Student Centered Golf Instruction

LPGA Master Professional Deb Vangellow holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science Degree in Health/Physical Education/Coaching and Educational Leadership/Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa and Miami (Ohio) University respectively. A multi sport athlete who was a scholarship recipient, captain, and letter winner in soccer and track, Deb chose to devote her career path to develop into a top golf educator. Her experiences reflect this endeavor.

After holding numerous positions in Higher Education (academic advisor, resident director in facility housing student athlete undergraduate men, health and physical education instructor), she coached Division I collegiate golf at UNI and led the American Junior Golf Team that traveled to Europe in 1996 as part of the International Sport for Understanding Program. She has worked with the Japanese corporate sponsored "Superlady" project/Kathy Whitworth Golf Academy (TX), the Heritage School of Golf at Old Orchard Golf Club (TX), the NIKE Junior Golf Camp at Pebble Beach (CA), Pine Forest Country Club (TX), Camp Olympia Junior Golf Academy (TX), Sweetwater Country Club (TX), and at Rice University (TX) teaching golf classes in the School of Health and Physical Education.

Deb is the 2012 LPGA National Teacher Of The Year and was recently inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame and the UNI School Of HPELS Hall of Excellence. She writes regularly for Texas Links and Southern Gaming/Destinations magazines, and has contributed to Golf Digest, Golf World, Golf Illustrated, Golf For Women, Gulf Coast Golfer, Tee Time, Junior Golfer, Avid Golfer, Corporate Golfer, Ladies Links For Golf, and Golf Fitness magazines. She was the longtime female online “Professor” for Golf Illustrated magazine “University” and has written for numerous online golf instruction websites. Deb is one of Golf Digest Magazine’s “America’s 50 Best Women Teachers”, an LPGA “Top 50 Teacher”, a GOLF Magazine “Top Regional Teacher”, a Golf Digest Magazine “Top Regional Teacher”, a US Kids Golf “Top 50 Kids Teacher", and a GRAA'"Top 50 Growth Of The Game Teaching Professional".

She was continually listed as one of the “Top 50 Teachers” by the retired Golf For Women Magazine. She is a contributing author to the “Chicken Soup For The Woman Golfer’s Soul”, Donald Trump’s “The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received”, Greg Peddie’s “I Am Not A Golfer, I Play Golf”, and LPGA Founder/World Golf Hall Of Fame Member Marilynn Smith's "Have Clubs, Will Travel" top selling golf books. In 1997, Deb was honored as a recipient of the "Young Alumni Award" at the University of Northern Iowa and was a 3-time LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year in 2002, 2009, and 2012. In 2008, her research project entitled “Less Is More And More Is Better: The Benefit Of Less Length And More Loft In The Driving Club For Recreational Women Golfers” was accepted for presentation and publication in two top Golf Research conferences; “Better Golf Through Technology” and the “World Scientific Congress Of Golf”.

Continually learning, Deb studied with the late PGA Long Drive Champion and kinesiologist Mike Austin in Los Angeles, CA and has been implementing awareness/learning from her experiences with Educational Kinesiology/Brain Gym, The Alexander Technique, Bikram Yoga, GolfPsych, Tour Tempo, SNAG, ThinQ Sports, Vision 54, and Total Wellness into her instruction programs, emphasizing body/mind/spirit balance. She credits much of her education in golf to invaluable experiences with instructors Betsy Cullen, Betsy Clark, DeDe Owens, Charlie Epps, Mark Steinbauer, Jackson Bradley, Craig Harmon, Kathy Murphy, Debbie Crews, Dana Rader, Matt Reams, Nancy Henderson, Penny Zavichas, and LPGA Hall of Famers Carol Mann, Marilynn Smith, and Kathy Whitworth.

In addition to teaching men, women, senior and junior golfers of all skill levels individually and in groups, Deb is the first ever National Vice-President for the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Membership and a lead instructor in the LPGA Global Education Program, the industry leading teacher training program for golf professionals in the US and Korea. She is also a select invite to the Proponent Group for the top golf instructors in the world and served on their first Advisory Board. Serving on the LPGA Foundation Board of Directors, the National Advisory Council for Junior League Golf, the Golf Advisory Committee for The First Tee, and the Journal of Applied Golf Research Advisory Board are additional opportunities Deb participates in and enjoys.

A busy golf educator who has given thousands of learning sessions over the course of her career, Deb believes in teaching the whole game to the whole person. Her wellness based, student-centered teaching philosophy includes intuitive golf education programming in the areas of skill development, equipment evaluation/recommendation, peak performance awareness/implementation utilizing the GolfPsych and ThinQ Golf systems, and overall health and fitness ideals. Deb is a longtime and loyal Titleist/Footjoy staff member, appearing on The Golf Channel in two commercials in 2013.