Golf House Tennessee is the name given to an ante-bellum house in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee that serves as home of the non-profit "Tennessee Golf Foundation". It houses the offices all of the state's golf associations.[1]: 25 The historic house is the focal point of a 15 acres (6.1 ha) sprawling complex that administers amateur golf, professional golf, women's golf, junior golf, turfgrass research, and the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame, among others.[2]
In the late 1980s, Tennessee's amateur golf organization and its professional golf organization were competitors, and their relations were often antagonistic.[1]: 23 A particular bone of contention was over which group would secure the potential profits in computerized golf handicapping services.[1]: 25 After years of squabbles and frosty relations, an executive, Dick Horton, who had worked for each of these two organizations, with intimate knowledge of both, was able to convince them of advantages of merging operations.[1]: 24 The concept, begun about in 1990, required extraordinary fundraising efforts because neither of the merging entities had much money. Philanthropic aid from Jack Lupton and Vince Gill was vital. The project's success in Nashville drew national attention, and served as a model that was later adopted by several U.S. States.[3] The amateurs consisited of the TGA (Tennessee Golf Association); the professionals consisted of the PGA Tennessee (branch of the Professional Golf Association).[4] The combination became the "Tennessee Golf Foundation", which began operations in the Golf House Tennessee facility in 1995.[3] In 2000, the TGA(men) and WTGA (Women's Tennessee Golf Association) merged, making one governing body at Golf House Tennessee for all amateur golf in the state.[5]
The Golf House Tennessee complex includes:
Chattanooga philanthropist and Coca-Cola heir Jack Lupton pledged $5 million to the project, provided that the foundation would raise money from other sources that would create an endowment fund.[1]: 139 Thus, the Tennessee Golf Foundation, a non-profit, was incorporated in 1990 with Dick Horton as president.
Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill played a vital role in the success of Golf House Tennessee.[1]: 128 Gill, a scratch golfer, became very interested in raising funds for the foundation.[7] He began hosting an annual golf tournament in 1993 known as "The Vinny" (The Vinny Pro-Celebrity Golf Invitational), whose primary beneficiary is the Tennessee Golf Foundation.[7] As of 2018, tournament had raised over $8 million[3] for Junior Golf to pay for staffing of the golf academy and for "The First Tee" projects and the Vince Gill Junior Tour.[1][8] Gill received the PGA Distinguished Service Award in 2003, the PGA's highest honor.[7]
Dick Horton § Golf House Tennessee
