Photos and story by: Shane René, Administrator of Media and Communications
As the sun fell toward the horizon on Oct. 11, a unique group of Idaho golf enthusiasts and their families stepped off elevators and filed into Stueckle Sky Center – a space perched high above Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium – for the inaugural induction of the Idaho Golf Hall of Fame.
The sense of history in the air was fit for the golden hour pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The night had arrived after three years of work from the Idaho Golf Association’s board of directors, staff and PGA Rocky Mountain Section representatives. For far too long, golf in Idaho had gone on without formal recognition of those who have pushed the game forward for decades.
Of the seven members of the inaugural class – Wayne Berry, Karen Darrington, Shirley Englehorn, Arnold Haneke, Joe Malay, Scott Masingill, and Jean Smith – the latter three were in attendance Friday night. Siblings and children represented the other four inductees. The only living member of the class who did not make the trip to Stueckle Sky Center was Darrington, who is currently serving a mission on the South Pacific Island of Tonga.
“I’m overwhelmed by this moment,” Jean Smith said as she arrived on Friday night, carrying a framed photo of her sister who had passed away earlier this year.
Scott Masingill was second to arrive, accompanied by his wife, Laurie, and a small collection of family and friends. Masingill expressed a similar reaction to Smith, still struggling to process the honor of being part of this inaugural class as he strolled by shrines to each of the candidates.
Last to arrive, but always easiest to spot, was Joe Malay – but much of the crowd had never seen Malay dressed in so few colors. His brilliant white suit was accented by a bright red cummerbund and a red-stitched Idaho Golf Hall of Fame logo on his jacket. Somehow his outfit was both unusually subdued and quintessentially loud.
After some mingling, IGA Executive Director Caleb Cox gathered the crowd for a few private opening remarks, and a champagne toast lead by Board of Directors President Kris Fenwick, before more guests arrived for dinner and the induction ceremony.
With dinner on the tables, former KTVB anchor and local golf enthusiast Mark Johnson took the mic and got the evening started.
“Welcome everybody to, seriously, what is a historic occasion,” Johnson said. “After more than a century of remarkable golf here in Idaho, we are honoring several legends whose contributions have shaped the very fabric of the sport that we know and love in our great state. It’s incredible to think how far this game has come since the turn of the century, and the first golf courses in the treasure valley, and the swings that were taken on those four and six hole golf courses and where it’s come now… These seven people — legends — are pioneers, trailblazers and champions in every sense. Their stories, as you’re about to hear tonight, span decades — embodying the essence of perseverance, integrity, and sportsmanship. All of those traits that define golf in Idaho. The Hall of Fame is not just a testament to their individual accomplishments, but it’s a celebration. And tonight we are going to enshrine these seven Idaho golf legends into Idaho golf history now and forever.”
Each candidate accepted awards to the following videos.