Bill Penn Elected To Texas Golf Hall Of Fame

SAN ANTONIO—Former U.S. Senior Amateur champion Bob Rawlins from Dallas, former Texas Golf Association Executive Director Bill Penn from Austin and Dallas Country Club headline the 2014 induction class for the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.

The TGHOF Board of Directors on Aug. 18 elected seven individuals to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame and the Dallas Country Club to its Registry of Historic Golf Courses.  After receiving a record number of nominations through the hall’s website, the hall’s board was delighted with the outpouring of support for the nominees, the voting process and this year’s class.

The elected individuals for the 2014 Class are: Bob Rawlins – Amateur; Chuck Cook and Hank Haney – Club Professional; Bill Penn (deceased) – Distinguished Service; Bruce Devlin – Tour Professional; and, Charles Dexter (deceased) and Ronnie Choate – Pioneers. Venerable Dallas Country Club was added to The Texas Registry of Historic Golf Courses.

Rawlins won the 1984 USGA Senior Amateur at Birmingham Country Club in 19 holes over Richard Runkle. Rawlins, known around Dallas and beyond as “Dark Cloud” for his sarcasm and perceived pessimism, also was the low amateur at the 1983 U.S. Senior Open when he finished tied for 15th place.

Penn, a lifelong Austin resident who passed away in 2003, became Executive Director of the TGA in 1988 after a distinguished amateur career that included four Austin Men’s City Championship titles. Penn also was the captain of the winning 1999 U.S. State Team Championship squad. In 2002, the TGA honored him by creating the Bill Penn Grant, which financially supports community outreach programs to help Texas youth learn some of life’s most important lessons through their exposure to the game of golf.

Founded in 1896 with a golf course designed by Tom Bendelow, Dallas Country Club is one of the crown jewels of the exclusive Highland Park area of Dallas. DCC joins its Dallas neighbors Cedar Crest Golf Course and Brook Hollow Golf Club, along with Fort Worth’s Colonial Country Club, Houston’s Champion’s Golf Club and San Antonio Country Club and Brackenridge Park in the registry.

Devlin won 27 professional events worldwide.  With that record, he far exceeded the other Tour Professional nominees in the voting. He is also known for his golf course designs and architecture and as a TV commentator.  Cook has been a mentor and teacher to PGA Tour professionals Payne Stewart, Keegan Bradley, Luke Donald,  Jason Dufner  and many club professionals around the country.  Haney is widely known as one of Tiger Woods’ past coaches and for his show on The Golf Channel – The Haney Project – in which he has taught such celebrities as Rush Limbaugh, Michael Phelps and Charles Barkley. Longtime golf advocates and supporters Charles Dexter (deceased), a founding member of Brook Hollow, and Huntsville resident, Ronnie Choate, were elected in the Pioneer category.

“This is a wonderful class and we are delighted to add them to the greatest state golf hall of fame in the country,”said Texas Golf Hall of Fame Board Chair Buddy Cook of San Antonio.  “All of them are worthy representatives of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame”, Cook added.

The formal induction will take place at a dinner on Oct. 20 at the San Antonio Country Club in San Antonio.  For the fifth year, the emcee for the event will be Golf Channel anchor, David Marr III.  Earlier that day, the Inductees will be introduced at a press conference and participate in a round table discussion and golf outing at the historic Brackenridge Park Golf Course, the home of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.  The names of this class will be commemorated on a stone marker along the TGHOF’s Walk of Fame and on the Wall of Fame in the “Old Brack” clubhouse.

More information about the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, its members, and its facilities at Brackenridge Park on San Antonio’s Riverwalk can be found at www.texasgolfhof.org. In the near future, ticket information for the induction dinner will be available on the Hall of Fame website. Tickets will be available to the public and supporters of the members and inductees.

The Texas Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, a 501 (c) (3) organization, is located in San Antonio at the historic Brackenridge Park Golf Course clubhouse.