New Jersey Golf Hall of Fame Spotlight: August F. Kammer
KENILWORTH, N.J. - There are figures in the game whose stories are told through detail, through scorecards, headlines, and preserved moments. And then there are those whose impact is felt more quietly, woven into the early fabric of the game itself.
August F. Kammer belongs to the latter.
Long before modern championship calendars, before statewide structures took shape as we know them today, Kammer was setting a standard for what competitive golf in New Jersey could look like. His name appears in the record books often enough to demand attention, but it’s the timing of those accomplishments, how early they came, and how consistently they were achieved that defines his place in the state’s golf history.
In the mid-1920s, Kammer reached a level few have matched. From 1924 through 1926, he claimed three consecutive New Jersey Amateur Championships, a run that still stands as one of the most dominant stretches in the event’s history. Nearly a century later, only a handful of players have surpassed his total number of victories in the championship. In an era without the depth of fields or year-round competition structures seen today, sustained excellence required a different kind of resolve. One built on self-discipline, repetition, and a deep understanding of the game.
But Kammer’s story doesn’t stop with individual achievement.
It expands, most notably, through family.
Between 1926 and 1943, he partnered with his sons, August Jr. and Lowery, to win the New Jersey Father & Son Championship seven times. It’s a remarkable run not just for its longevity, but for what it represents. A continuity of the game passed from one generation to the next, played not only competitively, but collectively. At a time when the structure of family golf was still taking shape, the Kammer name became synonymous with it.
His success extended beyond New Jersey as well. As a young competitor, Kammer finished runner-up in the 1913 Metropolitan Amateur Championship, signaling early on that his game could stand alongside the region’s best. Decades later, he would return to that stage and capture the Metropolitan Senior Championship twice, in 1939 and 1941, proof of a competitive longevity that spanned generations of players.
At Baltusrol Golf Club, one of the state’s most historic venues, Kammer added another layer to his résumé, winning the club championship in both 1919 and 1921. It was a fitting setting for a player whose career so often intersected with the foundational years of organized golf in the region.
Yet, like many influential figures of his time, Kammer’s contributions weren’t limited to competition. In 1918, he served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Golf Association Handicap and Tournament Committee, playing a role in shaping the competitive structure of the game during a period of growth and definition. It’s a detail that offers a fuller picture, one of a player invested not only in winning, but in the integrity and development of the sport itself.
Today, as the game continues to evolve, with deeper fields, broader access, and more visibility than ever before, it can be easy to overlook the figures who helped build its earliest framework.
Kammer’s legacy is not defined by a single moment, but by consistency across decades, by success shared with family, and by a quiet influence that helped shape competitive golf in New Jersey during its formative years.
Nearly 100 years removed from his most dominant stretch, his name still carries weight.
And that, more than anything, is what endures.
Kammer will be posthumously inducted into the NJ Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday, April 22 at Upper Montclair Country Club. To purchase tickets for the event, click here.
NJ Golf Social Media
For the latest updates and news, visit njgolf.org or follow New Jersey Golf on Facebook, X and Instagram at @njgolf1900.
