University of Memphis Athletics
Beth Harrelson Named Lady Tiger Women's Golf Coach
Aug 21, 2008 | Women's Golf
Aug. 21, 2008
Beth Harrelson, a lifelong Memphian and a former Lady Tiger letter winner in both golf and volleyball, has been hired as the new women's golf coach for the University of Memphis. Harrelson, a 1999 inductee into the M Club Hall of Fame, assumed her duties effective August 18 and will meet her team this weekend as student-athletes return to campus.
A graduate of Briarcrest High School, Harrelson signed a volleyball scholarship with the University of Alabama before deciding to attend the U of M. She arrived on campus in 1982 and played for coach Diane Hale during the fall season. After redshirting for a year, she made the transition to golf in 1984 and received the team's "Most Improved Player" Award following the 84-85 season. She competed in eight tournaments as a sophomore and made great strides in her game prior to her junior campaign.
Her stroke average improved dramatically during the 1985-86 season and she completed the season with the second lowest average among her Tiger teammates. In addition, with her strong play, Harrelson help the Lady Tigers to a fifth place finish at the Metro Conference Championship that same season. As a senior, Harrelson was selected as captain of her team and posted the team's lowest scoring average.
After graduating with a Journalism degree, Harrelson participated on the Futures Tour for two years before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona, to work as an assistant professional at the TPC of Scottsdale during the winter and at Stonebridge Golf Club during the remainder of the year.
In 1987, the talented player won the Memphis area Women's Golf Association tournament and the Double Eagle Golf Tournament. She was also the medalist in the 1988 Tennessee State Tournament.
She returned to Memphis permanently in 1990 and accepted as full-time position as the assistant pro at Stonebridge Golf Club. She became the golf instructor at Stonebridge in 1991 and held that position until 1998 when she moved to Quail Ridge Golf Club in Bartlett as the golf instructor. While working at Stonebridge Golf Club she earned her PGA Class A membership into the Professional Golfers Association in 1995.
The personable Harrelson remained at Quail Ridge GC for six years leaving in 2003 to become an instructor at Memphis National Golf Club in Collierville, TN. In addition to her duties as a teacher of the game at Memphis National, Harrelson became the head coach for St. Mary's High School in Memphis.
Harrelson, a 2006 inductee into the Briarcrest High School Sports Hall of Fame, and her husband Tim have three children, daughter Megan, who is a student at Arkansas State University, son Jon, who is a freshman at the University of Memphis and daughter Grace, age 10, is a student at Briarcrest.
