Gardner-Webb Graduate Earns Prestigious Honor
September 11, 2008 | Men's Golf
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Carolinas PGA Section is proud to announce Terry Florence as its 39th Inductee into the Carolinas PGA [CPGA] Hall of Fame. Since the CPGA established its Hall of Fame in 1981, only 38 other professionals have been honored in this way. First nominated by his peers and then chosen by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, Florence will be recognized for his abilities, leadership and overall contributions to the Section, The PGA of America and most importantly, the game of golf.
"Terry Florence has been throughout his career the epitome of what a PGA Member should represent and strive to achieve," said Carolinas PGA President Kelly Childs. "As a great player, leader, operator, and mentor, he has demonstrated what it is to be the gold standard of PGA Professionalism. I could not be happier or more proud to see Terry take his well deserved place among the greatest of all the Carolinas PGA Professionals in our Hall of Fame."
Elected to membership in The PGA of America in 1978, Florence has been a consummate professional throughout his thirty year career in the Carolinas, displaying the traits that are so inherent to the game of golf itself – honesty, integrity, and character. He quickly became an active and integral member of the Carolinas PGA, serving on his first CPGA committee in 1980 and soon after being elected to the position of Vice President of the South Carolina Chapter in 1981. From 1980 – 1992, he served on 12 other committees both for the Chapter and the Section, served on the CPGA Board of Directors, and was also an instructor at National PGA workshops and USGA Rules Seminars. From 1980 – 2002 he also served as a Tournament Committee Director for over 100 charity events which included the United Way, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association. He has also served on various community organizations throughout the Charleston area.
Even with all the time and effort he has put into various committees, community activities, offices, and education, Florence's legacy will perhaps always be defined by his playing ability. His playing career in his early days saw him become an All-America at Gardner-Webb University in 1971, win the CPGA Assistants Championship in 1975 and win the South Carolina Open twice in 1976 and 1978. In the past 40 years,Terry has won well over 20 championships, qualified for the Professional National Championship 16 times and has participated in seven major championships including four PGA Championships, one U.S. Senior Open and two Senior PGA Championships.
The awards Florence has received throughout his tenure have also continually exemplified exactly how successful he has been when it comes to golf as a business and as a way of life. He has single-handedly set the precedent in the Carolinas when it comes to golf merchandising having been recognized as the CPGA Resort Merchandiser of the Year four times (1987, 1988, 1992 and 1995). For his abilities and accomplishments within the Section and his contributions to the game of golf in the Carolinas, he received the most prestigious CPGA Special Award when he was honored in 1992 as the Carolinas PGA Golf Professional of the Year. In 2005, he was inducted into the South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame and this year, the Carolinas PGA Section has the pleasure of honoring this very deserving and inspiring PGA professional as its 39th Hall of Fame inductee.
The first thing Florence will tell you is that he is not alone when it comes to achieving this honor. Without his peers, his family and his friends, he would not be where he is today. "I'm not sure I'm deserving of it. It's very humbling but at the same time I'm very proud in part because I'm proud of all of my peers and the work that they do. [Golf] is an incredible profession- it takes a lot of dedication and hard work. For me, this runs the whole gamut of the emotional curve. I've tried to serve, tried to lead, tried to encourage my assistants to get involved and stay involved and I just feel very blessed to have been able to make a career and a living out of the game of golf."
