By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Ever since her early teen years, Joyce Ziske Malison has lived and breathed golf.
Besides playing five years on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, and winning four LPGA tournaments, Malison has been instrumental in teaching numerous Waterford High School students how to golf over the past two decades or so.
All her years of investing in the game of golf were recognized Oct. 25, when Malison was inducted into the Racine County Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held at the Racine Marriott Hotel.
“It is a very well-deserved honor for her,” WHS boys golf coach Mike Harmeling said. “To be recognized here in Racine County says a lot.”
Malison has been Harmeling’s assistant coach for all six years in which he has been head boys coach at WHS, but has been involved with the WHS golf program for many years.
“I would consider her to be an ambassador for the game of golf,” Harmeling added.
Malison said she began hitting a golf ball in the summer of 1947 when she lived near the intersection of Howard Avenue and 27th Street in Milwaukee. She continued playing in 1948 when Dick Swift had a driving range across the street from her parents’ home.
Swift taught Malison the game of golf, and when Swift bought the Rivermoor Country Club in 1949, she spent her summers, and weekends, in Waterford continuing to hone her golfing talents.
Malison noted she was a “tomboy” growing up and loved sports.
“I did a little bit of everything,” Malison said. “You name it, I played it.”
Malison noted there were no girls high school golf teams in the 1940s, only boys teams. She would practice with the boys team, though.
Under Swift’s tutelage, Malison thrived at golfing. As her game improved, Malison indicated that Swift put her into various tournaments, including Racine County events.
Malison won the 1949 District Junior Girls Golf Invitational and the 1952 Milwaukee County Women’s Tournament.
She entered a number of amateur events, winning the 1952 Wisconsin Women’s Amateur.
In 1954, Malison won three amateur events – the Palm Beach Women’s Amateur, the North and South Women’s Amateur and the Wisconsin Women’s Amateur. Also in 1954, she played on the Curtis Cup Team.
As an amateur, Malison played in a few LPGA events, where she got to know some of the LPGA golfers.
“It was fun,” Malison noted.
Malison turned professional in early 1955 and played on the LPGA Tour from 1955 through 1960.
Her first LPGA win came in 1956 at the Syracuse Open. She noted that win stood out in her mind because the first win is something a person is always waiting for.
In 1959, Malison won the Howard Johnson Invitational.
Malison’s best year on the LPGA Tour was 1960. In that year, she won the Wolverine Open and the Western Open, which was one of the LPGA major championships at that time. In addition, Malison finished second in the U.S. Women’s Open that year.
Those two wins, and the second-place U.S. Open finish made her the fourth-leading money-winner that year on the tour.
At the age of 25, Malison retired from the LPGA in order to marry Tom Malison and begin a family. Swift had introduced Joyce to Tom when both golfed at Rivermoor, and they were married in 1961.
Tom and Joyce lived in Waterford, and raised three sons – Mike, David and Mark. Tom, who for many years owned and operated Waterford Bowl, passed away a number of years ago.
Malison indicated she quit the LPGA Tour because, at that time, golfing professionally was tough on family.
“People can’t compare what we played in to what we have now,” Malison emphasized. “Now everybody does it (raises a family while continuing on a pro tour). It’s like black and white. It’s no comparison.”
Malison has never quit playing golf.
“I play a lot of golf. I play every day,” Malison said.
That daily habit has taken a hit lately, though, as Malison tore a bicep muscle in her right arm, forcing her out of action.
“It’s not making me very happy,” Malison lamented.
When spring 2013 rolls around, Malison will probably be back helping Harmeling with the WHS boys golf team.
Harmeling emphasized that Malison is a great asset both in teaching the values of golf, such as honesty and integrity, as well as golf techniques.
“We have a tremendous advantage have her,” Harmeling said. “She picks up on things I wouldn’t even dream of picking up. She really helps the kids a lot.”
Induction ceremony
Although Malison was inducted into the Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame in 1975, she sees the Racine County honor as a special one.
“It’s a great honor,” Malison said, noting that the RCSHF is open to all sports, not just golfers.
Malison is one of seven athletes being inducted into the RCSHF this year. The others are Keisha Anderson, Mike Bencriscutto, Lou Holland, Ed Killian, John McGuire and Rich Wonders.
RCSHF chairman Gery Woelfel indicated the selection committee had about 150 nominees this year.
The RCSHF was formed in 2010, with this being the second class of inductees. Last year, 13 individuals were inducted into the RCSHF.
Where do nominees come from?
“They can come from anybody,” Woelfel said, adding that Malison was among those considered last year.
The inductees receive a commemorative clock with their name engraved on it, Woelfel indicated.
In addition, a 4-5 minute video on each inductee is shown, which is followed by a short speech from each inductee.
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