Glen Odel Borland

Golfer

Glen Borland is truly a golfing legend in Southwest Missouri and beyond. Carthage Pro Mark Peterson states he is “definitely one of the best in the region and state”.

Known to his friends and competitors throughout Southwest Missouri, as “Squarehead”, Glen was born in Carthage in 1941 and grew up living across from the Carthage Golf Course when it consisted of only nine holes.

He started playing golf at age 10 or so, and began caddying about age 12 for 25 cents a round. He played a few holes nearly every day and by high school was the best young player around.

When he was a junior in 1958, the Tigers placed 3rd in the Missouri State High School tournament (when there was only one division). He graduated from CHS in 1959, and was the #1 player on the Big Nine Conference champion Tiger team. He doesn’t have many clippings and does not remember what places he finished in the state tournament.

After High School, “Square” played for Joplin Junior College and was runner up in the state junior college golf championship shooting 62-67-129. Later he and his partner finished sixth in the Junior College National Championship. Years later he won the senior division of the Missouri State Amateur Tournament when it was played at Twin Hills in Joplin, and was third on another occasion. His best score at Carthage Golf Course was 62, before the new nine was built, and he held the course record for many years. The best score he remembers was 62, and has
had 3 holes-in-one. As recently as 2000, he shot a 66 at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield. He is very humble about his golf achievements, but acknowledges he has “shot his age” many times.

Glen has won more tournaments than he can count. He estimates “about 50” over the years, but he never really kept track. Winning was all he was interested in, and he did that with regularity. A “scratch” golfer until about 10 years ago, he still plays to a “5 or 6” handicap. At age 72, he still lives in Carthage with wife Barbara. They have three boys Aaron, Eric, and Sean. He can still be found most days at Carthage Golf Course, often with brothers Joe and Gary, accomplished golfers themselves.