History of Tommy Galloway Memorial

Tommy Galloway was born in Glasgow, Scotland on May 26, 1898. He was a fine golfer in his own country and won the Junior Amateur Championship of Glasgow. Tommy immigrated to the US in the mid 1920’s to seek a career as a golf professional. He landed a position as a caddie master and later assistant pro at Suburban golf Club and then Echo Lake Club, both in New Jersey. In 1927 he wrote back to Scotland to ask his childhood sweetheart to come to the states and marry him. That same year Galloway and Miss Letitia McClelland were married in Echo Lake, New Jersey.

 

Tommy joined Hermitage Country Club in 1928, and was the head golf professional for over 25 years.  Galloway was often quoted as saying “The greatest day in my life was when I came to Hermitage”.

 

While Galloway was able to work with and encourage many fine amateurs, his time was not restricted to the competitive golfer. The opposite was true.  Galloway encouraged both juniors and women to learn the game.  As a youth in Scotland, Tommy played golf Friday evenings and summer weekends with his father. His memories of those times were special and impressive.  Galloway thought all fathers should play golf with their sons.  So to encourage the further involvement of fathers and sons in golf, Galloway started a Father-Son tournament in 1937.  When Galloway died, the event was renamed the Tommy Galloway Father Son Tournament.

 

At a time when few women were encouraged to take up the game, Galloway spent considerable time cultivating interest among the Clubs lady members.  His efforts in developing and enhancing golf experiences for women at Hermitage and in Richmond were greatly appreciated by those whom he touched. Upon his death, the RWGA renamed their mixed “Scotch” foursomes tournament after Galloway.  Like the father-son event. the RWGA Tommy Galloway Mixed Couples Tournament continues to be played each year.

 

The effects of the WWI mustard gas exposure haunted Galloway throughout his life.  He was hospitalized in 1940 because the long term effect had left him almost blind.  Tommy would recover, but never completely.  In 1953, on the occasion of his 25th anniversary with Hermitage, the club presented Tommy and his wife with a gift of a trip back to Scotland.  Since leaving Scotland as a young man to seek his future in american golf, Galloway had never returned home.  On the boat trip across the Atlantic, Galloway took ill.  A few days later, in his old hometown of Glasgow, Galloway passed away.  He was 56.

 

In 1955 a memorial service was held at Hermitage Country Club. During the service, Tommy’s daughter Sheila unveiled the bronze bust of her father and Hermitage’s beloved professional, Tommy Galloway.  The bust stands near the patio of the clubhouse, overlooking the first tee.