Brigid Shanley Lamb Named 2025 Distinguished Service Award Recipient

KENILWORTH, N.J. — New Jersey Golf and the New Jersey PGA Section are proud to announce that Brigid Shanley Lamb has been named the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award. First awarded in 2004, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have provided exemplary service and contributions to growing the game of golf in New Jersey, consistent with the honor, values, and traditions of the game.

For decades, Lamb has been a driving force in golf, both regionally and nationally. A past president of the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association (WMGA) during its centennial year, she has long been dedicated to opening doors for juniors and women in the game. Lamb’s leadership helped expand opportunities for young players, particularly through junior golf initiatives, and her work established lasting traditions such as the WMGA’s Judy Bell Award.

Her impact extended to the highest levels of the sport. Lamb served four years on the United States Golf Association (USGA) Executive Committee, chaired the Course Rating and Handicap and Regional Affairs committees, and played key roles on the Girls’ Junior and Women’s committees. She has officiated at some of golf’s most prestigious championships, including The Masters, U.S. Women’s Open, and U.S. Open. In recognition of her lifelong contributions, she was honored with the WMGA’s prestigious Judy Bell Award in 2006 and the USGA’s Ike Grainger Award in 2019.

Lamb graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1976 and she and her husband, James R. Lamb, a recently retired member of the New Jersey Seniors Golf Association Board of Trustees, are longtime members of Somerset Hills Country Club, where she served on the Board of Governors from 1996 to 2002. They are the proud parents of three children—Seamus, Sean, and Abigail—and grandparents to five.

Her connection to golf runs deep. Her father, Bernard M. Shanley, a prominent New Jersey lawyer and advisor in the Eisenhower White House, was instrumental in founding Roxiticus Golf Club. He instilled in Brigid both a love for the game and a commitment to giving back, values that have defined her life’s work.

“I love the game. I have worked hard for the game, but I never expected to have such wonderful recognition,” Lamb said. “Golf has given me so much, and from the beginning, my father taught me that giving back to the game is just as important as playing it. This award means a great deal to me—but it also belongs to the many mentors, colleagues, and friends who helped me along the way.”

“Brigid Shanley Lamb embodies everything this award represents,” said Kevin Purcell, Executive Director of New Jersey Golf. “Her leadership, generosity, and vision have helped shape the landscape of golf in New Jersey and beyond. She has inspired countless players, particularly juniors and women, to embrace the game and its traditions.”

The Distinguished Service Award will be formally presented to Lamb at the 2025 Celebration of Golf, held in collaboration with the New Jersey PGA at Canoe Brook Country Club on October 30, where the golf community will come together to honor her remarkable legacy. To purchase tickets for the event, please click here.

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