He went into semi-retirement in 2002. At the time of his death, he held the title of executive vice president of golf emeritus.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall at Community Presbyterian Church on Everette Road in Pinehurst, with graveside rites following in Pinelawn Cemetery on Morganton Road in Southern Pines.
A reception for service attendees is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pinehurst Country Club.
The family will receive friends at Boles Funeral Home in Pinehurst on Monday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Indiana Native
A native of New Castle, Ind., Donald E. Padgett devoted his life to the game he loved — golf. He was one of the most respected personalities in his profession, evidenced by his being named a “living legend” by the PGA in 1999. At the time, he was one of only five PGA members to have received that honor.
Pinehurst Inc. President Pat-rick Corso hired Padgett as director of golf, largely because of his stature and influence among the people who operated the various golf associations in the country.
ClubCorp and Corso felt that Pinehurst needed to regain its reputation as one of the top venues in golf and recognized that one way to accomplish that was having the resort host televised golf events. Their search for the person most qualified led them to Don Padgett.
“We really have a job to do,” Padgett said upon his arrival in Pinehurst.
He and Corso quickly became a recognizable duo at PGA Tour and USGA events. Padgett knew everyone in the game, both in the amateur and professional ranks, and Corso was a dynamo.
Together, they made a formidable team that brought two PGA Tour Championships, a U.S. Senior Open Championship and the 1999 U.S. Men’s Open to the resort’s acclaimed Donald Ross-designed No. 2 Course.
The Men’s Open returns in 2005, and the U.S. Men’s Amateur is scheduled for 2007.
“If I had told you in 1987 that we could bring the U.S. Open here, it would have been more hope and dream than reality,” Padgett said. “The reality was that the Open had been played in the South only once, in Atlanta in 1976.”
‘Closes an Era’
Corso was always quick to point out the contribution Padgett made in the resurgence of Pinehurst.
“The loss of Don Padgett closes an era in the great history of Pinehurst,” Corso said. “Don was a mentor to many of us and was the key to bringing National
Championship golf back to Pinehurst. Fifty years from now, I’m sure that the name Donald Padgett will be synonymous with Pinehurst’s second “golden
era” and will be held in the same esteem as Richard Tufts and Donald Ross.
“There is no way to measure the significance of his contribution to Pinehurst. The credibility he extended to the resort and its team was a major factor in Pinehurst’s return to prominence. This after a period of
time when most thought the resort could not recapture its former glory. Today we owe him a debt of gratitude for the positive worldwide perception of our resort and community.”
Padgett loved to tell the story about how Corso chose him to come to Pinehurst.
“They were really interested in my son (Don Padgett II), who was director of golf and general manager of Firestone,” he related.
Corso was looking for someone who knew the golf associations, and they were discussing the qualifications that the job required when the younger Padgett interrupted.
“That sounds like my father,” he said. “Why don’t you talk to him?”
“Your father?” an incredulous Corso said. “I thought he was dead.”
Padgett’s resume could easily have given one that impression. Few people have accomplished the feats of the former PGA of America president in one lifetime. During almost 47 years as a PGA member, he served in each of the association’s major offices, was honored as Golf Professional of the Year and chaired both the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup Matches committees.
‘Incredible Mentor’
“Mr. Corso wanted someone older, who knew people in golf,” Padgett said. “That was in February of 1987, and we chatted about what he wanted to do. From then on, my job was to get a tournament in Pinehurst and get it on television. Some might say I overdid my job.”
Beth Kocher, vice president of Pinehurst Resorts , and her husband, Brad, vice president for golf course maintenance, be-came close friends with the Padgetts.
“When Don came to Pinehurst in 1987, he greeted me with ‘I met you at the Breakers Hotel (in Florida) in 1978, during a PGA event,’ ” Beth Kocher recalls. “I almost fainted that he would remember. He had an unbelievable memory.
“I had the opportunity and pleasure of working closely with Don since he came to Pinehurst in 1987. Don was an incredible mentor. He always gave examples from his experiences and wisdom of how to approach a problem. These examples were al-ways there as reminders when a similar situation arose.
“His knowledge of golf was far-reaching, and he was only too happy to share it with others and myself. He was helpful to me with our major events and particularly the 1999 Open and planning for the 2005 U. S. Open. He always challenged me.
“But most of all, both Brad and I will cherish the close friendship we shared with Don and his family. Since 1987, he and Joanne have joined us for Sunday dinner whenever we were all in town. Many times his family or my family was in town and they joined us. We’ve always considered their family our family and will continue to do so. There were many stories told on all those Sundays by both Don and Joanne, and they will live in our hearts forever. Don was a great influence on my life, both professionally and personally. I will miss him immensely.”
Brad Kocher described Padgett as “a wise person” who was diverse in his interests and talents.
“Always quick-witted, he could banter with the best of them,” Kocher said. “He could poke a little fun and rib someone just a little, and everyone always smiled when he did it. … He would always inquire about the families of co-workers. He knew their children by name and knew what events were occurring in their lives and emphasized the importance of the time his staff spent with their families.”
