This is the third in a five-part series on the LA Tech Athletics Hall of Fame Class.
By Amber Barker
Beating legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus in a round ranks high as an unforgettable experience for Roy Pace as a collegiate golfer. But he would go on to make a name for himself in the world of golf for more than just that time.
“One of the more memorable times was when I played in the New Orleans Open as a college kid and amateur. I beat Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus in the first round, didn’t beat them in the tournament but the first round I did,” Pace recalled.
Pace, who will become the first Bulldog golfer to be enshrined in the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame next month, would go on to add other memories and successes to his name, including capturing the Gulf States Conference individual title in 1960, 1961 and 1962. And he still holds the school record (tied) with the lowest single round of 62 at the 1962 Louisiana Tech Invitational. Learning of his induction came as a shock.
“I got a call from the AD (Dr. Eric A. Wood), and he informed me I was going to be inducted. I was elated; it was totally unexpected,” said Pace. “I was just elated they would think of that for me especially since they informed me I was the first golfer, so that is special.”
Setting out to be in the Hall of Fame wasn’t a goal of Pace’s, but it has been a welcome reward.
“It just means you’re being recognized for something you accomplished out of the ordinary in whatever you’ve done. What it means to me is there will be room for another one and that I won’t be the last – some other deserving young man will be recognized,” he said.
Then the 81-year-old added with a laugh: “They almost waited a little too long. But it never crossed my mind. It was a total surprise.”
Education and the opportunity to be coached by one of the greats attracted Pace to Tech.
“The reason I went to Tech was because I wanted to take engineering. I had a couple of offers from other schools, but they didn’t have my degree,” he recalled. “That’s what interested me is I could play golf and get my degree.”
Which he did in mechanical engineering.
“I was pretty set on taking engineering, and I wasn’t thinking of a golf career,” Pace said. “I’m thankful and proud I got that engineering degree; I didn’t go just to play golf. I also learned to solve problems and it helped me with golf.”
And the special relationship he and his teammates had with HOF and coaching legend Coach Joe Aillet made the experience complete.
“Coach Aillet was the golf coach; football was his thing, but he loved golf. The first thing I thought was Coach Aillet would like that,” Pace said of learning about the honor. “He coached me, saw me all the way through – was an inspiration to me, not just for golf, but was a good leader for me.”
Aillet led Pace and the team – traveling in a crowded station wagon to matches and all – to multiple conference titles. And the friendships built then, on and off the green, lasted longer than their collegiate playing careers.
“We had a team that was all together, and we were buddies. To me it was also the camaraderie of the school, a lot of my friends weren’t golfers, they were engineers; I developed friendships that I’ve kept through the years,” he said.
Working on his engineering degree opened doors for Pace’s professional career, as he spent his summers as an engineer in training working for Texaco in East Texas.
“I would work during the week and play golf on the weekends,” he reminisced. “The last couple of years I started winning tournaments all over East Texas and Louisiana, and I really liked it; I thought I’d like to play the tour and if I like it, I will stay with it, if not I’ll go back to engineering.”
And like it he did.
For more than a decade Pace participated on the PGA Tour where he recorded 10 Top 15 finishes, including winning the 1971 Magnolia Classic in Hattiesburg. He finished between 60-100 for five straight years. While he didn’t make it “big time” he recalled, more doors did open. He got married, worked for two summers at Wee Burn Country Club in Connecticut in between playing, then became the club’s golf professional for 25 years before retiring. He was also enshrined as a member of the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame for “Distinguished Golf Achievement” and was named the 1987 Metropolitan PGA Golf Professional of the Year.
Upon retirement, Pace owned and operated Alpine Target Golf Center – a lighted driving range and lighted nine-hole, par-3 golf course in East Texas – until he sold it in 2016. To think, this success all stemmed from an unwavering desire to pursue engineering and play golf for a collegiate program, a program he has continued to follow.
“I have kept in touch with the golf coach – he’s been great – and watched the team recently play. I’ve gone over and spoken to the team about my experience,” he said. “It’s a little different – they’ve got a beautiful facility, big schedule, they fly all over the place – but it’s still golf.”
It’s the same sport, and one in which Pace finds himself still heavily involved. In 2005 he helped start The First Tee of The Piney Woods – a youth organization that teaches life skills through the game of golf. There are more than 500 youth who participate and five locations in East Texas. He also created Wee Links – a par-3, six-hole course with extra-large holes for little kids to play. The course only takes up an acre and is an inexpensive way to introduce golf to kids. Pace continues to coach and give lessons and pass on his years of knowledge.
“To me it’s a game you can never perfect, but it teaches good moral things; you have to deal with adversity, good times and bad times,” he said.
“You become very close to these youngsters and feel that you are a big part of their lives. Seeing them come along from the beginning and get excited, become good players, a lot have gotten scholarships; to see these kids go on and have success, kinda like what I did – it means a lot.”
The induction ceremony will take place Friday, Oct. 7 on Karl Malone Court at the Thomas Assembly Center. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the reception starting at 6 p.m. and the ceremony beginning at 7 p.m.
Tickets are still available. Ticket prices are $50 for one ticket or $400 for a table of eight. Any interested can click HERE.
