Richard George “Dick” Goeckner

Born in Chicago, IL. Richard started in the game of Golf at the age of 7 as a caddy at the Bryn Mawr Country Club in Chicago. Dick later was an Assistant Pro at BrynMawr and Tam'o Shanter courses. Richard served his country in the Korean War and was a member of General Taylor's Armored Guard. He was an expert Machine Gunner.

Richard was offered the Head Pro Position at a newly built Country Club "La Quinta" in 1959 and moved his family from Chicago to the Coachella Valley of California in 1959. President Dwight David Eisenhower opened the club and became a favorite golf partner of Dick's. President Eisenhower's brother Edgar became a beloved friend and golfing partner as well. Dick was part of the pro team to start up the "Bob Hope Desert Classic" in the Palm Springs area Golf Courses in the early 1960's. Dick was a Class A member of the Professional Golfers Association,was voted Golf Professional of the year for the So Cal Section of the PGA and was inducted into the PGA "Hall of Fame".

Dick served as Vice President and Secretary of the So Cal section of the PGA. After LaQuinta Dick was the Golf Professional at the Balboa, Encino and Woodley golf courses in the SanFernando Valley. Dick was instrumental in the re-vamping of the PGA Apprentice Program for the SO Cal Section and National Division of the PGA so that the up and coming PGA professionals had the proper education and experience to teach golf, and become a Class A Member of the PGA association representing the true professional within the game of golf. He was on Ben Hogan's professional staff for 25 years and enjoyed learning from Mr. Hogan and playing golf with him twice a year in Texas. Dick was instrumental in the forming of the Lynx Golf Club Company in the 1970's.

He was a devoted family man and will always be missed and admired.