Golf enthusiast Arthur Ziadie hailed as a true public servant
Former Senator Herbert Arthur ‘Turo’ Ziadie, the stalwart figure in Jamaican golf who passed away in Canada on Thursday morning, has been lauded as an excellent leader, true philanthropist and public servant.
He was 87.
Ziadie was born in St Andrew on November 11, 1934, to parents Aston and Reima, and later received an education at Jamaica College.
The longest-serving president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) from 1989 to 2002, he also led the Caribbean Golf Association in the 1990s.
Ziadie was instrumental in sourcing sponsorship for each qualifying event, as well as for the Jamaica Open, one of the Caribbean’s longest-running tournaments.
The development of junior golf was also significant during his time at the helm of the association.
In 2018, he was awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer for his contribution to the sport.
JGA President Jodi Munn-Barrow told The Gleaner yesterday that throughout her golfing career, Ziadie was a mentor and one of her biggest supporters.
“When I took over this role as president of the association, he was one of the people that I named as having one of the largest shoes to fill, of those who have been there before me. Today, I was in a golf tournament and I could not even concentrate. It’s so hard to know that we have lost such a stalwart in the game of golf,” she said.
Munn-Barrow added that it is even more difficult given the fact that the Caribbean Golf Association had approved Ziadie’s induction into its Hall of Fame and he will not be alive to receive and acknowledge the honour.
In a July 1989 Gleaner article, Ziadie outlined the importance of golf to national development, describing it as the second largest sports employer after horse racing and a great builder of character.
“It requires perseverance, provides an important recreational outlet and provides our youth with the means to learn important values such as dedication, cooperation and the value of discipline,” Ziadie had said.
During the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships, teams compete for the Arthur Ziadie Trophy, which is won by the best overall team.
Outstanding president
Former JGA Vice-President David Mais said that Ziadie was an outstanding president of the association, who represented golfers well regionally.
“During the time that he was the marketing manager of Desnoes & Geddes (D&G), he was able to focus a lot of his advertising budget on sports. Sports really benefited from his presence on the senior management team of D&G and he was at the front and centre of a number of very well-organised golf events,” said Mais, adding that he was grateful for every opportunity to work with him.
Ziadie had excellent leadership qualities, according to Mais, and a very active life contributing to the Senate and the boards of various organisations.
Mais, who is also a former tournament director, said Ziadie offered his full support for the promotion of the Jamaica Open, an annual golf tournament for local and foreign professionals.
“Not many people know this, but one of the great accomplishments for Arthur Ziadie was his foresight, in that he rescued Caymanas Golf and Country Club from a bush pasture. He put a lot of effort into rehabilitating that golf course and to date, it is one of the best golf courses in Jamaica and in the Caribbean,” Mais remarked.
In December 1983, Ziadie was appointed a government senator and served for six years.
He was also a former chairman of the Urban Development Corporation and Montego Freeport Limited.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness expressed sadness at Ziadie’s passing, saying that Jamaica has lost a true nation-builder.
“Turo Ziadie was committed to the democratic process and the development of Jamaica at large. Turo Ziadie was a long-standing member of the Jamaica Labour Party, who offered his services generously without hesitation,” Holness said.
The prime minister added that although Ziadie has a lifetime of achievements, he believed his children were his greatest blessing.
Holness said they will undoubtedly continue his legacy of contributing to Jamaica.
Ziadie leaves behind wife Karen and three sons.