In Memorium:  Don Kowitz (1931-2012)

Long time respected volunteer and OGA Rules Official, Donald Joe Kowitz, Sr. died suddenly January 30, 2012 at the Salem hospital at the age of 80. 

Funeral Mass will be held at 10am on Saturday, February 4th at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Sublimity.  Reception will follow at Anthony Hall on Sublimity Rd.,, west of the Harvest Festival grounds across the highway  from Santiam GC at 11am.

The family requests in lieu of flowers donations be made to Oregon Junior Golf (2840 Hazelnut Drive, Woodburn, OR 97071)

Don was actively involved in the game of golf, starting out as a volunteer with the Oregon Golf Association.  He touched almost every aspect of Golf in the Pacific Northwest over the past 25 years.  He served on the OGA Executive Committee (1982-1990), as OGA Director at Salem Golf Club (1990-1993), and working as OGA Course Rating Coordinator and Rules Official since 1994.

Kowitz earned a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and trusted professional officials in the country, consistently scoring in the high 90s on the USGA Rules test.  But he was quick to point out that simply knowing the rules doesn’t make a good rules official. 

“Scoring high isn’t all there is to it,” he said in a 2007 interview with the Salem Statesman Journal.  “It’s how you apply it.”

“If you’re playing in one of the events and need help, he’s the guy you want to see coming around the corner,” said Matt Allen, a former OGA Director of Competitions who is now the General Manager at Chambers Bay. 

Terry McEvilly, an OGA Volunteer and Rules Official  noted, "If it wasn't for a chance encounter I had with Don while playing in the Oregon Net Championship at Trysting Tree in 1999, I would not be a Rules Official today. In total ignorance I had breached a Rule on the 8th hole and Don penalized me for it.  But what really impressed me was that after the round he took the time to fully explain everything to me.  It was while driving home afterwards I decided I really needed to learn the Rules of Golf."

“He brought a tremendous amount of credibility to our organization,” said Jamie Sumner, another former OGA Director of Competitions.

That credibility took a lot of time to maintain, but Kowitz never considered it a chore.  Reading the Rule book was a favorite hobby.  He’d get up by 4:30am each day to read the newspaper and the Decisions on the Rules of Golf for an hour or two.

When with friends, it was common for him to point out the correct way to play a ball or how to avoid a penalty.  He once commented, “You shoot 60 and you’re happy, but you’re not playing the game.  The integrity of the game is to play the ball as it lies.”   He’d even refer to a 19th century Scottish rule book to show the basic tenants of the game hadn’t changed.

Don Kowitz (lef) assists Kristina Merkle make a drop at the 30th Girls Junior Americas Cup
on the 18th hole at Waverely Country Club in 2007.  Merkle now plays on the LPGA.

He also loved being able to watch the growth in skill of the OGA tournament golfers from the junior level up through senior events, and he became respected and known to all.  His passion for both the game and the Rules of Golf made him a mentor among several volunteers who were motivated to follow in his footsteps and are now regarded among the Rules elite in the country.

Don was also actively involved in Junior Golf, serving as Captain of Hogan Cup teams and the Boys Junior Americas Cup teams for several years.

“I admired Don so much for his integrity and his respect for the game of golf,” said Jim Gibbons, former OGA Executive Director. “He was dependable, reliable and so much fun to be around.  At times we would have tears rolling down our cheeks from his telling a new joke or limerick or his recanting some funny experiences from the past.   He gave us a continuing memory that overshadows how much he will be missed.”

Don was a proud and happy Grandpa and great Grandpa to nearly 60 children.  Each one was very special to him, they brought him much joy, as he watched them participate in sports, or just sharing stories of their antics.  He took great pride in his grandchildren’s successful lives/careers.

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