Making a difference is what John Durst does. SCGA to honor his service with top award

Arnold Palmer came to town that day in 1967 to play an exhibition at Furman University’s Golf Course, and Greenville became the center of the golf universe in an era before TV cameras and social media focused on the star’s every move.

On-course logistics would be required, and a Furman senior named John Durst raised his hand to assist on the project.

Of course he did.

And all these years later, nothing has changed.

Durst is still a go-to guy to get things done, and the South Carolina Golf Association will recognize his contributions to the game at “Golf Day” on Saturday, Jan. 8 at Columbia Country Club.

“What John does is incredible,” said SCGA executive director Biff Lathrop in citing reasons Durst will receive the Charles Drawdy Distinguished Service Award. “He’s always there, he’s been on our board and his role in keeping golf open for play during the pandemic cannot be over-emphasized.”

For Durst ... well, making a difference is what he does, and his contributions stretch beyond golf.

Marketing is his expertise, and his service includes director of the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism under Gov. Jim Hodges and chairman of the Columbia Organizing Committee that brought multiple international teams to Columbia to train prior to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

But golf is his passion, and the SCGA’s Distinguished Service Award will rank right up there with the Order of the Palmetto he received from Gov. John West and a recent salute “for exceptional service” from the S.C. Golf Course Owners Association.

“I’m extremely grateful and greatly honored” to receive the SCGA award, said Durst, 76, who recently retired as president and CEO of the S.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association.

He always notes that he did not make the achievements happen alone and shares credit. But committee members change, and his leadership is the constant, and those who know him are not surprised at his success.

During his leadership on the committee that brought the international teams to the area for pre-Olympic training, his group brought a Cuba-USA baseball game to old Capital City Stadium and staged a Russia-USA swimming meet.

But, to repeat, his passion is golf and giving back to the game will be his focus in retirement.

“I got started in golf in high school,” he said. “Over the years, I loved the game and got to see what golf meant to the state of South Carolina — the economic impact, the recreational opportunities.

“Now, in retirement, getting on the golf course (to play) and teaching young people about the game will be a priority. I want to instill in junior golfers how special golf is with the lessons of life it teaches. I want to focus on the values of the game, things like responsibility and etiquette.”

Durst carries a 13 handicap index at his home course, Forest Lake Club, but he is mostly limited to nine holes these days after undergoing rotator cuff surgery during the summer.

More important, he will remain on the SCGA Board, too, and golf will continue to benefit from his expertise.

Other “Golf Day” honorees who have been announced include:

▪ Gary Schall, a Murrells Inlet resident, will be inducted into the S.C. Golf Hall of Fame. He is a former president of the PGA of America.

▪ Tommy Pendley, a Greenwood resident, will received the Tom Fazio Service to Golf Award. He always has been a strong advocate of junior golf and was instrumental in the start of the Hootie & the Blowfish Junior Golf Series that has more than 1,200 members statewide.

▪ Paul Manikowski of Greenville will be presented the Rick Miller Volunteer of the Year Award. He has served as an SCGA one-day tournament director and continues to volunteer as a rules official at SCGA and SCJGA events.