Betty Probasco Leaves Behind An Enduring Legacy Of Greatness

The life of Betty Probasco resembled a glorious tapestry, where a cluster of seemingly disconnected multi-colored threads are woven into a finished work of grandeur when viewed from the proper vantage point.

Each of the various roles of her life were embraced with the same deep conviction, resulting in a far-reaching influence that went beyond her status as one of the most accomplished women’s amateur golfers in history who captured state championships in five different decades across two states.

Although her competitive drive was legendary, Probasco was a champion who did not require trophies to validate her accomplishments. Instead, leaving behind a legacy of those impacted by her life became her crowning achievement.

Her years of bringing about positive change and impacting those in her presence came to an end on Monday as Probasco passed away at the age of 95. But her influence will undoubtedly continue for years to come.

Golf certainly served as the most visible platform for Probasco, who lived atop Lookout Mountain, overlooking her beloved Chattanooga in the valley below. Yet it was equally important that she be known as a champion wife and mother, a loyal mentor and friend, and a tireless patron of charitable causes that were important to her.

The sphere of Probasco’s influence extended far beyond the borders of Tennessee, where she was an eight-time women’s amateur champion and captured a senior amateur title. She also claimed four women’s amateur crowns in her home state of Kentucky, won a National Collegiate Championship at Florida’s Rollins College and was the women’s champion at revered Seminole Golf Club an impressive 13 times, including a streak of 11 in a row.

Additionally, Probasco was named to the 1956 Curtis Cup team which she had to forego due to being pregnant with the second of her four children. Although she was unable to participate in the Curtis Cup as a competitor, she was later named U.S. captain in 1982 where she guided the American team to a decisive victory in the event’s 50^th anniversary at Denver Country Club.

Probasco’s achievements earned her induction into the Golf Hall of Fame in both Kentucky and Tennessee. She was also among the original golfers enshrined in The Honors Circle at the prestigious Honors Course in Ooltewah, and she was named to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions for her lifetime of devotion to that organization.

She served the golf community in a number of notable capacities: member of the USGA Women's Committee for over 10 years, President of the Women's Tennessee Golf Association, and President of the Women's Southern Golf Association.

After being introduced to golf as a teenager known then as Betty Rowland, Probasco won four Women’s Kentucky Amateur championships over a five-year period starting in 1949. She attended the University of Kentucky for a year but left due to the lack of a women’s golf program, transferring to Rollins in 1948. Probasco won the 1950 individual National Intercollegiate title, then led Rollins to the national team title the next year.

Friendship With the ‘Bear’

It was during her time playing at Idle Hour Country Club in Lexington where her golf skills caught the eye of Kentucky’s football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant.

“Coach and a few of the men were nice enough to ask me to play with them,” Probasco said in an interview. “I was 15 or 16 at the time. I guess I came out on top in my matches with Coach. I might have won a few quarters off him. I lived only a few houses down from Coach when he was at Kentucky. He had a very peculiar style of chipping. He would hold his hands way down on the shaft maybe a foot or so from the head.”

Four decades later, Bryant was having dinner in Chattanooga when he again crossed paths with Probasco. Then in the midst of his successful tenure at Alabama, Bryant was quick to remember his time on the golf course with the teen phenom during their Kentucky days.

“Mom always told us Bear had the worst swing she had ever seen,” said Scott Probasco III, the oldest of the four children. “Bear saw my mother and said, ‘Little Betty Rowland. You said I was the worst golfer you’ve ever seen.’ He went over and put his arm around her, and all of us kids were dying laughing because he remembered what she said.”

After winning three more consecutive women’s state amateur crowns in Kentucky from 1951-53, she was attending the University of Louisville to pursue a career as a dental hygienist. However, a providential trip to Chattanooga Golf and Country Club to compete in the Women’s Southern Amateur in 1953 changed the trajectory of her golfing and personal future.

Introduction to Scotty

It was there that she met a prominent local banker named Scotty Probasco Jr. with deep ties to amateur golf, and the couple was married six months later. Scotty played collegiately at Dartmouth, and his mother, Peggy, was an accomplished player and early promoter of the Women’s Tennessee Golf Association. She was instrumental in reviving the Women’s Tennessee Amateur after a six-year hiatus, and convinced her husband – Scotty Jr.’s father – to donate the original Scott L. Probasco Trophy that is still awarded to the women’s amateur champion today.

“I was resigned to never meeting anybody I’d marry at a country club. I certainly wasn’t looking for a husband on the golf course,” Probasco said in a 1960 interview.

The family connections to golf go even deeper as Scotty’s sister married Jack Lupton, who founded The Honors Course outside of Chattanooga, served on the USGA Executive Committee and was a noted benefactor in establishing the Tennessee Golf Foundation and promotor of amateur golf.

Probasco continued her run of success that started in Kentucky, capturing Tennessee Women’s State Amateur titles in 1954 and 1955 to extend her streak to five in a row. She later won the Women’s Southern Amateur in 1955, and was a semifinalist in the Women’s U.S. Amateur that same year to earn a selection for the 1956 Curtis Cup team. However, she had to forgo the opportunity due to impending motherhood.

With her focus shifting to her responsibilities as a mother, Probasco’s golfing pursuits took a back seat for several years. Once she returned to competition, she won Tennessee Women’s Amateur titles in 1964, 1965, 1973, 1980, 1981 and 1986. Her eighth Tennessee crown – to go along with five career runner-up finishes - came at the age of 56, bringing her total to 12 including the four won in Kentucky.

The Probasco name was well-known in Chattanooga, often associated with generosity, loyalty, and community leadership. Scotty and Betty – who was affectionately known as “Spark” by her husband – represented the closest thing to royalty that the region had ever seen.

Scotty was a charismatic, bowtie wearing community leader who became his wife’s biggest cheerleader during their 61 years of marriage before he died in 2015. He was never threatened by Betty’s successes through golf, and he boldly proclaimed, “Nobody would believe this, but at one time I had a respectable golf game. I think the year we were married my handicap went from a three to an eight, and it’s been going up every year since. Everybody kids me and says she ruined my game.”

Ever the optimist, Scotty was the biggest supporter of his beloved “Spark”. But he was somewhat reluctant to attend when she competed in some of her more notable tournaments like the 1971 Women’s Southern Amateur.

“Dad always saw the glass half full except when it came to my mom’s golf game,” Scott Probasco said. “He said that every time he went, mom would lose. One time mom was in the finals of the Ladies’ Southern Am at Birmingham Country Club, and we all told him over breakfast that he should be there to support her.

“Little did we know at the time that dad drove out to the airport, flew a little single-engine plane down to Birmingham and called a cab to take him over to the golf course. When he got to the pro shop, dad bought a big straw hat because he was fair-skinned and he said to the people behind the counter, ‘By the way, my wife is Betty Probasco. How's she doing?’ They said, ‘Oh, Mr. Probasco, you better get out there right now because she's 9-down.’ He took the hat off and said, ‘Hey, could you give me a refund on this hat and call me a cab?’ He went straight back to the Birmingham airport and flew back to Chattanooga without seeing her hit a single shot.”

Balancing Motherhood with Golf

Probasco never allowed golf to interfere with her duties to her children who were separated by less than five years from oldest to youngest. But her kids also knew how to properly respond whenever their mom didn’t live up to her expectations on the golf course.

“She was like a typical mom who took us to school, attended our athletic events or school plays and was always there for us,” Scott Probasco said. “The only thing was when she lost a golf tournament, we all went to our separate bedrooms when she got home because we knew it wasn’t going to be happy times for a couple of days.”

The Probasco children also connived to take advantage of the freedoms created whenever their mother had a tournament out of town.

“We always liked it when she had a big tournament,” Scott Probasco said. “We were always asking, ‘Mom, when is your next tournament?’ If you look at her career, you’ll notice a gap where she didn’t win anything for about three or four years. That was when we were all teenagers at home. We wrecked her golf game because she was trying to keep control of us back then.”

The Queen of Seminole

There was no place that Probasco’s star was any brighter than during her regular visits to Seminole Golf Club in Florida. She became known by Ben Hogan, was neighbors with Jack Nicklaus, and continued her friendship with Arnold Palmer that dated back to their college years.

“She was the best of friends in that pro-member with Arnold Palmer,” said Henrik Simonsen, Director of Golf at The Honors Course. “He loved Betty, and they were so close. They were friends in golf, and connected that way. Because of the way she carried herself, she was royalty. She introduced me to both Mr. Palmer and Mr. Nicklaus. The two of them were paired together at Seminole and I'll never forget it. This would have been in 2008 and we're playing in the pro-member. She walked right down and introduced us.”

Bob Ford, who served as Seminole’s Head Professional before retiring in 2021 along with 37 years in the same capacity at Oakmont Country Club before departing that iconic institution in 2016, was able to garner a front-row seat to the impact Probasco had at the Juno Beach club.

“When I started at Seminole, she and I were just drawn to each other immediately,” Ford said. “She came in to congratulate me on getting the job, and we just hit it off, and we were just incredible friends from that day forward. Who was she to Seminole golf club? She was the queen. She was an incredible lady that everyone had unbelievable respect for and love for although she was bashful about how great she was as a player.”

While welcoming every woman that became a member at Seminole regardless of their skill level, Probasco also wasn’t afraid to let her voice be heard when it came to pace of play matters.

“Every woman that became a member there she would take time to play with them and instill in them the fear of God,” Ford said. “She wasn't a god, but she was the goddess others feared should they be complained about if they took too long to play. She would point her finger at them and say, ‘You have to pick up. If you do that, then we'll all be fine.’”

“Spark” also didn’t mind voicing her opinion to Scotty when needed, especially when the couple was competing on the golf course. It was in those moments that the competitive side of Betty rose to the surface. One such occasion was when they were in contention for the lead while playing a mixed couples event at Seminole when faced with their approach shots into No. 7 green which is fronted by water.

“Scotty’s nickname was ‘Shrapnel’, because he hit it so crooked there were bombs flying everywhere so you had to be careful,” Ford said. “They were about 70 years old when I came there, and so his game had kind of gone by the wayside. Scotty had a stroke on the hole and couldn’t carry the water so Betty asked him to lay up, but he refused and he hit it in the water. So she took her wood out and intentionally topped her ball into the water, then looked at Scotty and said, ‘You know, two can play that game.’ That was one of the legendary stories about her.”

It was at Seminole’s challenging par-3 5^th hole where she and her esteemed playing partners achieved the unthinkable in January of 1992. The foursome was composed of Marlene Streit, a former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion and a nine-time Canadian Women’s Amateur winner; Barbara Romack, a former LPGA Tour player from California, LPGA Hall of Famer Peggy Kirk Bell and Probasco. Romack and Probasco aced the hole from 160 yards, while Streit and Bell both managed birdies, allowing the group to play the hole in a combined six strokes.

Seminole’s quartet of par 3s is widely considered among the most difficult of any course, and yet Probasco managed to navigate them in 4-under par on that memorable day.

Mentor and Loyal Friend

Probasco never seriously entertained pursuing a career in competitive golf, finding contentment in her life as a mother and Scotty’s wife. “I always wanted to have a normal family life. I enjoy golf too much to think I have to go out and make a living at it,” Probasco said in an interview in 1994.

Instead, it was important for her to use her platform for changing lives. She was a fierce competitor, but always used the opportunity to mentor others coming along behind her. One such person was Judy Eller Street, a fellow Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame member and daughter of a Tennessee club professional whose own remarkable amateur career rivaled that of Probasco.

“The first time I met Betty was in 1954 when I was 13-years old and she played at Belle Meade in the women's state tournament,” Eller said. “I had heard about this amazing young golfer from Chattanooga married to Scott Probasco, and she did not disappoint. At that time, coffee was really expensive and Maxwell House in Nashville gave away a pound of coffee for every birdie made. I think Betty walked away with six pounds of coffee that day.”

Two years later Street won the first of five consecutive Tennessee Women’s Amateur crowns at the age of 15 as Probasco skipped the event following the birth of her first child. But in 1957 with Probasco back in the field, Street defeated her idol and was impacted by her graciousness.

“She was so nice to me and I looked up to her as my mentor as I was growing up,” Street said. “Being a teenager, I would walk out 20 yards in front of my opponent and I remember her saying to me, ‘Judy, you have to stay back. It's not polite to get that far in front of your opponent.’ She taught me the etiquette of golf, and I remember I just admired her.”

Street won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 1957 and 1958 and won the 1959 National Intercollegiate title while at the University of Miami, earning a spot in the 1960 U.S. Curtis Cup squad as a 19-year-old. But it was her win over Probasco at the 1957 Tennessee Women’s Amateur that laid the foundation for her future successes.

“I was 16 when I played Betty in Knoxville in the Tennessee women's state,” Eller said. “I was so nervous that my mother didn't give me much of a chance because I admired her so much, and it's hard to play someone that you look up to. But I beat her, and that gave me the confidence to know I could play this game because Betty was the standard of golf in Tennessee.”

Despite their developing rivalry on the golf course, Street’s friendship with the Probascos extended beyond the golf course.

“Scotty was as big a cheerleader for me as he was for Betty,” Street said. “I quit worrying about my love life, because Scotty said he would take care of it. In fact, I met my husband, Gordon, at their house when they invited me to dinner. They were always taking care of me.”

Georgia McCravey grew up idolizing Probasco, who was 25 years older. But after playing together in local events in Chattanooga, McCravey couldn’t resist Probasco’s request that she join her at The Honors Course, where the pair would play countless rounds together for more than 30 years.

Their relationship took on deeper meaning when McCravey’s son died in 2011, with Probasco dropping everything to minister to her grieving friend.

“She and Scotty were on a cruise, and she immediately came home when she heard the news,” McCravey said. “She came to my house every day and held court, telling everybody what to do. Two weeks later, she got me back out on the golf course and just helped walk me through a difficult time. She was an incredibly loyal friend.”

Time began to rob Probasco of some of her distance as she got deeper into her 80s, but it did not stop her relentless quest of perfecting her swing.

“We quickly connected with this passion for golf and the golf swing,” Simonsen said. “We spoke the same language because I love to compete. For many years, she would take a lesson a week. It's not like I could tell her anything to make her better, but she just loved the pursuit of trying to hit this ball square. She knew her golf swing as well as anybody. She loved the exchange and meeting on the back range and playing a few holes, and just to be around the game of golf.”

A Legacy of Generosity

While golf became Probasco’s most notable platform, it wasn’t the only outlet where she excelled. The couple raised four children and were active philanthropists who lived out their faith with passion in donating untold financial resources and personal influence to causes that were dear to them.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes was an organization that the Probasco family tirelessly supported with their influence and resources, helping establish the FCA Golf Ministry on a national scale in the 1980s. In 2022, the Chattanooga FCA chapter launched the Betty Probasco Legacy Fund endowment in her honor.

“There's been no greater champion for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes than Betty Probasco,” said Jay Fowler, FCA’s Chattanooga area director. “For more than three decades, she would write handwritten notes on every single letter requesting support. These were going to very powerful leaders of business or politics. If they missed a contribution one year, Spark had written a little note to remind them. They would apologize to her for not giving and would sometimes double their gift to make up for it. They didn’t want to disappoint Mrs. Probasco out of pure respect, reverence and love for her.”

Probasco served as a National FCA Board member, and was named to the organization’s prestigious Hall of Champions in 2008, joining her friend Peggy Kirk Bell.

After spending more than 45 years overseeing the Tennessee Section PGA as well as the Tennessee Golf Association, Dick Horton valued Probasco’s influence and wisdom throughout his career. But it was the privilege of her friendship that he cherished most.

“She was the nicest, kindest, toughest competitor ever, yet she made you feel like you were just the greatest person whenever you spent time with her,” Horton said. “Her aura was like a Tiger Woods of Tennessee golf. While golf may have been her most visible platform, her faith, Scotty, and her family were most important to her. She was always encouraging others to trust in the Lord and His plan for you, and it was sincere and heartfelt.”

Celebration of Life Information

Probasco is survived by her four children: Scott III (Alexis) Probasco, Zane Brown, Ellen (Chris) Moore, and Ben (Susan) Probasco. She has 12 wonderful grandchildren: Greg Brown, Ben Brown (Lynn), Kaki Jenkins (Jay), Sarah Zane Gomoll (Andrew), Timothy Moore (Jilli), Christopher Moore (Lindsey), Laura Scorey (Steve), William Probasco (Laura), Walker Probasco (Emily), Philip Probasco, Cartter Probasco, and Kate Siragusa (Nick).

She is also survived by her 13 great grandchildren.

There will be a private family burial service, officiated by Reverend Frank Hitchings, followed by a Celebration of Life gathering at The Lookout Mountain Club golf clubhouse on July 7th, from 3:00 until 6:00 o’clock.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations would be warmly welcomed by Fellowship of Christian Athletes: FCA, PO Box 338, Hixson, TN 37343, or Baylor School Christian Scholarship, 171 Baylor School Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or a charity of your choice.

You may share condolences with the Probasco Family at www.heritagechattanooga.com

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com