Induction intro presented by Pat Norton, Tufts hockey coach and PE golf instructor

"This may surprise many of you, but the sport of golf used to have quite a presence at Tufts in the middle of the 20th Century. Did you know there was actually a golf course on the Medford campus? It was a six-hole course built entirely by students and finished in 1924. It spanned nearly the entire downhill section of the Medford campus.

Ironically, just as that course was being removed to make way for new academic buildings, a young golfer from Beverly, Massachusetts named Barrie Bruce arrived at Tufts in 1959. Despite the absence of a home course, Barrie would go on to become one of the greatest golfers in Tufts history.

Barrie’s love for the game was born at an early age. He fondly recalls hitting golf balls in the winter with his father Edgar at Long Beach in Gloucester. By his teenage years, Barrie was already making a name for himself, finishing runner-up in the Massachusetts Junior Championship in the mid-1950s. Always known as a consistent golfer, Barrie once said, “When I played, I had a pretty good idea where the ball was going to wind up.”….That’s more than most of us can say!

Following in the footsteps of his older brother Laurie, also a Tufts golfer, Barrie enrolled at Tufts and quickly made an impression. In his first year, he won a student tournament organized by Tufts legend Fish Ellis—now a fellow Hall of Famer—and soon joined the varsity golf team, coached by another Tufts great, Woody Grimshaw.

Freshmen were not allowed to compete against other schools in those days, but after winning the student tournament in his first year, Barrie would quickly become the #1 player on the team as a sophomore. In 1961, he shot a 71 at Metacomet Country Club to become the individual medalist at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championship, leading Tufts to the team title. Later that same year, Barrie also led the Jumbos to the Greater Boston League Championship. The following year, Bruce then led Tufts to another New England Championship, and those back-to-back titles stand as the only Tufts wins at the tournament in the 90-year history of the event. Barrie was the only Tufts golfer ever to win NEIGA Championship medalist honors.
 
In 1962 and 1963, Barrie qualified individually to play in the NCAA Tournament, traveling to Duke University in 1962 and Wichita State in 1963. Just one year before, a pretty well-known Ohio State Buckeye named Jack Nicklaus had played in this same tournament.
 
Besides his many accomplishments in golf, Barrie had another interesting and noteworthy achievement at Tufts. In 1963, he was a founding member of the now nationally-renowned a cappella singing group -- the Beelzebubs.

After Tufts, golf remained central to Barrie’s life. He won the Massachusetts State Amateur Championship in 1967 and, though he ultimately chose not to pursue the PGA Tour—citing putting as his one weakness—he turned his focus to teaching. While working as a math teacher in Billerica, he began offering lessons at the newly opened Billerica Country Club. His warmth, enthusiasm, and love for the game helped him become one of the most respected golf instructors in the region. In 2005, Barrie was named one of Golf Magazine’s 100 Best Teachers. Among his many students was Geoffrey Sisk, who went on to a successful career on the PGA Tour.

Now 83 years old, Barrie is still teaching golf in Billerica – so if anyone out there is interested in shaving some strokes off their game and spending some time with a Tufts Hall of Famer, please see Barrie later tonight. 
 
The first Tufts golfer to be inducted into our Hall of Fame, please join us in welcoming a remarkable athlete, teacher, and Jumbo—Barrie Bruce."