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History of Nataional Association of Left-Handed Golfers
Joe Clem - Director, NALG
It appears that the first organized lefty tournament occurred in New England in 1925, exact date unknown. There were approximately twenty aspirants who dared the scorn and derision of their right-handed brethren by attending such an event.
The following years saw more left-handed tournaments in various parts of the United States, but still only regional tournaments. It wasn't until 1934 that Ben Richter, an active left-handed professional from the Triple A Golf Club in St Louis, Missouri staged a tournament at the White Sulphur Springs Golf Course in West Virginia. The 1935 tournament was played in Cleveland, Ohio. While neither the 1934 nor 1935 tournaments were a great success, they nevertheless were encouraged!
Ben and his Missouri amateurs to pursue the notion of establishing a national organization encompassing all lefty golfers throughout the United States. This vision of a national organization became a reality with the inauguration of the First National Left-Handed Championship Tournament at the Norwood Hills Country Club, St Louis, Missouri in September of 1936. Ben Richter did his own promotion to attract all left-handers in the land. He mailed requests for names to 1300 fellow professionals at their home clubs; he enlisted representatives of golf equipment manufacturers to carry blank forms in their sample cases and to fill them out whenever they found a left-hander. Altogether he secured about 5000 names and sent them invitations to participate in the First Left-Handed Championship Tournament at Norwood Hills Country Club in St Louis County.
One hundred and forty seven lefties assembled to play September 1936 at Norwood Hills. One hundred and forty players from 24 states participated in the second National Championship at Olympic Fields Country Club, Chicago, Illinois. The rank
included representatives from all walks of life: bankers, lawyers,doctors, insurance executives, ministers, priests, teachers, factory workers. Since Olympic Fields in 1937, there have been tournaments every year, except World War II years, 1942-45,across the United States and Canada.
1947 saw the formation of the Senior Division for those golfers over the age of 50. In 1973 the age limit was changed to 55, and in 1961 a Junior Division was added for youngsters under 18 years of age. By 1960, the left-handed golfers were beginning to take their place in many of the leading tournaments throughout the world, but they were still short of one requisite so essential to the individual's success in this great National pastime - proper equipment. The producers of golf equipment had not developed the quality or type of equipment needed by the southpaw. After considerable research and requests to the producers of golfing equipment, the First Flight Company of Chattanooga, Tennessee, agreed to produce the type and quality of equipment recommended by the NALG (National Association of Left-Handed Golfers). Jack Harkins, founder and President of this outstanding golfing equipment company, negotiated a contract with the NALG to produce golf equipment under the label "NALG APPROVED EQUIPMENT". Through the efforts of the professionals and amateurs of our organization we now have equipment equal in quality and design with the best produced for right-handers, and we can all enjoy the pleasure of playing with precision built clubs. In 1960, Mike Freedman, founder and owner of the Desota Lakes Golf & Country Club, Sarasota, Florida, proposed to the Board of Governors at a special meeting to sponsor a National $10,000 Open Tournament at his club for a period of 5 years. In 1961, thirty-two professionals and 160 amateurs participated in the first Open. Harry Shoemaker won the first National Open Championship with Thorne Wood, Professional, as runner-up. Completing the five-year contract with the Desota Lakes Golf and Country Club in 1965, the Board of Governors decided to find a new location for the National Open. Since 1965 the tournament has been held at a different location every year.
In 1961, we let our right-handed friends in on a good thing when the Carolinas Division of the NALG proposed a National Lefty-Righty Championship Tournament. This Tournament is held each year following Labor Day at Cedar Rock Country Club, in Lenoir, North Carolina. This is a 72 hole Tournament. It is limited to 100 teams and is sold out every year.
Ever since 1957 the Northern California Left-Handed Golf Association have held the Western States Lefty-Righty Tournament at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. This 54 hole Tournament, played on three excellent golf courses, is limited to 78 teams and also sells out every year.
There are currently three National Tournaments: The National Championship which is for lefties only, The Lefty-Righty in Lenoir, North Carolina and The Lefty-Partner which is held in Florida in January of each year. The state tournaments are run by the local chapters in their particular state.
If you have not had the opportunity to play in a National Lefty Championship, you are missing a great time. You will meet left-handed golfers from all over the United States and Canada and make many lifelong friends.
For more information about lefty golf call the National Office
at 1-800-844-NALG (6254).
Thanks to John Mulkern for the historical information for this article.
For more information please visit www.nalg.org
Published with permission from NALG
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