Parks, Recreation and Marine to Induct Three New Members into Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame

PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame will induct three new members - Torey Edwards, Jim Gonzales and Travis Johnson - on Sunday, August 7. The Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame was created by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) in 1996 to recognize those who left a mark on golf in Long Beach.

"It's exciting to continue this 20-plus-year tradition and recognize those who've made an impact in our golfing community," said Mayor Robert Garcia. "Congratulations to Torey, Jim and Travis on this recognition."

The Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held during the closing ceremony for the Long Beach Open Tournament at El Dorado Park Golf Course on August 7, at approximately 2:30 p.m. This is the first induction to be held since 2019, as the Long Beach Golf Festival events were canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 precautions.

"We are excited to welcome these new members into the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame, and to welcome back the induction ceremony," said PRM Director Brent Dennis. "The Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame Committee worked very hard to select this group of three from an outstanding group of nominees. Torey, Jim and Travis have indeed left their mark on golf in Long Beach and beyond, and we are thrilled to recognize their accomplishments."

"The City of Long Beach has a rich tradition of good golf, good golfers and great tournaments," said Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Bob Livingstone. "We want to acknowledge those people who were born or have lived in Long Beach and excelled at the game or made it better for those who play it. These inductees represent what is good about golf in general and golf in Long Beach in particular."

Torey was born in Long Beach and won the 2000 Moore League High School Championship while attending Long Beach Wilson High School. He played four years at California State University, Long Beach, where he twice was an All-Big West Conference selection. A few years after graduation he joined the Virginia Country Club where he has won four Club Championships. He twice has been the low amateur in the Long Beach Open (2016 and 2017) and won the Men's City Stroke Play in 2019 and again this year with an incredible score of 21-under par for three rounds. Torey has played in numerous events throughout the southland and nationally, with a good deal of success, including winning the 2021 Southern California Golf Association's (SCGA) Mid-Amateur Championship, which helped him to be named SCGA Player of the Year in that same year. He qualified for the US Amateur Public Links Championship and twice advanced to match play in the US Amateur Four Ball Championship. Finally, golf has a "mythical magic number" of 60, which is considered a kind of sacrosanct glass ceiling and Torey has twice shot rounds of 58 on regulation golf courses - an incredible feat!

A resident of Torrance, Jim has been extremely active in Long Beach golf for decades. After playing golf at Millikan High School, he turned professional and played minitours in the late 60s and early 70s, primarily in Asia. Since regaining his amateur status in 1979, he has won over two dozen local club championships and more than a dozen senior or super senior club championships at various local golf clubs. He has served for more than 20 years on the Men's Club Boards of Directors - including as President - for both the Navy Golf Course in Cypress and Recreation Park Golf Course in Long Beach and served on the Board of Directors for the Southern California Public Links Golf Association before its merger with the Southern California Golf Association. Jim has matched or beaten his age in a round of golf approximately 200 times.

While Travis was born and raised in Bellflower, he currently lives in Long Beach and has been a "known commodity" in the area nearly his entire life. He joined the Long Beach Junior Golf program at Heartwell Park Golf Course when he was 10 years old and won countless accolades there before going on to win the LB Men's City Championship in 2000 and the Men's City Stroke Play Championship in 2014. He played four years at University of California, Los Angeles, where he was a two-time All-Pac 10, All-American and Academic All-American selection. He qualified for the US Amateur in 2000 and 2003 and the US Amateur Public Links in 2003, and advanced to match play in each event. In 2007, Travis founded Travis Matthew golf apparel company with a goal of creating "a brand that resonated with me and my peers," which was eventually purchased by Callaway Golf. In 2013, Travis and some designers created Haus of Grey Cooperative with both a men's (Matte Grey) and a women's (Heather Grey) line of clothing. It is safe to say that literally millions of American and European golfers (and casual non-golfers) have enjoyed wearing clothing created by Travis Johnson.

With the addition of these three individuals, the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame now has 91 members. The complete list of Hall of Fame inductees is available on the PRM webpage.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine
Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PRM) is recognized for excellence in management practices and programs, having received the National Parks and Recreation Association Gold Medal Award four times. PRM provides leisure programs and services to residents and visitors, which improve quality of life in Long Beach. PRM maintains 169 parks with 26 community centers, 320 acres of open space, and 6.1 miles of beaches; implements the City's Open Space Plan, provides recreational opportunities to meet diverse community needs, maintains public marinas, and provides for public safety and the humane treatment of animals. For more information about the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine programs and services, visit www.longbeach.gov/park. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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