Golf pro heads to Hall

By Brent Hinckley

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight

Being inducted in the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame will highlight a storied career for Las Vegan Eric Dutt.

The hall announced its 2008 inductees at the beginning of August and will hold a banquet on Oct. 14 in conjunction with the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Summerlin.

"I was very flattered. I think there's more deserving people, but to be inducted is a pretty big deal," Dutt said.

Dutt recalls the days when there were just four or five courses in Las Vegas — compared to the 62 now.

"Back then there wasn't a junior golf program here, so my brother and I played in California," he said.

Dutt, Harrah's vice president of Las Vegas golf operations at Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson, previously was the director of the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association and still works to improve junior golf programs.

"I remember as a kid people who helped me out, and this is a way to give back," Dutt said.

Dutt's had an accomplished career as a junior.

Within a year's span when he was 17 he finished seventh at the Junior World Championships at Torrey Pines Golf Club in San Diego and won the Nevada State Amateur, then the youngest person to do so.

"I was in a four-way playoff and very fortunate to win and that got me noticed," Dutt said.

He received a scholarship to Purdue where he helped the Boilermakers win the 1981 Big-10 Conference against Ohio State, who was ranked No. 2 in the country.

"They had some great golfers like Joey Sindelar and Chris Perry and a bunch of other guys who have all had Tour cards at one time," Dutt said. "We were fortunate to peak at the right time."

He's worked at several courses across the Las Vegas Valley from Las Vegas Country Club to Spanish Trails, Badlands and Rio Secco.

"I've known Eric for a long time and whether it's been as a player or on the business side he's always had a positive impact," said Charlie Baron, who worked with Dutt in hosting the PGA's Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational in the late 1980s.

Dutt started competing again in his 30s and won the State Match Play tournament and the City Amateur.

"I came back and wanted to win our four 'Majors', and I've got three. The Clark County Amateur is the only one I haven't won and probably won't," Dutt said. "There's a lot of great players, and I'm not planning on getting back into the competition."

Dutt will be inducted along with Bishop Gorman graduate Tommy Armour III, a PGA Tour champion, Louis Redden, an amateur golfer and Jerry Roberts, a PGA professional.

Brent Hinckley is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-2687 or [email protected].