History

The World Golf Hall of Fame opened on Sept. 11, 1974, as the privately-owned museum of the Diamondhead Corp., which owned and operated Pinehurst Resort. Ownership was taken over by a group of banks when Diamondhead ran into financial problems.

The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) took over operation of the hall of fame in 1983 and acquired full ownership in 1986. At that time, the PGA dropped its own hall of fame, which had been established in 1940.

The PGA/World Golf Hall of Fame was inactive for some time, but new members were elected in 1997, in anticipation of its re-opening in a new building at World Golf Village near Jacksonville, Florida.

When the new World Golf Hall of Fame opened in 1998, it also became the home of the Women's Golf Hall of Fame.

That hall of fame had been established, on paper, by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950, when four charter members were elected: Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Louise Suggs, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

However, the hall was virtually forgotten until 1960, when Betsy Rawls was elected. Four years later a sixth woman, Mickey Wright, was named to the hall of fame.

In 1967, the LPGA Hall of Fame moved into its first actual home, at Augusta, Georgia, and very specific criteria were established for membership. Under the latest criteria, established in 1999, a golfer is eligible for the Hall of Fame after accumulating 27 points, awarded on the following basis:

• 1 point for each LPGA official tournament win
• 2 points for each LPGA major tournament win
• 1 point for each Vare Trophy won
• 1 point for each Player of the Year award

In addition, the golfer must have won a major championship, a Vare Trophy, or a Player of Year award, and must have played on the LPGA tour for at least 10 years.

One active golfer, Karrie Webb, has accumulated enough points for Hall of Fame membership but hasn't yet been on the tour for 10 years. She will be inducted in 2005.

Top of page