The Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame Committee announced recently that three people have been inducted into the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame. They are Rudy Duran, Gwen Hibbs and John Mansell.
The Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame was created in 1996 to recognize those individuals who “had left their mark on golf in Long Beach.”
Rudy Duran–As a golf professional at Heartwell Park Golf Course, Duran began the original Long Beach Junior Golf Program. Many youngsters participated in the program over the years–most notably Tiger Woods.
Duran remains very involved with the SoCal PGA of America as a board member and president of the northern chapter, and he has won many awards including Junior Golf Leader and is a three-time Chapter Golf Professional of the Year.
Duran also participates in many philanthropic and civic activities and has written several books about golf.
Gwen Hibbs–In the 1960s and ’70s Gwen Hibbs was one of the “players to beat” in Southern California women’s golf circles.
The highlight of her career was winning the 1973 USGA Ladies Senior Amateur Championship at the San Marcos Country Club. She was an 11-time club champion at Recreation Park and two-time club champ at El Dorado, and won the SoCal Pub Links Senior Championship seven times.
Hibbs initiated the Long Beach Area Women’s Masters Championship and the Long Beach Tri-Club matches.
John R. Mansell–Mansell was the city manager for the city of Long Beach from 1961 to 1976. During this time there was a tremendous growth in the game of golf and Mansell was instrumental in supporting and overseeing the design, construction and opening of both the El Dorado Park and Skylinks municipal golf courses.
Mansell played golf on a regular basis, giving him a perspective on the city’s golf operations that had a positive impact on its growth, and thousands of today’s golfers benefit from his support of the game.
The induction ceremony for this year’s class will be upon completion of the final round of the Long Beach Open, at El Dorado Park Golf Course, at approximately 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 29.
For information about the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame, call Bob Livingstone at (562) 421-4324 or (562) 225-5547.
