Joel Hirsch
August 9, 2000
Joel Hirsch has been in the insurance business since 1963 upon gratuation from the University of Illinois with a BS in Finance, majoring in Insurance. In 1984, he expanded his operation into real estate and is President of St. Andrews Properties, Inc.
Mr. Hirsch attended the University of Houston for 1-1/2 years on a golf scholarship. He also spent 1 semester at Wright Junior College before transferring to the University of Illinois for his junior and senior year. There he received a golf scholarship and played on Ralph Fletcher's 1963 Illini golf team where he place 5th at the season-ending Big 10 conference meet. As an undergraduate at Illinois, Mr. Hirsch was also a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.
Mr. Hirsch is on the Executive Committe of the Western Golf Association, the Board of the Maccabiah Sports for Israel, on the Board of Hook A Kid on Golf, and Chairman of the Sunshine Through Golf Capital Campaign. He has played in 31 USGA events, including 6 U.S. Senior Open Championships plus 8 British Senior Open Championships. The highlights of his golf career are:
- Winning the 1981 British Amateur Championship at St. Andrews
- Winning the 1996 and 2000 British Senior Amateur Championships
- Low Amateur at the 1998 U.S. Senior Open
- Low Amateur in the 1992 and 1993 Senior British Opens
- Winning the 1988 and 1989 Illinois State Amateur Championships
- Winning the 1988 and the 1998 Chicago District Golf Association Amateur Championships
He has played in four Western Open Championships, most recently in 1999, where he was the oldest qualifier for a PGA Tour Event at age 58.
In business, Mr. Hirsch holds the National Quality Award for excellence in service to clients. The award is sponsored by the life insurance industry. He is also a life and repeating qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table. He is the President of Saint Andrews Properties, Inc., a real estate firm that owns and operates shopping centers.
Mr. Hirsch hasn't forgotten the University of Illinois. He is a member of the President's Council, however, his primary interest is golf, of course. He has gifted the Joel S. Hirsch Golf Scholarship and he is a consular circle level donor. He has also generously given to the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and the University of Illinois Foundation.
