The first induction ceremony of the Utah Section PGA Hall of Fame served as a celebration of the 40-year anniversary of the PGA of America’s 41st Section.
Executive Director Devin Dehlin framed the March 25 event as “the perfect time” to look back on the Section’s founding and its evolution since 1986. Before then, the Utah chapter was part of the geographically expansive Rocky Mountain Section.
The reflection “makes me proud to be part of this family,” Dehlin said. “We’ve touched a lot of people.”
The Utah Section PGA Hall of Fame honors PGA Professionals whose careers extended into the post-1986 era.
On behalf of the late Doug Vilven, Denise Vilven and her daughter accept his Utah PGA Hall of Fame plaque from President Craig Norman.
Doug Vilven is credited with using a map overlay to show PGA of America administrators the vastness of the Rocky Mountain Section’s territory, compared with the geography of the East. The argument was convincing, and the Utah Section PGA was on its way.
Inducted posthumously were Vilven, an original faculty member of the PGA training program; Tee Branca, remembered for his 51-year tenure as Head Professional of The Country Club of Salt Lake City; and Jimmy Thompson, known as a mentor who earned the Section’s Teacher of the Year award at age 76.
As the first Executive Director, Jeff Beaudry shaped the Section’s role in the Utah golf community. “If there’s something happening in golf,” he said, looking back, “Utah professionals ought to be involved in it.”
John Evans is known for nurturing Jared Barnes, Colby Cowan and Chris Stover, who worked for him at Cedar Ridge Golf Course in Cedar City. Those three went on to become the Section’s Professional of the Year and serve as consecutive Presidents of the Section.
For more than 25 years, Robert McArthur was a highly effective teacher as an adjunct faculty member of the PGA of America’s national program. Craig Norman, Kent McComb and Chris Moody, in succession, were McArthur’s assistants during his 33-year tenure as Riverside Country Club’s Head Professional. Each was named the Utah Section PGA’s Assistant Professional of the Year while working in Provo, then each became a Golf Professional of the Year. Norman is the current Section President.
The national recognition of Valley View Golf Course in Layton reflected well on Ken Pettingill, whose tenure covered 35 years, including every aspect of the course’s construction and operation.
The Schneiter name is closely linked to golf In Utah. Ernie Schneiter Jr.’s playing record as the 1966 Utah Open champion, his work in course design and construction and service to the game make him a good composite character of the Schneiter family.
The growth of high school girls golf in Utah and the rebirth of the historic Utah Open with a devoted title sponsor are just two of Scott Whittaker’s success stories as the Section’s Executive Director. Credited as one of the Section’s founders, having written its first constitution, he later served as a PGA of America board member.
Feature story written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photos by Fairway Media/Randy Dodson and Garrit Johnson.