Ken Black was well known for his superb putting ability which he probably inherited from his golf pro father, David Black. One of Black’s most memorable victories came during the Vancouver Golden Jubilee Tournament at the Shaughnessy Golf Club in 1936, where he posted a record closing round of sixty-three, leaving the great Byron Nelson and many other top US golfers in his wake. As a result, Black was rated Canada’s #1 amateur golfer in 1937, by a Canadian Golfer Magazine survey. Black has been a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame since 1987.

He took the 1932 BC Open Championship, winning against every leading professional and amateur in the province, including his father. Then, he won the Vancouver City Amateur Championship six times (1937- 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946). Going on to win the BC Golf Association (BCGA) Amateur Championship in 1933, 1936 and 1939, he was selected to represent BC on nine consecutive Willingdon Cup teams from 1932 to 1946, winning in 1933, 1934 and 1936 (no matches held between 1940 and 1945). Ken played many exhibition matches including one with his idol, the great Bobby Jones in 1935. The match was won by Ken Back’s father, David Black and partner Don Sutherland.

In 1939, Ken became the first BC golfer to win the Canadian Amateur Championship (golfing out of the Capilano Golf Club). He attended his first Canadian Amateur Championship in 1929, and was runner up in 1933 and 1946. He won the Pacific Northwest Association Amateur Championship in 1933, 1934, and 1936 (was runner up in 1939 and 1945), then won the Western Canada Open (Norgan Trophy) in 1941. In 1945, he took the BC Closed Amateur Championship, defeating fellow Hall of Famer, Bill Mawhinney.