HisTurn by CHRIS LANG
Remembering
Jim Ducibella
For 23 years, page 40 of Virginia Golfer belonged to Jim Ducibella
The first“ My Turn” featuring the man most simply knew as“ Duce” was printed in the May-June 2003 issue. The cover featured Keith Decker, Jay Woodson, and Ryan Stinnett as part of a preview of the upcoming VSGA Amateur Championship to be held at Kinloch.
Duce’ s initial column tackled the tricky subject of Martha Burk, Hootie Johnson, and protests at that year’ s Masters over Augusta National Golf Club’ s all-male membership. Over the years, he wrote on many subjects, ranging from professional golf to grassroots initiatives to grow women’ s leagues at clubs in Virginia, and just about everything in between. He had a gift for identifying and conveying a point with aplomb, and often, with humor.
Ducibella died on Wednesday, April 29, at age 73, with his beloved wife Sue by his side, days after being moved to end-of-life hospice care. Duce had bounced back from health challenges in the past, including one that left him unable to pen the backpage staple in this magazine for a couple of issues a few years back.
I last heard from him in mid-March, when he emailed to say he was going to be unable to write for the May-June issue due to some health issues. I was quickly made aware of just how severe those issues were. As an editor, my only hope was that Duce would be able to pen his own farewell to the Virginia golf community, one that held a special place in his heart. It was not meant to be. If Duce learned anything in his end days, it was just how much of an impact he had on his readers, his fellow journalists, and the subjects he covered during an illustrious career.
Friends, neighbors, and colleagues went out of their way to visit Duce, to relive old memories, share laughs and tears.
“[ Jim Ducibella was ]... just the quintessential sports newspaperman. But he was never unfair, and he was never harsh. He was just really good at doing his job.”
— BOB RATHBUN
Duce was born on Oct. 24, 1952, in Washington, D. C., and developed a love of sports at an early age. He graduated from Xavier University in 1974 and earned a masters in print journalism from Marquette two years later. He wrote for the Milwaukee Journal and Washington Star before joining the Virginian-Pilot staff in 1981. He quickly became a Tidewater institution, a trusted voice covering Old Dominion University, the Washington Redskins, and local and national golf. Duce was a seven-time recipient of the Virginia Sportswriter of the Year Award.
He was also a leader and beloved member of Williamsburg’ s St. Martin’ s Episcopal Church, where a celebration of life was held on May 13.
Duce authored two excellent golf books—“ Par Excellence: A Celebration of Virginia Golf” and“ King of Clubs: The Great Golf Marathon of 1938.” The latter was an amusing non-fiction account of a Chicago stockbroker’ s attempt to play 600 holes over four days from New York to Los Angeles, all to win a bet.( Duce believed it was the stuff movies are made of, and boy, did he ever pitch it to various studios.)
Kelly Elbin hosts the“ Musings on Golf” podcast.
David Teel, who like Duce is part of the media contingent in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, penned an eloquent tribute to his friend that was published both in the Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot.
Among those Teel talked to was Joe Gibbs, the legendary Redskins coach and founder of NASCAR operation Joe Gibbs Racing.
“ The first thing I remember about Jim is he was always fair,” Gibbs told Teel. Over the last months of Duce’ s life, Gibbs called Duce to check in, share stories and laughs, and bond over their shared faith.
“ Just the quintessential sports newspaperman,” broadcaster Bob Rathbun, who met Duce during their ODU days, told Teel.“ But he was never unfair, and he was never harsh. He was just really good at doing his job.”
Duce’ s last My Turn column, focused on golf communications expert and podcaster Kelly Elbin, ran in the March-April 2026 edition of Virginia Golfer. For 23 years, Duce’ s steady and trusted voice was a constant in this magazine. This space won’ t be the same without him.
STEPHEN SALPUKAS / WILLIAM & MARY
40 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J u ly / A u g u s t 2026 vsga. org