b'In 1955, Pat was at the top of her game. In July, she won the Womens Western Amateur, and a few weeks later won the U.S. Womens Amateur. Pat graduated from Seattle University in 1956, where she was a member of the Kappa Gamma Pi honor society. Graduation would have been the time for Lesser to join the LPGA Tour, but she did not. I never considered turning pro, she would later say. I always wanted to get married and have children. John and Pat Harbottle would have five children, 15 grandchildren, and to date seven great-grandchildren. Their oldest, John Harbottle III, was a well-known course designer who worked with Pete and Alice Dye before starting his own firm. Courses in Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon, California bear his imprint, the most notable being Palouse Ridge in Pullman, Wash, and the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain in Bremerton, Wash.The most tragic event of Harbottles long life was John IIIs sudden death in May 2012 of cardiac arrest at age 53. John III also was a founder of First TeeSouth Puget Sound. Their youngest child, Rob Harbottle, is the PGA director of golf at BanBury Golf Course in Eagle, Idaho, a course designed by his late brother.After she married, Harbottle stopped playing nationally except for a few USGA senior events. However, she continued to compete locally. She and John were members of Tacoma Country and Golf Club since the 1960s and for decadesTop-left: Pat Harbottle had her husband John Harbottle II caddie for dominated club competition. Pat won the TC&GC clubher at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club senior womens championship championship 23 times from 1965 to 2016, the last at age 83in 2016. That year, at the age of 83, Pat won her 23rd and final club with her husband John II serving as her caddie.championship. A fine player in his own right, John II would also be inductedTop-right: Pat on July 7, 2022, at the media day held at Chambers into the Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame. Bay for that years U.S. Womens Amateur. Shes holding the Always giving back to the game, Pat offered her experiencechampionships magnificent trophy, on which her name appears. wherever she could. At the 2007 U.S. Girls Junior, held that year at(Photo by Victoria Davis)her home club of Tacoma Country and Golf Club, Pat volunteeredAbove: After her son John IIIs sudden passing in 2012, Pat and her at the registration table, as a walking scorer, and as a coursefamily were on hand to accept his posthumous Local Legend award, marshal, for a national championship she had won 57 years earlier.given that year by the Northwest Golf Media Association. Left to right Along with her induction into the Pacific Northwest Golf Hallare Pats grandson John IV, granddaughter Chelsea, daughter-in-law of Fame, Pat is also a member of the Washington Sports andTeresa, Pat, and husband John II. Seattle University Sports halls of fame. Since 2014, Pats home club of Tacoma has hosted the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational, a collegiate tournament held each fall and hosted by her alma mater, Seattle University. She will be missed by the regions golf community. Patrick Hand of Global Golf Post contributed to this article. SEPT 2025|PACIFIC NORTHWEST GOLFER21'