Charles “Chuck” Hunter was a prominent Tacoma attorney and one of the Northwest’s finest amateurs during the heydays of the 1920’s and 1930’s. He was one of the City of Destiny’s all-time greatest golfers, winning Tacoma’s City Championship 10 times in 15 attempts between 1931 and 1945.

A tall, well-built and handsome fellow, Chuck Hunter made a golf ball soar to his tune. He was a great swinger of the club and master of all shots in the bag, amazing the galleries with precise ball-striking. Hunter crossed state and international boundaries to win major amateur tournaments in Washington, California and British Columbia.

So why didn’t Chuck Hunter win more titles? Because he was dedicated to the legal profession, loyal to his clients, and a fine friend to many. Also, he was perhaps too nice a guy on the links to defeat the likes of such steely competitors as Doc Willing, Frank Dolp, Rudie Wilhelm and Don Moe. Indeed, Hunter’s friends felt that most of his losses were out of sympathy for opponents. Said one, “He lacked the killer instinct that all great players must possess.” Hunter seemed to enjoy the company of his adversaries instead of being a cold-blooded opponent.

In July 1929, while attending the University of Washington, Hunter teamed with Mortie Dutra to win the Northwest Pro-Amateur Team Championship at Tacoma Country & Golf Club. The two had to make a “Hagen Finish,” scoring 70-67 to overcome the team of Curley Hueston and Art Pease, representing the Gyro Club in Seattle. Hunter repeated the feat in 1932 with Gordon Richards as his partner.

During the 1930’s, Hunter would emerge periodically from his law practice to show he still had the stuff of champions. Fircrest’s Bill Yost, the 1927 Washington State Men’s Amateur champion, and Hunter had many memorable battles for Tacoma’s City Amateur title over the decade.