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UGA Hires Texan As Executive Director
Bill Walker, of the Houston Golf Association, has been named as the new Executive Director of the Utah Golf Association, it was announced today by Bill Probst, President of the UGA.
Walker fills the vacancy left when Thomas Pagel accepted the head rules position with the United States Golf Association.
“Bill comes to us with a solid foundation in the golf association business and we are pleased that he is willing to bring his talents to Utah,” Probst said. “It was a long, hard, difficult search for the board and they’ve had to do it twice in two years. They put in a lot of time and thought on this.”
Walker, who turns 36 tomorrow, is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University where he played on the golf team. Throughout college he worked for the Houston Golf Association Junior Golf Program in the summer months, assisting with the competitions. He started his golf administration career as a P.J. Boatright Intern at the South Texas Amateur Golf Association and it turned into a full time job when he was asked to be Director of Amateur Services. During those years he was also responsible for rules and competitions, course rating, associate member programming and volunteer recruitment and training.
Three years later, in 2001, he was hired by the Houston Golf Association to head up one of the largest junior golf programs in the country with a membership base of over 1,100 members and over 80 events each season. Later he also added the responsibilities of administering the HGA Amateur Golf Program and the HGA Scholarship Program. He also helped with the Shell Houston Open. He leaves a big hole in the Houston Golf Association.
“Professionally I am really excited for this opportunity,” Walker said. “It will be great to work with a state wide golf association,” he said. Texas is comprised of area golf associations rather than state wide.
“I’ll get my start at the UGA Board Retreat in a few weeks in St. George and I’m looking forward to working with the board,” he said.
He and his wife, Lisa, are expecting their first child in April.