Nelson joins national coaches hall of fame

You might say this was the ultimate honor for Terry Nelson.

The longtime successful golf coach at Whitefish High School was inducted into the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame on June 21 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Nelson was the lone nomination from Montana to be inducted. All total, 20 coaches from around the U.S. joined the Hall of Fame in 2011 in various sports.

"I was really impressed with the ceremony and just how they handled it," Nelson said.

"It was awesome ... a class act how they did everything."

Nelson was notified of his selection in April by Ralph Halvorson of Great Falls. Halvorson is the head of the Montana Coaches Association.

Nelson was named NHSCA coach of the year in 2007.

"This is more of a lifetime achievement type of thing," Nelson said.

"A number of years of success, championships, that type of thing."

Nelson has coached the boys and girls golf teams to 23 state championships combined. He's had 17 girls and 11 boys earn college golf scholarships.

Nelson began coaching in 1985.

"I don't have any plans right now to stop," he said.

"I enjoy it.

"It (Hall of Fame) ranks right up there at the top," he said.

"Another thing I'm extremely proud of is 2007 I was honored by Golf Digest," he said.

"I was named the Individual Junior Golf Director in the country. This (Hall of Fame) is probably a little higher (honor)."

Nelson credits much of his success to the Whitefish Lake Golf Club "being a golf friendly golf course. It's easy to get kids involved, have programs for them. give them lots of opportunity to play.

"It's exciting to see any kid come along who has a love for the game and gets better, works at it. It's always fun."

Nelson was named the 2006 National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

He's a multi-winner of the Montana Coaches Association Coach of the Year award.