NJSGA to honor 2019 Hall of Fame Class on Wednesday Evening

Photo: Billy Ziobro (l), Dennis Walters (r) & Bucky

New Jersey’s rich golf history will be celebrated in grand fashion on Wednesday evening, May 1, when nine of the state’s most decorated players and impactful contributors will be inducted into the New Jersey State Golf Association Hall of Fame. The second annual Hall of Fame ceremony and reception will take place at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth, home of the NJSGA’s headquarters. Over 200 members of the local golf community will be in attendance.

The Class of 2019 boasts some of the Garden State’s most prominent players as well as several contributors who have made a unique and lasting impact on the game of golf. This year’s nine inductees are Leo Fraser, Bobby Jacobson, Babe Lichardus, Joe McBride, Dorothy Porter, Jeff Thomas, Dennis Walters, Craig Wood and Billy Ziobro.

“The nine individuals elected to the NJSGA Hall of Fame this year, like those in our inaugural class, have had a tremendous impact on the game of golf in New Jersey. We’re looking forward to recognizing their accomplishments and contributions,” NJSGA president William Frese said.

A salute to the 119 years of the association’s history, the NJSGA Hall of Fame was established in 2018 with 16 original honorees. The inaugural class included professionals Johnny Farrell, Vic Ghezzi and Byron Nelson, plus legendary amateurs, Carolyn Cudone, Charlotte Glutting, Bob Housen, Maureen Orcutt, Chet Sanok, Jerome Travers and Charles Whitehead.

Other inductees include renowned architect A.W. Tillinghast; groundbreaking African-American golf professional John Shippen; noted journalist Arthur (Red) Hoffman; Dr. Ralph Engel, founder of the Rutgers' Professional Golf Turf Management School, and benefactors William Y. Dear (youth golf pioneer), and Nestor J. MacDonald (founder of NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation).

The NJSGA Hall of Fame was established to recognize and enshrine men and women who, as New Jersey natives or residents at their time of achievement, have impacted New Jersey golf and/or have made extraordinary contributions to the game through competitive and non-competitive accomplishments.

The mission is to honor New Jersey's finest amateur and professional golf competitors, as well as those who have made outstanding contributions in other areas of golf such as architects, journalists, superintendents, mentors, volunteers and others. NJSGA Hall of Fame members are memorialized by a display inside the NJSGA headquarters in addition to biographies featured on the NJSGA web site.

Full biographies of each inductee are available by clicking below:

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