Raymond Gafford played only one match as an amateur. He turned professional at age 20, first served at Ridglea from 1937 to 1950, then took a job at Dallas’s Northwood Club in 1951. He returned to Ridglea in 1954 and remained there until his retirement in 1976.

Gafford was a player of national note. He participated in 14 U.S. Opens, five PGA Championships and two Masters Tournaments. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1950 PGA Championship, only to lose to Jimmy Demaret, and finished 18th in the 1951 U.S. Open, both of which qualified him for the Masters Tournament. Gafford was the Oklahoma Open champion in 1946 and won the Southwest Open, a popular Wichita Falls Pro-Am, in 1943 and 1944, plus the Texas PGA in 1949. Gafford, who loved to teach, was proud of his star pupil, Michelle Berteotti, who played on the LPGA Tour.

There is a Ray Gafford Classic at held Ridglea each year, in honor of its long-time pro. Gafford was president of the PGA Texas Section in 1950 and 1951.

Birthplace: Coleman, Texas

Born: January 22, 1914

Died: February 20, 1990