Hometown; Whitefish, Montana
College; University of Montana College highlights …..two sport
four year letterman 1977 Ed Chinske Award Winner (MVP) of golf team,
Turned Professional in 1978.
•
1978 to 1980 Served as the assistant professional at Whitefish
Lake Golf Club
during the summer
months then
during the winters competed on both the
International Professional Golf Tour (IGT)
and the National Golfers of America Tour (NGA).
•
1980 to 1983 Served as Head Professional at Crystal Lakes Resort
in
Northwest Montana
during the summer Then hit the professional circuit in the off season.
•
Contestant 1980 in the 109th British Open Championship held
at Muirfield in Scotland
and in the
1980 Rolex Pro-am
in Geneva, Switzerland.
Contestant in the 1981 South American Golf Tour and
Competed on the Golden State Tour.
•
Overall from 1978 through 1983 I competed in 13 foreign countries.
•
Early in 1984 I became the Resident Club Professional then Director of
Golf
for Gainey Ranch Golf Club in
Scottsdale
Arizona where I continued
To compete
in local Southwest mini-tours and state Opens returning back to Montana in 1987.
•
In 1987 I opened Rick Donahue’s Golf Academy and have operated such
as an independent
entity providing
golf
instruction
in
an indoor environment As well as
giving outdoor range
and on-course instruction for a variety of courses throughout Montana.
•
During my Professional career I have had the opportunity to
conduct
golf clinics
and exhibitions
With the likes of
Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples,
Chi Chi Rodriguez,
Jim Nelford, 1993 Women’s U.S. Open Champion Lauri Merten and others.
•
As a former member of the PGA I was active in Business
and
Teaching
seminars and served as a PGA Business School Instructor in 1985.
•
In1983 was the first Montanan to qualify for the Hudson Cup Team
which
comprises the top 10 Playing Professionals in the Northwest PGA section.
•
For many years my Academy served as a Member Training Facility
for the
United States Golf Association.
Having
been extremely active
with junior golf since The late 1970’s
I’ve worked with 15 junior state champions.
Whitefish
High School, my Alma Mater, Since that time has had
19 Girls State Team Titles along With 9 Boys Team Championships.
•
Since 1992 I have served as a Teaching Professional at The Village Greens Golf Club in Kalispell, Montana,
and also provide my teaching service to an additional course in the Kalispell area - The Frontier Road House.
