Lissa Bradford

Lissa Bradford (born Melissa Hampton Bradford, October 23, 1962), is an American PGA golf professional, golf administrator, and former collegiate golf coach and player who was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 2024. A two-time Tennessee Women’s Amateur champion, Bradford served for 29 years as Director of Junior Golf for the Tennessee Golf Foundation (TGF). The TGF's Junior Golf Academy was one of the first in the nation to organize youth summer golf camps which, as of 2018 had introduced more than 15,000 youngsters to the sport. Some campers grew up to be noted tour players including: Shaun Micheel (2003 PGA Championship); David Gossett (US Amateur winner and PGA Tour winner); and Blades Brown who at age 16 broke Bobby Jones' record as the youngest medalist at stroke play in U.S. Amateur history. Bradford received the Tennessee PGA Distinguished Career Award in 2024.

Concurrently with her junior golf career, Bradford was head coach of Belmont University’s women’s golf team for nearly two decades (2001–2020), and is credited for transforming the Bruins into perennial NCAA golf contenders. She received awards by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association’s (WGCA) and the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA). She served on the NCAA Women’s Golf Committee and the rules committee for championship events.

Early career

Born in Nashville, Bradford grew up in a golfing family. Her mother, also called "Lissa", was a ten-time club champion at Belle Meade Country Club and was a member the Vanderbilt Alumni Athletic Committee credited with adding golf and soccer to the list of women's sports at Vanderbilt. In high school at Nashville's Harpeth Hall School, the daughter Bradford won the TSSAA State Championship as a senior.

She attended the University of Alabama where she was captain of the golf team for two years (1984,1985) and made the Southeastern Conference All-Academic team. During this time, she won two Tennessee Women's Amateur Titles (1983,1985), and qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1983.

Tennessee Golf Foundation

In 1995, Bradford became Director of the Junior Golf Program at the Tennessee Golf Foundation (TGF) dedicating much of her career to its development with assistance from colleagues Dick Horton and Vince Gill. Bradford said, "I loved the opportunity to grow the game for kids from age 4 up to college age, and to provide the golf opportunities I wish I'd had growing up". As of 2024, it included a par three golf course, a 64 bed dormitory and dining hall for junior campers; also administrative facilities at The Golf House Tennessee. Musician Vince Gill raised over $8 million for junior golf by hosting an annual golf tournament, "The Vinny Pro-Celebrity Golf Invitational."

Bradford was honored with the PGA’s 2024 Distinguished Career Award, recognizing her significant contributions to junior golf. In December 2019, she also received the Women's Golf Coaches Association's (WGCA) Kim Evans Award for her dedication to the game through teaching, coaching, and community involvement.

Belmont University

While managing the junior golf program, Bradford took on an additional job in 2001 as head women's golf coach at Belmont University, a position she held for nearly two decades. She was the program's third head coach. 2019 Tennessee Section PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award 2024 PGA Distinguished Career Award 2024 Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame Special Olympics golf rules Official