KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In recognition of his exceptional contributions to the game of golf, The National Golf Club in Kansas City, Mo. hosted an event on October 26 where Tom Watson was presented with an honorary membership.
A Kansas City native, Watson designed the club’s golf course in 2000. As part of the event, the club hosted a social hour where the over 100 members in attendance were able to mingle with Watson and view scrapbook articles of the construction and design of The National. Watson was then presented with an honorary membership and spoke passionately about his history with The National and his time in golf.
Recognized as a true legend of the game, Watson is a six-time PGA TOUR Player of the Year and has 39 career wins including eight major championships, five of which occurred at The Open Championship. Watson has also earned 14 wins on PGA TOUR Champions, including six senior major championships. Regarded as one of the greatest links players of all time, Watson nearly won the 2009 Open Championship at 59 years of age. Additionally, Watson played on four Ryder Cup teams and served as U.S. team captain in 1993 and 2014.
Throughout his career, Watson has served as a respected spokesman for the sport. He received the United States Golf Association’s prestigious Bob Jones Award for distinguished sportsmanship in 1987 and was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame the following year. Away from the golf course, Watson is passionate in his charitable efforts for the Bruce Edwards Foundation for ALS Research, Children’s Mercy Hospital, and The First Tee of Greater Kansas City.
“I’ve always had a dream of building a new golf course in my hometown, to have this opportunity is a rare honor,” said Watson regarding the course at The National Golf Club. “Yes, I have played golf as a living, but my second love is trying to put something down on the land and getting my fingernails dirty. Designing a course of this caliber is a tremendous responsibility, and I am proud of how The National Golf Club has been received over the past 23 years.”
The National Golf Club is one of over 200 properties operated by Invited, the world’s largest owner and operator of private clubs.
About Invited (formerly ClubCorp)
Since its founding in 1957, Dallas-based Invited has operated with the mission of Building Relationships and Enriching Lives®. The leading owner-operator of private golf and country clubs, city, and stadium clubs in North America, Invited is relentless in its pursuit of providing extraordinary experiences, meaningful connections, shared passions, and memorable moments for its more than 400,000 members. The company’s mission is supported by 20,000 peak-season employees and a portfolio of 200 owned or operated golf and country clubs, city clubs, sports clubs, stadium clubs in 29 states, and seven BigShots Golf locations. Invited creates communities and a lifestyle through its championship golf courses, workspaces, handcrafted cuisine, resort-style pools, tennis and pickleball facilities, golf lounges, fitness centers, and pioneering programming.
Marquee Invited properties include: Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio); Mission Hills Country Club (Rancho Mirage, California); The Woodlands Country Club (Houston, Texas); and The Metropolitan Club (Chicago, Illinois).
