James Sykes
Junior Boys’ Championship in 1951 and was Pennsylvania Amateur Champion in 1954. His other golf achievements include two victories in the prestigious Pine Valley Crump Cup and the club championships at Old York Road, Pine Valley, Huntingdon Valley, and Bonita Bay.
During his career he overVDw WKH fiUVW FRPSuWHU LPSOHmentation for handicap and tournament administration in local/regional golf associations. The three Associations realized substantial growth LQ PHPEHUVKLS DQG fiQDQFLDO resources while providing additional and improved services under Sykes’ direction.
A major milestone of Sykes’ tenure was the celebration of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Centennial in 1997. Special events included the kickoff dinner, a black-tie event that attracted some 1,300 golfers to the Philadelphia Convention Center. Other events included an intercity match with the Metropolitan Golf Association and the Found- ers’ Cup, a competition at each of the association’s four founding clubs. The Centennial Celebration attracted notable golfers such as then Gov. Tom Ridge and the infamous Arnold Palmer. Not so notable golfer Ed Rendell also presided over the evening.
Sykes coordinated with author James W. Finegan to publish A Centennial Tribute to Golf in Philadelphia, the comprehensive 100-year history of golf in Philadelphia.
On the national scene, Sykes was a member of the International Association of Golf Administrators since 1975 and was president in 1983. Other memberships included the Club Managers Association of America and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. He was a member of the Golf Digest course-ranking panel and the USGA’s nominating committee for 2002.
Locally, he has served on the board of the Mead- owbrook School and the Council of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. He was an original board member of the Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association and served two terms on the Board of Governors of Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Most recently, Jim founded Kids on the HLOO, D QRQSURfiW WKDW JLYHV inner city youth the opportunity to learn golf etiquette, rules, and history. Kids on the Hill is a vital part of activities for Abington and Philadelphia PAL.
Services for Jim Sykes will be held Saturday Oct. 27, 2012, 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 415 East Athens Ave., Ardmore, Pa., with Pastor Skip 0FDRwHOO RIfiFLDWLQJ.
,Q OLHu RI flRwHUV, WKH family invites you to make a gift to Jim’s favorite charities, The J. Wood Platt Caddy Scholarship in care of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, or Kids on the Hill.