Ike Grainger

Ike Grainger’s playing record hardly deserves a second glance, with his major prize being the Lyons Trophy, which he received for posting low net in the US Seniors’ GA Championship in 1960. One other golf achievement was serving as non-playing captain of the US Team that won the World Amateur Team Championship in 1964.

As a golf administrator, however, he was without peer. A native of Wilmington, NC, he went on to become President of Chemical Bank in New York City. Ike Grainger played a significant role in the northeastern golf scene and eventually rose to the Presidency of the US Golf Association. After serving on various committees in the Metropolitan Golf Association, he served as that organization’s President from 1943 to 1945. With the USGA, he was Secretary from 1946 to 1949, Vice-President from 1950 to 1953 and President from 1954 to 1955. He was a member of numerous USGA committees during his long affiliation with the organization, including 11 years on the Executive Committee, 16 years on the Rules of Golf Committee and 16 years on the Bob Jones Award Committee.
In 1951, he was Chairman of the USGA Negotiating Committee that carved out the first uniform code of the Rules of Golf with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

Although he lived in New York, Grainger maintained a second residence in Wilmington and was a member at Cape Fear Country Club. His other club affiliations included Augusta National, Pine Valley in Clinton, New Jersey and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

Ike Grainger was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 1993.