Lief Carlson
Lief was born
in July 1953 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He did not
play golf until the summer before his senior year of
high school. With limited experience on the links he
did qualify for the State High School Tournament
that next spring. He played some in college, but not
very much.
Lief
worked as an assistant professional in Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin after graduating from the University of
Minnesota. After working as an assistant for 3 years
he applied and regained his amateur status over a
period of time. He started playing Chippewa Valley
Golf Association circuit in the early 1980’s with
his first tournament at Rolling Greens Golf Course
in Durand, Wisconsin. His first victory came in 1985
at Tanglewood Golf Course in Menomonie. Over his
career playing in the CVGA Lief has won12 titles
including 4 Tournament of Champions wins (1992,
1997, 1998, and 2000).
At
the state level, he has won the Minnesota Public
Links in 1991, a two Public Links Best Ball titles
with Greg Murphy ( also a Hall of Fame inductee this
year). Lief also has won a two Minnesota Golf
Association Best Ball titles with Mark Boettcher in
1994 and 1997 in addition to two Minnesota Senior
Best Ball titles with Greg Murphy in 2015 and 2017.
In 2008 and 2010 he won the Minnesota Senior Amateur
and was Senior Player of the year in 2012. Leif has
qualified and played in 15 USGA national events in 5
different decades.
Lief
has been a database and software developer since
leaving the golf business; he lives in Apple Valley
with his wife Cookie. In addition to golf, he has
bowled competitively since high school. In 1998 he
was elected to the Minneapolis bowling Hall of Fame.