On Friday, November 18, 2005, the Florida State Golf Association inducted Charlie Bedford into its prestigious Hall of Fame as a part of the first five to receive such an honor. The ceremony was held at Palma Ceia Country Club in Tampa in conjunction with the Annual Dinner.
Born in Baltimore, Charlie Bedford moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1939 and graduated from St. Petersburg High School. Golf was not his sport of choice just yet as he was a member of the state high school basketball championship team. He went on to attend the University of Florida and graduated with a degree in Engineering. Upon graduation, Charlie joined General Electric Company for 38 years and after moving many times, he and his wife Theresa returned to Tampa and retired. 
Charlie began volunteering because his wife told him to find something to do and "stay out of the kitchen." Without much of a background playing golf or in golf administration, Charlie joined the FSGA and got involved with the association in 1989. He attended a Rules School and started conducting tournaments with then Executive Director Cal Korf. In the early years, Charlie and Jim Witherspoon, former Director of Rules and Competitions, traveled the state administering tournaments. Some weeks, they would be on the road five days and this was just a volunteer position for Charlie. He continued to volunteer his time for more than 17 years. He served as a Board Member and Tournament Chairman through the years, attended over 15 Rules Schools and volunteered at more than 300 tournaments. He was even involved in course rating for many years.
He was extremely involved with the United States Golf Association as well, serving as a USGA Committee Member for ten years, and he has officiated four US Opens, six US Amateurs, seven US Senior Opens, and ten US Amateur Public Links Championships.
For all his hard work and commitment to the game of golf, Charlie was recognized with the 1995 and 2000 Volunteer-of-the-Year award, which would later be known as the Charlie Bedford Award in honor of his impact on Florida golf. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for a lifetime of dedication to the game.
