By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11
Portrait of Rivard in his Blawnox office (2015).
For the ambition minded, you may find yourself wondering what it would take to be deemed a legend among your peers. A designation few can claim, and even fewer can truly own. While I’d never claim to have the answer to this question, I do believe that one can find consistent traits in those with such a title. Dedication, innovation, advocacy for a cause, and passion are all traits of the potential bearer of the “legend” title; these are also the words a group of peers used to describe Jeff Rivard, Central Michigan ’65. Rivard’s storied 45-year career in golf administration was honored by the International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) on November 9th of this past year. Receiving the Distinguished Service Award— the most prestigious individual award the organization has— Rivard claimed his spot in the history books of the IAGA.
Following his graduation from Central Michigan, Rivard put his teaching degree to work, doing stints at West Ottawa High School (‘66-’69), Holy Rosary High School (‘69-’70), and finally at North Branch Junior High (‘70-’71). Although Rivard talks of this time fondly, he was still searching for his true passion in life. Deciding to further his education, Rivard joined his brother at Michigan State and took a job at one of the local golf courses. His time in East Lansing earned Rivard a second bachelor’s degree, along with many fond memories of golf and fun with his brother. Returning to Central Michigan, Rivard earned a master’s degree and began working for the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity in 1974.
Rivard at the IAGA Award Ceremony (2021).
In 1977, Rivard became the first full-time employee of the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association (SCAGA), being named Executive Director. During his time at SCAGA, Rivard led the organization to grow from just 3,000 members to 16,000 members prior to his departure. In the years following his tenure at SCAGA, Rivard served as a Rules Official on the LPGA Tour, Director of Regional Affairs for the United States Golf Association, and Executive Director of the Golf Association of Michigan. Finally settling down in Pennsylvania, Rivard held the post of Executive Director of the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association (WPGA) for 23 years. Ushering in another surge of memberships, Rivard helped the WPGA grow from 12,000 members to 27,000 members before retiring in 2015.
The world of golf administration is not the only place where Jeff Rivard has continuously gone above and beyond. Within Phi Tau, Rivard has earned equal respect and regard among peers. Whilst furthering his career, Rivard has continued to stay involved with our organization. Serving as Domain Director for every region in which he held a position, Rivard put his belief in volunteerism to work. A continuous donor, volunteer, and fountain of knowledge about Phi Taus past and present; I sat down for a brief chat with Rivard to discuss the parallels between the two organizations in which he reached such a prominent status.
Rivard and Dennis Darak, of the Tri-State section of the PGA of America (2016).
For Rivard, the links between the skills he learned within the fraternity and those he put to work throughout his career are endless. Gaining experience with boards, member clubs, building teams for specific purposes, or as he describes it— being a talent scout. For those looking to enter the world of golf administration, Rivard simply states that you should know golf and take the time to practice these skills within your organization.
Reflecting on an extensive career and his time with the game of golf, I asked Rivard what some of his favorite memories were. Now, as you can expect, there was no shortage of captivating stories. So instead of trying to squeeze them all into a paragraph, doing them a distinct disservice, I will list some of the highlights below:
While working as a Chapter Consultant, Rivard won the Club Championship at Oxford. This landed his name on the same trophy as famed football player and Notre Dame coach, Ara Parseghian.
Broadcasted on television, Rivard corrected 16 time Major Tournament winner, J.C. Snead while acting as a rules official for the U.S. Open.
During the 1982 Mid-Am Championship, Rivard was reffing Bill Hoffer, an All-Big Ten amateur golfer from Purdue, and now Chicago business owner. During the round they began to chat and realized they were both Phi Taus. Rivard reffed the only Phi Tau who would go on to win a USGA Championship.
The yearly Mid-Am Championships were particularly fond memories for Rivard. Getting to ref Nathan Smith, a four-time winner, and working with the entire organization was a pleasure.
The stories from this exceptional career are boundless. I hope that someday every reader gets the chance to speak with Jeff Rivard and hear some of them from the man himself. However, for today, I will leave you with just one more. Every golfer will undoubtedly remember the best round of their life, Rivard is no exception. Without any hesitation, Rivard described his. The round of Rivard’s life was on the Houston Champions Golf Course, Rivard was playing with Roy King, New Mexico State ’73, and three of his best friends, not a particularly long hitter, Rivard shot a 75 on the lengthy Houston course. So, we send a cheers and congratulations to a legend not only in our organization, but also in the world of golf. Rivard ended our conversation by saying, “Thanks to Phi Tau, I found something I loved to do, and it never felt like work.”