Walking Through Texas Golf History

The Texas Golf Walk of Fame beneath the trees at Old Brack.

Some golf courses are memorable for the holes you play. Others stay with you because of the stories they tell. At Brackenridge Park Golf Course in San Antonio, those stories are literally carved in granite.

Beneath the old live oaks, the Texas Golf Walk of Fame honors the players, teachers, and other people who shaped the game in Texas. Old Brack itself is part of that story: the A.W. Tillinghast design opened in 1916 and hosted the first Texas Open in 1922. Its past champions include Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Sam Snead.

Names That Are More Than Names

One marker lists the remarkable 1982 class: Joe Black, Jay Hebert, Billy Maxwell, Bill Rogers, Kathy Whitworth, and Dave Williams. Whitworth won 88 LPGA Tour events; Rogers won the 1981 Open Championship; and Williams built a collegiate golf dynasty at the University of Houston. But Joe Black’s name stopped me for a more personal reason.

I met Joe through our mutual friend Billy Clagett. Joe chaired the PGA Championship in 1979, 1980, and 1983, and the 1983 Ryder Cup. He is now 93, and we still have lunch a few times a year. His wife Susan and Laurie play golf together regularly. Oddly enough, I have never played golf with Joe. Our friendship has been built around conversation rather than scorecards.

Me and longtime friend Joe Black with the Ryder Cup trophy. Joe chaired the 1983 Ryder Cup.

The Best Lesson After a 72

Another plaque honors Bill Moretti, inducted in 2018. Bill has been named among America’s top 50 instructors by both GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest, and we play together a few Sunday afternoons each year.

One afternoon I finished with a 72 and was feeling rather proud. As we shook hands on the 18th green, Bill said, “Grab three balls and your wedge and come with me. You turned a 67 into a 72 today.” So much for celebrating! Beside the green, he gave me an impromptu chipping lesson that has stayed with me ever since. That is the difference between someone who can play golf and someone who can truly teach it.

Bill Moretti appears on the 2018 Hall of Fame marker.

One of the Guys

Laurie once bought a Texas Golf Hall of Fame charity experience that gave my friends Blake and Wayne and me a round with five-time PGA Tour winner Blaine McAllister at Lochinvar Golf Club in Houston. Blaine shared Tour stories, including the early days of skipping balls across the pond at Augusta National’s 16th. But what I remember best is how easily he fit into our foursome—teasing us and taking the teasing right back.

I have also met instructor Charlie Epps and shared rounds with major champions Mark Brooks and Rich Beem. The Walk of Fame reminded me that these names aren’t just golf history. They are part of my own golfing memories.

A Walk Worth Taking

Inside the clubhouse, historic photographs, tournament memorabilia, and a display about the Texas State Junior Championship add another layer to the experience. A photograph from 1967 shows a young Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, and Bob Elliott competing at Old Brack. The game has changed, but the stories keep accumulating.