Three new members were added to the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame at the El Dorado Park Golf Course with a Sunday, Aug. 7 induction ceremony.
Torey Edwards, Jim Gonzales and Travis Johnson were all inducted during the closing ceremony of the Long Beach Open Tournament.
The men were honored for their contributions to the city and for promoting the sport of golf in the first induction ceremony since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s exciting to continue this 20-plus-year tradition and recognize those who’ve made an impact in our golfing community,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a press release before the event. “Congratulations to Torey, Jim and Travis on this recognition.”
Travis Johnson started playing golf around the age of 10. He went on to win the Long Beach Men’s City Championship in 2000 and the Men’s City Stroke Play Championship in 2014 while starting his own golf apparel company, Travis Matthew, in 2007. Johnson also played professionally for a time after graduating from UCLA, where he was a two-time All-Pac 10, All-American and Academic All-American selection.
“I grew up in Bellflower and but always felt like a Long Beach kid at heart because I grew up playing all this junior golf with the red shirts over at Hartwell Golf Course since I was 19 years old,” said Johnson in his acceptance speech.
Up next was Jim Gonzalez, who played golf at Millikan High School before playing professionally. Gonzalez served for more than 20 years on the Men’s Club Boards of Directors —including as President— for both the Navy Golf Course in Cypress and Recreation Park Golf Course in Long Beach. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Southern California Public Links Golf Association before its merger with the Southern California Golf Association.
“Long Beach Golf had been real, real good to me, and I’ve tried to return the favor over the last years,” Gonzalez said.
The last new inductee was Long Beach native Torey Edwards who in 2000, won the Moore League High School Championship while attending Long Beach Wilson High School. He went on to play for four years at California State University, Long Beach. He has had much success in the game, most recently winning the 2021 Southern California Golf Association’s (SCGA) Mid-Amateur Championship and was named SCGA Player of the Year.
“I don’t really know any place else that allows the playing opportunities for the younger generation, women and you know, all skill levels to take part,” Edwards said of the Long Beach Open Tournament. “It’s really really special and I know that we all rally around it being part of the Long Beach golf community.”
With the addition of these three members, there are 91 members of the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame. The complete list of members can be seen on the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine website. New inductees are nominated by community members and announced at the end of the Long Beach Open Tournament each year.
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