Austin native Jon Chaffee has played a lot of golf in his life and he’s now he’s been selected to the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame.

While he’s glad to be honored, the 1974 AHS grad also sees the other meaning behind being noticed.

“I think it’s great. But I guess it means I’m getting old,” said Chaffee. “It’s a nice honor and Minnesota golf has meant a lot to me.”

Chaffee, who played on the PGA tour for five years with three top-ten finishes, started golfing when he was just eight years old with his parents in Austin. Once he got on the greens, there wasn’t much stopping him.

“I was very fortunate to grow up in a small town with a private course,” Chaffee said. “Junior golfers had access and I played golf every day of the week. We had the course to ourselves, especially during the day when everyone was at work.”

Chaffee played on the Austin Packer golf team that won a state title in 1974 and he went on to play golf for the University of Texas, where he was a collegiate All-American. After he finished his time on the PGA Tour, he became a golf pro.

Chaffee now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he works in real estate and teaches golf at the Talking Stick Golf Club. He tries to get out and play as much as he can.

“I still like to play and I still like to compete. I still like it a lot,” Chaffee said.

Growing up in Austin, Chaffee said along with his parents, Ken Erickson, who was one of the best amateur golfers around, AHS head golf coach Klem Haugen and David Bonella, Jr., who was the Austin Country Club golf pro, all helped him immensely.

“I really appreciate what they did for me,” Chaffee said. “Without them I wouldn’t have gotten into golf.”

Chaffee won the 1973 Minnesota Golf Association Junior Championship and finishing runner-up in same event in 1974. Chaffee also finished third in the 1974 Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Championship and runner-up in 1975.

Once turned professional, Chaffee began to dominate the local Minnesota golf scene winning the Minnesota Golf Champions event three times 1982, 1983, and 1985, and the Minnesota State Open in 1988. Chaffee also won the Minnesota Section PGA Championship three consecutive times 1989–1991 and was named Minnesota Section PGA Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991.

Chaffee will be back in Austin for the Karl Potach Memorial Golf Day Aug. 20.