Each year Senior Golfers of America inducts an SGA member into its Hall of Fame.  The first member was SGA founder Bob Swanson, who was surprised at The Cloister in 1995 by Director Cynthia Powell, his daughter.  For some time setting up a Hall of Fame had been discussed, and finally, Cynthia decided to take action and tap her dad as the first inductee.

Hall of Fame members are nominated and voted on by those currently in the Hall of Fame.  Members must be serious about upholding the traditions of golf, and must be friendly and welcoming to new and to longtime SGA tournament participants.  They must speak highly of the organization and of fellow SGA members at all times.

Congratulations to SGA’s 2019 Hall of Fame inductee Walt Schroeder! Walt was welcomed into the Hall of Fame at the SGA Red Rocks Classic in Sedona, Arizona, in November of this year by SGA Directors Cynthia Swanson and  Catherine Powell.

Walt is a retired executive with Shell Oil Company from Kingwood, Texas, and has been an SGA member since 1995. He and his wife Janet have been very active in SGA events, participating in more than forty tournaments and bringing in many new members.  Walt is a very competitive golfer, having won SGA Low Gross Championships many times in both the Senior and Super-Senior divisions.

 “This is a wonderful award to receive,” said Walt. “Janet and I have completely enjoyed our membership in Senior Golfers, and our trips with the organization all have been great.  This year we especially enjoyed the event at Newstead Belmont Hills in Bermuda, and just last month we were introduced to a new, absolutely beautiful golf resort, Nemacolin Woodlands in Farmington, Pennsylvania.

“But of all the great places we have visited, one of the most memorable to me was the SGA event in Dublin, Ireland. On the day we played Royal Dublin, I became engaged after golf in a lively conversation in the pub there with one of the older club members. We talked about golf, Ireland, and all manner of things, and when he left, I walked out with him to his personalized parking space in front of the club.  To my astonishment, I realized that all afternoon, I had been drinking Irish beer and socializing with multiple-time Ryder Cup and World Cup player “Wristy Christy,” Christy O’Connor!

“I knew Bob Swanson well and am very proud to be a member of the SGA Hall of Fame, of which he was the first to be inducted. I also played many times with Bump Jones, 1996 inductee, and have enjoyed getting to know 2018 Hall of Fame member Jeff Leech this year. I have been an SGA member for 25 years, am looking forward to many more years with this excellent organization.”

Walt was presented with a vintage crystal bowl created by Orrefors Glassworks in Sweden, the company that has provided many SGA trophies over the years, and which is a tribute to SGA founder Bob Swanson’s parents, who were immigrants to the United States from Gavle, Sweden. Congratulations to Walt Schroeder, 2019 SGA Hall of Fame member!