Bill Garner’s love for golf formed as a teenager when he worked at Cherokee Golf Club.
After winning the Memphis Prep League Championship in 1952, he lettered for a Memphis State University golf team that included Hillman Roberts, Jr., Mason Rudolph and Ronnie Wenzler. During this time, Garner won the 1954 Memphis Public Links Championship.
Upon graduation, Garner enlisted in the United States Air Force and even won the base championship during his time of service.
Once his military duties were over, Garner returned to Memphis and in 1965 became the PGA Professional at Windyke Country Club, where just a year earlier he won the club’s first Club Championship.
This became the start of a long, distinguished career of service to the Tennessee Section PGA and the game of golf in not only Memphis, but across the state.
Garner was the first chapter vice president of the West Tennessee PGA and in 1973 was instrumental in hiring and structuring the position for Dick Horton to serve as the Executive Director for the Tennessee Section PGA. Garner later served as President of the Tennessee Section PGA from 1979-80.
Among his long list of Tennessee Section PGA recognitions, Garner is a two-time TPGA Professional of the Year (1970,1981), three-time Horton Smith Award winner (1975, 1977 and 1978) and in 2005 he received the TPGA Distinguished Career Award.
Garner has also been a strong proponent of amateur golf. Under his leadership at Windyke, the club hosted 11 Tennessee Golf Association championships between 1973 and 2000, including the 1976 and 1986 Tennessee Amateur Championships.
