Pro Duffers Golf Club, USA

During the late 1960's a group of golfing friends in Washington, D.C. formed a club and selected the name PRO DUFFERS. It was largely a fun group and the membership played two or three times a week as time could be made available.

Through professional organizations, principally the national dental and medical associations, awareness of the organization spread to friends in other sections of the country. Frequently informal discussions were held regarding the practicality of these long distance friendships being strengthened through closer affiliation.

In 1983, a Washington Pro Duffer had relocated in retirement to the west coast, and was frequently visited by his Washington club members. At that time, the California group was about to take its first steps toward formal organization in May 1983. Their familiarity with the Washington group whom they had met and enjoyed, led them to choose to name their club PRO DUFFERS WEST. The membership was principally centered in Oxnard, California which is located about fifty miles northwest of Los Angeles and on the Pacific Ocean.

Almost simultaneously, Foster Kidd was spearheading the formation of a club in the Dallas, Texas area. His friendship with colleagues in the Washington Club, led to an agreement that the Dallas group be named PRO DUFFERS SOUTHWEST. It’s interest to note that Foster Kidd negotiated the name usage with Washington leadership. In the case of California, the name was proposed for the group by Thad Mumford while playing with Cal Banks at Rancho Park in Los Angeles.

In 1984, friendship proved itself again when Memphis, Tennessee organized itself as PRO DUFFERS SOUTH.

In 1988 it was decided to hold the first national meeting of the clubs in Las Vegas, Nevada where the members were meeting each other for the first time and developing friendships beyond the basic corp of those who knew each other previously. It was outstandingly successful and these new found friends set about the task of developing a more sharply focused organization. In these subsequent years, PRO DUFFERS USA has continued strengthening itself through annual conventions each year their after.

The fifth club to join the group is situated in Little Rock , Arkansas. It was charted in an impressive ceremony at the palatial home of Richard & Jennifer Mays on August 15, 1992 as PRO DUFFERS GOLF CLUB, SOUTHWEST CHAPTER LITTLE ROCK. The first "official chapter" was confirmed by Pro Duffers USA and was presented to the Little Rock Club by USA President Foster Kidd. Foster was accompanied by officers and members of the Dallas and Memphis clubs. David Walters was the organizer of this group and was elected its first President. The club membership has grown steadily since its inception and they have been represented at the annual meeting each year.

Through the years PRO DUFFERS has established new relationships with more friends in Atlanta, Georgia. They were installed on January 19, 1996 at the Hidden Hills Golf & Country Club in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Johnny Thomas was elected its first President. Atlanta was inducted by members of the Washington, Memphis and Dallas clubs.

In June of 1999 Del Val was installed by the Washington and Atlanta clubs. Del Val chapter are golfers from clubs in the Delaware Valley. Also in June of 1999, the Chicago chapter was installed by the Memphis group. In 2003 the Houston became the second Pro Duffer Chapter in Texas.

Our only casualty has been the California group who did not have enough members to form a charter. However we do have several At-Large members who reside there. In addition we have At-Large members in Oklahoma city, Oklahoma: Oakland, California: and Sarasota, Florida.