USGA president Thomas O’Toole visits the Sanctuary
The Sanctuary Golf Club Speaker’s Forum hosted Tom O’Toole, newly elected president of the USGA to discuss the health and welfare of the current golf industry.
“Securing the game’s health is indeed a critical role that the USGA plays within the golf community. The golf industry is vast and multifaceted, and it comprises countless dedicated individuals, who possess the skills, experience and drive to grow the number of golfers participating in the game. Growing the game is not our primary responsibility; rather, it is to ensure that the game they are marketing and selling to consumers is consistent with the very spirit and principles of equity upon which the game was founded. If we fulfill our mission to provide a strong nucleus for the game, by being concerned with the game’s health, we optimize the chance for the golf industry that surrounds it to grow,” said O’Toole.
O’Toole is the 63rd president of the USGA and was elected on Feb. 8, at the USGA’s annual meeting in Pinehurst, N.C. He will serve two consecutive one-year terms.
He has dedicated more than a quarter century in service to the USGA and the game. He has been associated with the USGA since 1988, serving as a rules official at more than 150 USGA championships, including every U.S. Open since 1990. Since 2004, he has been a member of the Rules of Golf Committee.
“I’d love to say the USGA ruined my golf game,” he said, “but I knew the commitment going in. I assure you, I used to play better.”
Brett Kist, director of Golf at The Sanctuary Golf Club said, “It was a great honor to have Mr. O’Toole here at The Sanctuary. With his experience and position, he brings a perspective about the game of golf, that many people don’t have the opportunity to hear first-hand. It also gave the members the opportunity to ask questions about the game that affect them directly, including questions about handicapping and the recent ban on anchoring strokes.”
If you would like more information about the USGA, check out their website at usga.org and more information about membership at The Sanctuary Golf Club, contact Sheryl Tatum at statum@sanctuarygc.net or 322-5182.