Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inducts Canadian PGA Life Member George Clifton

Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inducts Canadian PGA Life Member George Clifton 

UXBRIDGE, ON (May 6, 2009) - The Golf Association of Ontario announced today that Canadian PGA Life Member George Clifton was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. Clifton was honoured in a ceremony Wednesday, May 6th 2009 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ontario.

The Ontario Golf Hall of Fame was established in the year 2000 to help perpetuate the memory and acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments made by Ontarians to the game of golf. A new class is inducted annually, and Clifton will be the 54th member inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

Born in 1917 in England, George Clifton moved to Canada and began his career in golf at Toronto Golf Club 1927, working as a caddy. He became a golf professional in 1930, and landed his first Head Professional position in at Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club after serving in WWII. Over his career, Clifton served as Head Pro at Maple Downs, Meadowbrook, and Pine Valley, and as a Teaching Pro at Bayview Golf and Country Club, Nottawasaga and Barrie Country Club.

Clifton’s greatest achievement in golf was his ability to teach and inspire his students to improve their game, attracting students from across Canada and internationally. Notably, he pioneered in the use of sequencing photography as a teaching aid, originally using army reconnaissance cameras. Seven of his pupils received scholarships to American schools and two of his female students played on the LPGA Tour.

Throughout his career, Clifton served as Tournament Director for the CPGA and Ontario PGA, and served as Ontario PGA President from 1956 to 1958. He was also honoured with a number of distinctions including the CPGA Honourary Master Professional Award (1974), CPGA Life Member Award (1977), 1991 CPGA Teacher of the Year (co-winner), 1992 Ontario and CPGA Professional of the Year Award, and 1998 CPGA 50 Year Member Award. Clifton passed away in 2000.

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