Dottie Pepper and Polly Turnesa
Willie Turnesa, the WGA Caddie Scholarship Fund’s co-founder, was one of four members of the Class of 2018 inducted in to the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame on Friday, November 2, 2018 at the Brookhaven Golf Course in Porter Corners, NY. Joining Willie were Walter Hagen of Rochester, Dottie Pepper of Saratoga Springs, and Gene Sarazen of Harrison.
To accept the award on his behalf was Willie’s daughter Polly and her husband Reed Sparling.
As told by those in attendance, the couple shared their favorite memories of Willie, including special stories of his character seldom told.
““We know Willie would have been so honored to enter the hall of fame. If he could have been here, we know he would have been even more thrilled to shake your hand and share his stories with people, who, like him, receive such joy from the game,” said Reed in closing to the audience.”” (via NYSGA)
Among Willie’s long list of Amateur accomplishments and contributions to the game of golf was, undoubtedly, the legacy he left when co-founding the WGA Caddie Scholarship Fund with Udo Reinach in 1956. To date, the Fund has awarded in excess of $21 million to more than 2,600 deserving youth caddies and young men and women who work in service to golf at Westchester area clubs.