If not for the conditioning expertise of Mel Duke, Toana Vista Golf Course probably never would have become the home of the Utah Senior Open.
Without accepting the challenge of growing grass on Wendover’s salty soil, Duke may not have received the recognition he deserved among golf course superintendents.
The convergence gave Duke a career capstone, making him the honoree of the 2023 Mel Duke Utah Senior Open.
This tournament is the perfect setting to celebrate his life’s work, topped by Toana Vista. “The transformation of that course is just astonishing to me,” said Scott Brandt, a PGA Professional who worked with him at Willow Creek Country Club.
Duke retired in February after 16-plus years at Toana Vista, a tenure highlighted by his work with two major annual events: the Utah Senior Open and the Utah Section PGA Championship. Including his stint at Willow Creek, there’s nothing he enjoyed more than preparing a golf course for professional and elite amateur players. He played well enough to know what golfers were looking for, and did his best to deliver it.
If not for the physical wear and tear of the superintendent’s job description, Duke likely would have kept going beyond age 77. “If I could have done it forever, I would have,” he said, “because I love it so much.”
There’s a lot of ground to cover in his 55-year career in turfgrass, so let’s travel quickly up and down I-15 and then west on I-80. We’ll start in Provo, where Duke was a three-sport athlete at B.Y. High.
Then St. George, where he played baseball for Dixie Junior College, met his wife, Janet, and took a job under Gene Schneiter, helping build Bloomington Country Club and St. George Golf Club. Other highlights include:
Riverdale, working for Gene’s brother, Ernie Schneiter Jr.
West Bountiful, where he functioned as both a golf pro and superintendent.
Layton, where he helped Valley View receive two Top 75 Public Course awards from Golf Digest.
Sandy, where Willow Creek hosted some remarkable visitors when the Utah Open was a premier mini-tour event.
Syracuse, where he built Glen Eagle, a satisfying experience that made him seek just one more challenge.
That explains the I-80 trek. About halfway to Wendover, he confessed to Janet that the trip was for a job interview, not merely a diversion. Reid Goodliffe, then Toana Vista’s Head Professional, couldn’t believe it when he saw Duke’s application for the superintendent’s opening. All these years later, Goodliffe describes Duke’s work in Wendover as “heroic.”
Goodliffe marveled, “He drives around, and the grass is just standing at attention.”
A lot of effort, of course, accompanied the seemingly magic touch that’s being further rewarded during the Mel Duke Utah Senior Open.
The Mel Duke Utah Senior Open will be contested July 26-27 at Toana Vista GC in West Wendover, NV. A dinner will be held in Mel’s honor following the opening round. Click here to watch the honoree video.
Story by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photos by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson.