{"id":77736,"date":"2026-08-28T16:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T20:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=77736"},"modified":"2026-08-28T16:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T20:49:19","slug":"herbert-dixon-black-golf-pioneer-dies-at-106","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2026\/08\/28\/herbert-dixon-black-golf-pioneer-dies-at-106\/","title":{"rendered":"Herbert Dixon, Black Golf Pioneer, Dies at 106"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herbert Dixon, a pioneering Black professional golfer, Hall of Famer, and revered Polk County sports legend, passed away on August 21, 2026, at the age of 106.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a5b27b\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"451\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unnamed-11.webp?fit=799%2C451&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-77737 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a5b27b; aspect-ratio:1.771649086699254;width:369px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unnamed-11.webp 799w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unnamed-11-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unnamed-11-767x433.webp 767w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Life &amp; Career Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Humble Beginnings:<\/strong> Born on September 16, 1919, Dixon moved to Bartow at age eight. He fell in love with golf at age 14 while working as a caddie at Bartow Golf Course, practicing behind the caddie shack during segregation when Black players were barred from regular play.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Success:<\/strong> Competing on the United Golfers Association (UGA) circuit in the 1940s and 1950s, Dixon won over 50 tournaments. His landmark victory came in 1951, when he won the <strong>National Negro Open Championship<\/strong>, snapping PGA legend Charlie Sifford\u2019s five-year winning streak.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Longevity &amp; Legacy:<\/strong> Even into his late 90s and 100s, Dixon continued to play regularly at Bartow Golf Course. The driving range at Bartow Golf Course and Herbert Dixon Boulevard were both named in his honor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hall of Fame Inductions:<\/strong> Dixon was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame (1998), the African American Golfers Hall of Fame (2012), and the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame (2019).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Services &amp; Memorial<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celebration of Life services are scheduled for September 4 (6:00\u20138:00 PM) and September 5 (11:00 AM), with final location details to be announced by his family and community leaders.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Herbert Dixon, a pioneering Black professional golfer, Hall of Famer, and revered Polk County sports legend, passed away on August 21, 2026, at the age of 106. 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