But that was just one of the achievements of a man who commanded huge respect and admiration and was a finalist in the Yorkshire Amateur Championship in 1972, losing to Mike Holliday of Garforth, and also in 1976, when he was defeated by Gordon Brand of Baildon who went on to enjoy success on the professional circuit.
In addition, John collected the John Bairstow Trophy after winning the Yorkshire Stroke Play title in 1979.
But in the Calderdale area it is as a long standing player and official with the Halifax and Huddersfield Union that he is best known.
His father Albert was club professional at Dewsbury and the youthful Crawshaw caddied at the club as he learned the basics of the game, but he did not take it up seriously until he was 13.
However, he then made rapid progress and in 1960 won the Lightcliffe Trophy as a junior, a feat which heralded a long career of landing silverware at many levels.
Within two years he had reached the final of the Union Match Play Championship, losing at the second extra hole at the Ogden venue which was later to become his home course, and his opponent that day was Geoff Horrocks-Taylor, who was later to become a great friend.
John was a Union scratch team regular for more than 20 years and was Union Match Play champion in 1971, 1974, 1978 and 1979, and landed the PS Cockroft Trophy in 1991.
He was also a winner of the organisation's foursomes title, partnering Peter Cockroft to glory in 1974 and David Clegg to the title in 1990, and he was Halifax Area champion in 1975, 1979 and 1980.
John was also keen to put something back into the game he loved and was Union President in 1992 before being elected as vice president in 1995.
Halifax GC was his home club and he was captain there in 1984.
He also helped the Ogden club to no less than seven Halifax and Huddersfield Union Scratch Team championships and two Foursomes titles, and in addition was in the Halifax GC team which won the Yorkshire Inter-Club foursomes title on three occasions, once with Horrocks-Taylor and twice with Cockroft.
Later in life, John became a keen competitor in the Lawrence Batley Seniors League, which did much to rekindle his enthusiasm for the game and his competitive spirit.