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LPGA teaching pro Deb Vangellow has strong ties to the Cedar Valley. The Rochester, New York native arrived at the University of Northern Iowa as a freshman and went on to become a two-sport letter winner in soccer and women’s track and field. She currently is the director of instruction at Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land, Texas. She has been named one of GOLF Magazine’s Top Teachers and is listed as one of the top 50 teachers by Golf For Women Magazine. She is a contributing columnist for several magazines and online teaching publications.
CVA: How did you arrive at UNI?
DV: Growing up in New York, I competed in the Empire State Games as a track and field athlete (throws). One of my teammates went to school at UNI and convinced me to take a look, describing a great track program and a great school for future educators. When I came to visit, everything just felt right, and I made the decision to attend UNI, staying five years as a student-athlete and returning to work for four more as a residence hall director and women’s golf coach after grad school. Without question, these were some of the best experiences I have had. Nothing like living with 500 men at Shull Hall to really get an education!
CVA: How did you go from track to golf?
DV: I’d always played a bit and more in graduate school. One of the groups that came to Miami (Ohio) when I was there was the Golf Digest Instructional Schools, one of the earliest golf schools in the country. I was in the right place at the right time and was offered a position with their schools that next summer. It was a terrific experience, allowing me the opportunity to learn from some of the finest teachers in the game, the early instructors often featured in the publication. One thing led to another and I moved to Texas to work with LPGA great Kathy Whitworth and her Japanese corporate-sponsored golf school. This experience really helped my development as a teacher, and I have never looked back. I’ve been teaching ever since and am actively involved in the LPGA, serving as a lead instructor in our National Education Programs. Go figure!
CVA: What is your favorite golf course you’ve played?
DV: I have been especially fortunate to play Augusta National, an unlikely possibility unless you get invited by a club member. It was an amazing experience and one of the most difficult courses I have ever played. I played in December…cold and rainy…don’t even ask me what I shot because it wasn’t pretty! My favorite course? The par three course at Augusta National…we had a lot of fun and played well there!
CVA: What course would you like to play?
DV: I would enjoy playing the rest of Cypress Point Golf Club in Monterey Peninsula. After playing at Pebble Beach following a golf school, we were paired with a couple of great guys who just happened to be members at Cypress Point, just up the road from Pebble Beach. They knew we were leaving the next day and invited us to play at Cypress Point when we were done playing at PB. We, of course, scrapped our dinner plans in Carmel for this once-in-a-lifetime experience to play back-to-back on two of the most scenic courses in the world! We ran out of daylight and only got through 11 holes, so I never got to see perhaps the prettiest hole in golf, the 15th Par Three Hole. Someday!
CVA: Who has been your mentor/inspiration?
DV: Wow…what a question. I have so many inspirations. I would have to say that my mentor, Betsy Cullen (fellow LPGA teacher, tour winner, and wonderful friend), and longtime teacher Mike Austin (who holds world record for longest drive in PGA history and passed away at the age of 98 last year) have been important in my development as a golf educator. My good friends Patti Holmes and Michele Dickey Kotz (Miami, Ohio) and high school coach Don Hayden are all terrific inspirations to me because of their character, attitude, and work ethic. Good old Bob Hartman (former Director of Residence at UNI) is a great example of the type of leader/manager I aspire to be. He is a terrific man who allowed me to fail and gave me an opportunity to succeed. Rather rebellious as a student, he “took a chance” on me for a staff position at UNI where I was the first woman (and thankfully, not the last!) to run an all-male residence hall at UNI. The DOR at UNI has had an amazing influence on my life!
CVA: What is your life philosophy?
DV: Life Is Good.
CVA: What is the strength of your golf game?
DV: It used to be driving the ball…Mike got me hitting it so long. Now, I really don’t play much at all due to my teaching schedule so my strengths now are putting and wedge play…the two things I can play around with if I am not playing. Can’t wait to retire so that I can play more golf!
CVA: Do you have a golf philosophy?
DV: Absolutely! I believe in teaching the whole game to the whole person. All mechanics it’s not! I believe in developmental programming that is student centered and encompasses mind/body/spirit ideals. I teach people to play golf.
CVA: How do the men at Sweetwater react to you as a female pro?
DV: I teach more men than women, as it turns out. I don’t think it is a gender thing as much as a rapport thing. I happen to teach at a very large (1000+ members) club with a lot of younger members (very family oriented). I have been there for 10 years and I feel like it has been a good fit. My sense is that folks want to learn from someone who cares, not just about their golf. I enjoy what I do and continue learning. This becomes obvious to folks and my schedule book stays busy as a result. I feel very fortunate!
CVA: Has your life turned out as you expected?
DV: Of course not! Who would have thought????
CVA: What does your future hold?
DV: Hmmmmm, who knows? Have to be in the right place at the right time and then….
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