Judy Bell, the USGA’s first female president, died Monday at her home in Colorado. She was 89.
Bell broke barriers throughout her 31-year USGA career, serving as president from 1996-99 after establishing herself as both an accomplished amateur golfer and successful businesswoman.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, on September 23, 1936, Bell was the youngest of four children and the only daughter of Carl and Mariam Bell. Golf was in her blood from the start—her mother served as president of the Kansas Women’s Golf Association while her father owned a grocery store where Judy began working at age 10.
Bell’s competitive golf career started remarkably early. At just 14, she played in her first U.S. Women’s Open. Two years later, she reached the semifinals of the 1952 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur, where she fell to Mickey Wright. Her amateur career included two U.S. Women’s Amateur quarterfinal appearances and a semifinal run in 1959.
Her playing career featured several standout achievements. Bell represented the U.S. on two victorious Curtis Cup teams in 1960 and 1962. Perhaps her most impressive competitive moment came during the 1964 U.S. Women’s Open, where she shot a third-round 67 with a nine-hole score of 31—both tournament records at the time.
In all, Bell competed in 38 USGA championships. She later captained Curtis Cup teams in 1986 and 1998, though both American squads came up short.
Off the course, Bell’s close friendship with Barbara McIntire—the champion of that 1959 U.S. Women’s Amateur and twice her Curtis Cup teammate—extended into business. The pair launched a mail-order clothing store called A Short Story in the early 1960s that operated for nearly four decades until 1999. McIntire passed away earlier this year in May.
Bell’s administrative career with the USGA began in 1961 when she joined the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship Committee. She served on the USGA Women’s Committee for 17 years starting in 1968, chairing it from 1981-94. Her groundbreaking appointment came in 1987 when she became the first woman named to the USGA’s Executive Committee.
When asked about becoming president on her first morning as president-elect, Bell responded with characteristic wit: “I don’t know yet how it feels to be president because I’ve only been one for a few hours, but I know how it feels to be a woman because I’ve been one for 59 years.”
Since 1999, Bell had consulted for the USGA Foundation Fellowship and Grant Programs, which she helped establish during her first meeting as USGA president. The program has contributed over $65 million to golf programs for juniors, players with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups.
Dr. Trey Holland, a former USGA president and close friend, highlighted what made Bell special: “It is her passion that sets Judy Bell apart from most other people. It is the basis for everything that she does. No one has worked harder for and loved the challenges that they have undertaken more than Judy.”
Bell herself once explained her motivation: “I’m passionate about the game of golf, which has given me so much sheer joy and pleasure that I have always wanted to give something back to it. Without question that’s really what my volunteer efforts have been about.”
Her later years included significant health challenges. Bell underwent heart bypass surgery in 1993 and was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2001. She entered hospice care in August 2024.
USGA CEO Mike Whan summed up Bell’s impact: “Judy Bell was more than a leader, she was a force of nature whose vision and compassion shaped the very soul of the game. As one of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf’s biggest supporters, Judy helped open doors for countless young girls to find their place, their confidence and their joy in golf. She broke barriers not for the sake of recognition, but to make the game better and more welcoming for everyone. All of us at the USGA mourn her passing and celebrate the extraordinary life of a woman whose impact will continue to be felt for generations.”
