John Rachetto

Biography

John Rachetto was elected to the SDGA Hall of Fame in 1977, chosen to be a part of the inaugural class of golfing greats. John was the first golfer from west of the Missouri River to win a South Dakota state championship. John, the winner of countless tournaments in the Black Hills area, captured the first of his three SDGA Match Play titles in 1937. He followed with Match Play titles in 1941 and again in 1951. And it wasn’t until 1967, when George Meyers of Rapid City won, that a golfer from the Black Hills area won another men’s SDGA Championship. John also won a pair of SDGA Senior Championships in the 70-over division. In the winter, John didn’t stay idle waiting for the golf season. He worked for years at Terry Peak near Deadwood as a ski instructor, a job he held at the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame at the age of 73.

SDGA Championships