Funded by the donations of Texas Exes and Golfing Professionals
Mr. Ben Crenshaw and Mr. Justin Leonard
With the U.S. victory over the European team in the 1999 Ryder Cup, UT alumni Ben Crenshaw and Justin Leonard each were afforded the opportunity to donate $100,000 to The University of Texas at Austin. Their generous donations were combined to establish the Golf: For Business & Life program, a Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) instructional golf program for UT students. The goals of the program are to enable students to develop an appreciation and knowledge of the history and origin of golf; to perform golf skills proficiently; and to enjoy golf for personal exercise and pleasure throughout their lives.
Notice to students: To register for golf instruction, please contact the Department of Kinesiology.
The Golf: For Business & Life program was established in the spring of 2001 through a cooperative effort between the Division of Recreational Sports and the Department of Kinesiology. In addition, the University Resource Development Office assisted in the creation of the Golf: For Business & Life Endowment. Funds generated by the endowment will make it possible for generations of UT students to receive golf instruction from PGA professionals and to compete in campus golf tournaments.
History of the PGA
Golf in the 21st century is one of the leading participatory sports in America. This passion for the game of golf is recognized by The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) which has more than 24,000 members and apprentices. The PGA is dedicated to promoting the game of golf to everyone, everywhere.
The PGA's origin can be traced to January 17, 1916, when a group of New York area golf professionals, accompanied by several prominent amateur golfers, attended a luncheon hosted by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker at the Taplow Club in New York City. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss forming a national organization that would promote interest in the game of golf and help elevate the vocation of the golf professional.
Wanamaker, who viewed the public's growing enthusiasm for golf as the beginning of a national trend, promoted the association's idea of helping to accelerate the growth of the game. Little did Wanamaker or his guests realize that they were laying the groundwork for what would become the world's largest working sports organization. When that first meeting ended, James Hepburn, a former British PGA secretary, had been named to chair a seven-member organizing committee.
Meetings were held over the next two months, and on April 10, 1916, with constitution and by-laws firmly in hand, 82 charter members created The Professional Golfers' Association of America in New York City.
The Association's first order of business was to establish the organization's objectives. The members agreed to the following:
- Promote interest in the game of golf
- Elevate the standards of the golf professional's vocation
- Protect the mutual interests of members
- Hold meetings and tournaments for the benefit of member
- Assist deserving unemployed members to obtain positions
- Establish a benevolent relief fund for deserving members
- Accomplish any other objective which may be determined by the Association from time to time
The first PGA Championship was held October 9 – 14, 1916, at the Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York. Jim Barnes defeated Jock Hutchison, 1 – up, in the finals. Wanamaker honored his pledge and donated a purse of $2,580 and the trophy that today still bears his name.
In May 1920, the first issue of The Professional Golfer of America was published. Percy C. Pulver, a golf writer for the New York Evening Sun, who had attended the first meeting at the Taplow club, was named editor. The magazine was renamed PGA Magazine in 1977, and today is America's oldest golf publication.
The Ryder Cup matches, pitting PGA professionals against their British counterparts, were inaugurated in 1927 with a U.S. victory at Worcester (Mass.) Country Club, 9 1/2 to 2 1/2. The matches have become one of the preeminent events in all of sports, and in 1979, the British team incorporated players from Europe.
In 1933, George Jacobus became the first American-born president of The PGA of America. A dynamic and innovative leader, Jacobus was the first PGA officer to rise from the caddie ranks and was the first president to use the pages of The Professional Golfer to communicate directly with PGA members through a column in each issue.
The onset of World War II in Europe canceled the Ryder Cup Matches in 1939. By 1941, when The PGA of America celebrated its 25th anniversary, membership had grown to 2,041.
The PGA Senior's Championship, which began in 1937 at Augusta National at the invitation of course founder Bobby Jones, was moved to Dunedin, Florida, in 1945 and remained there through 1962. In 1954, Dunedin also became the home of the PGA Winter Tournament Program and the site of the PGA merchandise show. In 1956, The PGA of America's national office moved to Dunedin and set up shop on the second floor of the Dunedin First National Bank Building.
The Association celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1956 with 3,798 members and 31 Sections. By 1961, The PGA had moved the national office to larger quarters in Baywood, Florida, six miles north of the PGA National Golf Club. With the Winter Tournament Program now consisting of four events, the need for more office space and additional playing facilities for even more PGA events was evident. Palm Beach County developer John D. MacArthur offered office space in a wing of his clubhouse at his new country club which for the next four years would be known as PGA National Golf Club.
When The PGA of America was formed, there was no distinction between club and touring professionals. As The PGA began to develop and promote tournaments, it became easier for the touring professionals to devote their efforts to just playing tournaments and exhibitions. In 1968, PGA tournament players, who comprised a small percentage of the membership, broke away from the Association to form a Tournament Players Division and acquire more control of the tournament schedule.
In 1975, the Tournament Players Division was renamed the PGA Tour and was headquartered in Ponte Vedra, Florida. The PGA Tour and The PGA of America maintain a close working relationship, and most professional golfers maintain a dual membership in the organizations.
In 1971, the 53rd PGA Championship, the first major golf Championship ever held in Florida, was played at PGA National Golf Club. Two years later, The PGA's relationship with MacArthur ended and the national office was moved to an office building in nearby Lake Park, Florida. For the next eight years The PGA of America searched for a permanent home. An agreement was eventually reached with developer E. Lloyd Ecclestone Jr., who built a multi-course development on which the national office of The PGA of America is located today (Fall 2001). The 2,300-acre complex is known as PGA National.
The PGA of America conducts more that 30 tournaments for its members and apprentices. Through a network of 41 Section offices, the Association maintains a total commitment to the PGA Professional, helping the membership meet demands of today's marketplace and addressing vital issues such as pace of play, environmental concerns and accessibility.
Since 1916, The PGA of America has established new standards of excellence by expanding educational opportunities, programs and services for its members. The Association stands firm and continues to flourish on the principles that were set down by its founders.
