Ohio Golf Journal June 2020

Hall of Fame Member, Jan Stephenson is Also a Course Owner By Len Ziehm Jan Stephenson is well deserving of her induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Throughout her career she won 16 LPGA titles including three major championships. In addition, she amassed 41 world-wide wins, including 10 titles on the LPGA’s Legends circuit. Back 9 Report TV interviewed Jan right after her election into theWorld Golf Hall of Fame. Jan has also been credited with saving an LPGA Tour that was struggling mightily in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. She traveled extensively to promote the ladies’ tour, while still competing at a very high level. She is still very active and involved in several projects. In 2017, through her Crossroads Foundation, she bought a golf course. It’s not unusual for a former professional golfer to own a golf course, but she bought this one to help others. “We wanted to make it a veterans’ golf facility,’’ said Michael Vandiver, executive vice president of the foundation. “We didn’t acquire it for personal gain. We wanted a facility to accommodate veterans and first responders.’’ Many of Stephenson’s golf memorabilia items have been used to decorate the clubhouse at Tarpon Woods Golf Club. “I’ve always had a charity. I had a junior program, but now juniors are well taken care of. There are lots of programs for them. I had been an ambassador for the disabled and the blind, but this is for the veterans. I would like to teach them golf and even help them to have a career. This place became available, and we devote it all to them.’’ Tarpon Woods was built as a high-end private club in 1971. In t he 1990s it was called the Lost Oaks of Innisbrook and was Ohio Golf Journal