Harry Welch

1993

Amateur Golfer

While football was his main game in college—as a lineman under the legendary Wallace Wade at Duke University—it was in golf that Welch made his mark.  He not only was a fine player, but he also proved to be a great leader.

Welch teamed up with fellow Hall of Famer Dale Morey to win the Carolinas Senior Four-Ball Championship on eight occasions, including the first four times the championship was played, from 1969 to 1974.  He and Jack Crist won the Carolinas Four-Ball title in 1963 and he and son Charles captured the Carolinas Father-Son Championship in 1977.

His most satisfying golfing achievement, perhaps, was in the 1966 Carolinas Amateur Championship at Linville Golf Club, where he had a monumental struggle on the way to the title.  In the quarterfinals, he needed 21 holes to prevail over Dillard Traynham and in the semi-finals, he went to the 20th hole before toppling the legendary Billy Joe Patton.  In the championship match, he disposed of Joe Inman Jr., then a member of the Wake Forest University golf team, 5 and 4.

Additionally, Welch was medalist in the Carolinas Amateur in 1951 and ‘52 and reached the championship match in 1951, where he was defeated 2 & 1 by P.J. Boatwright Jr.

Welch, who served on the CGA’s Board of Directors for more than 40 years, was the organization’s President from 1959 to 1960.

Harry Welch was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.

Welch (L) pictured with PJ Boatwright.