WS Chronicle

Peggy Kirk Bell has been selected as the first female inductee into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame. Since its creation in 1981, the CPGA Hall of Fame has honored individuals residing in the Carolinas that have made extraordinary contributions, not only to the Carolinas PGA Section, but to the sport of golf as a whole.

Throughout her career, Bell has been an ambassador for the game of golf to many generations.  In 1953, Bell and her late husband Warren “Bullet” Bell took over Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Pinehurst, NC and developed the resort into what it is today.  Under the leadership of Bell, Pine Needles has turned out some of the top PGA Professionals in the CPGA, including Chip King and Rob Pilewski. The resort is also credited with bringing national attention to the Pinehurst area by hosting three U.S. Women’s Open Championships in 1996, 2001, and 2007.

Bell has been a pioneer of the game from barnstorming as a Charter Member of the LPGA with Babe Zaharias, to the first acclaimed teacher of women’s golf through the Golfari, and also as the Chairwoman of the largest girls’ golf tour in the country the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour. Golfaris, an instructional golf program, has introduced thousands of ladies to the sport of golf and impacted many more since Bell started the program over 50 years ago.

Some of Bell’s significant honors include LPGA Teacher of the Year, Golf Digest’s “One of the Six Best Women Teachers in the World,” Winner of the first LPGA Senior Championship, 1990 LPGA’s Ellen Griffin Rolex Award, 2004 inductee into Golf Magazine’s World Golf Teacher Hall of Fame (first woman), and 1950 USGA Curtis Cup Team Member.

Bell will be officially inducted into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame during the Carolinas PGA Awards and Honors Dinner on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014 at the Greensboro Coliseum.