Reflections
Rob Wilkin Retires—
With a Golf Resume for The Ages
Watson Challenge Champion, 9-time PGA winner, 18-time Player of the Year, and 10 Majors.
by Alan Hoskins, feature writer
In 2014, Rob Wilkin envisioned transforming Heritage Park’ s par-3 16th hole into an island green. Maybe some day it will!
Rob Wilkin retired on June 30 after 29 years as Head Golf Professional and Manager of Golf Operations at Heritage Park in Olathe, KS. Upwards of 100 family members and friends packed Heritage Park’ s Green Room to salute a man they so highly respected and admired both on and off the golf course.
Those accomplishments were not about to be tossed aside or forgotten. Not bad for a kid who wasn’ t allowed to play golf until he was 13 because it would interfere with his baseball swing.
Former TV and radio personalities Frank Boal, Gordon Docking, and Malcolm Haney; Wilkin’ s two-time boss at Wolf Creek, Jeff Burey; and a bevy of Heritage Park and Johnson County Parks & Recreation employees heaped accolades, heartfelt thanks and appreciation, and told stories about their most memorable moments for nearly an hour.
Of course, many landed a humorous jab or two.“ Rob never slowed down, whether it was washing down a cart, changing a light bulb, everything that needed cleaning up— except his office!” quipped one. Haney presented a hilarious look at Wilkin’ s years as head pro, and he was presented a raft of questionable travel items.
Jeff Stewart, executive director of Parks and Recreation, presented Wilkin with a lifetime golf pass and commemorative clock with a directive to keep the pass out of sight of men’ s club members.“ Hiring Rob was the best decision I ever made,” said Burey.“ He’ s made friends all over the country.”
“ Overwhelming,” admitted Wilkin, who tried but was unable to hold back the tears that fell on more than one occasion.“ I thought I could do it, but just couldn’ t.”
Rob Wilkin with his KGF Hall of Fame 2025 award plaque.
How’ s this for a Top 10 resume? |
1. |
Early leader in the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick. |
2. |
Qualified for 10 major championships; made the 1988 U. S. Open cut. |
3. |
Nine-time Midwest Section PGA Champion. |
4. |
Winner of the 2016 Watson Challenge at Hallbrook. |
5. |
An 18-time Midwest Section PGA Player of the Year. |
6. |
A 4-time Midwest Section PGA Senior Player of the Year. |
7. |
Held 11-course records over his career. |
8. |
Inducted into the Midwest PGA Hall of Fame in 2018. |
9. |
Inducted into the Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame in 2020. |
10. Inducted into the Kansas Golf Foundation Hall of Fame in 2025 |
As for his early days,“ My dad wanted me to play baseball and didn’ t want me to play golf because it would mess up my baseball swing,” he remembers. A Little League star in Ottumwa, IA, he struck out 12 in one game.
At age 13, his father’ s job with John Morrell Meat Packing took the family to Arkansas City, KS.“ My dad was a good player, three handicap. He worked nights, so we had a lot of time in the summer, and I started going to the course with him. Baseball was his love, but it didn’ t work out.”
Although he never took a lesson until his junior year in college, he won a“ lotta medals” in high school. He formed a formidable duo with Brad Demo, the longtime executive director of the Midwest Section PGA. Both earned golf scholarships to Coffeyville Community College( KS), where Wilkin earned All-American honors and helped the Red Ravens gain two national tournament berths.
20 August 2026 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE