Doug Vilven, one of the most accomplished and decorated PGA Golf Professionals who ever picked up a golf club, taught a lesson or administered a ruling during a golf tournament, passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah on December 23, 2018, after a sudden illness.
Born February 20, 1948, in Wamego, Kansas, he grew up in Salt Lake City, graduated from Highland High School and won the State High School Golf Championship.
He attended Utah State University, where he was a member of the golf team and pledged Sigma Chi. He remained a lifelong supporter of both institutions.
He leaves behind a wife, Denise Sargetakis whom he married on December 28, 1975, and two children, Mike and DeDe, along with a grandson, Elias Vilven.
Doug Vilven strongly embodied the service component of the Professional Golfers Association in many ways, whether as an administrator, officer, rules official, teacher or as an owner/operator of Golf in The Round.
Doug Vilven impacted everyone around himself with his humor, intelligence, compassion, empathy, character, and total honesty.
He was indeed one of the good guys and his passing leaves a tremendous void, not only in the Utah Section of the PGA, but the entire world-wide Fraternity of PGA Golf Professionals and USGA Rules Officials.
He will be deeply missed.
My involvement with Doug, along with the business side of golf, was on a much more personal level.
He was not only a good and close friend but also my partner in crime in the media business.
Over my thirty years in the broadcast industry, hosting a weekly golf show for most of that time, Doug and I did probably 100 radio programs together.
As a Certified Rules Official with the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association, Doug was one of the most knowledgeable rules officials in the world and brought tremendous panache to the broadcast.
The show was entitled, “The Rules of the Game,” and we would take rules questions and situations from the listening audience, and then answer them with Doug citing the standard definition along with a brief tutorial on how the specific rule applied to that particular situation. It was a fantastic segment, and Doug was outstanding and always professional in his presentation.
The last show we did together was March 3, 2018.
Doug had just presented a rules seminar to PGA, UGA and other interested folks at the Utah Section PGA Offices. At the completion, I sat down with him for a brief session.
Little did I know it would be the last show we would do together and how very fortunate it was that I taped the entire presentation along with the interview.
So, it is with bittersweet pleasure and much sadness that I post this last interview for all his friends, family, admirers and fellow professionals. Hoping it will continue to offer up his insightful, home-spun knowledge, wisdom and humor that he so graciously shared with us all.
Doug leaves behind a legacy that shines as brightly as the prairie sun he grew up under and where he first experienced the unbridled passion for the game of golf he loved, played, taught and shared for a lifetime.
Rest in Peace, my friend, you have earned it.
Jeff Waters is a PGA Master Professional and a Member of the Golf Writers Association of America.
