Judy Bell, the first female president of the USGA and a two-time Curtis Cup player who embodied the game’s generosity of spirit, died last Monday at the age of 89 in her home in Colorado.
Bell had been struggling with health issues for the past 30 years, including a heart bypass in 1993 and a long battle with stomach cancer that began in 2001. More recently, she was stricken with high blood pressure and arthritis. Yet her tenacity and spirit – the qualities that made her a towering figure in golf – enabled her to continue to lead a vigorous life.
Bell had entered hospice in August 2024, but managed to fight for an additional 15 months. She enjoyed her 89th birthday in September. She remained in hospice care at home until her passing.
“Judy Bell was more than a leader, she was a force of nature whose vision and compassion shaped the very soul of the game,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “As one of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf’s biggest supporters, Judy helped open doors for countless young girls to find their place, their confidence and their joy in golf. She broke barriers not for the sake of recognition, but to make the game better and more welcoming for everyone. All of us at the USGA mourn her passing and celebrate the extraordinary life of a woman whose impact will continue to be felt for generations.”
Bell was among the first women to receive an honorary membership from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in 2015 and received the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award, in 2016. She will be remembered as the first woman to lead the USGA, but she was more than that. A vibrant figure with a larger-than-life personality, she successfully rallied people to issues that advanced the game. An accomplished amateur golfer, diplomat and successful entrepreneur who ran businesses in Colorado, Virginia and Pennsylvania, Bell was in every hall of fame worth mentioning – including the World Golf Hall of Fame – but it was her devotion as a golf volunteer that set her apart.
Her career was marked by her long association with the USGA. For 31 years in a variety of committee roles, her knowledge and infectious spirit inspired volunteers and staff. Her introduction was a stint on the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship Committee in 1961. In 1968 she began 17 years on the USGA Women’s Committee, serving as chairman from 1981-84. She was named captain of the 1986 and 1988 U.S. Curtis Cup teams, both of which lost to Great Britain & Ireland. While she had many close and longtime friends in the U.K., those Curtis Cup losses galled her.
In 1987, Bell became the first woman named to the USGA’s Executive Committee. It was not an idle choice; she was tenacious and worked long into the night reviewing issues before the committee. After advancing through various chairs, in 1996 she was elected USGA president to great acclaim. For an association that had been dominated by males throughout its then 102-year history, it was a stunning but logical choice.
Bell was tireless. She was constantly on the go – from the USGA’s headquarters in New Jersey to championship sites in the U.S. and team matches abroad, as well as hundreds of speaking engagements.
Of the qualities that helped her attain such heights, her love of people and appreciation for what they did was foremost. As USGA president she spent time with presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, but she would also spend hours listening to the concerns of her restaurant’s cooking staff. When speaking at trophy presentations at USGA championships, she never failed to give lengthy praise to the course maintenance crew.
Since 1999 she had been consulting director of the USGA Foundation Fellowship and Grants Programs, working with recent college graduates who won USGA Fellowships, a role which delighted and inspired her. “In the bright lexicon of youth,” she was fond of saying, “there is no such word as fail.”
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