Lee Sandlin of Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas has been elected to serve as the President of the Texas Golf Association.
Sandlin succeeds Jonathan Shipley of Champions Golf Club in Houston, beginning his two-year term as President after serving as 1st Vice President for the past two years. He will lead the TGA Executive Committee and Board of Directors in guiding the Association’s professional staff and more than 250 volunteers throughout the state.
“As a native Texan who was fortunate to be introduced to the game at an early age, to serve as President of the Texas Golf Association is an honor and privilege that I consider to be the pinnacle of my life in golf,” Sandlin said. “I couldn’t be more excited to work with this dedicated team and I will try to replicate the tremendous principles that Jon Shipley, Leslie Henry, and the other former presidents have put in motion.”
Sandlin’s volunteer commitment to the TGA began in 2014 when he was named to both the TGA and TGA Foundation Board of Directors. He was elected to the TGA Executive Committee in 2018 and continues to serve on the TGA Foundation Board of Directors where he has held key leadership positions over the past 10 years.
In addition to his roles with the TGA, Sandlin has also been a member of the Trans-Miss Golf Association’s Board of Directors since 2016 and a member of the Executive Committee since 2019, where he currently serves as Secretary. A longtime member of Royal Oaks, Sandlin also dedicated his time to serving on the club’s board from 2008-10.
Sandlin has not only been a constant presence in golf administration circles for the last decade, but also a familiar name atop tournament leaderboards. An accomplished amateur player, Sandlin has won several high-profile senior division titles in recent years, including the 2011 Trans-Miss Four-Ball, 2013 North Regional Senior Amateur, 2015 Carlton Woods Invitational, 2016 West Texas Amateur, 2020 and 2021 Dallas Amateur, along with four Royal Oaks’ club championships. He has also enjoyed success at the national level too, advancing to the Round of 16 at the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur and qualifying for the Round of 64 at the 2015 U.S. Senior Amateur.
Sandlin’s extensive experience both on and off the course will serve the TGA well in the coming years as the organization pursues an ambitious strategy for continued growth.
“The TGA is privileged to have a dedicated leader like Lee Sandlin to serve as the next president,” said Executive Director Stacy Dennis. “He brings to the position many years of service and expertise from a range of perspectives in golf, including as member of the Executive Committee and as an accomplished player. His knowledge, commitment, and passion for the game will continue to make the TGA ever stronger as we move forward.”
Born and raised in Dallas, Sandlin was introduced to the game of golf when he was 7 years old. He grew up playing at Lakewood Country Club and learned the fundamentals from Ross Collins, who was the club’s then-head professional. Collins, a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame Class of 1984, was a dedicated teacher and provided encouragement to Sandlin in those early years and helped set him on a fulfilling lifetime journey in the game. A proud graduate of Texas A&M, Sandlin spent his decades-long business career in the electronic utility supply industry before retiring in 2021.
