Glenelg Legends inducted into Golf Hall of Fame

The achievements of the South Australian golf industry have been celebrated by approximately 250 golfing representatives from around the state at the inaugural South Australian Golf Industry Awards Night held at the Adelaide Oval on the evening of Saturday 29 October.

Amongst the highlights of the Awards evening was the induction of five local legends of the game to the newly created South Australian Golf Hall of Fame, three of whom would be proud to call Glenelg Golf Club their home.

Voted by representatives of the four organising bodies, namely Golf SA, PGA of Australia, Golf Management Australia and the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association, the five inductees to the SA Golf Hall of Fame were Rhona Watson OAM, Murray Crafter, John Crosby OAM, Jane Crafter and Bob Tuohy.

Rhonda Watson OAM was a noted player and administrator both at club and state level. Dominating women’s golf from 1952 to 1968, Watson won 12 state amateur titles, in the process becoming the first female player in SA to obtain a scratch handicap.

Her administrative career included a three-year term as President of the South Australian Ladies’ Golf Union of which she was awarded life membership. She received an OAM in 1978 for her services to golf.

A member of the iconic Crafter golfing family, Murray Crafter was a noted professional, coach and course architect for over 40 years. Recording 123 professional victories between 1953 and 1970, Crafter’s local victories included six SA Open and 11 SA PGA titles.

Murray Crafter held the position of resident professional at Glenelg Golf Club for over 30 years and tutored many of the state’s elite players, including a young Rhonda Watson, who joined the Adelaide sandbelt club as a junior in the late 1940s.

The final inductee of the Awards ceremony was noted former professional and tournament promoter, Bob Touhy. Tuohy’s professional career spanned over 15 years, including many state Open and PGA titles together with international victories in New Zealand, South Africa and the UK.

Upon his retirement in 1974, Tuohy started his career as a tournament promoter with the advent of the West Lakes Classic in 1974, and has gone on to manage many of Australasia’s most successful tournaments, including the ANZ Ladies’ Masters and the New Zealand Open.

In total, over 20 trophies were presented as part of the inaugural SA Industry Awards Night, which covered industry specific awards from the GMA, PGA and AGCSA, as well as awards for volunteer contributions to the game from both metropolitan and country areas.