AGA NEWS


HALL OF FAME


AGA NEWS


Coore, King, Emerson, Cornelius and Whittle shape Class of 2017


n BY JOHN DAVIS


Crenshaw in 1986, and they have designed several top-rated courses, including Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb.; Bandon Trails in Bandon, Ore., and Old Sandwich in Plymouth, Mass. Their Arizona projects


Bill Coore From humble beginnings, Bill Coore has carved out a rewarding career as a course architect, just as he and partner Ben Crenshaw have carved out some of the finest golf layouts in the world. And, just as their designs


have been acknowledged, Coore was recognized for his achievements when he was inducted in November into the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame. “This is truly a special


honor, no question about that,” Coore said. “Anytime you are recognized by the peers in your industry as having done something that is considered to be meaningful, it is extremely gratifying. And then when it happens at home even more so. For me personally, it is a huge honor.” Coore grew up in North


Carolina, attended Wake Forest and began his design career under the guidance of the legendary Pete Dye. He formed his own company in 1982, teamed up with


include both courses at Talking Stick and the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa. It was during construction of Talking Stick, in 1995, that Coore met his future wife, Sue, and moved to Scottsdale. Joining Betsy King,


Shawn Emerson, Cliff Whittle and Kathy Cornelius in this year’s induction class, Coore said, makes the honor even more significant. “I never had the pleasure


of meeting Mr. Whittle, but I know that Shawn is hugely responsible for the success of Desert Mountain and to be in a class with two ladies like Betsy and Kathy is truly an honor,” he said. “I am a product of a


single mom who worked two jobs in a man’s world and raised me at a time when being a single mother was not an easy thing to do. So my personal perspective is a deeper appreciation for what these ladies have done and challenges they must have faced when they were pursuing their dreams. It is particularly gratifying to be part of their class.”


28 | AZ GOLF Insider | ANNUAL 2017


U.S. Women’s Opens. Her 20 pro titles during that period were the most by anyone in the world, male or female. She finished her career with 34 LPGA titles, played on five Solheim Cup teams and was captain of the victorious 2007 team. That was the year she


changed her residence to Scottsdale and founded Golf Fore Africa. That program, which is aligned with World Vision, funds wells that bring potable water to African villages for the first time. It has a goal of raising $10


Betsy King Betsy King is in the midst of her “second career,” although she is quick to note, “This one, I don’t get paid for.” If it is anything like


the first one, it will be a smashing success. King established herself


as one of the top professional golfers in history during her brilliant career on the LPGA Tour, and last month added Arizona Golf Hall of Fame to the many honors she has received. “It’s a great honor,” said


King, who also has been inducted to the LPGA Hall of Fame and World Golf Hall of Fame. “I have been coming to the Valley since 1980 and have made it my adopted home. I feel like I have been part of the Arizona golf scene for quite a while, so this honor is greatly appreciated.” King, 62, was one of the


LPGA’s biggest stars from the mid-1980s to the mid- 1990s, winning six major championships during that time, including two


million and has opened 73 wells, along with installing large holding tanks for schools and hospitals. Earlier this year, on


World Water Day, King personally pledged $100,000 per year through 2030 to a World Vision project that aims to ensure potable water to every person on the planet by that year. King said she has found


tremendous, although different, gratification through her golf and humanitarian pursuits. “It really is quite


different,” she said. “For starters, when I go into these African villages, many of the people have no idea who I am or what golf is. “Golf in many ways is


an individual pursuit and this is such a meaningful collective effort. It’s a feeling of great satisfaction just to have the opportunity to help people, and golf has helped put me in that position.”


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