LPGA Master Professional/PGA Honorary Director 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 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 Team that traveled to Europe in 1996 as part of the International Sport for Understanding Program. She was the longtime Director of Instruction at Sweetwater Country Club (the former home of the LPGA), worked with the Japanese 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 Golf Academy (TX), and at Rice University (TX) teaching golf classes.

Deb is the 2012 LPGA National Teacher Of The Year and was recently inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame, the UNI School Of HPELS Hall of Excellence, and the Fairport High School Hall of Fame. 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 Master Kids Teacher" an Edwin Watts Golf "Top Golf Instructor", and a GRAA "Elite Top Growth Of The Game Teaching Professional". The retired Golf For Women Magazine continually listed her as one of their “Top 50 Teachers”. 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”. Deb was named one of Houston’s “Most Influential Women Of 2015”. Most recently, Deb returned to her alma mater for a special speaking engagement and was honored with the Monica R. Wild and Doris E. White Scholar Award from the School of Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services at the University of Northern Iowa. 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 Tathata Golf 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, Deborah Graham, Karen Palacios-Jansen, Jackson Bradley, Paul Schempp, Bob Christina, Craig Harmon, Kathy Murphy, Debbie Crews, Michael Hebron, Tom Patri, Matt Reams, Penny Zavichas, Bryan Hepler, 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 at Riverbend Country Club, Deb was the first ever National Vice-President for the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Membership and served as the elected National President. She was a longtime lead instructor in the LPGA Global Education Program, the industry leading teacher training program for golf professionals in the US and Korea. Deb is also a member of the Proponent Group for the top golf instructors in the world and served on their first Advisory Board and is the first female professional named to the GolfMDS Pro Advisory Team. Serving on the LPGA 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 for Deb. She served six years on the LPGA Foundation Board, the charitable pillar of the LPGA.

A busy golf educator who has given thousands of learning sessions over her career for improvement in/enjoyment of this wonderful game we all love, 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 and recommendation, peak performance awareness/implementation with the GolfPsych and ThinQ Golf mind/body systems, and overall health/fitness ideals. Deb is a US Kids Golf Certified Coach and was a longtime loyal Titleist/Footjoy staff member, appearing on The Golf Channel in two commercials in 2013. In 2016, she joined the team at Callaway Golf Company as a Master Staff Professional promoting their Women’s Equipment Line. She also is an appreciative ambassador for JoFit clothing and Jigsaw Health!

Deb can be reached online at www.debvangellowgolf.com.