Gene Bone

Gene Bone, the head professional at Bay Pointe Golf Club for 27 years, won almost every possible title available to Michigan PGA Section professionals while battling with the likes of fellow Hall of Fame members Walter Burkemo and John Barnum.

His back-to-back Michigan Open Championships of 1965 and ’66 and his Michigan PGA Professional Championship wins of 1966 and 1975, top the list. He also won back-to-back Assistant Professional Championships in 1957 and ’58 and was part of winning teams in the Section’s state Pro-Am, Pro-Pro and Pro-Assistant tournaments.

In 1966 he was the Michigan PGA Player of the Year, and in 1977 the section’s PGA Professional of the Year. He was just the second golfer to win both those honors following fellow Hall of Fame member Horton Smith.

Bone was first a golf professional at Warwick Hills Country Club, starting in 1959 and worked with the team that presented the first Buick Open Championship, which became a longtime PGA Tour stop. He had a local television golf show in Flint on WJRT briefly as well. He also played on the PGA Tour from 1963 to 1966 before returning to Michigan and Bay Pointe.

Year inducted: 1988

Last Name Bone