It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of PGA Master Professional and Past Section President George McNamara; he was 74. He was survived by his wife Nancy, sister, Barbara Foley, nieces Kristen, Jennifer, and Nicole, and nephews Will and Tucker.

A Celebration of George’s life will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, at Penn Oaks Golf Club, 150 Penn Oaks Dr., West Chester, PA. Visitors are encouraged to bring a favorite picture or memory of George to leave with the family after the celebration.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in memory of George to PGA REACH or Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley. You may click on your chosen organization’s name to make a donation.

McNamara, born in Philadelphia in 1948, learned to play golf as a caddie at the 1921 Club (then known as Plymouth C.C.) under the tutelage of the PGA Professional Pete DeAngelis. When McNamara turned professional in 1966, he became an assistant professional for Terry McCoy at Chester Valley Golf Club, followed by stints at the now defunct Cedarbrook Hill C.C., Whitemarsh Valley C.C., Cedarbrook C.C., and Aronimink G.C.

In 1974, he became the PGA Head Professional at Downingtown Inn & G.C., now known as Downingtown C.C., where he hosted the first four Philadelphia PGA Junior Golf Academies. After 12 years at Downingtown, he accepted the PGA Head Professional position at Brandywine C.C., where he stayed over 25 years. In 1985, McNamara built a golf range and miniature golf course, which he operated for 14 years, in addition to serving as PGA head professional at a private club. In 2015, he left Brandywine to become part owner and managing partner of the Golf Zone Family Fun Center, where his hard work and keen interest in cutting-edge technology made the facility a huge success.

McNamara’s first involvement in Philadelphia PGA Section affairs came when he was asked to be on the Membership Committee. As he was one of the first PGA Professionals to make computers an integral part of his golf shop, the Section appointed him the chair of their new Computer Committee in 1988. The committee advised the Section officers and PGA Members on computer hardware and software. McNamara went on to serve as Section treasurer for two years in the 1980s, vice president of Section affairs for two years in the 1990s, and another two years as secretary. In 1997, McNamara became the Section’s first vice president, following the Association’s terminology adjustments. Following his term, he was elected as the Section’s 32nd president.

Over a period of 25 years, he served on nearly every Section committee. He represented the Section as a delegate to the national meeting three times. McNamara hosted numerous Section meetings, tournaments, and events, as he was always willing and ready to support the Section’s activities. Along with assisting the Section, he was active in raising funds for various charities through the game of golf. He was named the Section’s Merchandiser of the Year on three different occasions, and in 1988, McNamara became just the second Section PGA Member to earn PGA Master Professional status. The following year in 1989, McNamara was named the Section’s PGA Golf Professional of the Year, the highest honor a Section PGA Member may receive, and was inducted into the Philadelphia PGA Section Hall of Fame in 2012.

To read George’s full obituary, click here.

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.