HONORING VIRGINIA ’ S BEST
by ARTHUR UTLEY
The Virginia Golf Hall of Fame will add six new members to its ranks later this year , the Hall ’ s largest class since the Inaugural Class of 2016 . The new class features a mix of players , rules officials and administrators . The additions will bring the total Hall of Fame roster to 32 inductees .
Visit VirginiaGolfHallofFame . com to read about all past inductees and to find updates on the date and location of the 2022 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony .
LOGAN WHITTON ( OWENBY ); VSGA ARCHIVES ( HILL )
PHIL OWENBY
Phil Owenby was introduced to golf when he was 4 years old by his father and three uncles . As he got older , he played all the sports , but he gravitated to golf .
“ It ’ s been a passion of mine ever since I can remember to be a part of the golf business in a position to provide experiences , hospitality and services to people who enjoy the game ,” Owenby says . “ It ’ s a sport where you can get to know people … It became a part of me .”
Owenby , who was born in
Charlottesville , played on the golf team at N . C . State . He knew by the end of his junior year he wanted to be a club professional and when he graduated in May 1976 he was hired as an assistant pro at Farmington Country Club , where he began developing his skills as a teacher . One of his students was Kandi Kessler Comer , who is a member of the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2020 .
Owenby did a lot of teaching in the ‘ 80s and ‘ 90s and eventually reached a career fork in the road ; he could pursue either the teaching or business side of the game .
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
➤ Assistant pro Farmington CC May 1976 ; head PGA professional Hunting Hills CC , Roanoke , 1979-1981 ; head pro Boonsboro CC , Lynchburg , 1981-1985 ; retail golf business for 4 years ; head pro Roanoke CC , 1990-2000 ; Director of Golf at Kinloch Golf Club , Manakin-Sabot , 2000-2014 ; General Manager Chechessee Creek GC , Hilton Head Island ( 2015 to 2016 ); chief development officer for The Dormie Network ( 2017 to present ).
➤ MAPGA Career Coach and mentor to PGA professionals ; past member of MAPGA Board of Directors .
➤ 2010 MAPGA Golf Professional of the Year .
➤ VSGA President ’ s Award recipient in 2016 .
“ I gravitated more to the business aspect of it . I like the variety associated with the business side working with developing people , educating and coaching and really trying to help others ’ careers ,” Owenby says .
Longtime friend Vinny Giles says he was talking to a group of people who had gone to Pinehurst to spend some days at The Dormie Club : “ They said the first face we saw in the morning was Phil Owenby and the last face we saw when we were going to bed was Phil Owenby .”
PROFESSIONAL ’ S PROFESSIONAL “ Phil is the epitome of the elite golf professional . He has always understood what it is that makes a professional an elite professional : quality service . While he was at Kinloch it was named Best Service and Best Condition course in the country . Of all the great clubs in this country , that is saying something ! Always there for anyone if we ever needed anything or advice . Always welcoming , professional , giving .” — Mike Hott , director of golf at Salisbury Country Club .
GALEN HILL
Galen Hill began his rules career at the Eastern Amateur in 1976 . He was asked to assist the VSGA with rules and tournament administration by Wallace McDowell shortly thereafter .
Hill became a familiar figure at VSGA and college tournaments , U . S . Opens and other USGA events . His motivation was to do a good job on the tournaments he was working .
He did just that for 43 years , and now takes his place alongside Clyde Luther ( 2016 ), McDowell ( 2017 ), Dr . Lew Blakey ( 2018 ) and Richard Smith ( 2020 ) as Virginia Golf Hall of Fame inductees with authoritative knowledge of the Rules of Golf .
vsga . org M ARCH / A PRIL 2022 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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