Born and raised in Gilmer, Diane Dill, 85, first stepped into the game of golf at the age of 14. She would play with her parents and the other kids around at the time.
Dill attended the University of Texas at Austin having no idea they even had a women’s golf team. It was when she earned her degree from UT that she truly found her passion for the game.
“After I graduated from college, I really took it (golf) up and played a lot with the ladies and girls who were around,†said Dill, who currently resides in Bentwater Yacht & Country Club in Montgomery. “And then my husband was a golf professional, so he did the finishing touches on my golf swing.â€
In 1956, Dill’s husband Bill, who passed away in 2008, was named the Head Golf Professional at the Humble Recreation Club (later named Baywood Country Club) in Pasadena. He would go on to assume the responsibilities of Golf Course Superintendent as well, and held those dual roles until his retirement in June 1990.
Dill worked for Exxon in Houston straight out of college and would head to the golf course whenever she had time off. She grew into a competitive player in her own right. In fact, Dill boasts an impressive 14 holes-in-one in her career. She played in two U.S. Women’s Amateurs and used to compete in the Women’s Texas Amateur yearly.
Dill has an impressive TGA resume that includes being a six-time champion of the Women’s Senior Stroke Play. She won the event five times in a row from 1993-1997 and then again in 2002. Additionally, Dill has captured both the Super Senior and Legends Divisions titles three times each in this event.
When asked what her favorite memories from playing competitive golf were she jokingly replied, “the year when I would win something.â€
After Dill’s playing days wound down, a lady by the name of Betsy Clifford, a former board member of the Women’s TGA, encouraged her to attend a USGA Rules School and become a referee. When Dill took her first rules school test, she didn’t think it was something she wanted to do. Despite that initial reluctance, Dill believes she has now attended around 15 rules schools in total.
Volunteering for the TGA is special to Dill because of the people she meets, and her love for being out on the course with the young girls and their parents. Furthermore, she enjoys getting to watch many of the girls she’s seen via volunteering through the years go on to play collegiately and professionally.
“I just love the game of golf, love meeting people,†Dill said. “The other thing is all the friends that you make from playing this game.â€
Over the past six years, Dill has volunteered at nearly 20 events and has been an integral part in helping the TGA conduct top-tier women’s championships. In addition to her on-site work as a volunteer, Dill also serves as a TGA Director on the Women’s Committee as well.
The TGA is grateful to Diane Dill’s many years of service and for continuing to push both the TGA and women’s golf to new heights. If you see Diane at an event this year, make sure to say hello! Meeting new people is one of her favorite aspects of volunteering.