Michigan PGA looks to future after retirement of Devine

By Brandon Tucker, Managing Editor

LIVONIA, Mich. - Ken Devine is the first to admit the golfing life has been good to him.

Devine, the former chief executive officer of the Michigan section of the Professional Golfers' Association of America, doesn't like to name drop, but when he's telling golf stories, it's difficult not to.

He's been in the golf business for more than four decades, including more than 30 years of trying to sell equipment to the likes of Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. During that time, he's met and played golf with some of the world's biggest celebrities and movers and shakers. His PGA office is filled with autographed photos and plaques of a colorful past.

There's the autographed magazine covers of Arnold Palmer and teaching guru Rick Smith, a picture of Devine with former U.S. President George Bush and much more.

Devine might be the most recognizable face in Michigan's golf scene. Go to a PGA Merchandise Show with him and you'll see him on his home turf. He seems to know everybody there.

Devine, 69, announced last summer would be his last season as the leader of the Michigan section. He went out in style, however, as the Ryder Cup came to his backyard last September at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township.

Some believe Devine's strong relationships with the PGA of America's national office was instrumental in helping Oakland Hills beat out courses in 16 other cities to land this year's event.

"When (retirement) feels right, you just do it," Devine said. "I've been thinking about it the past four or five years. There are two things
I don't want anymore, an alarm clock and snow."

Devine, a Detroit native, plans to keep his home in Farmington Hills and return to Michigan for summers, but he'd like to travel during the winter. As far as future plans, he said he would consider consulting jobs about golf, but it would have to be the right fit.

Devine has a proven track record of success in the industry. After serving as the Michigan sales representative for First Flight Golf Company in the early 1960s, he later became national sales manager and vice-president for marketing for PGA Victor Golf.

He returned to Michigan in 1991 to build the Michigan section from the bottom up. The previous executive officer, Tom Collucci, had been fired and later found guilty of embezzlement - leaving the section's coffers bare and the membership up in arms.

The Michigan PGA had a slew of improvements during his tenure as chief executive officer:

• Devine not only rebuilt the organization, but it is now considered one of premier sections in the country. Under Devine, the Michigan section has accomplished a number of things.


• Moved to a bigger office from cramped space at the Links of Pinewood Golf Course and expanded its staff. Moved to the forefront of the technological age to the point where the national office uses the section as a guinea pig for programs like video conferencing. "In 1992, we had two typewriters," Devine said.


• Instituted several growth-of-the-game initiatives, like the First Tee and Midnight Golf, a program to teach the game to Detroit's inner-city youths that has become a national model.


• Initiated growth in women's golf by creating three tournaments for top players, including the Michigan Women's Open and the Tournament of Champions, where women compete against men.


• Secured major sponsorships for its tournaments, including a key relationship with the Detroit Newspapers Group.


• Drawn up plans for a new office and historical center on or near a golf course.

Past Section President Bill Rogers of Oakland University's Golf and Learning Center has called Devine the "lifeblood of the Association."

"I don't know if savior is the right word, but he is the guy who got us on the right track after the financials problems of the 1990s," said Jim Dewling, a two-time president of the Michigan section. "He has done a great job of member relations and association relations in a tough position."

Devine is a true businessman, probably because of his salesman roots. He loves to talk the business side of the game.

"Too many people think of golf as a toy store," Devine said. "But golf is a dollars-and-cents industry and I'm proud of what we've accomplished. I used my theory that the quickest way to start making money is to stop losing money. This section is positioned for great growth."

Devine wasn't ready to give up his post however until Michigan's Oakland Hills hosted the Ryder Cup last summer. It was his fifth Ryder Cup attended, but this one was clearly special.

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to host a Ryder Cup," he said last spring. "It is a storybook way for me to go out. It will be humongous for the exposure of the city (of Detroit)."

Unfortunately, Devine's retirement won't feature too many actual rounds of golf. He played just six holes last year after battling back problems. He's never had a hole-in-one, but his three double eagles prove he could play in his prime.

Devine declined to tell some of his legendary golf stories on the record for fear he'd sound like he's bragging. He did share one unique fact - he's played golf with the first astronaut on the moon (Neil Armstrong) and the last (Gene Cernan).

"I've been really lucky with this game," he said.

His colleagues say Devine leaves his post leaving behind a great void but also a legacy.

"He is going out on top, and that is the way he would want it," Dewling said.

Successor to Devine Found

Last August, Kevin Helm, the Michigan PGA's CEO was named as Devine's replacement.

"It's been a great learning experience the last seven years," Helm said at the time of his appointment. He was Michigan PGA Director of Operations since 1998 and served the two years prior as the PGA's tournament director. "I've worked hand in hand with Ken, so I feel prepared for this."

Helm is originally from Ohio. He graduated from Bowling Green in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Sports Administration and Management. He came to the Golf Association of Michigan in 1994 after serving as tournament director for the Iowa Golf Association.

Helm was selected by a committee of Michigan golf professionals who conducted a national search but found Helm in their backyard.

The Michigan PGA is also leaving its office in Livonia for a more central location just north of East Lansing at Eagle Eye Golf Club. Construction on the new, 4,000-square-foot building began last October.

April 14, 2005