Virginia Golfer Jan / Feb 2019 | Page 22

Bolstering the Ranks VIRGINIA GOLF HALL OF FAME WELCOMES FIVE NEW MEMBERS by ARTHUR UTLEY The Virginia Golf Hall of Fame will expand by five members in 2019, the largest class inducted since the Inaugural Class of 2016. The induction ceremony, which will be held May 9 at Charlottesville’s Farm- ington Country Club, features a cross-section of important Virginia golf figures, from players, to an administrator and one of the state’s greatest media voices. For information on purchasing tickets to the 2019 induction ceremony, visit virginiagolfhalloffame.com. A closer look at the 2019 class: Harry Easterly Jr. B orn in Richmond in 1922, Easterly was a solid golfer who won two Richmond Golf Association Men’s Amateur titles, finished runner-up in the 1956 VSGA Ama- teur and qualified for several U.S. Amateur Championships. But it was as an adminis- trator that Easterly put his imprint on golf. He graduated from St. Christopher’s School in Richmond and Virginia Military 20 A STORY TO TELL Easterly became president of the USGA in January 1976. He said at the time, “I don’t think the golfing world at large has the full appreciation of what the USGA means to golf.” His way to change that was to nurture the Associates Program that had begun during 1975. “My theme was to bring the USGA out of the shadows, bring it to the people, make it more democratic. I was lucky in that the climate was right for it.” As vice president and chairman of the rules committee, Easterly faced consider- able criticism for spearheading the charge to change the U.S. Amateur format back to match play after eight years of stroke play. “That was the amateur game, the way it’s played, and that’s the best way I can answer the question of why I was so opposed to stroke play,” Easterly said in an interview in 2003. “It’s tradition- al, and I think it was a mistake to ever have departed from it. I’m extremely V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 9 proud of having led the charge to get that changed.” CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Easterly was a founder of the Richmond Golf Association; was a past president of the VSGA and the United States Golf Associ- ation, and served as executive director of the USGA. Was instrumental in bringing the 1955 and 1975 U.S. Amateur Championships to the Country Club of Virginia. Was captain of the U.S. World Amateur team, captain of the U.S. Walker Cup team, and chair- man of the USGA Championship and USGA Rules of Golf commit- tee. He was a guiding force in the founding of Independence Golf Course in Midlothian. He was a member at Augusta National, Pine Valley, St. Andrews and Ballybunion. vsga.org Institute and was a World War II veteran. He died at the age of 82 in 2005.