Jonathan Shipley first started playing golf around the age of 10 but took a hiatus from the game in high school to focus on football. He now wishes he hadn’t taken a break.
“It’s a shame,” he said. “Looking back, I wish I had kept playing golf.”
Around the time Shipley graduated from Texas A&M University in 1982, he began to play golf again. Since then, he has made up for lost time by giving back to the game tenfold.
Even though Shipley has been serving as a TGA Director and a Rules Official volunteer for more than a decade now, his point of view of the game is different.
“I see myself as a player. That’s what I came from. That’s the side of golf I came through to the TGA,” he said.
Shipley first started playing in TGA events in the early 1990s. He played in state championships, such as the Texas Amateur and Texas Four-Ball, while also playing in USGA national championships and qualifiers.
He became even more involved with the TGA in the early 2000s and eventually was asked to serve on the Board of Directors in 2009. Since that time, Shipley has served in various positions on the Executive Committee and learned more about the TGA and its daily operations.
“Even to be asked to be a Director is humbling,” Shipley said. “It makes me want to polish my game and give back more to the game and get more involved in every aspect, be it as a volunteer, a Rules Official, or continuing to play as a mid-am or a senior.”
Shipley, who resides in Houston and is a member at Champions Golf Club, works in the oil and gas industry and travels frequently for his job. He has spent time in many different countries during his career and has competed in championships across the globe. According to Shipley, none have compared to the Texas Golf Association, though.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play in a lot of different allied state and global golf association events,” Shipley said. “There’s no other organization that compares to the Texas Golf Association. The way we run tournaments and the way we approach the love of the game and advance it – it’s just amazing.”
In January, Shipley succeeded Leslie Henry as TGA President and will serve as Chair of the Board of Directors for a two-year term through 2023.
In giving years of his time to the TGA and now serving as President, Shipley notes that the fellowship and friends through this game are continued motivators for him.
“I’m looking forward to the comradery of the TGA staff and the volunteers,” Shipley said. “It’s very special, so I look to continue to grow on that and build those relationships with our member clubs and many members.”
Shipley will officially serve as the TGA’s next President and comes in at an incredible time for the game of golf. It is being played by more people than ever before. Golf is alive and well in Texas with the relocation of the PGA of America headquarters to Frisco as well as stops across the state for the PGA, LPGA, and Korn Ferry Tours.
“The TGA is very fortunate to have someone like Jonathan Shipley serving as the next President,” Executive Director Stacy Dennis said. “He has years of experience with the TGA both as a player and leader. His genuine passion for the game and commitment to making the TGA stronger and more impactful will help continue to push our association to even greater heights.”