Shelley Mayfield
Encyclopedia
Shelley Mayfield was an American
golf course architect and professional golfer
who played on the PGA Tour
in the 1950s.
Mayfield was born in Liberty, Texas
in the greater Houston area
and grew up in Seguin
near San Antonio
. He was a star athlete in several sports at Seguin High School including golf
, which he began playing at age 14. His team won several state championships under coach W.A. "Lefty" Stackhouse. Mayfield became a golf professional at the age of 24. Like most professional golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club pro. His first job was as an assistant for Claude Harmon
at Winged Foot Golf Club
in Mamaroneck, New York
, a position he held for two years. The two later worked together at Seminole Golf Club in Florida for one year. He served as the head professional at Rockaway Hunting Club in Cedarhurst, New York
from 1950–1952. In 1955, Mayfield went to work at the exclusive Meadowbrook Golf and Polo Club on Long Island
, where he stayed until 1963. He then became the head club pro at Brook Hollow Country Club in Dallas
until 1982 when he retired.
Mayfield won three PGA Tour events during his career. His best finishes in major championships
(stroke play tournaments) were T6 at the 1954 U.S.Open
and T8 at the 1956 Masters. Courses that Mayfield helped design included the back-nine at Starcke Park in Texas, Doral Country Club in Florida and California's Bay Hill Golf Club and La Costa Country Club.
Mayfield lived in Carrizo Springs, Texas
. He died in San Antonio, Texas
at the age of 85.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
golf course architect and professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who played on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
in the 1950s.
Mayfield was born in Liberty, Texas
Liberty, Texas
Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Liberty County, Texas, United States and a part of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 8,033 at the 2000 census....
in the greater Houston area
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
and grew up in Seguin
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...
near San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He was a star athlete in several sports at Seguin High School including golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, which he began playing at age 14. His team won several state championships under coach W.A. "Lefty" Stackhouse. Mayfield became a golf professional at the age of 24. Like most professional golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club pro. His first job was as an assistant for Claude Harmon
Claude Harmon
Eugene Claude Harmon, Sr. was an American golfer.Harmon was born in Savannah, Georgia, and spent much of his boyhood in the Orlando area. A youthful prodigy, Harmon qualified for the U.S. Amateur at age 15 in 1931...
at Winged Foot Golf Club
Winged Foot Golf Club
Winged Foot Golf Club is a 36-hole golf course located in Mamaroneck, New York. The course architect is A. W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltusrol , Bethpage Black, Shackamaxon Country Club, San Francisco Golf Club, Cedar Crest Park, and nearby Quaker Ridge Golf Club and Wykagyl Country Club...
in Mamaroneck, New York
Mamaroneck (town), New York
Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...
, a position he held for two years. The two later worked together at Seminole Golf Club in Florida for one year. He served as the head professional at Rockaway Hunting Club in Cedarhurst, New York
Cedarhurst, New York
Cedarhurst is a village in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, New York, in the USA. The population was 6,592 at the 2010 United States Census. The village is named after a grove of trees that once stood at the post office....
from 1950–1952. In 1955, Mayfield went to work at the exclusive Meadowbrook Golf and Polo Club on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, where he stayed until 1963. He then became the head club pro at Brook Hollow Country Club in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
until 1982 when he retired.
Mayfield won three PGA Tour events during his career. His best finishes in major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
(stroke play tournaments) were T6 at the 1954 U.S.Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
and T8 at the 1956 Masters. Courses that Mayfield helped design included the back-nine at Starcke Park in Texas, Doral Country Club in Florida and California's Bay Hill Golf Club and La Costa Country Club.
Mayfield lived in Carrizo Springs, Texas
Carrizo Springs, Texas
Carrizo Springs is a city in and the county seat of Dimmit County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,655 at the 2000 census.The name of the town comes from the local springs, which were named by the Spanish for the cane grass that once grew around them. It is the oldest town in Dimmit...
. He died in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
at the age of 85.
PGA Tour (3)
- 1953 St. Paul Open
- 1955 Thunderbird InvitationalThunderbird InvitationalThe Thunderbird Invitational was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1954 to 1959 and was the direct predecessor of today's Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. It was played in Palm Springs, California.-Winners:*1959 Arnold Palmer*1958 Ken Venturi...
- 1956 Baton Rouge Open