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Portrait of Johnny Dawson

Johnny Dawson

1902 – 1986

Amateur golfer

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About Johnny Dawson

Lived 1902 – 1986 (aged 83). Johnny Dawson was an American golfer.

John W. Dawson (December 20, 1902

Career Dawson was born in Chicago, Illinois. Although he was a lifelong amateur golfer, his amateur status was rescinded by the United States Golf Association (USGA) for a time due to his employment with the Spalding sporting goods company. Dawson played on the winning 1949 Walker Cup team. He was also runner-up in 1958 U.S. Senior Amateur.

As a golf course architect, he designed and built Marrakesh Country Club, the Seven Lakes, Thunderbird, El Dorado, and La Quinta Country Clubs.

Dawson also won the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) amateur championship four times between 1942 and 1952.

Personal life Dawson lived in Palm Springs. He was married to the puppetteer Velma Wayne Dawson.

Awards and honors In 2007, Dawson was inducted into the SCGA Hall of Fame.

Amateur wins

1936 Trans-Mississippi Amateur 1942 California State Amateur, Southern California Amateur 1944 Southern California Amateur 1945 Southern California Amateur 1952 Southern California Amateur

Professional wins (3) Note: all wins were as an amateur

PGA Tour wins (1) 1942 Bing Crosby Pro-Am Source:

Other wins (2)

1935 Iowa Open 1942 California State Open

U.S. national team appearances Amateur Walker Cup: 1949 (winners)

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Important facts

People in Johnny Dawson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Johnny Dawson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Johnny Dawson?

Amateur golfer

When was Johnny Dawson born?

Johnny Dawson was born on 20 December 1902 in Chicago.

When did Johnny Dawson die?

Johnny Dawson died on 6 January 1986 in Palm Springs.

What was Johnny Dawson's occupation?

Johnny Dawson was a golfer.

What nationality was Johnny Dawson?

Johnny Dawson was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Johnny Dawson

· Wikidata: Q16011555

· DBpedia: Johnny Dawson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Johnny Dawson. https://biography.guide/johnny-dawson/

MLA: "Johnny Dawson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/johnny-dawson/.

Chicago: "Johnny Dawson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/johnny-dawson/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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