Indiana Golf Celebrates 50th Anniversary Golf in Indiana is unique and that has served Indiana golfers very well for 50 years now. “Whether I’m at a PGA meeting or a meeting of Allied Golf Association leaders (AGA), we are always the odd ones out,” said Mike David, who has served as the Executive Director of Indiana Golf for 32 years. “I’m kind of surprised that more areas have not followed our lead. I think the model has benefited Indiana Golf greatly.” Indiana is one of a very small number of locations that have a “joint” working relationship between both the amateur golf association, Indiana Golf Association (IGA) and the PGA Section. And this year, that “It made no sense to have two separate sources of handicaps,” said Boyd Hovde, past Indiana Golf Association President and one of the leaders of the push to unite the IGA and the PGA. “By consolidating, it produces more revenue for both organizations.” “It made sense from a promotion standpoint to have one organization in charge of all events,” said the late Mickey Powell, who was a Past President of the PGA of America and one of the founders of the IGA-PGA. “It created more competitive tournaments, more relationship turns 50. Only two other areas of the country share the same type of relationship, Sun Country (New Mexico) and Kentucky. Neither of which have been around for as long as the IGA-PGA. The idea to create a cohesive working organization between the Indiana Golf Association and the Indiana PGA was a joint decision by the officers of both organizations in 1972. Prior to joining forces, the Indiana Golf Association and the Indiana Section PGA were operating on two different handicap systems. The Association used the system recognized by the USGA and the PGA was using the Schaffer & McCorkle system. One of the main reasons that combining organizations made sense, was to consolidate handicapping – and therefore consolidate revenue. Indiana Golf Journal
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