The Iowa Golf Association is pleased to announce the election of five new members to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame. Jon Brown of Urbandale, Jeff Smith of Oskaloosa and Sharon (Fladoos) Smallwood, originally of Dubuque, will be inducted this spring. In addition, the late Jacque (Fladoos) Peters of Dubuque and Edith Estabrooks of Dubuque were elected under the “historical category”. The date and place for the induction ceremony will be announced soon.
The “Class of 2013” will raise the total membership in the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame to 62.
Jeff Smith has spent his entire life in Oskaloosa, Iowa playing or serving the game of golf. His family has been in the golf business in Oskaloosa for five generations. He started as a champion junior golfer and is now a distinguished member and respected leader of the PGA of America.
In 1975, Smith burst onto the scene when he won the Fort Dodge Amateur at age 15. He also had success that summer on the national stage when he qualified for the USGA Junior Amateur and advanced all the way to the quarterfinals.
Jeff won the individual high school state championship in 1976 & 77 and was inducted into the Iowa High School Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012.
He played collegiately at Memphis State where he qualified for the NCAA championship as a freshman. During the summers he returned to Iowa and won three more IGA sanctioned point events, finishing as low amateur at the 1977 & 78 Waterloo Open and winning the 1981 Iowa Masters.
After college Jeff turned pro and became a PGA of America Apprentice in 1982. He was the head professional at Edmundson Golf Course in Oskaloosa from 1984 to 1999. In 1999 Jeff, along with wife Lori, brother Mike and father Ted, opened Harvest Point Golf Course in Oskaloosa. Jeff was the architect and builder of the 9-hole track which he continues to own and operate. In 2012 he took over the management of Edmundson GC as well.
Jeff served on the Iowa PGA Board of Directors for 14 years, including a term as President from 2003-05. He also served a three-year stint on the national PGA of America Board of Directors representing District 8 (Iowa, Minnesota & Nebraska). He has won multiple awards from the Iowa Section PGA including the 2006 Iowa PGA Professional of the Year. He has logged countless hours instructing junior golfers and was heavily involved in the development of “Play Golf America”, a national initiative of the PGA of America designed to introduce new players to the game.
In a letter supporting his nomination, former PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka noted: “The game and industry of golf owes Jeff, as well as his wonderful family, a debt of gratitude for their stewardship and care for the game that extends over generations in our country’s heartland”.
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