Long-time Harrison Lake PGA Professional Tony Clecak will
enter the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame this coming November. Clecak, who has won
numerous Indiana PGA awards, served over 27 years as the PGA Professional at
Harrison Lake Country Club.
In addition to serving his membership, he also gave back to
the Indiana Section PGA, the PGA of America and the game of golf in general.
A 44 year member of the PGA, Clecak served as President of
the Indiana Section PGA in 1983 and 1984. During his tenure as an Indiana
Section PGA Board of Director he also served on the Tournament, Club Relations
and Public Relations Committees.
He is a past recipient of the Indiana PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award,
Teacher of the Year Award, Junior Leader Award and was the 1985 Indiana PGA
Golf Professional of the Year.
Nationally, he was a member of the PGA of America’s Business
School Teaching Staff from 1972 to 1986 and was elected as the 30th
Master Professional of the PGA of America in 1986.
Clecak is also an accomplished player. . He participated in the 1962 US Amateur
Championship advancing to the fourth round of match play, was the runner-up in
Indiana PGA Professional Championship, and the winner of the Indiana PGA Senior
Championship. He also spent two years
playing on the PGA Tour (’72, ’73).
His passion has long been teaching the game of golf. During
his PGA career he has given over 25,000 lessons to students of all ages and
abilities. He instructed the Columbus North high school golf teams from 1974 to
1998 and also provided instruction to the Jennings County and Shelbyville High
School Golf Teams. Many of his high school students went on to play
collegiately.
At over 80 years of age Clecak continues to teach the game
as the Senior Director of Instruction at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin
where he has directed the Get Golf Ready Program from its inception to the
present.
Located in Franklin, Ind. the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame is
where esteemed members of the golf community are chosen for induction based on
their extraordinary contributions to the game as players, teachers,
administrators or promoters.
Clecak’s induction into the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame will
take place on Thursday, November 6, 2014 at Harrison Lake CC. He will be its
95th inductee.