Originally published Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Celebrating the life of local leader

A gathering to celebrate the life of Carl Jonson, a driving force in Northwest amateur golf for decades, will be held Friday at Sahalee...

By Craig Smith

Seattle Times staff reporter

A gathering to celebrate the life of Carl Jonson, a driving force in Northwest amateur golf for decades, will be held Friday at Sahalee Country Club at 4 o'clock.

Jonson, 92, died April 14.

Jonson and his brother Ernie, who died in 2004, were early mainstays of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association.

An obituary on the PNGA Web site says, "It is safe to say that without Carl and his brother Ernie carrying the PNGA through the 1960s and 1970s, the organization would not exist as we know it today."

Jonson served as a PNGA officer during four decades, including a stint as president. His accomplishments include helping found the organization's Hall of Fame and the Pacific Coast Amateur tournament.

Jonson was one of the founders of Sahalee Country Club and his dream of the club hosting a major championship was realized in 1998 with the PGA Championship.

Others in the news

• Two women with Washington connections are competing in the "Big Break Ka'anapali" show on the The Golf Channel.

Dana Bates, 43, played on the boys golf team at Wilson High School and then played women's golf at Hawaii and Arizona. She is a teaching pro in Palm Springs and the mother of a 19-year-old daughter.

Kim Welch, 24, is the best woman golfer ever to play at Washington State University. The Cougar from Sacramento won 11 tournaments on her way to being an All-American before graduating in 2005.

• Jim Von Lossow, who operates Von's Golf and Putter Studio near University Village, was named to the list of the world's top 100 clubfitters for 2008 earlier this year.

The award is sponsored by a manufacturer, KZG, but an industry panel determined the criteria.

• Paul Ramsdell, a longtime golf writer, is now club manager of the Kitsap Golf and Country Club. Ramsdell is the former editor of Pacific Northwest Golfer Magazine and former president of Fircrest Golf Club and Northwest Golf Media Association.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com

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