Sir Michael Bonallack, Britain’s most successful amateur golfer of the post-war era, and one of golf’s most pre-eminent administrators, passed away on September 26 in St Andrews, Scotland at the age of 88.
Born in Chigwell, Essex, in 1934, Bonallack first showed an aptitude for golf on a family holiday to Devon when, at the age of 10, his parents spotted his skill while playing around on the beach. He was given membership at Chigwell Golf Club and began to receive coaching from the club pro. A few years later, while still a junior, he joined Thorpe Hall Golf Club and shortly after won his first significant amateur title – the 1952 British Boys. He won the Essex County Championship in 1954, aged 20, and went on to win the title 10 more times, the last in 1972.
The winner of countless elite level amateur tournaments and championships throughout his golfing career, Bonallack’s CV included five British Amateur titles between 1951-70 and five English Amateur titles. He was also a four-time English stroke-play champion.
He played in 11 Open Championships, winning the Silver Medal as the leading amateur in 1968 and 1971, and finishing a career high 11th in 1959. He also played in the US Masters three times (’66, ’69 and ’70), missing the cut on each occasion.
He represented GB&I in six World Amateur Team Championships, the last three outings as captain, and he tied for the Individual title with American Vinny Giles in 1968. He was a member of the Walker Cup team in nine consecutive years from 1957 and captained the team to success in the event at St Andrews in 1971. In total, he played in 131 matches in England internationals, winning 79 of them.
His services to golf continued after his playing heyday and he was chairman of the European Tour from 1976-82 and held the same role at the Golf Foundation between 1977-82. He was also president of the English Golf Union in 1982 and was appointed Secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in 1983, a role he held until 1999.
As Secretary for 15 years, Bonallack helped to successfully guide the sport into the 21st Century. “It’s one continual satisfaction to see the way in which golf is developing,” he said. “Obviously, the expansion of The Open and the fact that we can generate money to put back into the development of the game is very satisfying.”
He was also Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews from 1999–2000 and, in 2013, received Honorary Membership.
“I’m extremely proud,” he said. “I feel privileged to have been so closely involved with the club for so much of my life and both it and the town of St Andrews are incredibly dear to me. It has been an honour to serve the Club.”
He also served as President of the Golf Club Managers’ Association (1974–84), Chairman of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland (1976–81), and President of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association – BIGGA – (1999-2016).
BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “Sir Michael was a great friend to the Association and I am incredibly thankful that he gave so much of his time to serve as an association official for so long.
“He was hugely supportive of the role greenkeepers play in the health of the sport and had an appreciation for BIGGA’s ambition to promote greenkeeping around the world. He was also one of life’s great guys, a lovely man who was passionate about the game, and so it was poignant that on the day we concluded our annual championship at Saunton Golf Club, so close to where he first played the game, that we lost one of the sport’s greatest-ever personalities.
“He will be sorely missed and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.”
Former BIGGA Chairperson Les Howkins MG met Sir Michael on multiple occasions. He said: “It’s not every day you can say you meet a true golfing legend, I was fortunate enough to meet with Sir Michael several times during my time on the BIGGA board of management and he really was a true golfing legend.
“Every meeting was special and he always put people at ease with his calm and gentle manner. He was always happy to share his stories from his golfing past and pass on his knowledge and wisdom. Sir Michael had an amazing career in golf but I will remember him most fondly for all the work he did to support the greenkeeping industry and especially his work with BIGGA. We will be for ever in his debt, Rest in Peace Sir Michael”
Sir Michael received the USGA’s Bob Jones Award for sportsmanship in 1972 and the Donald Ross Award in 1991 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000. He was awarded an OBE for his services to golf in 1971 and then made a knight in 1998.
Lawrie Thornton, former CEO of The PGAs of Europe and now retired, told GBN, “Sir Michael Bonallack was the President of The PGAs of Europe (2003/4) following on from John Jacobs and Jimmy Patino. He and his wife Angela came to many of the events that we ran in Turkey, Spain and Sardinia of which I have some very fond memories.
“During his term, and afterwards, he was a great supporter of what we were doing and played in many of the event pro-ams. Just a couple of special memories.
“My 60th birthday in 2003 coincided with a big event on the Costa del Sol when there were 300+ players, press and guests at the presentation dinner. There was a ‘Moulin Rouge’ cabaret with topless dancers and later, when he made the presentations, Sir Michael suggested that The PGAsE should in future arrange the closing ceremony of The Open Championship!
“At another presentation dinner/cabaret in Turkey, the Turkish Eurovision Song contest winner Sertab Erener performed and then invited Sir Michael onto the stage. He finished up singing an Elvis Presley number….and doing a pretty good impression.
“The next day he quietly confided – if anything about last night is reported, anywhere, I would be a dead man…. A very special gentleman. RIP Sir Michael.”
Bonallack married legendary amateur golfer Angela Ward in 1958 and they were married for 64 years until her death in July last year. They are survived by their children, Glenna, Jane, Sara and Robert; their ten grandchildren; and their seven great grandchildren, who all play golf.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, said, “We are deeply saddened to hear of Sir Michael’s passing. He made a huge contribution to golf not only as one of the finest amateur golfers in the history of the sport but also as an extremely effective leader and administrator. Sir Michael was the outstanding amateur golfer of his era and his achievements in The Amateur Championship and the Walker Cup will truly stand the test of time. He led The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at a time of change and did so with great courage, enterprise and foresight.
“In recent years he continued to serve the sport through his work on Committees and I personally am extremely grateful for his gracious guidance and support. He will be a huge loss to all of us in golf but particularly here in St Andrews. On behalf of all at The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and The R&A I would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to the Bonallack family.”
Peter Dawson, who succeeded Sir Michael as Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, said, “Golf has lost one of its very finest. Respected all around the world, Michael was a wonderful player, administrator and ambassador for our sport and he will be sorely missed by so many. His contribution to the game he loved was simply unparalleled.
“Speaking personally, I will be forever grateful for his help and advice over so many years and my world seems a much lesser place without him. My thoughts are with Michael’s entire family who have given him such great support since he lost Angela last year.”
PGA chief executive Robert Maxfield added to the many tributes that have poured in from the golf industry, saying: “The world of golf has lost a unique talent. Sir Michael combined excellence on the course with a peerless ability off it to shape the game’s future. He was a loyal and steadfast supporter of the PGA, and we are indebted to him for his wisdom and guidance.”