Texas Golf Legend Raymond Hibler Continues His Legacy at Robson Ranch

DENTON -- You wouldn’t have known that Raymond Hibler did an amazing thing recently, because he wouldn’t have mentioned it. At 87, the former amateur golf champion posted a score of 71 at the Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch -- 1 below par and 16 strokes under his age."Oh," he says, "it’s all a bit embarrassing."A fixture of the amateur golf scene for over half a century, Hibler, now 88, has had an impact on countless golfers in Texas and beyond. His skill and modesty on the greens reflect the generosity and quiet strength that have permeated all aspects of his life, his friends and family say."If you say ‘Ray Hibler,’ anyone from the area will say, 'Oh yeah, I remember Ray!'" says Roger Martinez, director of golf operations at Wildhorse. "What they don’t know: One, Ray is still alive, and two, Ray is still shooting incredible scores on the golf course."A lifelong athlete, the Bertram, Texas, native was awarded a full athletic scholarship in 1949 to play baseball and basketball at Hardin-Simmons University, where he majored in physical education.And where he had a head-over-heels meet-cute with a young woman named Rolande Kemp. "We were playing night-time volleyball," he says, "and I knocked down this little ol' crazy blonde trying to get a shot."The two were married in 1953. After graduation, Hibler continued with physical education, coaching at Abilene High School and Fort Bliss -- where he was stationed after being drafted -- and at El Paso High School.In the early 1960s, Hibler decided to try something different. He bought a local auto parts business, which he named HIB Automotive.  Continue reading...