The 2024 rules officials pose with Augusta National members during the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Katelynn is in the second row, third from left.

Following the Rules Leads Katelynn Hogenson Down a Path Through Magnolia Lane

You might say the Iowa Golf Association’s Katelynn Hogenson was born to follow the rules. The oldest of three daughters of Terry and Theresa Hogenson of Muscatine, Katelynn describes herself as a “a typical first-born rule follower” who became the pacesetter for younger sisters Ashley and Morgan while growing up in a busy household full of activities and sporting events.

A predisposition for structure, problem-solving and law-and-order has served Hogenson well along on a trail leading to her current role as the Chief Operating Officer for the Iowa Golf Association – and as an expert rule official where she has worked literally hundreds of competitions on all stages over her 13-year career.

The list includes a dozen USGA Championships, the 2022 Curtis Cup at Merion, the junior Solheim Cup held in Des Moines in 2017, and untold state, collegiate and regional competitions. But none were bigger than her most recent assignment – the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, where Katelynn was among 20 rules officials from across the globe invited to work the championship staged on the world’s grandest stage – Augusta National. Hogenson received the prestigious invitation to work alongside rules officials from the United States Golf Association, the R & A and select state golf associations to form the rules committee to work the tournament.

“It feels like I just came back from the greatest golf course in the world,” Hogenson told Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene during a recent interview. “Everything at Augusta National is absolutely perfect, detailed to the max, with nothing out of order. My experience was absolutely what every golfer would dream about – basically having full access to Augusta National. I cannot imagine any golf experience to top this.”

Katelynn Hogenson is all smiles as she takes a break from her recent role as a rules official for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, including the final round at Augusta National.

The day starts early for rules officials, so her initial trip down Magnolia Lane took place at 5:30 in the morning and in the dark. The group then walked the course to get a feel for the layout and anticipate any rule situations they may encounter. Hogenson was assigned to the par-3 fourth hole, and although she did not have any rulings during the final round, the experience of being at Augusta National was one for the ages.

“We had the opportunity to walk across the Hogan Bridge on hole 12 and stand on the 13th tee during the practice round, something that only players, officials and members can do, and had access to virtually all areas of the course and grounds,” she said. “You get a feel for how small and contoured the greens are compared to what they look like on television, the depth of the bunkers and the severe elevation changes throughout the course. And you get an appreciation of how skilled the players are, some of the hole locations are set in areas where it is nearly impossible to keep the ball on the green.”

Formed in 2018, The Augusta National Women’s Amateur was established to inspire greater interest and participation in the women’s game by creating a new, exciting and rewarding pathway for players to fulfill their dreams. An international field of 72 players is based upon playing criteria and golfers play 36 holes at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, with the top 30 and ties qualifying for the final round at Augusta National. All players, however, are allowed to play a practice round at Augusta National. This year’s champion, Lotte Woad of England, fired a 54-hole total of 208.

A four-sport athlete at Muscatine High School, Hogenson was introduced to golf at an early age by her father. She learned the game by playing one of Iowa’s 9-hole courses, the West Liberty Golf and Country Club, and competed in numerous junior tournaments. Hogenson didn’t really start blooming as a golfer until her sophomore campaign. Softball was front and center, with volleyball and basketball also in the mix.

“I really enjoyed team sports but what drew me to golf was that the game is on your shoulders,” she said “You alone are responsible for your performance, and you generally get out of the game what you put in.”

Katelynn poses with LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam during the 2017 Solheim Cup staged at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.

Hogenson qualified for the state tournament for three seasons, earning second-team all-state honors in her junior and senior seasons. She led the Muscatine girls golf team to back-to-back appearances in the state tournament, and with her sister Ashley being part of the 2007 squad. That attracted the attention of Iowa State Coach Christie Martens and Hogenson played four seasons for the Cyclones, competing in the starting rotation as well as an individual. Her playing credentials also include qualifying for two USGA championships – the 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links contested at Warren Golf Course at the University of Notre Dame and the 2014 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur plated at Harbour Trees Golf Club in Noblesville, ID., Monday qualifying for a Futures Tour (now Symetra Tour) event and placing fourth in the Iowa Women’s Amateur.

While a collegian, Hogenson landed a summer internship with the former Iowa Women’s Golf Association (now merged with the Iowa Golf Association) and later earned a P.J. Boatright Internship with the IGA. After a nine-month stint, she joined the IGA as a full-time staff member in 2012 and has served in all areas of the organization, managing tournaments, Course Rating and handicapping, member services, director of operations and her current role as Chief Operating Officer.

Early in her IGA tenure, Hogenson became interested in rules, motivated by staff members Chad Pitts (now the IGA Executive Director) and Jason Bjorkland, who attained expert ratings and worked many USGA events. “I developed a curiosity about the rules during my time as an intern,” Hogenson said. She attended PGA and USGA rules workshops and aced the rules examination at the expert level.

“There’s a misconception that rules are always there to penalize the player,” she said. “It’s not like referees in football and basketball. We see ourselves (rules officials) in supportive roles for the players.”

As her golf rules resume continues to flourish, Hogenson looks forward to earning future opportunities to work prestigious championships.

“I’ve got my foot in the door and have made many connections. And I would sure like to get back to Augusta National.

The Muscatine Muskies golf team are shown getting ready for the 2007 Iowa Girls High School state golf tournament. Sisters Katelynn and Ashley (third from right and far right) competed with younger sister Morgan (front) forming the cheering section.

“Up and Down” the Iowa Golf Scene

A regular feature column written by IGA Foundation board member Mark Gambaiana, Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene is designed to take the reader beyond the headlines and scoreboards to share stories of those who help make Iowa golf so rich and rewarding. Profiles will spotlight those who advance the game through volunteerism, service, extraordinary achievement, competition, human interest and the many other dimensions of golf in Iowa.

Click the links below to read previous Up and Down features
– IGA Rules Official Sean Flanders
– R&A, USGA Champion Gene Elliott
– Nervig Reflects on Decades of Service to The Iowa Masters
– Arseneault Finds Fulfillment in Life’s Next Chapter After Competitive Golf
– Ivan Miller remembers the days of the Minnows
– Kinney adjusts to life on tour
– Standard Golf’s roots run deep
– Pettersen sets sights high
– McCoy, Norton Put Iowa Stamp on Florida Senior Golf
– Moreland Reflects on his Extraordinary Club Pro, Playing Career
– From Sibley to the LPGA Tour – Barb Thomas Whitehead Fulfills Her Dream
– At 88 Years Young, Cleo Brown Remains a Fixture at the Principal Charity Classic, IGA Events
– Love of the Game, Service to Others Propel Charlie Taylor to IGA’s 2023 George Turner Award
– The Calling Card for Ottumwa’s Matthew Walker in Quest to Reach Golf’s Highest Level

Celebrating the Life of Corkey Nydle

Corkey Nydle was 24 years old when she won her first Iowa Women’s Amateur golf title in 1953 at Elmcrest Country Club in Cedar Rapids.
She beat the legendary Ann Casey Johnstone, her college advisor at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., in the title match.

“She was a mature girl even when she came to Stephens College,” Johnstone once reflected. “I’ve had hundreds of girls who were wishy-washy and didn’t know what day it was. She did. She set good goals, and she’ll achieve them.”

Nydle, who passed away Saturday (March 16) at 94 years of age, lived up to Johnstone’s sage words. Corkey leaves behind a legacy that will live forever in the history of women’s golf in Iowa. Her career was so impressive that she was a member of the inaugural Iowa Golf Hall of Fame class in 1989.

Nydle’s 1953 Iowa Women’s Amateur title came at Johnstone’s expense. Ann would go on to win an unprecedented sixth title in 1959. Corkey caught her when she won her sixth title in 1972. That 1953 victory was at the top of the list.

“I think that’s probably the greatest (victory) because I beat the person who I had looked up to as far as golf was concerned,” Nydle reflected in 1994.

Corkey won 23 Iowa Women’s Golf Association-sponsored titles during her career. In addition to six Iowa Women’s Amateur crowns, she won 11 Iowa Senior Amateur titles. That included eight straight from 1983 to 1991. She won five Forever 39 titles and also helped Ellis Park (Cedar Rapids) win five state team titles.

Corkey was instrumental in the development of women’s golf in Iowa for the better part of 50 years. She had a special passion for promoting junior golf in the state. Nydle served on the IWGA’s board of directors for more than 30 years and also served a term on the USGA Junior Girls’ committee.
Corkey played in her first Iowa Women’s Amateur in 1946 at Hyperion. She would tee it up in the championship 46 times, including a string of 25 appearances in a row. That streak ended in 1983 back at Elmcrest, where Corkey had defeated her mentor 30 years earlier. Nydle was overcome by the heat on the final nine in 1983 and couldn’t finish.

Nydle’s brilliant career was fueled by an unsinkable spirit and a burning desire to compete. Corkey would take along a notebook and jot down notes about the course as she played it. She’d add to that notebook every time she returned to the course. Her notes included diagrams of every hole.

Corky was also blessed with a wealth of self-deprecating humor.

“People don’t know what to expect from me because I don’t know what to expect,” she once said.

She compared her longevity to an old penny.

“We never go away,” she said.

She was animated on the golf course, but never let a bad shot get the best of her.

“I enjoy the game,” she said. “When you hit a bad shot you can’t do anything about it. Why get mad?”

She was born Corinne Major in Ottumwa. She was named for her mother. She loved to swim as a kid, which played a role in her nickname.

“I guess I swam a lot and people said I floated like a cork,” she explained.

She had an impeccable short game, which she rode to that 1953 state title over Johnstone. They were tied halfway through the 36-hole final, but Corkey won the first two holes of the second round and never trailed again. She got up-and-down for par on five of the first six holes of that second round and eventually won the match, 4 and 3. It was the only loss Johnstone, elected to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 1990, had in her final 20 Iowa Women’s Amateur matches.

Corkey went a decade before collecting her second Iowa Women’s Amateur title, in 1963 at Dodge Park in Council Bluffs. The championship had converted from match to medal play by then. She won by 14 shots.

She also won in 1965 at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines and 1968 at Spencer Golf and Country Club.

Her career nearly came to a premature end in 1969, when doctors told Nydle she was going to lose a hand because of radiation poisoning.

“They said within five years my hand would be completely clawed and it would have to be removed,” she said. “I said, “You’re a bunch of crackpots.’ ”

Corky started to squeeze a rubber ball to improve strength in her arm. She also built up the grips on her clubs to make it easier on her damaged hand. And she kept winning.

She added Iowa Women’s Amateur titles in 1970 at Dubuque Golf and Country Club and 1972 at Crow Valley Golf Club in Bettendorf. She matched Johnstone’s six titles by winning over three decades.

After moving to Florida in 2003, Nydle won 12 consecutive medals in the Florida Senior Games.

“I had no lessons and I’ve got a lot of bad habits,” Nydle said in 1983. “I learned my own game. I’m not a picturebook golfer – I don’t always do what I’m supposed to do. My philosophy of the game is that it’s not how many good shots you hit, but how many bad/good shots (bad shots that turn out good) that you hit.”

Her love for golf never left her.

“See that ground there,” she said during a 1997 interview, pointing to the turf. “When I’m under it, that’s when I’ll quit playing.”

Next Week on Women’s Wednesday…

Three’s Company: Iowa Women’s Amateur champions that captured the title three or more times in their career.

Matthew Walker, with his mother, Camilla, off of South Beach in Miami. Camilla Walker has been with Matthew through every step of his health journey, including the donation of one her her a life-sustaining kidneys during a transplant in the spring of 2022.

The Calling Card for Ottumwa’s Matthew Walker in Quest to Reach Golf’s Highest Level

Golf immortal Bobby Jones famously coined the phrase “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.”

Professional golfer Matthew Walker has already experienced more of life’s bad breaks than most do in a lifetime, yet he continues to play the ball where it lies as he pushes forward to fulfill a lifelong dream – to reach the PGA Tour.

Matthew Walker captured the 2019 Iowa Open in a playoff, shortly after graduating from the University of Iowa and turning professional.

The 26-year-old Ottumwa native and University of Iowa graduate heads to Latin America this spring to compete on the PGA Tour Americas, a merger between two former PGA developmental tours based in Latin America and Canada. The schedule features 16 events and $225,000 purses where the Top 10 finishers on the money list earn exemptions on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour.

Now in his fifth season as a professional, Walker has made steady progress on his climb toward the game’s pinnacle, grinding through mini-tours, state-opens, pro-amateur events and Korn Ferry Tour qualifying. Last fall, he fired and 14-under par 270 to capture the Korn Ferry first stage qualifying event contested at the University of New Mexico’s championship course. He finished a few shots shy of advancing past the second stage and to the Korn Ferry finals, but his first stage victory earned him playing status on this season’s PGA Tour Americas.

“Everybody out here who plays the game for a living can bomb the driver and can hit great iron shots,” Walker said recently during a telephone interview with Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene. “What makes the difference is the ability to get the ball in the hole, take advantage of the Par 5’s, minimize mistakes and being strong mentally.”

As he continues to sharpen his game, the 2019 Iowa Open champion is focusing on course management and the mental aspect as the margins among players become smaller and smaller at higher levels.

“You have to manage your bad rounds to come out around par and not shoot yourself out of contention,” he remarked. “You cannot give away shots and stay competitive. And you have to be comfortable at staying aggressive when getting it way under par because you have to be way under for high finishes.”

Matthew Walker is all smiles after capturing the Wigwam Championship on the Golden State Tour in January of 2020, just prior to the pandemic putting a hold on his PGA Tour aspirations.

Life tossed its initial curveball at Walker when he was a toddler. At 18 months, he was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor on his left kidney, a childhood cancer that strikes one in 10,000 youngsters. Eight surgeries, nine months of chemotherapy and six radiation treatments followed, including the removal of his kidney. He gradually gained strength and function. At age five, his father, Bill, introduced Matthew to golf and he was soon hooked. With his father as the teacher and mentor, Walker improved rapidly playing the Cedar Creek Golf Course in Ottumwa. By the age of ten, Walker started competing in Iowa PGA Section and Iowa Golf Association junior events and eventually earned Player of the Year honors.

As a prep, Walker starred at the tradition-rich Ottumwa High School, where the Bulldogs have captured 11 state golf tournament titles and seven runner-up finishes. He was a four-time first-team all-state selection and captured a pair of Class 4A state individual championships, the first as a sophomore in the 2012-13 season and the second as a senior in the 2014-2015 campaign. He shot identical 36-hole totals of 141 to claim the titles, and both events were played at the Tournament Club of Iowa. Walker nearly made it three championships as he lost a playoff to Ankeny Centennial’s Griffin Matthias during his junior season. In addition to the state title, Walker captured medalist honors at all 12 meets as a senior.

Due to his decorated high school and junior golf career, Walker had several options to play college golf, including the University of Arizona and the University of Illinois, but he followed his heart to the University of Iowa. As a Hawkeye, Walker starred for Coach Tyler Stith’s program for four years, including being named to the Ping All-Midwest Regional team, a tie for sixth at the Big Ten championships, co-medalist at the Hawkeye Invitational and posting a career stroke average of 73.09 over 122 rounds.

It was during Walker’s junior season at Iowa when life hurled another major setback. His father, Bill, collapsed while working out on the treadmill at home and passed away in January of 2018 at the age of 61. Bill Walker had been Matthew’s mentor, coach, best friend and had walked the fairways at virtually all of his golf tournaments to lend his support.

“Dad’s passing taught me about perspective and priorities and that golf is really just a game,” Walker said. “I miss him dearly and carry his legacy with me.”

Midway through his senior season at Iowa, Walker began experiencing some back pain. As it gradually worsened, he suspected it might be related to his childhood kidney issues as it forced him to miss a handful of events. His lone kidney typically functioned at 70 percent, and then it was rated at 40 percent. Keeping a watchful eye on his health, Walker graduated from Iowa with a degree in business administration, turned professional and began his pursuit of playing the PGA Tour.

He roared out of the blocks quickly, capturing the 2019 Iowa Open at Blue Top Ridge by firing a 13-under-par 203 and defeating Gavin Hall of Palm Beach Gardens, FL in a playoff. A few months later, Walker broke through on the Golden State Tour by winning the Wigwam Championship in a 3-way playoff, birdieing four of the final five holes and pocketing the $11,000 winner’s check.

Bill and Camillia Walker have been Mathew’s biggest supporters. Bill Walker passed away unexpectedly in 2018.

Just as his pro career was taking flight, life’s bad breaks resurfaced. First, the pandemic year of 2020 limited playing opportunities while regular checkups indicated Walker’s lone kidney was continuing to lose effectiveness. Then in September of that year, Walker collapsed during a practice session while on the range back home at the Ottumwa Country Club. An MRI revealed the source of his lingering back pain; he had a walnut-sized benign tumor on his T11 vertebrae. The tumor was removed during a successful procedure at the University of Iowa Hospitals, followed by a several month recovery process.

And recover he did during the 2021 year, highlighted by capturing the Nebraska Open in record fashion, firing a 54-hole total of 195, including a sizzling ten-under par 61 in the opening round. Walker joined fellow Iowan Ken Schall as the only players to capture both the Iowa and Nebraska Opens. Even more remarkable was the fact that Walker claimed the title with his lone kidney functioning at 19 percent capacity, barely above the cut line for needing dialysis.

In January of 2022, back in Arizona and again gaining momentum in his professional golf career, Walker once again faced a roadblock. His Whoop band indicated a resting heart rate at 90 beats per minute as the clock had run out on his lone kidney. He immediately began life-saving dialysis in Arizona, then shortly thereafter flew back to Iowa and began a three day per week dialysis regimen at Ottumwa Regional Hospital. His mother, Camilla Walker, a retired mathematics teacher at Indian Hills Community College, had long planned to become Matthew’s kidney donor, should he need it.

The time was now, and the five-hour transplant surgery took place at The Mayo Clinic in March of 2022. The procedure was successful, and by summer Matthew had resumed his playing career. In his first outing back from kidney transplant, the Albia, IA Pro-Am, Walker shot 11-under and resumed chasing his dream.

Through all the hardship and side effects, which include taking eight anti-rejection medications twice daily, Walker remains upbeat. He is ready to pursue playing opportunities on the PGA Tour Americas and beyond.

“I see many guys out here who are finished for the day after one or two bad shots,” he said. “I’ve learned that you have to be resilient, fight through adversity, and keep going. Professional golf can drag you to places you do not want to be, should you let it. I’m not going to let a bad round, or a bad break, whether on or off the course, keep me from pursuing my dreams.”

“Up and Down” the Iowa Golf Scene

A regular feature column written by IGA Foundation board member Mark Gambaiana, Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene is designed to take the reader beyond the headlines and scoreboards to share stories of those who help make Iowa golf so rich and rewarding. Profiles will spotlight those who advance the game through volunteerism, service, extraordinary achievement, competition, human interest and the many other dimensions of golf in Iowa.

Click the links below to read previous Up and Down features
– IGA Rules Official Sean Flanders
– R&A, USGA Champion Gene Elliott
– Nervig Reflects on Decades of Service to The Iowa Masters
– Arseneault Finds Fulfillment in Life’s Next Chapter After Competitive Golf
– Ivan Miller remembers the days of the Minnows
– Kinney adjusts to life on tour
– Standard Golf’s roots run deep
– Pettersen sets sights high
– McCoy, Norton Put Iowa Stamp on Florida Senior Golf
– Moreland Reflects on his Extraordinary Club Pro, Playing Career
– From Sibley to the LPGA Tour – Barb Thomas Whitehead Fulfills Her Dream
– At 88 Years Young, Cleo Brown Remains a Fixture at the Principal Charity Classic, IGA Events
– Love of the Game, Service to Others Propel Charlie Taylor to IGA’s 2023 George Turner Award

(Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

The Iowa PGA Section recently earned the 2024 Herb Graffis Award (shown above), given annually to one of the 41 PGA of America Sections that has shown tireless dedication to grow the game of golf and furthering player-development programming in the community.

The Iowa PGA Section, led by President Erin Strieck, PGA, and Executive Director Greg Mason, PGA, has delivered quality golf programming that has helped grow the game for over 40 years. The Section has implemented many programs with a focus on youth, including Swing with Kids Golf in Schools, in which a PGA of America Golf Professional adopts a local School District and supports the Physical Education Teachers in elementary and middle schools to teach golf and life skills. The program has more than doubled in size over the past five years and now serves over 25,000 students. Iowa’s PGA Jr. League program is the number-one program by growth percentage across all PGA of America Sections in number of players as well as teams.

The Iowa PGA Section is also supporting local military Veterans with their GIVE (Golf for Injured Veterans Everywhere) program, where PGA of America Professionals teach the game of golf to Veterans as part of their rehabilitation. The program has supported more than 2,300 Veterans since its inception. Iowa PGA Junior Tour events were hosted by 67 percent of the facilities within the Section in 2023. Additionally, the Iowa PGA has remained number one across all Sections on the percentage of membership for PGA of America Golf professionals certified through ADM and PGA.coach, completing training and certification in 2023.

PGA of America President John Lindert greets the 2024 PGA of America Deacon Palmer Award recipient Mark Egly, PGA on the Industry Stage during the 2024 PGA of America National Award presentation at the PGA Show at Orange County Convention Center on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

Mark Egly, PGA, Head Golf Professional for the past 30 years at Des Moines Driving Range in Des Moines, was selected for the 2024 Deacon Palmer Award, which honors a PGA of America Golf Professional who displays outstanding integrity, character, and leadership in the effort to overcome a major obstacle in their life. A PGA of America Member for 40 years, Egly’s entire golf career has been impacted by health issues, beginning with a serious car accident in 1990 that left him with severe nerve damage in his shoulder, significantly limiting the use of his right arm.

After taking a few years off from the game, he came back and played well enough to even qualify for the 1995 John Deere Classic, but then suffered two more accidents resulting in serious injuries. Hardly the end of his health issues, Egly was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, which causes a lack of oxygen, resulting in low energy, exhaustion, breathing problems, and a lack of natural pain management. Despite never having smoked, Egly was diagnosed with COPD and emphysema in 2018.

Furthermore, in 2018, doctors found a tumorous spot on Mark’s pancreas and he was given only a 30 percent chance of surviving six months; the tumor significantly reduced without chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. Still, Egly remains motivated and dedicated to golf. With a healthy lifestyle, synced with food protocols and weekly infusions, he has overcome or improved some of his health issues, while focusing on teaching the game and purchasing a driving range. Since becoming a PGA of America Golf Professional in 1983, Egly has exhibited an exceptional level of service and unwavering commitment to the success of others.

Egly was named to the 2023 GRAA (Golf Range Association of America) Growth of the Game Teaching Professionals Elite Member Status, with Des Moines Driving Range being named a 2023 GRAA Top 50 Stand Alone Facility. He has been deeply involved in creating a safe haven for children through various youth programs, getting at-risk children on the golf course at no cost and has collaborated with the United States Golf Association, equipment manufacturers, the Iowa Section PGA, the PGA of America and the National Golf Foundation on many occasions to further provide opportunities for youth to enjoy the game.

The Iowa Golf Hall of Fame will add five members in 2024, bringing the total number in the Hall of Fame to 101. Those five include Clark Burroughs, Michael Coppola, Bill Dickens, Greg Ladehoff and Bob Smith. Read more about each inductee below.

Clark Burroughs

Waterloo’s Clark Burroughs has a playing resume that ranks at the top with all from Iowa.

Growing up and developing his game in golf-rich Waterloo, Burroughs (pictured right) was successful in various local competitions in an era where there wasn’t first-rate junior competitions available like there are today. Clark’s success included a victory at the 1980 Iowa Junior Amateur.

Those ‘early’ victories were just the start for Burroughs, a fixture at the Byrnes Park (now Irv Warren) golf course who was a star at Waterloo West High School under Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Don Narveson.

“He literally lived here while he was a kid,” Narveson once said. “He’s a winner.”

Burroughs attended Ohio State University on a golf scholarship and put together an incredible college career. He was a First-team All-Big Ten selection all four years, from 1982 through 1985. He was also Big Ten Player of the Year in 1985, and won seven individual titles. Clark was named team captain for the Buckeyes in 1984 and 1985 and was inducted into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.

Burroughs was named an All-American all four years at Ohio State. He capped of his college career by winning the NCAA Division I Individual title in 1985 and was named 1st team All-American.

Burroughs had considerable success in big time amateur golf outside of college as well. He was medalist in the 1983 U.S. Amateur and made it to the semifinals, earning him a trip to the 1984 Masters Tournament and a spot on the 1985 Walker Cup Team.

“He’s our kid,” Narveson after watching Burroughs make the cut at the 1984 Masters.

Burroughs turned professional after college and returned home to win the Waterloo Open in 1987. He competed on the PGA Tour for a span of 11 years. During that time, he played in 130 tournaments and made 60 cuts.

“Winning the NCAA and playing on the tour are totally different,” Burroughs said in 1989. “These guys don’t care what you did in college.”

Clark finished in the Top 21 four times during his PGA Tour career. His highest was a runner-up finish to Steve Jones at the 1989 Canadian Open.

“One of the qualities I admired most about Clark was his self-confidence and belief in himself,” Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Doug Dunakey said. “I have to admit, Clark pushed me to be a better player. His play and accomplishments were standards I measured myself against.”

Playing Achievements
-1980 Iowa Junior Amateur Champion (139) at Jester Park
-1987 Waterloo Open Champion (pro)
-1983 B1G Ten individual runner-up
-1985 NCAA Champion for Ohio State
-1985 Walker Cup Team, USA defeated GB 13-11 at Pine Valley Golf Club
-Played in 130 PGA Tour events (1984-1995)
-Best career finish: Runner-up to Steve Jones at 1989 Canadian Open
-Four Top 10 finishes, 10 top 25s, 61 made cuts
-Finished T46 at 1984 Masters as an amateur

Michael Coppola

Michael Coppola’s passion for the game of golf in the state of Iowa is unmatched.

Coppola, pictured with Golf House Iowa donor, Doug Reichardt (on right with hat), the owner of Echo Valley Country Club in Norwalk, was a major player in the construction of Golf House Iowa, which is nearing completion. As Coppola’s friend, Charlie Taylor, describes it, Coppola didn’t move the needle for the project. He was the needle.

Coppola’s lead gift, including the land the building rests on just east of the ninth green of Echo Valley’s Creek Course, was crucial. Just as important is his behind-the-scenes role and volunteering his time to help the project move forward. His experience and insight during the fundraising, planning and construction of the project were invaluable.

Coppola’s generous gifts were a major piece of the fundraising goal, which climbed to $5 million due to increased construction costs. The new facility, which will also be home to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, will celebrate the game’s past and serve as motivation for the future. Michael has also been generous with his time and his philanthropic endeavors to help the IGA many times in the past.

“It is nearly impossible to completely and accurately summarize Mike’s contributions to the Iowa Golf Association,” Taylor said. “He has, in my opinion, single-handedly changed the course of the IGA like no one before him. Mike shares a vision with the IGA that Golf House Iowa will provide an important platform to promote the game of golf through its impact on junior golfers.”

This is not the first time the future of the game has prospered from Coppola’s generosity. The Sani Scholarship Fund, which is financed by donations and a percentage of entry fees from selected statewide tournaments, was struggling to find enough money to endow those scholarships.

Coppola was approached around 2013 about making a donation to keep the scholarships – $2,000 a year for four years – up and running. Coppola attended a Sani Scholarship dinner and was deeply impressed with the award winners. He did some research on Sani, who purchased Hyperion Field Club in 1936 for back taxes and gave it back to the membership. Sani was also the first executive director of the IGA and served in that role on a volunteer basis for more than 30 years.

The Coppola brothers – Michael, Arthur and Edward – donated $250,000 to help endow the Sani Scholarship in 2015. Witnessing the Sani Scholarship winners in person, and hearing their stories, was the driving force behind Coppola’s decision to lend a helping hand.

“Mike’s involvement and philanthropic contributions to the IGA already have, and will continue to shape, the game for players in our great state for years to come,” said former IGA president Steve Jermier, himself a former Sani Scholarship recipient.

Echo Valley Country Club, along with Hyperion Field Club in Johnston, host the Herman Sani Tournament every other year on the IGA Championship schedule, thanks again to the generosity of the Coppola family.

Coppola has also made significant investments to improve playing conditions and overall experience for the members at Echo Valley Country Club. The club grew to 27 holes in 2004 when the nine-hole Ridge course was built. The greens were rebuilt on the Vale course in 2021, returning them to their original size. The Creek nine underwent greenside renovations, movement of some fairway bunkers, the addition of new tees and a new irrigation system in 2022 and 2023. And all bunkers on the three nines have been rebuilt over the last two years with capillary concrete to improve drainage and playing conditions.

Coppola has commented that he looks into the future and sees a day when Mike McCoy, one of Iowa’s greatest amateur players and a member of the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame, sits in a meeting room at Golf House Iowa and talks to a group of youngsters about what the game of golf has done for him.

“It’s about enriching lives through golf,” Coppola said. “How do we change a life through the game? And it might not even be on a golf course. Twenty-five years later a kid is going to say, “Mr. McCoy talked to be about what the game did for him. And one thing he said really got to me.”

As a golfer, Coppola isn’t motivated by how many rounds he plays in a year. It’s more about the canvas that golf provides.

Bill Dickens

He was the right guy at the right time for the Iowa Golf Association. Those words have been mentioned numerous times when describing Bill Dickens.

The IGA as we know it today is due in large part to the efforts of Bill (pictured right) and his passion for golf administration. After establishing an IGA office in Urbandale when he was hired in 2001, his achievements include:

• Building a strong revenue stream and balance sheet with cash reserves able to carry the association through tough times.

• Building and supporting a schedule of great IGA Championships and other events that provide competitive opportunities for players all across the state, which many consider to be unmatched anywhere else in the country.

• Championed the effort to include all members into events with the use and understanding of the USGA Handicap System and the GHIN Service.

• Working with then-IGA President Joe Kehoe on a multi-year effort to merge the Iowa Women’s Golf Association with the IGA, strengthening the game for women golfers in the state, and promoting the Ann Griffel Scholarship.

• Established the IGA Foundation in 2011 to administer and support the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame, the Herman Sani Scholarship, junior golf initiatives and turfgrass and environmental education.

• Reinvigorated the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2006 after a nine-year hiatus of inductions, and created member plaques and other historic displays in the IGA office.

• Formulated the idea for Golf House Iowa and put energy and drive behind the idea that has now been brought to fruition.

Those first few years of Bill’s leadership could be titled ‘Back to the Basics’.

“He (Bill) faced a hurdle when he first started at the IGA,” IGA Executive Director & CEO Chad Pitts said. “He found he needed to get back to the basics of golf administration, and he had to teach those basics to staff and board members alike. Things as simple as referring to every person on the GHIN roster as a member of the IGA, having full teams to perform course ratings, how to conduct board meetings, how to properly mark a golf course and prepare a rules sheet, or even getting a new thing called a website up and running. Sounds simple now but that was what the IGA wasn’t doing before Bill got there. I think it is fair to say he revamped the way the staff and board thought about the IGA and what it was capable of and there is no doubt that has carried on to today.”

Due to Bill’s tireless efforts, it is accurate to say that many associations around the country look to Iowa as a blueprint for how golf should be administered at the highest level.

“Bill was the driving force behind so many efforts around the IGA and IGAF, it’s difficult to just pick a few to highlight,” Steve Jermier said. “The IGA is known nationally among its peers as a standard bearer for producing an incredible product with limited resources compared to larger state and regional associations. That reputation simply wouldn’t exist without the contributions, leadership, and vision from Bill Dickens.”

In addition to his service to game of golf in Iowa, Bill was awarded the prestigious Ike Grainger Award from the USGA in 2016 recognizing 25 years of service as a USGA Committee Member.

Greg Ladehoff

Greg Ladehoff of Clinton steadily improved as he climbed golf’s ladder, a less-than-guaranteed journey that took him all the way to the PGA Tour.

Following a successful junior career at Clinton High School and as the 1979 Iowa Junior champion, Ladehoff (pictured right) accepted a scholarship to Ohio State University. There, he was one of the few golfers ever to earn All Big-Ten honors four years in a row (1981-84). Ladehoff then decided to try a career playing professionally. He made it through Q-School for the first time in 1985, and also in 1987, 1988 and 1990. Greg played the PGA Tour regularly for eight years (1985-92), making 154 starts. His best career finish was a tie for third with Nick Faldo in the 1986 USF&G Classic as a rookie.

“My attitude is that I want to play good enough get in position where I have a chance to screw up,” Ladehoff said in 1988. “If you never get in that position, you never have a chance.”

After leaving the tour, Ladehoff still played at a high level. He won the Iowa PGA Section Championship in 1994 at Finkbine in Iowa City. But Greg would retire from competitive golf after numerous injuries, and he joined his father in a well-known and respected duck decoy business in the Clinton area.

“Ladehoff attacked golf courses over his career, the way he approaches everyday business life of which he is equally successful,” Gary Dolphin said of Ladehoff. “He did it with purpose and a great sense of humor. Whether shooting a course record 68 in the Ohio Amateur at Inverness in Toledo, a 66 that chased down Tommy Armour III in Tallahassee or his present day worldwide success building a duck decoy business, Ladehoff marches and lives with the times.”

Those who knew Ladehoff know there was more to the man than just golf.

“I hope that 100 years from now, when a visitor to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame is pondering the great Greg Ladehoff, they can see him as I do,” Mark L. Burden said. “A terrific player and competitor, of course, but to see Greg solely through the prism of golf would obscure his towering commitment to family, to friends, to his passion for business and to his love for the Hawkeye State. Golf afforded Greg tremendous opportunities and to his credit, he pursued the game to the pinnacle.”

Playing Achievements
-1979 Iowa Junior Amateur Champion
-Led Clinton High School to two IHSAA State Championships (1979-1980)
-1981-1984 First Team All-Big Ten for Ohio State
-1982 Second Team All-American for Ohio State
-1983 Honorable Mention All-American for Ohio State
-1984 Third Team All-American for Ohio State
-Two collegiate individual wins for Ohio State
-154 starts on the PGA Tour and 47 starts on the Ben Hogan Tour
-Six top 10’s and two runner-Up finishes on the Ben Hogan Tour
-PGA Tour: 65 made cuts, five top 10’s, and one third-place finish at the 1986 USF&G Classic in New Orleans.
-1994 Iowa PGA Section Champion

Bob Smith

Bob Smith dedicated his career to being the best golf course superintendent. He studied and strived to be just that for more than 30 years at seven different Iowa golf courses and communities. He was recognized over the years by the Iowa Golf Course Superintendent Association with many awards and accolades.

Bob (pictured right) served the association at its highest levels, being elected to the Board of Directors in 1953, and served as President in 1956 and 1957. He believed service to the IGCSA was most important and received 25- and 50- year membership pins. In 1990 he had the honor of receiving the Distinguished Service Award from IGCSA.

In addition to his achievements as a golf course superintendent, Bob’s career included being a pioneer on the sales side of turf products. He would go to golf courses, both large and small, offering valuable advice on many aspects of turf maintenance. He helped with disease and weed identification by offering his expertise on treatment, insect management, grass seed, and irrigation.

“As one of the first golf course superintendents to work in sales, he combined his knowledge and experience,” Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Doug Snook said. “He was like a doctor making house calls. With education opportunities limited in turf, managers relied on Bob to solve their turf problems. Bob would take the time to walk with the turf managers inspecting their facilities, troubleshooting turf and equipment issues while helping them with their management problems.”

He might even show how to cut a cup properly or help pick flags or markers when needed. At many small golf courses, the turf maintenance employees were seasonal and even part-time visits were much anticipated.

“Bob Smith’s lifework was the betterment of golf through creating well-maintained facilities,” John Hollen said. “He helped players both as a caddy when growing up and by providing golf lessons while working as superintendent, educating turf managers by sharing his knowledge, helping strengthen his association through lifetime involvement, and setting an example so impactful that many of his family followed suit.”

Bob was always experimenting with new golf course management techniques and was a great golfer in his own right, giving golf members golf lessons that did not have a golf professional at their club.

“If a young person could model their career after an old timer, Bob Smith would be someone who I would recommend,” Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS, MG, said. “He worked at many golf courses around the state, he mentored young people and Iowa golf was in his blood.”

Awards & Service
Iowa GCSA Board of Directors 1953-1954
Iowa GCSA Vice President 1955
Iowa GCSA President 1956 & 1957
Iowa GCSA Distinguished Service Award 1990
Iowa GCSA 25 & 50 year membership Pins

Employment History
Newton Country Club 1937-1938
Elmwood Country Club 1939-1942
Elmwood Country Club 1946-1948
Des Moines Golf & Country Club 1949
Pine Knolls Country Club 1950-1961
Turf Supply Company 1962-1969
Pella Country Club 1970
Turf Supply Company 1971-1972
Pine Knolls Country Club 1975-1976
All Vets (Clear Lake) 1978
Appanoose Country Club 1979-1982

The Iowa Golf Association is thrilled to welcome these five new members to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame and will host a ceremony honoring those individuals at Echo Valley Country Club on Friday evening, September 27. We will also use our new Golf House Iowa facility for reception and tours prior to the induction ceremony. An online link to register for the event will be available and posted online soon.

Charlie Taylor, pictured with grandson Cam, has made contributions that were magnified multiple fold as the dream of building Golf House Iowa began to unfold in recent years.

Love of the Game, Service to Others Propel Charlie Taylor to IGA’s 2023 George Turner Award

When Charlie Taylor was introduced to the game of golf by his late father, Heinrich, in the mid-1960’s, it was love at first sight. Nearly 60 years later, his romance with the game continues at a torrid pace.

A passion for the game, willingness to serve and a desire to promote and strengthen Iowa golf for future generations are all ideals that catapulted Taylor to receive the Iowa Golf Association’s prestigious George Turner Distinguished Service Award for 2023.

The IGA renamed its distinguished service award after the iconic Iowa golf ambassador George Turner in 2003 and has been presenting the award since 1985. This year’s recipient embodies the standards and qualities of the award through more than a decade of service to the Iowa Golf Association Foundation, and more recently, for his leadership role in making the dream of a Golf House Iowa facility become a reality.

“To receive this award and to be included among such a distinguished list of past recipients is a great honor for me and my family,” said Taylor. “The game of golf is a journey, not a destination, and I consider my work with the IGA along those same lines. We have much more work to do, and I’m very excited about the future of the IGA.”

Taylor was part of two consecutive state golf tournament teams at Dowling Catholic in the early 1970’s, and qualified as an individual in 1974. As he was building a work career, golf was more of a casual endeavor until his youngest son, Rob, became interested in the game. The pair played their first IGA tournament together in 2007, The Ottumwa Amateur, and were hooked. Today, Taylor plays in several IGA sanctioned events each year and finished the 2023 season ranked 12th on the IGA Super Senior Point Standings, including a tie for fifth showing at The Carroll Amateur.

“We both learned that through competition that you have to count all your shots, play by the rules, respect your fellow competitors and act like gentlemen on the golf course,” Taylor said. “These are transformational lessons. The game is rare among life’s pursuits because it teaches you so much about yourself, your strengths, and your flaws.”

A passion for the game, willingness to serve and a desire to promote and strengthen Iowa golf for future generations are all ideals that catapulted Taylor to receive the Iowa Golf Association’s prestigious George Turner Distinguished Service Award for 2023.

In 2011, Taylor (right) was asked to join the Iowa Golf Association Foundation Board of Directors. His volunteer work included serving as a starter, scorer, and spotter at various IGA tournaments, as well as providing legal work on the spectacular Golden Harvest history book authored by long-time Des Moines Register golf writer Rick Brown.

But Taylor’s contributions were magnified multiple fold as the dream of building Golf House Iowa began to unfold in recent years. A member of the Golf House Iowa campaign committee, Taylor made a leadership financial commitment to the project, and has provided invaluable legal, real estate and construction expertise as the project advanced from rough blueprints in 2019 to a projected grand opening in late spring-summer, 2024. The University of Iowa law graduate spent nine years in private practice, and the past 35 years as General Counsel for The Graham Group in Des Moines, specializing in real estate and construction projects. Add in his past leadership roles with The Variety Club, Dowling Catholic Foundation and Blank Children’s Hospital and Taylor was a perfect fit for his impactful role with Golf House Iowa.

The multi-purpose facility is designed to showcase the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, promote junior golf, and provide office space for the Iowa Golf Association and the IGA Foundation. In addition, the facility will also have the capacity to host meetings/seminars for rules, Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association, The First Tee, and other related activities/organizations all with the goal to advance and promote golf in Iowa.

Taylor credits his high school classmate at Dowling, Michael Coppola, as a catalyst for the launch of Golf House Iowa by making the lead cash gift, providing the land and site utilities, a combined commitment valued at nearly two million dollars.

“Many people brought wonderful and divergent skill sets to work on Golf House, but somebody had to provide the forward momentum, and that someone was Michael,” he stated. “Michael has said Golf House will be the platform for the Iowa Golf Association to do its best work…and its best work is to empower young men and women through the game. We aspire to be the national model for what these facilities can accomplish when a community comes together.”

Taylor looks toward the future with optimism and credits his wife Debra “for being very supportive with my addiction to the game of golf.”

“Up and Down” the Iowa Golf Scene

A regular feature column written by IGA Foundation board member Mark Gambaiana, Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene is designed to take the reader beyond the headlines and scoreboards to share stories of those who help make Iowa golf so rich and rewarding. Profiles will spotlight those who advance the game through volunteerism, service, extraordinary achievement, competition, human interest and the many other dimensions of golf in Iowa.

Click the links below to read previous Up and Down features
– IGA Rules Official Sean Flanders
– R&A, USGA Champion Gene Elliott
– Nervig Reflects on Decades of Service to The Iowa Masters
– Arseneault Finds Fulfillment in Life’s Next Chapter After Competitive Golf
– Ivan Miller remembers the days of the Minnows
– Kinney adjusts to life on tour
– Standard Golf’s roots run deep
– Pettersen sets sights high
– McCoy, Norton Put Iowa Stamp on Florida Senior Golf
– Moreland Reflects on his Extraordinary Club Pro, Playing Career
– From Sibley to the LPGA Tour – Barb Thomas Whitehead Fulfills Her Dream
– At 88 Years Young, Cleo Brown Remains a Fixture at the Principal Charity Classic, IGA Events