Inaugural Rally in the Valley at Sweetens Cove

The Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame is excited to announce its 2024 class of inductees, which will be honored in two separate ceremonies in the coming months.

William L. “Bill” Garner, PGA, of Memphis and Lissa Bradford, PGA, of Nashville will become the 55th and 56th members, respectively, to receive the game’s highest honor in the state after they were formally approved by the Tennessee Golf Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Mayor Cooper presenting the Tennessee Golf Foundation with funds totalling $2 million to go toward the renovations of Metro Nashville golf courses at Shelby Park and VinnyLinks. 

Shelby Park Golf Course is the oldest of the seven golf courses in the Metro Nashville system as it is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. VinnyLinks is the home to The First Tee of middle Tennessee and welcomed over 500 students for programming last year, while having a total of 14,475 rounds played on its nine-hole, par-three layout.

The Tennessee Golf Foundation staged their annual TGF Pro-Am Tournament this week at Council Fire Golf Club, one of several events state-wide that help fund the organization’s growing impact on the sport.

But the roots of the foundation can be traced to the vision and generosity of Chattanooga philanthropist and The Honors Course founder, Jack Lupton.

The Tennessee Golf Foundation is pleased to announce that Andy Mears has been hired as the new Regional Director for West Tennessee. He will begin work in this role on August 1, 2023. Mears joins the Tennessee Golf Foundation staff after seven years with the First Tee, first in Greater Chicago and then in Sarasota, Florida.