Donna H. White

Class A  LPGA Tour Division
Class A LPGA Teaching and Club Professional member
PGA member

Donna’s tenacity and commitment to excellence drives her passion to promote the game of golf to any and all ages and abilities. Her students vary from beginner to tour player. She is an instructor for the LPGA Player Development program, a national program in which LPGA and PGA club professionals attend to improve their golf skills two times a year and conducts corporate golf schools in the U.S. and Canada. She strives daily to improve her operation and efforts to provide the municipal golfer a pleasurable golfing experience by providing quality service, merchandise, programs and activities.    

A native of North Carolina, Donna enjoyed a successful junior, amateur and collegiate career winning many titles including the 1976 United States Women’s Amateur Championship in 1976. While attending the University of North Carolina-Greensboro she teamed with Candy Sibbick to win the 1973 Women’s Two Person National Championship. Transferring to the University of Florida in 1974, she won multiple collegiate titles and graduated in 1976 with a BSPE degree with certification for grades K-12.  

Immediately upon graduation, Donna represented the United States as a member of the 1976 Curtis Cup and World Cup teams. Donna moved to Wellington, Florida in 1976. Turning professional in 1977, Donna joined the LPGA tour and won three LPGA tour titles. In the “off season” from the tour, she coached the Womens’ Golf Team at Palm Beach Community College, conducted golf schools for the residents of Wellington and for 14 years hosted the Donna H. White Special Olympics LPGA Pro-am for the Palm Beach County Special Olympics.   

A severe sinus and lung infection forced her retirement from the tour in 1992 with nearly one million in earnings. Currenlty, a member of the Women’s Senior Tour, she plays a couple of Senior and LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Team events a year when schedule permits. Her daughter, Kristin, a recent Business and Marketing graduate from the University of Central Florida has recently joined her company.  

Upon retirement from the tour, she decided to pursue her passion for teaching, coaching and business. She was named Director of Golf at the Wellington Country Club from 1992-94 and in 1995 her company, Golf Professional Services, Inc was awarded the golf professional concession contract at Okeeheelee Golf Course. The company’s mission is to provide the golfing public quality golf instruction programs, activities, merchandise, rental clubs, handicap services and food and beverage services at affordable competitive rates. In 2007, Golf Professional Services, Inc was awarded two more concession contracts: John Prince Golf Learning Center and Park Ridge Golf Course.    

Featuring a staff of fourteen golf professionals and nine golf attendants, program participation, sales and service goals are surpassed annually. The opportunity to operate in partnership with the Palm Beach County Park’s and Recreation Department has enabled Golf Professional Services, Inc. to develop golf development programs appealing to all skill levels and abilities. Donna works closely with the Palm Beach County Special Olympics program and the therapeutic recreation department at St. Mary’s Hospital to also provide golf opportunities for person with an intellectual or physical challenge. In 1997, knowing the potential for junior golf in the area was untapped, White encouraged former Head Professional, Bobby Brown to form a non-profit foundation, Okeeeheelee Junior Golf Foundation, later renamed Junior Golf Foundation of America to fund instruction and competitive opportunities for junior golfers. Donna is the current Transition Coordinator for the First Tee National School Program for Palm Beach County.

Golf Professional Services, Inc.’s professional staff has received numerous awards and recognition from various associations for golf instruction, merchandising and community service. Most recently, Donna was once again nominated by her peers in the industry as a 2005 “Top 50 Teacher” by Golf for Women Magazine and Mary-Lee Cobick was awarded the 2005 Sarah Hunter Award from the southeast Section of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division for her work with our LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Club.   Bobby Brown has also been recognized within the golf industry for his junior golf efforts and was instrumental in raising accessibility and awareness for junior golfers throughout the state. 

An avid runner and sports enthusiast, she also enjoys reading, shopping and music. She ran her first half-marathon, the 2004 Palm Beach County Marathon and has entered the 2005. During her travels to clinics, outings and tournaments, off-road biking and hiking ventures are a must.  

Professional Highlights

• Winner of three LPGA tour events and ranked top 20 LPGA money winners 5 times in career
• Produced top instructional video/DVD (1983), “Beginning Golf for Women”. Endorsed in Gary McCord’s, “Golf for Dummies. Video/DVD today ranked top ten best seller lists by BookLegger, Inc.
• 2008 LPGA National Professional of the Year Award
• 2008 LPGA Southeast Section Professional of the Year Award
• 2008 LPGA Top 50 Teacher’s List
• 2007 LPGA Ellen Griffin Rolex Award recipient
• 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 “Top 50 Teacher”, Golf for Women Magazine
• 2004 Hall of Fame Inductee: University of North Carolina- Greensboro
• 2003 Merchandiser of the Year, LPGA Southeast Section
• 2002 Merchandiser of the Year, Public Facility, PGA SE Chapter
• 2000 Bell South/SEC Women Entrepreneur Award
• 1999 Budget Service Award, LPGA tour Division for work with junior golf program development and Special Olympics
• 1999 “LPGA Professional of the Year” nominee
• 1988  Samaritan Award for LPGA Special Olympics Pro-Am efforts
• 1987  Founder’s Cup presented by Golf Digest for community service
• 1986 Inductee into Palm Beach  County Sports Hall of Fame
• 1985 “Who’s Who and Why of Successful Florida Women”
• Honorary chairperson, Palm Beach County Special Olympics
• University of Florida, first female athlete Hall of Fame and Letterman’s Association inductee