year and competed in seven PGA of America Club Professional Championships. He competed in five major championships (1982 and ‘84 PGA Championships, 1973, ‘74 and ‘76 US Opens) and claimed numerous titles in the Greater Cincinnati PGA.

Geoff served the Southern Ohio PGA and Greater Cincinnati PGA in many capacities. He served four years as a Captain or Assistant Captain on the Ohio Cup team and served as Chapter President from 1996 through 1998.

He was recognized for his work over the years earning many notable awards. He earned the SOPGA Golf Professional of the Year Award in 1989 and again in 2012. He was named the Player of the Year in 1987 and earned the Bill Strausbaugh Award for mentorship in 1990, 2003, 2009 and 2010. He also earned the Merchandise of the Year Award for Private Facilities in 1990, the President’s Award in 1999 and the Patriot Award for his work with Folds of Honor in 2014.

Congratulations to Geoff Hensley, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2011 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Gary Howlett, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA in 2011. Gary became a member of the PGA of America in 1964. He spent his career serving golfers at Worthington Hills Country Club where he worked as the head golf professional for 39 years. Retiring in 2003, he became a PGA Life Member upon his retirement.

During his career, Gary was an active member of the Southern Ohio PGA. He held numerous positions in the Columbus Chapter including Treasurer, Secretary, and President. He also served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Section and was a member of the Competitions Committee for the PGA of America. 

Gary also received a number of awards throughout his career including the Southern Ohio PGA Teacher of the Year in 1995, the Central Ohio Chapter Teacher of the Year in 1996, and was recognized by Golf Magazine as one of the top teachers of the year during his time as an instructor. 

Congratulations to Gary Howlett PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2011 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jim Brown was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Brown is a native of Martins Ferry, Ohio, and is a 1966 Ohio State graduate. During his college career, he played basketball and golf for the Buckeyes, earning three letters in each sport. Upon graduating, he began his college coaching career at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. After two years at Rollins, Jim took over as the Head Golf Coach at Kent State University and was also an Assistant Basketball Coach. Four years after starting at Kent State, Brown became the ninth head coach in program history for The Ohio State University. 

Brown guided the Buckeyes to 17 Big Ten Championships during his time at Ohio State. From 1976 to 1990, Ohio State won the league championship twice. With 11 top-10 finishes and the 1979 national title, the Buckeyes qualified for the NCAA Championships 31 times. An NCAA individual champion, 18 Big Ten medalists, 92 All-Big Ten picks, 11 first-team All-Americans, and 40 other All-American accolades have all received coaching from Brown. In 1979 and 1986, Brown was given the Dave Williams Award as national coach of the year. 

Brown was named District IV Coach of the Year in 1977 through 1980 and 1982 through 1987, claiming Big Ten Coach of the Year three times, led the United States to victory in the 1979 USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championships and the 1999 Palmer Cup. Brown has also engaged on the NCAA District IV Regional Advisory Committee and the All-America selection committee. In addition to becoming a member of the Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame, Brown was also elected to the Martins Ferry High School Hall of Fame, Ohio High School Association Hall of Fame, Ohio Valley Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in 1989.

Congratulations to Jim Brown, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2010 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jim Gilbert, PGA was elected to the 2009 Hall of Fame class for the Southern Ohio PGA. A 48 year member of the PGA of America, Jim received PGA Membership in 1963. He served as the Head Professional at Eaton Country Club for two years before moving to Dayton Country Club. From 1965 until his retirement in 1997, Jim was the Head Professional at Dayton Country Club. During his time at Dayton Country Club, Jim was involved with numerous community events and charity organizations, including the AIM Charity, Boy Scouts Pro-Am, Hipple Charity and Bogie Buster Charity Tournaments.

Jim served on the Southern Ohio PGA Board of Directors in a number of different positions including Secretary, Vice President, and was the President from 1974 to 1975. He was also a mentor to a number of PGA Professionals within the Southern Ohio PGA including Jim Kincaid, PGA, Ray Rash, PGA, Joe Krug, PGA, and Doug Cartwright, PGA.

Jim also had an impressive career as a player. Growing up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, he won the Kentucky Junior championship in 1953 and 1955 and was the Kentucky Golf Association Golfer of the Year in 1956. 

In addition to his success as an amateur golfer, Jim also competed in a number of events on the PGA Tour. In 1961 and 1962, he played in a total of 16 tournaments on the PGA Tour.

Congratulations to Jim Gilbert, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2009 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Guy Amicon, PGA was elected to the 2008 Hall of Fame class for the Southern Ohio PGA. Guy has been a PGA Member since 1972 serving as the Head Professional at Mental Memorial Golf Course and the Director of Golf at Safari Golf Club.

After nearly 40 years at Mentel Memorial, Guy moved to Safari Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio in 2010. Despite having worked in the industry for nearly 40 years, Guy went to Safari with a desire to make the course the best it could be. He never slowed down in his career, and was always looking for how he could make a positive impact wherever he was at. He remained at Safari until his retirement in 2013.

He was the President of the Board of Directors for the Southern Ohio PGA from 1992-1993, sat on the PGA National Committee for Public Awareness, and he held every office in the Columbus Chapter throughout his career. When he took over at Mentel Memorial in 1971, Guy became the youngest head professional in the state of Ohio at just 22 years old. 

During his career, Guy received recognition from the Southern Ohio PGA for his work. He was awarded the SOPGA Teacher of the Year in 1991 and received the Public Merchandiser of the Year from the SOPGA in both 1999 and 2008. 

Congratulations to Guy Amicon, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2008 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Phil Stockdale, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2007. A native of Newark, Ohio, Phil graduated from Newark High School in 1956 as a member of the golf team. Following high school, he served for six months active duty in the Army Reserve. In 1958, he enrolled at Ohio State University where he was a member of the reserve golf team with Jack Nicklaus. During this time, the NCAA did not allow freshmen to compete in varsity athletics. In 1959, Phil left Ohio State to become an assistant professional at Granville Golf Course, now Denison Golf Club.

Phil took over as the Head Professional and General Manager at Granville Golf Course in 1962. During his time at Granville, he became a Member of the PGA of America in 1964. He would serve at Granville Golf Course until his retirement in 2000 after 38 years of service.

During his career, Phil was recognized by the Southern Ohio PGA as a recipient of a number of awards. He was awarded the Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1987 and the Bill Strausbaugh award in 2004. He also served as an officer on the Southern Ohio PGA Board of Directors from 1983 to 1987 holding different offices including a term as the President from 1986 to 1987.

Congratulations to Phil Stockdale, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2007 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

George Sargent, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2007. Sargent became a member of the PGA at its inception in 1916. His career as a Golf Professional started in 1899 at Ganton Golf Club in Ganton, North Yorkshire, England. While at Ganton Golf Club, George spent time working under golf legend Harry Vardon.

Following his membership to the PGA of America, he took over at Scioto Country Club three years after the club opened in 1916. From 1919 until 1932, George served as the Head Professional at Scioto Country Club. During his time at Scioto, George also served as the President of the PGA of America for five years, from 1921 to 1926. He was instrumental in paving the way for Scioto hosting the 1926 U.S. Open Championship.

In addition to his teaching abilities, he also had an excellent career as a player. He participated in a total of 16 U.S. Open’s during his career and placed inside the top-10 six-times. He was the 1909 Champion at Englewood Golf Club in Englewood, New Jersey. At the time, he set the tournament scoring record at 290 and posted three rounds of 72 or better en route to his victory. Throughout his career, George competed in all four of golf’s major championships, making the cut at some point in each major. 

Bobby Jones hand picked Sargent to be the PGA Head Professional at East Lake Golf Club, where George would remain from 1932 until his retirement fifteen years later. He is a member of the George Golf Hall of Fame as are two of his sons, Harold and Jack.

Congratulations to George Sargent, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2007 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Mike Crotty, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame in 2006 .Mike grew up caddying at Brookside Golf and Tennis Club starting at age 8. He was elected to PGA Membership in 1973 and spent his time serving a number of facilities in Southern Ohio. From 1993-1995 he worked at New Albany Country Club. Following his time there, Mike went to Darby Creek Golf Course from 1995-1998. He was then at Safari Golf Club from 1998-2011 before finishing his career at Ables Golf on Avery from 2012-2015.

Throughout his career Mike served both the Columbus chapter and the Section on their respective Board of Directors. Holding every position on both the chapter and Section boards, he was the President of the Southern Ohio PGA from 1998-1999. Mike also served on a National level on a number of committees for the PGA of America. He served on the Junior Golf, Growth of the Game, Education, Ryder Cup, Junior Ryder Cup, and Special Awards committees during his career. He was a Tournament Director and MAster of Ceremonies for the PGA’s Junior Ryder Cup and also served as the District 5 Director from 2000 to 2004.

Mike had a strong devotion to junior golf during his career. He was awarded the PGA Junior Golf Leader award from the PGA of America in 1991. In addition to this national award, he won the Southern Ohio PGA’s Junior Golf Leader Award four years in a row from 1988 to 1991. He was personally invited by Tiger Woods on three separate occasions to discuss the state and future of junior golf. During his career, he initiated multiple successful junior golf programs including: Greater Central Ohio Junior Golf Association, Hook-A-Kid on Golf, SOPGA Teaching Marathon, Powell Youth Golf Association, and the Dublin Youth Golf Association. 

In addition to his junior golf accolades, Mike was recognized by his peers for multiple awards from the Southern Ohio PGA. He was awarded the SOPGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1996 and was the recipient of the Professional Development Award in 1999.

Congratulations to Mike Crotty, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2006 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Gary Taylor, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 2005. Gary served in Southern Ohio for 35 years at various facilities across the section. A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Gary spent time as an Assistant Professional at Marietta Country Club and Columbus Country Club. While at Columbus Country Club, he worked under SOPGA Hall of Fame Member Don Shock, PGA.. Gary took his first Head Professional job at Miami Shores Golf Club in 1979.

Following the retirement of Shock in late 1986, Gary became the Head Professional at Columbus Country Club where he would remain for 27 years until his retirement in 2013. During his time with the Southern Ohio Section, Gary served the Board of Directors in numerous positions including Secretary, Vice-President, and President from 1994-1995, among chapter offices for the Columbus Chapter. He also served on the National Board of Directors for the PGA from 1993-1995.

During his time in the Section, Gary was named the Southern Ohio PGA Professional of the Year in 1993 and 1995 and was awarded the Professional Development Award three times in 1989, 1991, and 1992. Outside of golf, Gary served in the Army from 1967-1970 during the Vietnam War.

Congratulations to Gary Taylor, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2005 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Rino Della Flora, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2005. His time in the golf industry started at the age of 12 as a caddy at The Ohio State University Golf Course where he would later go on to become an assistant professional. During his time in Southern Ohio, Rino spent time at a number of facilities. He was the Head Professional at Riviera Country Club in Dublin, Ohio and Hickory Hills Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio. He also spent time working at Pal Joey’s Pro Shop in Newark, Ohio and as the Head Professional at the Golf Center at Polaris.

Rino was an extremely well-respected teacher and coach. One of his biggest passions was sharing his knowledge of golf with his students to help them improve their own games. He took great pride in the growth of all of his students during his career. 

During his career, Rino served the Southern Ohio Section on the Board of Directors and was the President in 1977. That same year he was awarded the 1977 Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year.

Congratulations to Rino Della Flora, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2005 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Lauren King, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 2005. Larry started his career in golf at Sycamore Creek Country Club in 1972. During his time as an assistant professional at Sycamore Creek, he was elected to PGA Membership in 1975. He would remain at Sycamore Creek for a total of nine years. In 1981, Larry took over as the Head Professional at Wildwood Golf Club. He would serve Wildwood for 34 years before retiring in 2014.

Larry also had a successful career as a player. During his career, he won the Dayton Chapter Stroke Play Championship three times, the Dayton Chapter Match Play Championship two times, and the Southern Ohio PGA Section Championship in 1989. Outside of the Section, he was the 2003 champion of the Ohio Senior Open.

Outside of his golf career, Larry served the Southern Ohio PGA Board of Directors and was the Board President from 1990-1991.

Congratulations to Larry King, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2005 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

John Marchi, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 2004. Golf ran in the Marchi family. John’s father, Italo Marchi, ran Marchi’s Golf Center, his uncle Frank Marchi  was the head professional at Miami Valley Golf Club for 30 years, and his uncle, Gene Marchi, was a member of the inaugural SOPGA Hall of Fame class of 1997. His career began by working at Marchi’s Golf Center from 1966 to 1968. Following his time there, John went on to caddy and work on the maintenance staff at Miami Valley Golf Club from 1968 to 1971.

After spending some time working at golf facilities, John knew that he wanted to become a PGA Professional. In 1981 he took over as Head Professional at Cliffside Golf Course. Following his time there, he went to NCR Country Club to take a position as their First Assistant for a year in 1983. Shortly after, the Head Professional job at Cassel Hills Golf Course became available. John became the head professional at Cassel Hills in 1984, where he would spend the next 33 seasons before retiring in 2016.During his time serving the golf community of Southern Ohio, John always worked to continue to grow as a PGA Professional, becoming a PGA Master Professional in 1990.

John also had an accomplished playing career within the section. He was the SOPGA Senior Player of the Year in 2003,  qualified for the 1987 PGA Professional National Championship, was a member of the 2003 Ohio Cup Team, and received chapter awards as the Player of the Year in the apprentice division, main division, and senior division as well as being a match play champion. 

Throughout his career, John was able to achieve some of the highest honors that Southern Ohio PGA members can receive. He was awarded the SOPGA Golf Professional of the year on three separate occasions, first in 1990, then in 1992, and finally in 1998. John also received the Professional Development Award in 1991 and the Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2008. In addition to these awards, John served two terms as the President of the SOPGA, first in 1996-1997 then again in 2000-2001. 

Congratulations to John Marchi, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2004 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Otto Hackbarth, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2004. During his career as a PGA Professional, Otto spent 35 years at Cincinnati Country Club as their Head Professional. 

In addition to his time serving as a PGA Professional, Otto also has an extremely impressive record as a professional golfer. Throughout his career he qualified to play in 14 U.S. Open Championships where his best finish was tied for seventh in 1912 at the Country Club of Buffalo in Amherst, New York. He also qualified for two PGA Championships. At this time, the PGA Championship was still played as a match play style event. His best finish here was making it to the round of 16 in 1919. 

Otto maintained his impressive play as he aged, finishing second at the 1938 Senior PGA Championship. Two years after his runner-up finish, he was able to win the 1940 Senior PGA Championship played at the North Shore Club in Sarasota, Florida. It took 36-playoff holes to determine the winner after Otto and Jock Hutchinson were tied following the initial 18-hole playoff. 

Outside of his playing career, Otto also designed and made golf clubs. His most well-known design is for his patented design “Hackbarth Putter”. This putter was used by golfing greats Chuck Evans and Arthur Bartlett. 

Congratulations to Otto Hackbarth, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2004 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Pete Brown, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2003. Pete was born in Port Gibson, Mississippi and grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. He was introduced to golf at an early age when he began caddying at a local golf course. This started what would go on to become one of the most important careers in professional golf. He would spend over 20 years at Madden Golf Course in Dayton, Ohio.

Pete turned professional in 1954 and found success throughout his entire professional career. He spent a total of 17 years competing on the PGA Tour after earning his PGA Tour card in 1963. In 1964, Pete achieved a milestone that will eternally be one of the most important events in the history of golf. At the 1964 Waco Turner Open, Pete Brown became the first African-American golfer to win a PGA sanctioned event. To date, there still is some confusion over this fact. Charlie Sifford, a fellow African American and long time friend of Pete Brown, won the 1957 Long Beach (Cal) Open. However, at that time Sifford was not a PGA Member, and this was not an officially sanctioned event. 

Following his success in 1964, Pete would continue to compete on the PGA Tour. 1970 would mark the most successful year in his career. During this season, Pete claimed his second PGA Tour win at the Andy Williams San Diego Open where he defeated Tony Jacklin in a playoff. He ended this season in the 26th spot on the PGA Tour money list. Brown was also the first African-American to compete at the PGA Championship. He finished the 1964 PGA Championship, held at Columbus Country Club, in a tie for 33rd. His best finish in the U.S. Open came in 1969 where he finished in a tie for 58th. 

Pete also claimed 12 professional wins outside of the PGA Tour. These included four wins at the USG National Open Championship, three wins at the North and South Open, four wins at the Long Star Open and the 1962 Michigan Open. In 2021, Pete was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. 

Congratulations to Pete Brown, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2003 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jack Nicklaus, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 2003. One of the most legendary careers in the golf world began with Jack’s time as a junior at Scioto Country Club where he worked with Jack Grout, PGA as a junior.

Prior to turning professional, Jack had an incredible amateur career. This was started in 1952 when he won his first Ohio State Junior Championship. He would go on to win five consecutive Ohio Junior Championships spanning from 1952 to 1956. At the age of 16, he won his first Ohio State Open. During his amateur career, Jack finished 2nd in the 1960 U.S. Open, two shots behind Arnold Palmer. While playing his college golf at The Ohio State University, Jack was a two-time U.S. Amateur champion in 1959 and 1961. In 1961, in addition to his U.S. Amateur championship, Jack was the medalist at the NCAA Championship, Big Ten Conference Championship, and the Western Amateur. During his amateur career, he competed on two Walker Cup teams representing the United States.

Jack turned professional in late 1961 at the age of 21 starting one of the most decorated careers in professional golf. His first professional win came at the 1962 U.S. Open played Oakmont Country Club. This would be his first of four U.S. Open titles. In addition to the U.S. Open, Jack was a six time Master’s Champion, five time PGA Championship winner, and three time Open Championship winner. Over the course of his career, he won a staggering 117 professional events. These wins included 18 major championships, 73 PGA Tour wins, nine European Tour Wins, three PGA Tour Australia wins, 24 other professional events, 10 Senior PGA Tour wins, and seven other senior  professional wins. He holds the record for the most major championships won by a single player and is third for all-time wins on the PGA Tour. 

Nicklaus had quite the record in team golf events. He competed in six Ryder Cups as a player, winning five of them and the sixth finishing in a tie. He competed in 28 matches total with a record of 17 wins, eight loses, and three ties. As a captain during the Ryder Cup, Jack has one win and one loss. His win came in 1983 with the loss coming in 1987. He was also a four time captain of the United States Team for the Presidents Cup. He captained the 2003, 2005, and 2007 teams to victories and the 1998 team to a tie.

Nicklaus has given more to the golf world aside from his exceptional playing resume. His career in golf course design began in the mid 1960’s. Famed architect Pete Dye asked for his help to design The Golf Club in Columbus Ohio. The first design he is credited for is Harbour Town Golf Links which opened in 1969 and was co-designed by Pete Dye. Possibly his most notable design was Muirfield Village Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio opening in 1974. Muirfield Village has hosted the Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour since 1976, an event Nicklaus founded and has been played on Tour ever since. Jack later formed the Nicklaus Design company with his four sons and one son-in-law. Nicklaus Design is credited with building a total of 410 golf courses in 45 countries. 

In addition to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame, Nicklaus was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, the PGA Professional Hall of Fame in 2006, the 1995 Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, and the 1977 Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2005, Nicklaus was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that can be given to a civilian in the United States. Every year in college golf, the male national player of the year for each division of the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA are awarded the Jack Nicklaus Award for their superb play. 

Congratulations to Jack Nicklaus, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2003 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Marty Kavanaugh II, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2003. 

He worked for the Hamilton County Parks System for 30 years, with the last 13 years working as the Manager of Golf Operations. During this time, the courses within the Hamilton County Park District had over 325,000 rounds annually. Marty also developed the minority and junior golf programs and curriculum for the park district during his time there.  

After his time with the Hamilton County Park District, Marty worked with the PGA of America in numerous positions. From 1994 to 1999 he was the Senior Director of PGA Golf Properties, working to build or acquire world-class facilities to serves as home sites for PGA Members or Championship venues. From 1999 to 2004, Marty worked as the Senior Director of Member and Section Support for the PGA of America. This position had Marty oversee five major PGA departments including Employment Services, Member Services, Teaching/Learning/Research, Section Affairs, and PGA Museum of Golf. From 2004 to 2006 he worked as the Managing Director of PGA Golf Properties. 

During his career, Marty received awards at both the Section and National level as well as achieving the PGA Master Professional certification. Nationally, he was awarded the 1992 PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year and the 1989 National Bill Strausbaugh award. At the Section Level, Marty was the 1991 Section Professional of the year. In addition, he was awarded the Bill Strausbaugh Award in 1987 and 1989 as well as the Professional Development Award in 1986, 1988, and 1990. He was inducted into the National PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame in 2005.

Congratulations to Marty Kavanaugh II, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2003 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Bob Harrison, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 2003. Elected to PGA Membership in 1967, Bob was one of the rare professionals that spent his entire career at the same place. He called Clovernook Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio home for a total of 40 years, spanning from 1967 until 2007. Bob was regarded as a model professional among his peers in the Southern Ohio Section.

Throughout his career, Bob gave back to the community every opportunity that he could. He produced a public access television program that showed viewers the golf swing and taught things like fundamentals, rules of golf, and proper golf etiquette. In addition to this television show, he served on the teaching panel for the PGA of America’s former business schools. 

During his time in the Cincinnati area, Bob held a number of roles on the Cincinnati Chapter Board of Directors. He was recognized by his peers, winning the 2001 Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year. 

Congratulations to Bob Harrison, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2003 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jim Flick, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 2002. Jim was born in Indiana and was introduced to the game of golf during his teenage years. 

Jim attended Wake Forest on a basketball scholarship where he lettered for two seasons. During his time there, he developed a close friendship with Arnold Palmer, who he roomed with for a short time, among other golfers at Wake Forest before using his final two years to compete as a member of the Men’s Golf Team. After graduating, he turned professional in 1952 and competed until he eventually realized that his calling was to be a teacher. 

He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1954, and after the Korean War, became an assistant professional at Evansville Country Club. He was elected to PGA Membership in 1959. In 1961, he was named PGA Head Professional at Losantiville Country Club where he remained until 1974.

He was awarded the Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1969 while at Losantiville Country Club. He was treasurer of the Southern Ohio PGA as the Section played host to the 1964 PGA Championship at Columbus Country Club and was Section president from 1967-1969 when NCR Country Club in Dayton hosted the 1969 PGA Championship.

Jim began working with the Golf Digest Schools full time in 1976 where he would hold their director of instruction position for nearly 20 years. Jack Nicklaus began working with Jim in 1990, and they founded the Nicklaus-Flick Golf Schools. Flick taught golf in 23 countries and operated the Nicklaus-Flick Golf Schools from 1991 until 2003, his own Jim Flick Premier School in 2002, and served as a lead instructor for the ESPN Golf Schools from 2003 to 2005.

During his career as a teacher, Jim worked with over 200 touring professionals in addition to countless amateur golfers. Some of those that we taught included Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ian Woosnam, Tom Watson, and Tom Lehman. Golf World named Flick one of the top-10 teachers of the 20th century. He was awarded the PGA of America Teacher of the Year in 1988 and was inducted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of fame in 2002. He was also inducted to the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2011.

Congratulations to Jim Flick, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2002 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Bob Hauer, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2000. Bob was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was elected to PGA Membership in 1967, the same year he took over as Head Professional at Crest Hills Country Club. He would spend the following 35 seasons in this role at Crest Hills. From 2008 until 2022, Bob also worked at The Acres Driving before retiring on June 7, 2022.

Bob had an accomplished playing career. He qualified for four senior PGA Championships, the 1999 and 2001 U.S. Senior Open, five National Club Professional Championships, six Senior National Club Professional Championships, and won the Southern Ohio Section Championship in 1987. In 1998, Bob was the runner-up at the National Senior PGA Professional Championship where Pete Oakley was the medalist at this event. Pete went on to win the 2004 Senior British Open.

During his playing career, spanning over 50 years, Bob won over 100 tournaments, including the 1999 Ohio Senior Open, the Top of Ohio Pro Am two times, and the Governors Open in Kentucky. At the age of 65, he beat his age by shooting a score of seven-under-par 64 at Western Hills Country Club. Bob also captained the 2005 and 2006 SOPGA Ohio Cup teams.  He qualified for five PGA Tour Champions events during his career.

On top of an impressive playing career, Bob was recognized by the section for various awards. He was awarded the Golf Professional of the Year by the SOPGA in 2010, the Bill Strausbaugh Award in 1988, and the Professional Development Award two times, the first in 1979 and the second in 1982. He was the President of the Southern Ohio PGA in 1972. Bob also earned the honor of being named a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of Kentucky during his career.

Congratulations to Bob Hauer, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 2000 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Robert Kepler, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 1999. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Bob grew up with a passion for the game of golf. He would go on to attend The Ohio State University where he would compete as a member of the golf team. During his career with the Buckeyes, Bob earned individual medalist honors for the Big Ten Championship. He was also an Ohio Amateur champion and finished second in the 1932 NCAA Championship before graduating in 1933.

Five years after leaving Ohio State, Bob would return to become the first full-time head golf coach in Ohio State history. His teams became Big Ten Champions in 1945, 1951, 1954, and 1961. Six of his teams finished seventh or better in the NCAA Championships. In 1945, he and his team won the NCAA National Championship with a then-record score of 602 strokes. In 1951, Kepler’s Buckeyes finished in second place in the National Championship, one stroke behind North Texas University. 

He coached four individual national champions during his career including. The first of these was John Lorms in the 1945 NCAA Championship. During the 1951 NCAA Championship, Kepler made history as the only coach to ever have two of his players make it to the final of the then match play style individual National Championship, where Tom Nieporte defeated teammate Don Johnson. Five years later, Rick Jones became the third National Champion of Kepler’s career. The final individual National Champion for Kepler came in 1961, when Jack Nicklaus claimed the only National Title of his college career.

While coaching the Buckeyes, Bob made frequent appearances on the PGA Tour and important appearances in tournaments like the PGA Championship, the Knoxville Open, and the U.S. Open. His best finishes on the PGA Tour include fourth place at the Knoxville Open in 1946 and tied for 30th in the 1947 U.S. Open at St. Louis Country Club. Kepler also made it to the round of 16 of the 1945 PGA Championship at Southern Ohio’s own Moraine Country Club. He also never finished outside of the money in a PGA Tour event that he played in.

Bob is recognized as one of the founding fathers of the SOPGA. He served on the Southern Ohio PGA Board of Directors in his career, serving as the President of the Section from 1955 to 1956. The Ohio State University Men’s Golf Team hosts the Robert Kepler Invitational every spring in memory of their legendary coach.

Congratulations to Robert Kepler, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1999 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jim Slominski, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1999. He was elected to PGA Membership in 1960 and began his career in California. He would later come back to Ohio where he took over at Fairfields Greens North Trace in Fairfield, Ohio. Jim would call Fairfield Greens home for the next 42 years before retiring in 2002. 

Jim served Southern Ohio on both the Chapter and Section levels. He served as the Southwest Chapter President as well as within the Section in every position on the Board of Directors. He would be the Section Secretary, Treasurer, and ultimately the Southern Ohio PGA Section President from 1980 to 1981.

He acted as a Rules Official for the Nike Tour, now the Korn Ferry Tour, from 1993 to 1998, he was a PGA Junior Series Official in 1998, and Served as a Rules Official at various USGA events starting in 1978. Jim helped grow the “Reach” program within Southern Ohio which educated people about the rules, etiquette, appreciation, conduct, and history of golf.

During his career, Jim was recognized by his peers in Southern Ohio for his tremendous work. He served on the SOPGA Board of Directors and was the Board President from 1980 to 1981. In addition to this service, he also received a number of awards from the section. He was recognized as the Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year on two separate occasions, first in 1984, then again in 1999. Jim also received the Professional Development award from the SOPGA two times in 1980 and 1994. In addition to these awards, he was also awarded the 2010 SOPGA Legacy Award.

After his retirement, Jim moved back out to California. While he may have been done working at a golf course, his love for the game never went away. During his retirement, he became very active in helping out veterans of the United States Military. He worked with SOS Military and was able to get veterans and their families tickets to the Chevron Championship on the LPGA Tour played in Palm Springs California. He was able to help get 50 tickets to this event from the Tournament Director.

Congratulations to Jim Slominski, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1999 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Steve Zappe, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1999. Steve spent 44 years of his career as a golf professional at Springfield Country Club. During his time at Springfield Country Club, Steve was one of the first members of the Southern Ohio PGA Board of Directors in 1946. He was recognized by former Governor of Ohio, James Richards at his retirement dinner in honor of the work he had done throughout his career.

Steve also had an impressive playing resume during his career. He held the course record at Springfield Country Club with a score of 63 for many years. This record stood all the way until 2017, when PGA Tour winner Corey Conners posted a 61 in a U.S. Open Final Qualifying round. 

Steve competed in a total of five PGA Championships during his career. He was also the winner of the third Ohio Open played in 1923. That same year Steve would beat golf legend Bobby Jones in an exhibition match played in front of 6,000 people.

Congratulations to Steve Zappe, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1999 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Elhanon “El” Collins was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame class of 1998. El was born in Hazard, KY in 1935. Growing up caddying for his father, El fell in love with the game at a young age. After four years in the United States Navy, he attended Eastern Kentucky University. His professional career started after he graduated at Lancaster Country Club (now Lancaster Golf Club) in Lancaster, OH, as an assistant professional. Following Lancaster, El went to Sharon Woods in 1962 as their Head Professional. Two years later, in 1964, he was elected to PGA Membership, the same year he took over at Reid Park Golf Course as their Head Professional. He would remain at Reid Park for the next 35 years before retiring in 1999.

El found a lot of success as a competitive player during his career. He was the 1986 Southern Ohio PGA Section champion and earned Player of the Year honors in 1985 and 1986. The following year, in 1987, El competed in a total of 25 Champions Tour Events where he made 24 cuts, including one top-10 finish and four top-25 finishes. 

Prior to turning professional, Collins claimed numerous Miami Valley Golf Association titles including three MVGA Stroke Play Championships, and five MVGA Match Play Championships.

Within the Southern Ohio Section, El received the 1982 Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year award, the 1983 Southern Ohio PGA Professional Development Award and the Southern Ohio PGA Legacy Award in 2006. During his time with the Section, El served multiple years on the Board of Directors, including a term as the President from 1978 to 1979. He represented the Southern Ohio PGA as District 5 Director on the PGA of America Board of Directors from 1983 – 1986.

Congratulations to El Collins, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Robert “Bob” Foppe was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998.  Bob was elected to PGA Membership in 1955. This began a Hall of Fame career within the Southern Ohio PGA Section. From 1955 to 1963, Bob worked at Snow Hill Country Club. He then spent 25 years at Kenwood Country Club being both their Head Professional and Director of Golf between 1964 and 1989. 

Throughout his time with the Southern Ohio PGA, Bob filled all offices of the Cincinnati Chapter and Section Board of Directors. He eventually became the SOPGA President in 1976.

During his career, Bob was recognized by his peers for his incredible work. He was awarded the SOPGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1974, the Private Merchandiser of the Year in 1987, the Bill Strausbaugh Award in 1983, and was a two-time recipient of the Professional Development Award, winning in 1977 and 1985. 

He also started the Boys Hope tournament with Jerry Walker, which benefits the Boys Hope/Girls Hope of Greater Cincinnati. Bob helped develop golf programs at Wilmington High School and Wilmington College which did not have golf programs at the time. 

His community involvements included projects with Shriners Hospital, Elks Benefits, Kiwanis Eye Program, the Socks for Kids program with the YMCA, and he was instrumental in bringing the first Evans Scholarship Program to the Cincinnati area.

Congratulations to Bob Foppe, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Walker Inman, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998. A native of Augusta, Georgia, Walker would go on to play collegiate golf at The Citadel. After three years at The Citadel, he turned professional and became an assistant for Henry Picard at Canterbury Golf Club in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He became the Head Professional at Scioto Country Club in 1962, where he would remain for the next 37 years. 

Walker was an accomplished player during his career. He spent five years competing on the PGA Tour between the years 1955 and 1960. At the 1955 U.S Open held at The Olympic Club, Walker finished inside the top-15, which earned him an exemption for the following year on the PGA Tour. He competed at the 1956 Masters and continued to compete on the PGA Tour until joining the Air Force in 1960. He competed against Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer in a few exhibition matches during his career. Over the course of many years, Walker competed in nearly 20 major championships and was the first Augusta native to compete in the Masters.

In addition to his success on the PGA Tour, Walker also had a very successful career within the Southern Ohio PGA. He won three SOPGA Section Championships in 1963, 1972, and 1979, and six SOPGA Senior Section Championships in 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1991. 

Walker was honored by the PGA of America in 1975, winning the PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year award. In that same year, he was awarded the Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year award. He was also a three-time winner of the SOPGA Private Merchandiser of the Year between 1994 and 1996.

Congratulations to Walker Inman, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jack Ortman, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998.  During his time in Southern Ohio, Jack worked at Dayton Country Club and Sycamore Creek Country Club. While working as an assistant professional at Dayton Country Club, two of their members had the idea to build a golf course, which would later become Sycamore Creek Country Club. These members recruited Jack to help with the design and construction of this new golf course, opening in 1960. Following its opening, he would work as the Head Professional of Sycamore Creek from 1960 until his retirement in 1994.

Jack worked within the Southern Ohio Section in a number of capacities. He served on the Board of Directors, and was the President of the SOPGA from 1970-1971. He was the District 5 Vice President for the PGA of America representing the Northern Ohio, Southern Ohio, and Michigan sections. He was also the recipient of the 2008 Legacy Award from the Southern Ohio PGA. In addition to his service to the section, Jack played a large role in the creation of junior golf programs in Ohio and was the 1970 Southern Ohio PGA Section Champion.

Congratulations to Jack Ortman, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Dick Plummer, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998.  His career began in 1963 when he became a member of the PGA of America. Dick would then go on to spend the entirety of his career serving the members of The Camargo Club in Cincinnati, Ohio until his retirement in 1998. 

Dick had an impressive playing career during his time with the Southern Ohio PGA. He won the SOPGA Section Championship and SOPGA Senior Section Championship one time each during his career. He was the champion of the 1973 Ohio Open, and a two-time Ohio Senior Open Champion; first in 1989 and again in 1992. He also competed on the national level at four PGA Championships, a U.S. Open, and four U.S. Senior Opens.

Dick was recognized by his peers in Southern Ohio and was awarded the Southern Ohio PGA Teacher and Coach of the Year two-times during his career in 1986 and 1990. He also played an instrumental role in the development of the Greater Cincinnati Pro-Am Matches.

Congratulations to Dick Plummer, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1998 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Harry Schwab, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997. He spent 40 years serving the golfers at Community Golf Course in Dayton, Ohio. During his time at Community, Harry became a member of the PGA of America in 1961. His time at Community concluded with his retirement in 1971. He was regarded for his ability as a teacher, especially connecting with players who had never played golf in their lives.

During his time at Community Golf Course, Harry was also a talented competitive player. He won the Southern Ohio PGA Senior Section Championship in 1955. He also won multiple titles for the Miami Valley Golf Association, including both the stroke play championship and match play championship. On the national stage, he won the 1953 Senior PGA Championship played at PGA National Golf Club. He defeated golf great Gene Sarazen in this event by four shots. 

Harry is often regarded as one of the best all around athletes that Dayton has ever produced. In addition to his success as a professional golfer, he also spent time playing two other sports at the professional level. He played both baseball and basketball professionally, playing for the Triple A affiliates of multiple Major League Baseball franchises.

Congratulations to Harry Schwab, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Gene Marchi, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997.  His career in golf began when he started caddying at 10 years old at Upper Arlington Golf Club. Two years later, Gene went to caddy at Scioto Country Club. Following his time as a caddy, Gene worked in the golf shop at Columbus Country Club under Head Professional Charlie Lorms. It was here that he decided he wanted to make golf his career. 

In 1930, Gene moved to Miami Valley Golf Club as an Assistant Professional. Six years later he became the Head Professional. Like all PGA Professionals, Gene served many roles at Miami Valley Golf Club. As one of the few full-time employees of the club, during the off-season for the course, Gene filled in any role that he could to help the club. He acted as an assistant manager, night watchman, housekeeper, tended bar, washed dishes, painted and filled in for the club manager whenever necessary. He also served as the course superintendent for 17 years. Gene retired in 1969 after 39 years of service to Miami Valley Golf Club.

Gene was essential in the formation of the Southern Ohio Section. He was one of the first officers of the section at its inception. Gene was the second President of the Southern Ohio PGA, serving from 1949-1950. From 1954 to 1956 he served as the Vice President of the PGA of America. Gene also played an instrumental role in bringing both the 1945 and 1957 PGA Championships to Southern Ohio. 

In addition to his service to the Section, Gene also competed at the highest level of professional golf. He qualified for a total of six PGA Championships throughout his career, including the 1957 PGA Championship held at his own Miami Valley Golf Club, the last PGA Championship contested in the match play format. He also competed in the 1931 Western Open played at Miami Valley Golf Club. Gene found himself in a tie for second place after an opening round 71. He finished the event inside the money after solid play the remaining 3 rounds.

Congratulations to Gene Marchi, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997 on an outstanding career and earning this honor

Don (Donald) Shock, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997. Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, he was introduced to the game of golf when he was young. Don attended Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio, where he won the Ohio State Boy’s Golf Championship. 

After high school, Shock enlisted in the U.S. Navy during WWII and received an honorable discharge in 1946. He attended The Ohio State University, where he played golf under head coach and SOPGA Hall of Famer, Bob Kepler. 

After graduating, Don joined the staff at Columbus Country Club where he worked as an Assistant Professional for 10 years. During this time, he was elected to membership of the PGA of America in 1955. He went on to become the Head Professional at Columbus Country Club where he served the membership for 31 years before retiring in 1981. He played an instrumental role in bringing the 1963 PGA Championship to Columbus Country Club.

Within the Southern Ohio PGA, Don was recognized by his peers for his abilities as a golf professional numerous times. He was the recipient of the SOPGA Golf Professional of the Year Award in 1981 and was the SOPGA Teacher and Coach of the Year in 1989. He was also the 1979 Southern Ohio PGA Senior Section Champion.

Congratulations to Donald Shock, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Marty Kavanaugh, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997. 

Marty’s career began when he became an Assistant to Bob Gutwein at Avon Fields Golf Course. In 1928 Marty was named Head Golf Professional at the New Three Rivers Country Club in Cleves, Ohio. In 1930 he took the Head Golf Professional position at Marion Country Club in Marion, Ohio. Marty became a  member of the PGA of America in 1936 and assumed the Head Golf Professional position at Fort Mitchell Country Club in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. He was then named Golf Professional at the new Sharon Woods Golf Course in 1939, with the Hamilton County Park District, where he held the position of Manager of Golf Operations for 42 years. During this time, the Park District grew from one golf course, to having five in the family. These facilities would eventually be recognized as model golf operations for municipal golf facilities in the United States.

Marty was recognized on the national level as Merchandiser Of The Year in the Public Golf category by Sports Illustrated Magazine in 1979. He was also recognized by his peers in Southern Ohio when he was awarded the 1985 Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year. 

Marty was a Member of The Professional Golfers’ Association for 57 years.

Golf runs in the Kavanaugh family as Marty’s son, Marty Kavanaugh II, was elected to the SOPGA Hall of Fame Class of 2003.

Congratulations to Marty Kavanaugh, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Tommy Bryant, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997. 

His career started in 1928 when he became a member of the PGA of America. He would go on to become the Head Professional at Moraine Country Club. Tommy was instrumental in bringing the 1945 PGA Championship to Moraine. He encouraged other golf professionals to come and see what the course had to offer. These outside professionals spoke very highly of the golf course as well as the hospitality of the club. Thanks to Tommy encouraging other professionals to play Moraine, the PGA of America awarded the 1945 PGA Championship to the club. Under a difficult time constraint, Tommy was able to prepare the golf course for a Major Championship in only 90 days. He was also tasked with recruiting and training caddies for the event. Other courses in the Dayton area sent a number of caddies to Moraine Country Club for the event, all of which were trained by Tommy in preparation for the PGA Championship.

Tommy is considered to be one of the Founding Fathers of the Southern Ohio PGA. He served the section as the first ever President of the Board of Directors from 1946 to 1947. Tommy was also awarded the Southern Ohio PGA Legacy Award in 2013 as a result of the overwhelming impact he had on the section. 

Congratulations to Tommy Bryant, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jim Rudolph, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997. He became a member of the PGA of America in 1949, beginning a Hall of Fame career in Southern Ohio. Jim was the Head Professional at NCR Country Club during his career. 

While at NCR, the club would be selected to host the 1969 PGA Championship. During this major championship, Jim would serve as the National Tournament Coordinator for the event in addition to his role as Head Professional. He played an integral role in the preparation of the golf course along with NCR Superintendent Jack Hart. 

Jim would serve the PGA of America at both a section and national level during his career. He served on the Southern Ohio PGA Board of Directors, and was eventually the President of the section from 1962 to 1964. He would go on to serve the PGA of America nationally as the Vice President prior to hosting the PGA Championship at NCR Country Club.

As a player Jim would finish runner-up in the Dayton Chapter Match Play Championship on two separate occasions. First in 1961, and again in 1964. 

Congratulations to Jim Rudolph, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.

Jack Kidwell, PGA was elected to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997. His career in golf began at a young age where he learned the game as a caddy. The love for golf would continue as he went on to win the Ohio High School State Championship in 1937. Outside of golf, he served as an Infantry Officer in Japan during World War II.

He became a member of the PGA of America in 1957. In 1938, Jack and his father bought Beacon Light Golf Course, a nine hole facility where he served as both the golf professional and superintendent for 28 years. He switched his focus to course architecture full-time in 1959. He would eventually return as the Director of Golf at Hickory Hills Golf Club, which he considered to be one of his best designs.

In addition to his PGA membership, he was also a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America as well as the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Jack’s passion was in golf course architecture. He joined the ASGCA in 1972, and was elected president from 1979-1980.

He is credited with designing or renovating over 100 golf courses during his career, including many in Southern Ohio such as Blacklick Woods Golf Course and Hickory Hills Golf Club. This career spanned over 40 years. His first design was done in 1957, and his last was in the late 1990’s. 

Congratulations to Jack Kidwell, PGA Hall of Fame Class of 1997 on an outstanding career and earning this honor.