The PGA of BC is excited the announce that PGA of BC Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and long-time member, the late Jack McLaughlin will be honoured during the 2013 Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada PGA of BC Club Professional Championship Presented by DSG Fleet Solutions on September 30 at Jack's home club of Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.
In collaboration with Golf Canada, the event will be the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame's formal Induction for the great man who was recently announced into the Hall this past Spring. The event's Master of Ceremony will be fellow Hall of Fame Member Richard Zokol.
Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club Head Professional Alan Palmer has been instrumental in organizing this special evening.
Jack McLaughlin was renowned as an excellent teacher who worked with the likes of Lorie Kane, Brent Franklin and Ray Stewart. He served nearly 20 years as head professional at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.
He began his career in 1953 at Scarboro Golf & Country Club. He also served at Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club and Bayview Golf & Country Club as Head PGA of Canada Professional. In 1974, McLaughlin relocated to Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.
McLaughlin served on both the Ontario and British Columbia PGA boards, became president of each, as well as director of the PGA of Canada. He also served as the National Junior Committee Chair for the PGA of Canada and as the head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds.
McLaughlin was a tireless promoter of junior golf and also influenced a young generation of aspiring pros. His three sons followed him into the business. Jim and Ed became golf pros, while Mike worked on the wholesale side of the business.
"I think of him as the consummate club professional," Jim McLaughlin told Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun. "When you heard people talk about him, he was always someone in the business that you wanted to emulate. He'd be happy to be in the Hall of Fame as a builder because I think that's what he felt he was. His biggest contributions were the number of individuals he influenced to play and enjoy the game.
"Absolutely, in terms of emulation I wanted to be like my dad," added Jim, now a senior vice president with Troon Golf in Phoenix. "He had the greatest job in the world and the way he talked about the business and how passionate he was about it, it was hard not to feel that was what you wanted to do as well."
Jack McLaughlin was only 57 when he died of a heart attack on the ninth tee at Desert Falls Country Club in Palm Springs in 1991.
The Jack McLaughlin Induction ceremony to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame is on Monday, Sept 30 at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club. Cocktail reception to begin at 6 p.m., followed by plated dinner. Tickets are $65 and available by clicking here
