About Joe Black, PGA

The list of accomplishments in the game of golf is long for Joe Black. Since the age of 10, golf has played a major role in shaping him when he decided he’d rather caddie at his local golf course than help his father, who was a carpenter, build houses. Black was born in Snyder, Texas, and played golf for Lamesa High School. The game then gave him a college education. Black played for Hardin-Simmons University. During his tenure on the team, they won the NAIA golf national championship. 

After college, Black played professionally on the PGA TOUR for some time, but was never able to make much from it. After deciding to no longer pursue a playing career at 23, the PGA TOUR called Black to ask if he’d like to come back on tour as a tournament supervisor who ran the PGA TOUR. During this seven-year stint, Black also became one of the leading figures in the rules of golf. He first began to make a name for himself in the golf industry and with the best players in the world while running the PGA TOUR in the early 1960s

In 1964, however, he decided to make Dallas, Texas, home and became the head golf professional at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas. He served in this role from 1965 to 1985.

Black became a PGA of America Member in September 1965.  The Texas Section of the PGA of America was split in 1968 into the Northern Texas PGA and the Southern Texas PGA Sections. Black, along with several others, was instrumental in the formation of the two Texas Sections. He then served as President of our Section from 1971 to 1972.

Making an impact at the Northern Texas Section and with a robust background from his early career days, Black was elected as treasurer of The PGA of America in 1976 and four years later was elected as the 22nd president of The PGA of America. During this tenure, he, along with the Board of Directors, negotiated terms with the PGA TOUR to continue to use the PGA letters as well as shift the PGA of America to more of a business operation and build an office in West Palm Beach, Florida. During Black’s term and for many years after, he was one of the key figures in discussions and negotiations with the PGA TOUR. His early influence and relationships with the PGA TOUR and its players enabled him to play a vital role in the relationship between the TOUR and PGA of America. 

The annual Texas Joe Black Cup Matches began in 1981 thanks to Black’s peers who hold him in such high esteem as a way to honor him. PGA of America golf professionals from the Northern Texas PGA compete against their counterparts from the Southern Texas PGA in a Ryder Cup-style competition.

In 1985, Mr. Black founded Western Golf Properties with his good friend Verde Dickey. He moved the office to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1986. Black retired in 2001 and has since returned to Texas. He resides just outside of Austin.

Joe Black is a unique leader in the game, having touched all facets and players of the game. He is also a member of the PGA of America Hall of Fame, the Hardin-Simmons University Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. In 2017, Hardin-Simmons University conferred upon Joe the Honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree. Black is also the author of the book A Few Good Golf Stories.

Black would tell you that, “The game is bigger than all of us.” And, “How can you get it any better? If you spend your whole life working and making a living and enjoying yourself and traveling and everything in the game you love to play and love to be around, that’s as good as you can get it. You can’t get it any better than I have had it, I’ll tell ya that.”