Gary Schaal, PGA Professional

A member of the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame and a 1995 inductee into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame, Gary Schaal, of Murrell’s Inlet, SC has been a leader in South Carolina's golf industry for more than 30 years. In 1973, he completed his tour in the U.S. Air Force, being honorably discharged as captain before becoming an assistant PGA professional at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club. He became a full Carolinas Section PGA member in 1976, and won the section’s PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award in 1985, and the section’s Horton Smith Award in 1978 and 1980.

In 1988, Schaal was elected as national secretary of The PGA of America. Two years later, he would ascend to PGA vice-president and in 1992 became PGA president. During his presidency he was instrumental in launching programs to enhance PGA professional careers through merchandising, employment assessment and lifelong learning programs. He also steered the debut of PGA 2000, which served as the blueprint for The PGA of America’s action plan to lead the association into the new millennium.
 
Schaal was instrumental in founding the Professional Golf Management Program at Coastal Carolina Univeristy, in bringing the Champions Tour to the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach and in building the TPC at Myrtle Beach. The former head professional at Pine Lakes International is an owner/operator of Deer Track Golf Resort and part owner of Wicked Stick, Indigo Creek and Diamond Back in the Myrtle Beach area. In November last year, Schaal became the 12th person recognized in the "Legends of The PGA" program in a ceremony at Kiawah. Also in 2006 he was named "2006 Father of the Year" by the executive tournament committee of The National Father & Son Team Classic  

Gary Schaal was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.