Georgia Golf Loses A Great Friend With The Passing of Eddie Sams

Eddie Sams, a 1960s Georgia golf letterman and a driving force behind the Tee-Off Club, passed away on Monday following an extended illness.

Eddie Sams (L) instructs Bill Brown.

Born and raised in Athens, Sams was a three-year letterman for Coach Howell Hollis from 1960 through 1962. He helped the Bulldogs compile an overall record of 35-9-2, including 16-0-1 mark in 1961. Sams and the Bulldogs won Southeastern Conference titles in 1961 and 1962 and posted top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championship.

Sams was a past director and vice president of the Georgia State Golf Association and a former chairman of the Southern Intercollegiate Fall Classic. Sams also served as a volunteer coach for the Bulldogs.

Eddie Sams as a Bulldog in the 1960s.

Sams worked tirelessly to help create and sustain the Tee-Off Club, the booster club for the Georgia’s men’s golf team. Sams was a longtime club president and was the chairman emeritus. The Eddie Sams Award is given annually to a patron and a letterman who make lasting contributions to the program.

“Eddie was a tremendous Bulldog throughout his life,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “He lived and breathed Georgia Golf as a player, a letterman and a coach. Eddie had a vision of how strong our program could be, and he did everything he could to make that vision come true. He was a hard-working man and he never looked for a pat on the back; he did what he did because he loved Georgia Golf. I appreciate everything that Eddie did for me personally and for our program, and I will miss him dearly. We send Sharyn, their sons and the rest of Eddie's family our deepest condolences.”

The funeral is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Athens. Visitation will follow the funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to the Tee-Off Club.