February Volunteer Spotlight: Jean LaBrie

By Tanner Clegg, P.J. Boatwright Intern

Each month, the UGA spotlights one of our devoted volunteers to express our deep appreciation for all they do and to help you, our loyal members, become well acquainted with them. The month of February features one of the UGA’s women’s course rating volunteers, Jean LaBrie.

Jean was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, the youngest of five children in her family. Her father was a member of the United States Air Force so she quickly became accustomed to moving. She lived in eight states prior to making Utah her final destination where she has lived for the past 14 years. Utah is the perfect place for her to enjoy her two favorite hobbies, golfing and skiing.

Growing up, Jean didn’t quite catch the golf bug even though her parents were golf fanatics. Her parents enrolled Jean and her siblings in two-week summer camps to help them learn the game. Jean would only play occasionally so her parents would gather equipment for her to play with from their “stock.”

Jean received her bachelor’s degree in business education at Auburn University.  She then went on to work for fun with Delta Airlines, later enjoying a career in field sales with Hallmark Cards.   Jean met her future husband, John LaBrie, in the middle of the MS 150, which is a long-distance cycling fundraiser, and they have been together ever since. They were married in December of 1996 and just celebrated 20 years of marriage!

Well, times have changed for Jean! She has now caught the golf bug and turned into a fanatic! She loves everything about the game. She now plays all of the time, watches it on television, subscribes to the magazines, and is an active member of the UGA.

Learning to golf at a young age has proved to be very beneficial for Jean where she has carried on the family tradition of being a successful golfer. Her father became a golf professional after retiring from the Air Force, and she wishes she could have played more with him.

“My only regret is that I didn’t play when my father was around. My mother and I had many fun times on the course playing in tournaments, including when my mom was my caddie when I won my first club championship,” expressed Jean.

Her grandmother was a club champion at her club in California; her mother was a 23-time club champion at her course in Alabama, and Jean won club championships in Washington as well as 2.5 times in Utah (the .5 comes from a tie and, unfortunately, losing the playoff).

Besides club championships, her winning record also includes UGA championship titles.

“One win I’m grateful for was winning the 2010 Utah Women’s Senior Amateur,” stated Jean. “This win was just two months after completing six months of chemotherapy.”

Jean was also part of the winning team at the UGA’s 22nd Annual Utah/Arizona Shootout in 2012. Jean’s consistent play and determination to keep improving has not only led to tournament wins but also four holes-in-one! The most recent one came on No. 7 at Hidden Valley on the Lakes Course in November of 2015.

Jean joined the Women’s Course Rating team in 2012 with fellow members of the Hidden Valley Country Club.

“I jumped on the opportunity to participate because I find course rating fascinating.  It’s a system that allows players of all abilities to play a course. We input course information and a computer calculates the final number.” explained Jean. “The rating team is made up of a very diverse group; from scratch golfers to average golfers, we are all representing what course rating is all about.  We all have a passion for golf and enjoy the comradery.  And as in golf, many long-term friendships are created.”

Jean’s passion for golf does not only resound with her, but also with her husband.

“All of my passion for golf has been supported by my No. 1 fan and cheerleader, my husband and fellow fanatic!”

The Utah Golf Association thanks its volunteers for sacrificing their time and energy to help the UGA fulfill its mission to promote interest in the game of golf by encouraging, organizing, supporting, sponsoring, and administering golfing activities and programs. If you are interested in volunteering for the UGA, contact Rules and Competitions Director Jacob Miller at [email protected] or 801-563-0400.

Cougars claim eighth place, Fishburn finishes in top 10

By Alexa Anderson, BYU Golf SID

TUCSON, Ariz. — Behind a top-10 finish from Patrick Fishburn, BYU men’s golf placed eighth in the Arizona Intercollegiate after three rounds of play at the Sewailo Golf Club on Tuesday.

“As a team, we just didn't have our best stuff this week,” BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank said. “We hit plenty of good shots, but we just couldn't capitalize by making the putts consistently. We have some work to do before our next event. Being indoors is a challenge, but we have found ways to get it done in the past.”

Teams completed round two of play Tuesday morning before beginning the third round. After 36 holes, BYU was in fourth place at 27-over-par.

The Cougars shot 10-over-par as a team in the third round to total 37-over-par for the tournament. No. 20 Oregon placed first in the event, shooting 5-over-par through 54 holes. West Coast Conference foes Pepperdine and Gonzaga finished in second place and 18th place, respectively.

Shooting two-over-par for the tournament, Fishburn took sixth place individually. The junior shot one-under-par in the third round, birdying three holes. His top-10 finish makes for his sixth top-10 finish in six tournaments this season.

“Patrick had another nice showing for us,” Brockbank said. “He made some great up and downs today to keep him in the top 10.”

CJ Lee shot even par in the third round to finish the tournament at nine-over-par. Tying for 23rd place individually, Lee recorded his second top-25 finish of the year.

“CJ had a nice round today,” Brockbank added. “He is making some nice improvements to his game.”

Freshman Rhett Rasmussen placed 26th at the Arizona Intercollegiate. Rasmussen shot 10-over-par through 54 holes.

Spencer Dunaway and Peter Kuest rounded out the scoring for the Cougars. Dunaway shot 17-over-par for the tournament to tie for 53rd place. Kuest tied for 72nd place, shooting 24-over-par through three rounds.

BYU will continue season’s play Feb. 15-17 at the John A. Burns Invitational in Hawaii. 

Patrick Fishburn Wins UGA Men’s Player of the Year Honor

By Megan Terry, Programs Administrator

Patrick Fishburn, a junior on the Brigham Young University men’s golf team, has rightfully earned the title of 2016 UGA Men’s Player of the Year following his tremendous season. From carding 69-67 at the RCK Salt Lake City Amateur for the win to defeating Utah golf’s best of the best at the 118th Utah State Amateur Championship, Fishburn is the one to beat. And from the looks of it, he isn’t going anywhere.

Patrick was a four-time 1st Team All-State golfer and the 2010 Utah State High School Medalist as well as the starting point guard for three years at Fremont High School where he also was the 2011 Region 1 MVP and 1st Team All-State Point Guard. He was named the Utah State Junior Player of the Year in 2009, finishing third in the stroke play portion of the 2009 United States Junior Amateur at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, just a few strokes behind eventual champion Jordan Spieth. Before starting his career at BYU, he won over 60 junior, amateur, state and national golf tournaments.

Fishburn was recruited by more than 20 Division I universities before choosing BYU and making his collegiate debut in 2011 at the William H. Tucker Invitational finishing in 31st place. After serving a two-year LDS mission in Nashville, TN, Patrick returned to BYU ready to compete as a sophomore and completed his 2015-16 season with three top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes. So far, his junior year has included top ten finishes in all five events, including a third-place finish at the Nick Watney Invitational and his first collegiate championship at the Pacific Invitational.

Fishburn fired rounds of 66 at Fox Hollow Golf Course and 70 at Alpine Country Club during the two-day stroke play portion of the 118th Utah State Amateur to qualify for match play as the No. 3 seed. He won his Round of 64 and Round of 32 matches 3 and 2 to advance to the Round of 16 to take on Tommy Forsman. Fishburn defeated Forsman 2 and 1 win to advance to the Quarterfinal against Carl Jensen.

Jensen was two up through three holes before Patrick answered with three birdies in a row to gain the advantage and go one up. He remained up the rest of the match and defeated Jensen 3 and 2. He then defeated Ryan Barber in his Semifinal round 3 and 2 to advance to the 36-hole Final against Aaron Smith.

Smith knocked nearly every approach shot within 20 feet of the flagstick and drained massive putts against Fishburn. Still, Patrick made 14 birdies on the day and finally earned his championship title on Alpine Country Club’s par-3 No. 16 by sticking his shot within three feet of the hole. Smith conceded the putt, and Patrick Fishburn was crowned the 118th Utah State Amateur Champion. Of note, through 16 holes of the final match, Fishburn was eight under par and Smith was four under par, an example of the extraordinary high level of play in that final match.

Fishburn’s additional accomplishments this past year have included victories at the Valley View and Birch Creek Amateurs, winning low amateur honors and a runner-up finish at the 2016 Provo Open. He also finished as the low amateur for the second year in a row and earned his second top-10 overall finish at the Utah Open, where he carded a course record-tying 62 during the opening round. Finally, he recently added to his list of six courses records by shooting a course record 60 at his home course and the home of the upcoming 2017 Utah State Amateur Championship, Ogden Golf and Country Club.

Fishburn’s junior season will continue in January when BYU kicks off the Spring 2017 season at Sewailo Golf Club in Tucson, AZ, for the Arizona Invitational. With a promising career ahead of him, it should be of no surprise when we see Patrick Fishburn topping Utah golf’s leaderboards.

The annual presentation of the 2016 UGA Player of the Year Awards will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at Alpine Country Club beginning at 6 p.m. Please RSVP by calling the UGA office at 801-563-0400 by Friday, January 13th at 4 p.m. 

Patrick Murphy Receives UGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year Award

By Megan Terry, Programs Administrator

Patrick Murphy finished the 2016 season at the top of the UGA Senior Player Performance Ratings by 57 points over Dana Nelson. Patrick competed in 12 SPPR events throughout the year and was crowned champion at the Sand Hollow Amateur, UGA Winterchamps in Southern Utah, and the Weber County Senior Classic at The Barn Golf Course. Of the 12 events, he had 11 top-10 finishes, eight of which were top-three finishes. In other words, Murphy is consistent.

In 2015, Murphy qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur at Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, by carding a 71 at Oakridge Country Club. During the match play qualifying portion of the championship, Pat fired rounds of 72-78–150 to advance as the 63rd seed.

He won the last two holes in his Round of 64 match versus No. 2 seed Doug LaCrosse to come from behind and go all square through 18 holes. Murphy birdied the 19th hole to advance to the Round of 32 where he then defeated 34th seed Randy Reifers 2 and 1. Despite making four bogeys on the first seven holes, Patrick righted the ship and coasted to a 2-and-1 victory over No. 50 seed Peter Wegman to advance to the Quarterfinals.

In spite of losing his fourth match against No. 10 seed Tom Brandes, winning three matches as the 63rd of 64 seeds amongst some of America’s best senior golfers is a significant achievement in and of itself.

“2015 and 2016 were great years of golf for me, no doubt,” stated Murphy. “The momentum I gained playing well in 2015 clearly carried me into 2016.”

Pat started the 2016 season strong at UGA Winterchamps at Sky Mountain Golf Course and The Ledges Golf Course. For the second year in a row, he clinched the Senior Division title at the UGA’s first championship event in Southern Utah. In 2015, he and Brett Sampson shared the title with 88 Stableford points each. One year later, Murphy managed to reel in a two-day total of 76 points to become the back-to-back Senior champion.

After 25 years of local qualifying, Murphy finally made it to the match play portion of the Utah State Amateur in 2015. He lost in the Round of 64 versus former SUU golfer Nic Booth but qualified again in 2016 and came back in his Round of 64 match against the U’s Gentry Hicks to advance to the Round of 32 versus semifinalist Kyler Dearden. Dearden defeated Murphy 1-up, which only increased Patrick’s confidence and determination to succeed going forward.

One of Pat’s most momentous accomplishments of the 2016 season took place at the Karl Tucker Memorial Amateur at East Bay Golf Course where he had the round of his life. Murphy had 13 birdies and zero bogeys to shoot 59 and win the tournament by seven strokes. In fact, one more birdie and he would have shot his age of 58 years old.

“I dreamt about that round for years,” explained Murphy. “I didn’t have a single tap-in for birdie the whole day and didn’t miss a putt within 15 feet. I hit all 18 greens in regulation, hit three of the Par 5’s in two, and had 26 putts. It was a dream come true!”

The annual presentation of the 2016 UGA Player of the Year Awards will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at Alpine Country Club beginning at 6 p.m. Please RSVP by calling the UGA office at 801-563-0400 by Friday, January 13th at 4 p.m. 

Kelsey Chugg Earns Third Women’s Player of the Year Title

By Megan Terry, Programs Administrator

Three consecutive Mary Lou Baker titles, three Utah Women’s State Amateur Championships, and now three UGA Women’s Player of the Year awards; Kelsey Chugg wins some and then wins some more. The expression “You can’t win ‘em all” has ever applied to Chugg. She can and she does.

The 2016 UGA Championship season was, once again, an unsurprisingly successful one for Chugg. Just two months after being named the 2015 Women’s Player of the Year, Kelsey overtook Haley Dunn at UGA Winterchamps to claim the 2016 title. Dunn opened up with what seemed like an untouchable seven-point lead over Chugg at SunRiver Golf Club. Nevertheless, Kelsey rose to the occasion during Round 2 at Sky Mountain Golf Course and managed to earn 51 points to clinch the win with 90 Stableford points over Dunn’s 89 points.

Chugg won her first Mary Lou Baker Open title in 2015 at Spanish Oaks Golf Course by four strokes over Rachel Newren-Harmon. The following year, Kelsey came from behind to claim the victory with a two-day total of seven-under 135 after Sadie Palmer took the Round 1 lead at Davis Park Golf Course. In 2016, after warming up for only ten minutes before her Final Round tee time, Chugg fired two-under 70 at Park City Golf Club for a two-day total of 141, two shots over 2016 Women’s Stroke Play Champion Naomi Soifua.

As the previous champion, Chugg was the No.1 seed in the match play portion of the 110th Utah Women’s State Amateur Championship. She was defeated by Dixie State University’s Cobair Collinsworth after 20 holes in the Round of 16. Kelsey never lost her confidence and determination to succeed. Three weeks later, Chugg traveled to Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, CA, for Stage I of LPGA Qualifying School. She carded rounds of 77-73-72-74 (+8) to tie for 101st place and qualified for the official developmental tour of the LPGA, the Symetra Tour.

“Kelsey had little time to mentally recuperate before taking on some of the best professionals and amateurs around the country for an opportunity to play for a living,” explained UGA Rules and Competitions Director Jacob Miller. “Her success at Q-School just weeks after bitter disappointment shows her strong mental resolve. Despite what playing path she chooses going forward, she will be a top contender at any level.”

Aside from her achievements as one of Utah golf’s top competitors, Chugg is doing great things for the Utah Golf Association as membership director, implementing new programs and member benefits along with streamlining online registration.  

The annual presentation of the 2016 UGA Player of the Year Awards will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at Alpine Country Club beginning at 6 p.m. Please RSVP by calling the UGA office at 801-563-0400 by Friday, January 13th at 4 p.m. 

Nyhus Receives Second UGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year Award

By Megan Terry, Programs Administrator

For the second time in three years, the UGA honors two-time Utah Women’s State Amateur Champion Sue Nyhus as the 2016 Senior Women’s Player of the Year. Sue earned five top-10 finishes throughout the course of seven Women’s Player Performance Rankings events, three of which were top-three finishes.

In addition to earning the individual title at the Utah Women’s Senior Amateur, Sue and her daughter, Kimberly, clinched the Utah Women’s Four-Ball Championship title. The duo posted a two-day total of 11-under-par 133 at Mountain Dell Golf Course to claim the victory and add yet another triumph to their already impressive list. The highly successful mother-daughter duo gained the early lead over Weber State’s Haylee Chugg and Xena Motes after Round 1 by carding a ten-under-par 61.

Nyhus captured her second career Utah Women’s Senior Amateur victory at Hobble Creek Golf Course against some of the best senior women golfers in the state. Coming into the tournament with high expectations, as she was one of the heavy favorites to take home the trophy, Sue carded rounds of 76-77–153 to win by four strokes over runners-up Elizabeth Jones, Annette Gaiotti, and Roberta Scott. 

Sue qualified for the 2015 USGA Women’s Senior Amateur at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville, TN by finishing second in the first qualifying event at Seacliff Country Club in Huntington Beach, CA. She carded rounds of 80-79 (+15) of the match play qualifying portion of the championship, placing her as the 40th of 64 seeds, but she was defeated by No. 25 seed Helene Chartrand 5 and 4 in the Round of 64.

Nyhus is obviously no stranger to success in the Utah golf community and at the national level. After competing in the 2015 Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Bandon Dunes, Sue made a historical accomplishment that has not been achieved by any other golfer in the history of the USGA; she competed in every U.S. Amateur Championship in which she was eligible and advanced past qualifying in junior, public links, women’s, and senior women’s categories. She had many high finishes in national championships; however, her best finish was as runner-up in the 1999 USGA Women’s Public Links Championship in New Mexico.

“In 2013, the USGA decided to add the USGA Four-ball in the place of the Public Links which was discontinued,” explained Nyhus. “That announcement set the wheels in place for another very important eighteen holes of qualifying. At that point, I knew I was the only person who had competed in every event with the Public Links, and no one could match it because the Public Links was discontinued. Competing in the USGA Four-Ball with Annette and having Kim as my caddy was the perfect icing on the cake.” 

Along with playing competitively, Nyhus enjoys developing the game as a coach. Sue was the head women’s golf coach at Brigham Young University for 11 seasons. In eight seasons, she guided the team to six regional and two NCAA Championship appearances. She now enters her seventh season as the head women’s golf coach at Utah Valley University where she has helped lead her team to three tournament victories. The Wolverine continue to break school records and are looking forward to a strong spring season.

In addition to her success on the course, Nyhus has also helped her Wolverines achieve greatness in the classroom as she has coached a total of 23 WGCA All-American Scholars and 23 more academic All-Conference performers. She also helped her 2012-13 squad compile the 11th best team GPA in the nation with a 3.66 grade-point average. The Wolverines hope to challenge that school record again this year.

The annual presentation of the 2016 UGA Player of the Year Awards will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at Alpine Country Club beginning at 6 p.m. Please RSVP by calling the UGA office at 801-563-0400 by Friday, January 13th at 4 p.m. 

Reed McGregor to Receive Gold Club Award

By Megan Terry, Programs Administrator

The UGA is honored to present the 2016 Gold Club Award to longtime Rules official, past UGA president, and current USGA Senior Amateur Committee member Reed McGregor. As a man of many hats, McGregor has succeeded in nearly all areas of the golf industry.

“Reed’s dedication and support of the Utah Golf Association over the years is second to none,” expressed UGA Executive Director Bill Walker. “Whatever capacity he served in, whether it was as an official, Board member, or during his tenure as president of the UGA, he always left a positive impact.”

Reed graduated from Utah State University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in geography, a minor in zoology and a secondary education degree. He then put his newfound skills to the test in Snowflake, Arizona, where he taught LDS Seminary full time for one year. He and his family then moved to Portland, OR, where Reed graduated from the Western States Chiropractic College in 1979. Following graduation, the family relocated back to his hometown of Logan, UT, where Reed opened his chiropractic practice, Aggie Country Chiropractic Center. Soon thereafter, he purchased his father’s membership at Logan Golf and Country Club and started playing golf again.

Reed and his wife, Susan, have one daughter, Jenny, and two sons, Jim and Ben, who started playing golf at a young age. Jim and Ben played golf all four years at Logan High School, were frequent Utah Junior Golf Association competitors, and both finished as medalists on their state championship golf teams. Jim went on to play college golf at Utah State University and later at The University of Utah.

Following a summer of swing lessons from PGA Senior Tour Professional Bruce Summerhays, Reed asked Bruce what he owed him for the lessons. Rather than charging for the lessons, Bruce requested payment in the form of service and asked Reed to find a way to give back to the Utah golf community.

McGregor then called longtime friend and current USGA Regional Affairs Director Mark Passey for advice on how to be involved. Passey encouraged Reed to learn the Rules of Golf and become acquainted with UGA volunteers Lee Samsel and Keith Hansen. Samsel and Hansen invited Reed to observe the officiating process and attend the USGA Rules of Golf Workshop, which is exactly what Reed did.

“I’ve been to the USGA Rules Workshop every year since my first class in 2001, and it was a big goal of mine to get 100% on the final exam,” explained McGregor. “After a number of 98's and 99's, I finally got my 100% in 2015. I am very proud of that, and relieved.”

Reed was nominated to the UGA Board of Directors in 2002 and, within a couple of years, took on the role of UGA Rules chairman. He began studying relentlessly while writing a Rules column for Fairways Media. In 2003, just one year after joining the UGA Board, McGregor was nominated to the USGA Senior Amateur Committee. He has officiated at the U.S. Senior Amateur National Championship every year since and served on the Rules Committee for the U.S. Senior Open Championship the past four years. Reed was honored to referee the final match at the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship and the semifinal match at the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship. He also has worked the NCAA Division 1 National Championship for the past four years which ranks among his favorite things to do.

In 2005, soon after retiring and selling his chiropractic practice, McGregor received a call from the executive director of the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT), a national junior golf tour headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and was offered the Senior Rules Official position for the western half of the United States. Reed accepted the position and has since worked around 15 events annually for the FCWT Junior Golf Tour.

“It keeps me involved and my head in the Rules Book during the winter months,” McGregor said. “Plus, I enjoy getting out of the cold and working with some of the best junior players in the country.”

“Educating juniors about the Rules of Golf is one of the reasons I became involved in golf officiating,” stated Reed. “I really enjoy helping kids learn and understand the Rules so they can continue succeeding and achieving their goals, whatever those goals may be.”

The annual presentation of the UGA Gold Club Award will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at Alpine Country Club beginning at 6 p.m. The 2016 UGA Player of the Year Awards will also be highlighted.

Please RSVP by calling the UGA office at 801-563-0400 by Friday, January 13th at 4 p.m. 

Garey Chadwick Receives UGA Volunteer of the Year Award

Pictured: Garey Chadwick (left) and Sherm Hatfield (right)

By Megan Terry, Programs Administrator

The Utah Golf Association would not be able to provide its members and member clubs with the quality and quantity of services without the tireless efforts of volunteers. It is our pleasure to announce past UGA president, former UGA board member, and 40-year volunteer Garey Chadwick as the third annual Volunteer of the Year.

Chadwick was first introduced to golf when he started working as a caddy at Ogden Golf and Country Club at the age of 10. However, caddying was the extent of his golfing experience until later in life when he married his wife, Elaine. Garey and Elaine were married on May 23, 1958. They have four children, Doug, Cherie, Kent, and Robert, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. 

Soon after their wedding day, Chadwick purchased his first set of golf clubs and later bought Elaine a set as well. She eventually joined the Bountiful Springs Ladies Golf Association at Lakeside Golf Course before deciding golf was not for her. Garey stuck with it and grew to love the game, but before Elaine, he focused on sports such as baseball and basketball. In fact, he lettered three years in baseball while attending Weber High School.

Following high school, Garey spent 11 years in the U.S. Army Reserve where he worked as an ammunition sergeant among other jobs. He served six months on active duty, four of which were in El Paso, TX, at Fort Bliss. After his years in in the Army Reserve, Chadwick began installing chain-link fences for American Fence Company. After one summer working for the fencing company, he began a career selling windows, doors, and hardware to residential and commercial real estate. He continued this career with multiple companies in the same industry until his retirement in 2008.

Garey has a very impressive resume when it comes to his time with the Utah Golf Association. He has been a tournament volunteer for more than 40 years, served 12 years on the Board of Directors and was president of the UGA for two years from 1986-1987. He also served on the USGA Public Links Committee for 19 years.

In addition to his UGA and USGA responsibilities, Chadwick has been an active junior golf volunteer for many years and was president of the Utah Junior Golf Association (UJGA). He served as the captain of the Junior America’s Cup team for 10 years, the Hogan Cup team for nine years and was the recipient of the UGA Gold Club Award in 1995. He also received the Utah Section PGA Presidential Service Award in 2014. The UJGA has since honored Garey by creating the Garey Chadwick Division for boys ages 9-10 and the Chadwick Tournament of Champions.

“He has gained and earned the respect of different golf organizations and people all over Utah,” stated past UGA president, current volunteer, and close friend Sherm Hatfield. “I appreciate all that he has done for me and for Utah golf, and I think that most people feel the same.”

The UGA is truly honored to have volunteers like Garey. These volunteers allow the UGA to fulfill its mission to promote interest in the game of golf by encouraging, organizing, supporting, sponsoring, and administering golfing activities and programs.

The annual presentation of the UGA Volunteer of the Year will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at Alpine Country Club beginning at 6 p.m. Other awards to be highlighted include the UGA Gold Club Award and the 2016 UGA Player of the Year Awards.

Please RSVP by calling the UGA office at 801-563-0400 by Friday, January 13th at 4 p.m. 

UGA Recognizes Denise Vilven with UWGA Lady Award

By Megan Terry, Programs Administrator

The UGA is honored to present the 2016 UWGA Lady Award to one of Utah golf’s most loyal and selfless contributors, Denise Vilven. She was born in Salt Lake City on September 21, 1953 to Mike and Kaliope Sargetakis. She graduated from Highland High School in 1972 and from the University of Utah in 1991 as a non-traditional student. Denise has an impressively versatile golf background that all began when she married PGA Professional Doug Vilven in 1975.

Denise did not play golf before meeting Doug. In fact, Denise’s sister, Mary, was the golfer in the Sargetakis family. Mary’s husband at the time, Mike Cowan, was one of Doug’s fraternity brothers. Mary was interested in taking lessons, and Mike recommended Doug. During this time, Doug was working summers as an assistant professional at Salt Lake Country Club and winters as an assistant at Tamarisk Country Club in Palm Springs, CA. After Mary’s lessons, she insisted on setting up Doug and Denise on a blind date. The couple recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary on December 28th. Together they have two children, Capt. Mike Vilven, USAF, and Dede Vilven, Westminster College public health master’s degree 2016 graduate.

Following their wedding, Doug and Denise relocated back and forth from Salt Lake City to Palm Springs until Doug got his first job as a head professional at Plum Tree National Country Club in Harvard, IL. During their two years at Plum Tree, Denise worked for Superintendent Mike Bower, learning golf course maintenance and grass care on the fly.

They moved back to Utah in 1978 when Doug took the head professional job at Oquirrh Hills Golf Course in Tooele where Denise learned another aspect of golf, managing food operations. She also joined the Tooele Ladies Golf Association, which influenced her to join the Utah Golf Association. She has been a member ever since.

After three years at Oquirrh Hills, Doug was hired as head professional of Park City Golf Course in 1982. Denise was a starter, managed the books, and acted as merchandiser of the golf shop. She became very active in the Utah State Women's Golf Association and used the knowledge she received from the Tooele Ladies Golf Association to start the Park City Women's Team Play team and the Park City Invitational.

In November 1993, Doug and Denise opened Golf in the Round in Salt Lake City, which turned out to be a steep learning curve for the couple. The broad array of golf-related knowledge Denise gained over the years was put to the test each day as the pair experienced the struggles of entrepreneurship. After 19 exhausting yet rewarding years, they sold the business in 2012.

In addition, she helped form the Old Mill Women's Association and is currently a member of the Meadowbrook Women’s Golf Association where she was club champion for five years. Denise also served as captain of the USWGA State Team in 1990 under the direction of President Jeannie Goddard. She has attended several USGA/PGA Rules Workshops and has officiated numerous UGA and Utah Section PGA tournaments.  

“No matter the task, volunteering at her church, doing UGA work or taking care of her family, Denise has honorable intent,” expressed Doug Vilven. “Nobody will outwork her.”

The annual presentation of the UWGA Lady Award will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at Alpine Country Club beginning at 6 p.m. Other awards to be highlighted include the UGA Gold Club Award and the 2016 UGA Player of the Year Awards. 

Please RSVP by calling the UGA office at 801-563-0400 by Friday, January 13th at 4 p.m.