Ken Morton Sr. has been recognized more than Mother Teresa. He’s got more hardware than a Home Depot.
Already a PGA of America Hall of Fame member, the Sacramento native received the PGA of America Master Professional Lifetime Achievement Award on July 28 at the headquarters of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas.
Morton, the 83-year-old longtime head professional at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex and CEO of Morton Golf Management, a golf course management company that oversees all management aspects of four Sacramento municipal golf facilities, was recognized for his award-winning career and extensive contributions to the Association.
“Every day I wake up, I get to do something I love,” Morton told NCGA Golf magazine in 2021.
Morton became just the fifth recipient of the award, which honors PGA Master Professionals who exemplify the elevated standards of the highest education designation within the Association.
A PGA of America Member since 1964, Morton got involved in the development and implementation of Association Education in 1978, initially serving as a faculty presenter. He was instrumental in the evolution and development of the Apprentice, Member, Certification and Master Professional programs.
“I can wholeheartedly state that without PGA Education, my business career would not be what it has become today,” Morton said. “Becoming a PGA Master Professional really did have a dramatic impact on my career. It’s an honor to be recognized, although I have found that the journey to earn the reward is more meaningful than the award itself. The years of being on PGA faculty and getting involved in these programs gave me the opportunity to work with some of the most talented golf professionals in the country, which was reflected in what I did when I went to work each day.”
To distill Morton’s career into awards and honors is to miss the point of his life in the sport. Growing up in Sacramento, the son of a blind father, he took a job at age 11 caddying at Del Paso Country Club. There he met head pro Frank Minch, Sr. One day, Minch asked Morton if he’d like to get better at golf. Morton said yes. Minch told him to show up every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. for lessons. Morton appreciated it but said he couldn’t afford lessons. Minch repeated his instructions.
“He changed my life,” Morton said.
Morton morphed into a golf lifer, a Northern California high school and community college golf champion who also learned how to repair, refinish and…
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