UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2007-- Bob Lowe of Ventura, a member of Saticoy Country Club, was elected the 83rd president of the Southern California Golf Association at its annual meeting today. There was also occasion to honor some of the SCGA's top golfers, including State Amateur winner and SCGA Player of the Year Josh Anderson, Senior Player of the Year Steve Bogan and two Walker Cuppers, Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark. At an organizational meeting later today, officers and directors for the SCGA Foundation and SCGA Golf Course Management, Inc. were also elected.
Former SCGA Executive Director Tom Morgan of Manhattan Beach was given the SCGA's Lynn Smith Award for his many contributions to golf, and Bill Woolfolk of Los Angeles was named winner of the Jim House Award for his years of service as an SCGA committeeman and board member. At a lunch following the meeting, the inaugural class of six members was inducted into the SCGA Hall of Fame.
SCGA OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS ELECTED
Other SCGA officers elected today were:
Kent Keller, Los Angeles (Wilshire CC), vice president;
John Rydell, Santa Barbara (La Cumbre CC/Valley Club of Montecito), secretary;
Steve Titus, Pasadena, treasurer.
Ed Holmes of Riverside (Victoria Club) remains on the board as immediate past president.
SCGA directors re-elected were:
Dr. Keenan Barber, Rancho Mirage (Mission Hills CC);
Ken Bien, Rancho Santa Fe (Rancho Santa Fe GC);
Al Frank, Glendale (Oakmont CC);
Jim Giles, Pasadena (Brookside Golf Club/La Canada-Flintridge CC);
Dennis Harwood, Corona del Mar (Big Canyon CC);
Bob Hedley, Seal Beach (Virginia CC);
Al Lara, Escondido (SC MAGA Vista Chapter/SC MAGA Carlsbad chapter);
Tom Lindgren, Indian Wells (The Palms Golf Club);
John Morello, Solana Beach (San Diego High School GA/Lake San Marcos CC);
Bob Osborn, Balboa Island (Friendly Hills CC/Newport Beach CC/PGA West);
Kevin Smith, Los Angeles (Hacienda GC/Bear Creek GC).
Errol Shaw of Bakersfield (Bakersfield CC), who served as SCGA president in 2006, retired from the board at the meeting.
Lowe, 77, joined the SCGA in 1995 and served as vice president last year. A former high school English teacher and coach in sports ranging from water polo and swimming to gymnastics, Lowe is well known in the golf community for the highly artistic scoreboards he creates for SCGA championships and for PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour events throughout the country.
Lowe attended USC, served in the Navy during the Korean conflict and eventually received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in education from Whittier College. He and his of 50 years, Marlene (known to most people as Toots) have two children, Jacquelyn and James.
SCGA FOUNDATION OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS ELECTED
Officers elected were:
Marc Myers, Los Angeles, president;
Ed Holmes, Riverside, vice president;
Peter James, Pacific Palisades, vice president;
Kevin Smith, Los Angeles, secretary.
Directors elected were:
David Nicholas, Bakersfield;
Mike Roos, Los Angeles;
Tony Thornley, Rancho Santa Fe;
Jim Vernon, Pasadena.
SCGA GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS ELECTED
Dirk Kingma, La Jolla, president;
Ron Livingston, Newport Beach, vice president;
Bill Pultz, Carlsbad, vice president;
Al Frank, Glendale, secretary/treasurer;
Jon Bilger, La Jolla, immediate past president;
Bill Cunerty, Rancho Santa Margarita;
Bob Lowe, Ventura (ex-officio).
TOM MORGAN RECEIVES LYNN SMITH AWARD
Tom Morgan, who retired last year as SCGA executive director, received the SCGA's highest honor, the Lynn Smith Award, given for meritorious service to amateur golf in Southern California. Morgan served 13 years as the SCGA's executive director and 10 years as assistant executive director. In between those stints, he was executive director of the PGA Tour event now called the Buick Invitational in San Diego.
The award is named for Lynn Smith, a member of Annandale GC in Pasadena who was SCGA president in 1965 and vice president of the United States Golf Association from 1972-74.
BILL WOOLFOLK GETS JIM HOUSE AWARD
Woolfolk, a former colonel in the Unites States Air Force, served on the SCGA board from 1999 to 2006 and has been a member of the Course Rating and Rules and Competitions committees for nearly 20 years. The award is given for extraordinary committee service and is named for Jim House, a former SCGA committeeman, board member and past president (1989) who, despite living in Brawley (Imperial County) logged thousands of miles each year as a volunteer for the SCGA.
OTHER HONOREES
The association saluted several of its major champions, including
Josh Anderson of Murrieta, California Amateur and SCGA Player of the Year;
Brett Kanda of La Crescenta, SCGA Amateur champion;
Tim Hogarth of Northridge, SCGA Mid-Amateur champion;
Rich Tolly of Laguna Niguel, SCGA Senior Amateur champion;
Steve Bogan of Placentia, SCGA Senior Player of the Year;
Johnny Holmes of Riverside, SCGA Tournament of Club Champions winner;
Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, a member of the 2007 U.S. Walker Cup team;
Jamie Lovemark of Rancho Santa Fe, a member of the 2007 U.S. Walker Cup team.
