David J. Middleton, Sr.

David “Snake” Middleton moved to Thomasville in 1941 at the age of two, and lived most of his younger life in our community. As Class President, he would graduate from Thomasville High School as one of the top golfers to ever call the Rose City home.

At the age of 16, Middleton won the Glen Arven Club Championship, the youngest player to ever win that title. A four-year member of the varsity golf team at Thomasville High, he was named All-State his senior year of 1957, and led his Bulldog team to their first state championship in golf. In ‘56 and ‘57, he was runner-up in the Georgia State High School Golf Championship only to low medalist Tommy Aaron, who would later go on to win The Masters in 1973.

Middleton earned a golf scholarship from Florida State University, where he graduated with a Business degree in Finance. Upon graduation from FSU, he entered the US Navy where he served four years, earning the rank of Lieutenant. Middleton’s love for the game of golf, along with his desire to help the next generation of Seminole golfers, resulted in him leading an effort to improve the FSU golf facilities. Today, the $7 million state-of-the-art training facility, aptly named the David Middleton Golf Center, is the home of the Seminole Men’s and Women’s Golf teams.