Richard Stackhouse gave to the game of golf throughout his 93 years. He was a golf administrator, a USGA rules official, one of the founders of the Society of Seniors and a fine player who helped start the Evans Scholar Foundation that awarded college scholarships to caddies of modest means.
On March 13, the game gave back to Stackhouse when he was inducted into the
Quail Ridge Country Club Sports Hall of Fame.
Stackhouse worked 18 U.S. Opens on the USGA’s Rules Committee, helping out
with 28 national championships. Despite being dyslexic, Stackhouse learned
the rule book from cover to cover.
“Dick once had to make a ruling at a U.S. Open that denied Arnold Palmer
relief from an obstruction,” said close friend Jim Bounds. “Mr. Palmer was
not too happy about that. He challenged the ruling, but it was upheld by the
committee. Dick learned a different way to learn.”
Stackhouse also knew how to play the game. He was the No. 1 player and
captain of the 1945 Purdue team, played in four U.S. Senior Amateurs and won
14 club championships, including three at Quail Ridge.
Stackhouse was perhaps best known as a highly-respected golf administrator.
He was president of the Indiana Golf Association, Vice-President of the
Western Golf Association and Director of the Southern Golf Association.
Under his direction, the Evans Scholar Houses at Indiana and Purdue were
founded in the mid-1960s.
“You can tell how much Dick loved the game of golf by the way he served it,”
Bounds said. “Dick once played in an exhibition match with Ben Hogan as his
partner. You can imagine which team won. From then on, Dick wore the
Hogan-type cap, whether it was indoors or out.”
Born and raised in Indianapolis, Stackhouse was president of the
Indianapolis 500 Festival in 1960. That year he started the Festival 500
Open that drew Hall of Famers Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Billy Casper to
Indianapolis. Stackhouse used to count laps for the Indianapolis 500 in the
1930s and attended all but one race from 1947 to 2010, when he could no
longer travel.
Stackhouse was a military hero who served in the Army Air Corps, flying 32
missions, including D-Day. He was awarded three Air Medals and the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
Stackhouse was inducted along with longtime Kansas golf coach Ross Randall
and top amateur golfer Tom Rex from Michigan. The trio join an illustrious
group of Hall of Fame inductees at Quail Ridge that includes Masters
champions Sam Snead and Harmon.
Among those at the induction ceremony were golf legend Jack Nicklaus and
wife Barbara, Hall of Fame architects Pete and Alice Dye and three-time PGA
Tour winner Gary Woodland, who played for Randall at Kansas.
“What a house,” said Kevin Hammer, chairman of Quail Ridge’s Hall of Fame
committee, referring to all the dignitaries in attendance.
And what a deserved honor for Stackhouse.
About Quail Ridge Country Club
Quail Ridge Country Club is a private, gated community located in the heart
of Palm Beach County. Sitting on over 600 acres of beautifully-landscaped
grounds, the community exudes the Championship Lifestyle. In addition to the
brand-new Clubhouse, Quail Ridge is home to 946 residences, two championship
golf courses, 16 Har-Tru© Tennis Courts, a Spa & Fitness center, community
pools, miles of walking trails, an endless calendar of engaging social and
cultural activities, world-class dining and sporting events. For more
information about Quail Ridge Country Club call (561) 737-5100 or visit
www.quailridgecc.com.
