Tom Lane grew up across the street from the third green at Race Brook Coun- try Club and next door to Robert D. Pryde, a fellow Hall of Famer who is considered by many to be the father of Connecticut golf.
It’s no surprise that Lane was imbued with the joys and values of golf early in life. As a caddie at Race Brook, then a competitive amateur player, and later as a patron and supporter of the game, Lane embodied Pryde’s reverence for golf as a way of life. He has been president of his home club (1980-81), the CSGA (1993-94) and the New England Golf Association (2004). Today, at 81, he re- mains active in his club and as a CSGA and NEGA official.
Lane was an accomplished player at his course, and qualified for and played in the U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills (OK) CC in 1965, but his election to the Hall of Fame mostly reflects his be- hind-the-scenes support of the game. His dignity, enthusiasm and hard work over decades have made him an important ambassador of the game.
Like many of his generation, Lane gained a foundation in golf from his early years of caddying. He began toting bags at Race Brook at about 13, and after years of sneaking onto the back nine to play after dinner, he joined the club as a junior member in 1957. He has remained a member for a remarkable 55 years.
He won the club championship in 1963 and many best ball tournaments over the years.
Lane’s involvement with the CSGA began in 1974 when he was elected to the Executive Committee. He served as vice president and chairman of the tournament and membership committees.
He became involved in the NEGA in 1994, was the CSGA representative to the organization in 1997-98, and was elected to the Executive Committee in 1999. He moved through the chairs and served as president in 2004. Lane not only learned to play golf at Race Brook, he also learned to skate on the pond next to the second hole. This led to a career as a goalie for the hockey teams at Hillhouse High School and Boston College. He also played on the golf team at Hillhouse and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
After college, Lane served two years in the Army, then went to work as an engineer at Sargent Company in New Haven. In 1959, he began work at Shelton Roofing Company. Seven years later, he purchased the company and served as its president until retiring in 1994. The offer at Shelton Roofing was a result of his days caddying for the owner.
Tom and his wife Dorothy have a son Daniel and two daughters Katherine and Sarah.
