AGA NEWS
Class of 2016 includes Dickinson, Hyland, Lambie, Porter and Smith
n BY JOHN DAVIS
are no strangers when it comes to receiving awards. Christi Dickinson and
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Dick Hyland, who topped this year’s list of inductees, both have received several, including the Dr. Ed Updegraff Award, presented annually by the Arizona Golf Association in recognition of those who, by their actions, exemplify the spirit of the game. This year’s class also
included three legends, who were inducted under the new Legacy Award created by the Selector’s Committee. Those honors went to
Joe Porter, Tom Lambie and the legendary Marilynn Smith, who was one of the founding members of the LPGA Tour and previously had been inducted into eight other halls of fame. All were inducted in
a November ceremony. 28 | AZ GOLF Insider | ANNUAL 2016
hose who were inducted to the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame in 2016
CHRISTI DICKINSON
Born in Stowe, Vt., Dickinson had designs on a skiing career until a knee injury redi- rected her interest to golf. A ruling in one of her first matches piqued her interest in rules and she has established a national reputa- tion in that pursuit.
Dickinson served on the USGA
Women’s Committee from 1997- 2008 and officiated at many national championship events, including: The U.S. Women’s Open and Amateur, World Amateur, U.S. Open, British Women’s Open, NCAA Championships, Curtis Cup, Women’s Trans National and numerous USGA Girls, Boys, Senior, Mid-Amateur and Team tournaments. Making her selection a bit odd,
she said, is that she sits on the Hall of Fame selection board. “That certainly is a little different,”
she said, “and I obviously had to abstain when it came to that vote, but it is a tremendous honor.” Dickinson moved to the Phoenix area
in 1988 and got involved with golf in Arizona two years later. She became the first female member of the AGA Board of Directors in 1996 and its first female president in 2001. Since then, she has continued to serve as a member of the Council of Past Presidents and has been President of the Arizona Golf Foundation. “In my mind, Arizona has always
been a leader in the sport,” she said. “We have outstanding college and junior college programs and wonderful junior programs. It’s an interesting dichotomy because Arizona often is portrayed as a place where people go to retire, and yet we have so many young people doing great things in the game.”
DICK HYLAND
Hyland, 59, has been named PGA Professional of the Year in both Florida and Arizona (twice) and was honored by the Southwest Section of the PGA with its prestigious Bill Strausbaugh Award for club
and community relations. But, as the accolades have piled up, he
is quick to deflect the credit to others. “I’ve been fortunate throughout my
career to be around great clubs, great boards, great officers, great staffs and most of all, great members,” he said. “Whatever honors I have received, it hasn’t been about me. I’ve just been the recipient on behalf of all these other people.” Hyland moved to the Phoenix
area in January, 1987, in what was a leap of faith. He was working at a 54- hole world-class facility that hosted the mixed-team JC Penney Classic when he left to become golf director at yet-to-be-built Desert Mountain. “Arizona has been in my golf blood
for nearly 30 years,” he said. “Having lived and worked in golf in both Arizona and Florida, I think Arizona is the mecca of golf as we sit here today.” Hyland became president of Lyle
Anderson Co. and was responsible for seven prestigious courses in Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico and Scotland. For more than 15 years, he coordinated Golf Digest and Jack Nicklaus/Jim Flick golf schools. DC Ranch had not hosted any
championships conducted by Arizona golf organizations when he became its golf director in 2010 but now has staged 18. Not surprisingly, Hyland also gives his members credit for that turnabout.
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