Whitefish native joins Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame
Don Welch Hall of Fame
Don Welch was recently added to yet another prestigious Hall of Fame for his tremendous career in golf, both as a player and Golf Professional. The latest Hall of Fame induction was to the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame with official ceremony taking place on Sept. 28.
Don grew up at Whitefish Lake Golf Club where his mom, Edna Wagner, managed the Club. He traveled the state caddying for local standout amateur Rusty Abell until he was old enough to play on himself. He was the Montana High School State Champion both in 1949 and 1951 and played under Coach Lloyd Muldown when Whitefish High School won its first team State Championship.
Don played collegiate golf for the University of Montana from 1952 to 1956, winning numerous tournaments around the state. He was the State Amateur Champion in both 1953 and 1961. He also played in the USGA Amateur Championship in 1961. Later in 1961 he turned Professional for the Desert Inn Golf Club in Vegas until 1976 when he moved to the Dunes Country Club where he stayed until 1980. He is a member of the WHS Hall of Fame where he also played football and basketball along with golf. He was inducted into the Montana Golf Association Hall of Fame in 1986.
Wooten Nails an Albatross
Zach Wooten, former WHS varsity golfer, made what is perhaps the toughest of all shots in golf, getting a 2 on the par five eighth hole at Northern Pines Golf Course. The odds of making an Albatross are one million to one versus a hole in one where the odds are 13,000 to one. Nationally there are thousands of holes in ones each year but only a couple hundred albatrosses. It must have been a booming tee shot to have an eight iron in on a par five. Witnesses say he hit the eight iron over 180 yards and it ended squarely in the cup.
100-year-old Hall of Famer
Jack Collins turns 100 next week and a celebration is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Moose Lodge for this longest living member of the Whitefish Lake Golf Club. Everyone that knows Jack is invited to this wonderful occasion, which will run from 4 to 7 p.m. A small dish potluck for sharing is encouraged but not required to attend, just come and celebrate a long time Hall of Famer from the WLGC.
Practice realistic short game
Don’t just practice your short chips from a perfect lie but toss the balls into the grass to get a more realistic practice shot and see how the ball reacts from different positions. You will find that you have to hit different clubs depending on the lie and learning to do so will save you lots of shots on the course. A good short game beats long game nearly every time.