Eddie Merrins, “The Little Pro”

Eddie Merrins was known as “The Little Pro,” but there is nothing small about the legacy he left behind in the game of golf.
 
Merrins, the legendary PGA golfer, UCLA men’s golf coach, longtime teaching pro at Bel-Air Country Club and co-founder of Friends of Golf, passed away in 2023 and was posthoumously honored at FOG’s 44th annual charity golf tournament in October.
 
Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Nantz lent his voice to a beautiful tribute video (see link below) and Merrins’ son Mason spoke eloquently about his father at FOG’s post-tournament dinner. Former LPGA Tour standout and longtime broadcaster Dottie Pepper was the latest golf luminary to be honored with ‘The Eddie Merrins Trophy’ at FOG’s October tournament.
 
Merrins, who served as the head pro at Bel-Air CC from 1962-2003, famously taught the likes of Bing Crosby, George C. Scott, Dean Martin, Jack Nicholson and many other Hollywood stars during his professional teaching career.
 
In 1979, Merrins helped launch Friends of Golf, which has since donated over $12.5 million to both national and local college and high school golf teams and other golf-focused organizations. Additionally, FOG partners with the Golf Coaches Association of America and Colonial Country Club and The LPGA Foundation and Women’s Golf Coaches Association to annually honor the top collegiate male and female golfers with both The Ben Hogan Trophy and The Dinah Shore Trophy.