Awards dinners are always nice. You get to enjoy some great camaraderie, a good meal and seeing some of the finest people in the industry that are giving out the awards.

That’s the way it was at the Carolinas PGA’s annual get-together and Hall of Fame induction last weekend at Myrtle Beach.

For local flavor, there was Dean Allgeyer, the multi-award-winning general manager at Beacon Ridge Golf & Country Club, located in Seven Lakes.

Also, the invocation was presented by Chip King, the former general manager at Pine Needles Resort, who is now serving in that capacity at Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville.

Allgeyer is becoming accustomed to receiving these awards, having already been honored with the President’s Plaque and the Bill Strausbaugh Award in previous years. This time he was accepting the Horton Smith Trophy, giving him a triple crown of sorts.

It was a moving experience for Allgeyer, who was accompanied by his wife, Stacey, daughter Hanna and son Anderson, as well as his parents.

The Horton Smith Trophy is awarded to the PGA professional who continually exhibits a commitment to the development and improvement of golf education for the PGA Golf Professional.

Allgeyer was introduced by Karl Kimball and was cited for “continuing education as a PGA professional making persistent contributions to learning programs and growth of the game in the Carolinas PGA Section.”

Allgeyer has also aided the Wounded Warrior Project, Back Pack Pals, Sandhills Community College and the Susan G. Komen Foundation in fundraising efforts as well as volunteering at nonprofit and educational institutions.

“Winning the Bill Strausbaugh Award three years ago was a great experience, but I never expected it to come this far,” Allgeyer said in an earlier interview. “I’ve always tried to learn something new each day and pass that on to fellow PGA professionals to help them further their own knowledge and education. I never thought it would to turn into something like this, and I’m deeply humbled.”

Also honored at the dinner were Bob Boyd as Senior Player of the Year; Larry Boswell as Senior Associate Player of the Year; Curt Sanders of Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington as winner of the Johnny Palmer Trophy and the Bob Boyd Player of the Year; Daniel Seawell of Sage Valley Golf Club as Private Club Merchandiser of the Year; Stephen Younger of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort as Resort Club Merchandiser of the Year; Shannon Archer of Hilton Head Island National Golf Club as Public Merchandiser of the Year; Tim Tilma of Sandpiper Bay Golf and Country Club in Calabash with the Bill Strausbaugh Award; Chris Miller of the South Carolina Golf Association as Junior Golf Leader; Rick Murphy of Carolinas Golf Practice & Learning Center in Greensboro as the Palmer Maples Teacher of the Year; John Farrell of Harbour Town Golf Links as winner of the President’s Plaque; Mike Abraham, former assistant professional at the Members Club at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach and now head professional at the redesigned Pine Lakes Country Club as Assistant Professional of the Year; and Ben Hynson of MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary as Golf Professional of the Year.

Westbrook’s induction into the Hall of Fame was a popular one. A former all-Navy golfer, he began his career in golf as an assistant professional in Tennessee 41 years ago. He joined Florence (S.C.) Country Club, then moved to Charlotte as a head professional and later became director of golf at Carmel Country Club. After a 41-year career, he retired three years ago.

During his tenure at Carmel, he mentored 24 assistants who moved on to successful head professional careers and singles that out as his most rewarding achievement as a PGA professional.

Westbrook was honored several times by the Carolinas Section, receiving the Strausbaugh Award in 1997. He also received the Merchandiser of the Year Award in 1981 and was Professional of the Year in 1986. His crowning achievement as a player came in 1981 when he won the Carolinas Open.

“I’m flabbergasted that I was chosen,” the humble Westbrook told the audience.

Westbrook joins an elite list of former CPGA members in the Hall of Fame, including Dugan Aycock, Henry Picard, Donald Ross, Clayton Heafner, J. Fairley Clark, Palmer Maples, Buck Adams, E. Harvie Ward, Roger Watson, Jim Ferree and Don Padgett.