By Kurt Kragthorpe
One of the Utah Section PGA’s annual awards couldn’t wait until the traditional presentation in February. The Section Championship in September was the appropriate occasion to recognize Gary Lewis as the Presidential Service Award recipient.
As the vice president of Wendover Hotels & Casinos, Lewis has provided nearly $500,000 in sponsorships and accommodations to Section members. The Section Championship has been conducted at Toana Vista Golf Course in West Wendover, Nevada, since 2004; the Utah Senior Open has been staged there almost as long.
Lewis is known as a lover of golf and an advocate of PGA Professionals and a friend to many Utah pros. His involvement started with former Toana Vista Head Professional Reid Goodliffe.
“Luckily for us, he loves our group,” said Devin Dehlin, the Utah Section PGA’s executive director. “It’s been a great partnership.”
Lewis has helped make the Section Championship a destination event. “The camaraderie and time that our professionals spend together at that event is just priceless,” Dehlin said.
Longtime friend Terry Outzen, a Titleist representative and Section member, describes Lewis as “just a good dude … very loyal; great for the Utah Section, obviously.”
Outzen added, “He loves his family and he loves to golf. Those are the most important things to him.”
Lewis said he was surprised to receive the “totally unexpected” award, and the honor means everything to him, coming from the Utah Section PGA.