June 2017
With sadness at the recent passing of Frank “Sandy” Tatum, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame remembers one of the greats in the world of golf, and a 2011 BASHOF Hall of Fame Inductee.
Frank “Sandy” Tatum, a former U.S. Golf Association president, known for encouraging difficult courses for the U.S. Open died June 22.
Mr. Tatum, was a longtime lawyer in San Francisco, was president of the USGA in 1978 and 1979 and served on its executive committee from 1972 to 1980.
Sandy Tatum was an outstanding golfer in his youth. At Stanford University, he won the 1942 NCAA individual title and led Stanford to team titles in 1941 and 1942.
After graduating in 1942, he was a Rhodes scholar at the University of Oxford and graduated from Stanford’s law school in 1950.
As a lawyer, he was general counsel to the University of San Francisco and a special counsel to the city and county of San Francisco.
He is best remembered in the Bay Area for leading the effort to renovate Harding Park, that had fallen into disrepair. It was through Tatum’s tireless work that Harding’s restoration became a reality, which led to Harding Park hosting the President’s Cup in 2009. In 2020, Harding will host the PGA Championship.
Additionally, the beautifully renovated Harding Park provides Bay Area public golfers with a world class course.
Mr. Tatum helped develop the First Tee of San Francisco, a program to teach kids life skills through golf.
Mr. Tatum was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. His plaque is located at Harding Park Golf Course.
