Green courses, heart of gold earn induction for Las Vegas superintendent
The spotlight will soon shine on one of Las Vegas’ top golf course superintendents, as Bill Rohret will be inducted into the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame.
Other 2016 inductees are Dean Wilson, Irwin Molasky and Mike Dunaway.
Wilson is a PGA Tour player and former Las Vegas resident, and Molasky is a longtime developer who brought the LPGA Championship — a major — to Las Vegas in 1961. The late Dunaway was the godfather of modern-day long drive competitions.
Rohret was nominated for induction by fellow members and directors of the Southern Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association.
“There have been a lot of great Las Vegas superintendents, so I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition, and also extremely shocked,” Rohret said. “We were looking for adventure 29 years ago when we moved here, and we found it, and to now have this happen is amazing.”
It all started in the golf business for Rohret at the nine-hole Cedar Creek Country Club in Ottumwa, Iowa, and after learning the ropes there and a few other stops, fellow Las Vegas Golf Hall of Famer Jim Colbert lured him to Desert Rose.
A few years later, Rohret oversaw construction of the three courses at Sunrise Country Club before moving to Legacy and Angel Park.
Rohret is now semiretired, but keeps in the game as a spray technician at Highland Falls. He and his wife, Dian, also stay busy volunteering for the Special Olympics.
The golf program they helped create has grown from eight players to 40, and they also coach other sports. They were honored for their dedication as 2013 Citizens of the Year by the Southern Nevada Chapter, PGA of America.
The Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame Night of Induction is again the kickoff of the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals Children Open and scheduled for Oct. 28 at The Hill at TPC Summerlin.
The Hall of Fame is overseen by a volunteer board of directors. Induction ceremony tickets are available at LasVegasGolfHOF.com.
GROUP KEEPS STREAK ALIVE
For the past 40 years, members of the Nevada State Senior Golf Club have held a tournament without missing a month. Now the group, for men and women 50 and over, is in the midst of a major membership drive.
According to executive director Terry Kirk, club membership numbers are down, but the enthusiasm and fun meter are as strong as ever.
“I have been a member since 1999, and I have probably missed only three tournaments in that whole time,” Kirk said. “Our tournaments are all about fun, and the camaraderie we share is special. We play a variety of courses, plus meet new people, so we hope more golfers join us.”
Upcoming tournaments are July 10 at Legacy and August 12 to 14 in St. George. For more information, see nssgc.org.
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Nightly $29.95 golf happy hour at TaylorMade Golf Experience is available and includes nine holes with cart, range balls and free drink in Flight Deck Bar and Grill.
LONG DRIVE CHAMP RETURNS
Mike Dobbyn stands 6 feet 8 inches and looks the part of a long drive champion. Well, he should, because that’s what he is. Dobbyn won the world title in 2007, and his longest drive is an epic 551-yarder at DragonRidge Country Club.
He recently moved back to Las Vegas after two years in Texas.
“Las Vegas is our happy place and our home, and I am looking forward to continuing my long drive and performing career based in Las Vegas,” Dobbyn said.
He has performed with Butch Harmon, Greg Maddux, Justin Timberlake, Kevin Sorbo, Lorena Ochoa and Lawrence Taylor. He can be reached at mikedobbyn551@gmail.com.
STARS ON, OFF COURSE
UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez played in the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame tournament at Siena.
Editor’s note: Brian Hurlburt is president of the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame.
The golf notebook appears each Thursday. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.
