Leonay legend leaves a lasting legacy
Ray Dukes amongst friends at the Leonay Golf Club.
FEW golfers could boast a legacy that could compare with Ray Dukes.
The Leonay legend passed away recently at the age of 92.
Yet his name will live on at his beloved golf club at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
The first tee at Leonay is appropriately named Dukes Drive, naturally enough named after their No.1 badge holder and founding member of the club.
On top of that, one of the major events played at Leonay Golf Club each year is the Ray Dukes Cup.
And his fame stretched way beyond Leonay, where he won an incredible 43 championships during a long career playing the majority of his golf at Leonay.
Among those string of victories were A Grade championships, foursomes, mixed foursomes and matchplay wins.
He actually won his first A Grade title at the tender age of just 16, knocking out many players who were more than twice his age.
He went on to win 17 Leonay Opens and was eight times named the NDGA Player of the Year.
Ray sent much of his golfing life playing off a plus-two handicap and at his peak displayed enough talent to play in three Australian Opens at such iconic venues as The Australian, Royal Sydney and Kingston Heath.
LEONAY LEGEND: The late Ray Dukes.
Ray also played in nine NSW Opens at a time when it was regarded as one of the biggest events on our golfing calendar.
His on-course talents weren’t confided to just swinging clubs either.
He also served as the course superintendent at Leonay for 30 years (1964-94) and even worked as the stand-in secretary-manager five times, including one two-year stint.
And he once played an exhibition match with one of our greatest golfers, Billy Dunk.
That was in 1962 and in that year Ray hit a purple patch of form and took out Leonay’s ‘Triple Crown’, winning the A Grade singles, A Grade Foursomes (with his brother Kevin) and the A Grade mixed foursomes as well.
Across New South Wales, Ray Dukes recorded more than 100 Open event victories – a testament to his skill, consistency, and passion for the game.
More than the statistics, he will be remembered for his dedication, his love of the club, and the enormous contribution he made to Leonay Golf Club and the wider golfing community.
The post VALE – Ray Dukes first appeared on Inside Golf. Australia's Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers - FREE.
Article Link: https://www.insidegolf.com.au/people/vale-ray-dukes/