The Washington golf community lost one of its great volunteers, longtime leaders and friends with the passing of Gary Rees of Bainbridge Island on August 26, 2026. He was 88.
For more than four decades, Gary gave his time, wisdom and leadership to the game he loved. His contributions to WA Golf, the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA), The Home Course, Wing Point Golf and Country Club, and the golf community as a whole are difficult to fully measure. I can say that the golf community here in Washington is stronger because Gary Rees was willing to get involved.
For us at WA Golf, PNGA and The Home Course, Gary’s remarkable legacy of service began with a simple act of volunteering. After joining Wing Point Golf and Country Club on Bainbridge Island in the early 1970s, Gary learned in 1979 that another member was stepping down as the club’s representative to the Washington State Golf Association (now WA Golf) and the PNGA. Gary gladly volunteered to take her place and that marked the beginning of more than 40 years of volunteer service to the game.
Gary soon became a familiar face at WA Golf championships and USGA qualifiers, volunteering as a starter and later serving in numerous roles including scorer, marshal and pace-of-play monitor. His enthusiasm and willingness to contribute did not go unnoticed, and in 1997 he was asked to join the WA Golf Board of Directors, and he would remain on the board through 2021, which equated to 25 years of service!
During that time, Gary served as president (2004-2005), vice-president and secretary and contributed to numerous committees, including Finance, Handicap, Championships, and Northwest Golf Course Committee (Golf Association Headquarters Acquisition).
Gary was never interested in just occupying a seat at the table. He wanted to make the associations and the game better. While serving as president, Gary was an early supporter of the First Green of Washington, an innovative STEM education program that used golf courses as outdoor classrooms, giving students hands-on learning experiences in science and math while introducing them to environmental stewardship and golf course management. What began as a local program here in Washington ultimately grew into a national initiative under the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
And I would say his most impactful contribution that really encompasses Gary's lasting impact was his role in what would become The Home Course.
Gary was one of the WA Golf board representatives who participated in a fact-finding mission to study association-owned golf courses around the country. He worked alongside John Bodenhamer, Bill Mays, Bill Bergsten and other association leaders on a committee exploring the possibility of purchasing a newly built, unnamed golf course from Weyerhaeuser in DuPont, Washington.
That vision ultimately became reality when WA Golf and the PNGA purchased the golf course and property, creating a permanent home for the associations and preserving an exceptional golf course for generations to come, and a location for the future office buildings.
When it came time to decide what the new course should be called, it was Gary who made the most compelling case. As a member of the naming committee, he suggested a simple name: Home Course. It was, he explained, the home of the associations. Simple indeed! The name stuck and today, thousands of golfers know The Home Course by the name Gary helped give.
When PNGA/WSGA Properties, Inc. was formed to oversee The Home Course, Gary became one of its founding board members in 2007 and continued his service there for nearly two decades.
His commitment to golf extended to his own club as well. At the time of his passing, he was the longest-tenured member at Wing Point Golf and Country Club, had won numerous tournaments at the club, and was a past president of the club.
On a personal note, I had the privilege of working closely with Gary for more than 25 years, and it is remarkable to think about the amount of time he gave to the betterment of the game of golf.
He was an extremely intelligent man, and I learned a great deal from him over the years. He was never afraid to ask the hard questions. In fact, that was one of the things I appreciated most about him. His questions made me and our boards think more deeply, consider different ideas and approaches, and ultimately make better decisions.
I will really miss Gary’s involvement and thoughtful input. When I look at the success of our organizations today, I also know that so much of it is because Gary had a seat at the table for all those years.
Gary Rees represented the very best of volunteerism. He didn't volunteer for recognition. He volunteered because he loved the game, believed in the organizations that served it, and understood that good things happen when people are willing to give their time and talents to something bigger than themselves.
More than four decades after he first raised his hand to become a club representative, Gary leaves behind a legacy. His influence can be found in the programs he supported, the organizations he helped lead, the countless championships at which he volunteered and the decisions he helped shape.
And every time someone pulls into our golf course in DuPont called The Home Course, there will always be some of Gary's legacy there, too.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Gary's life on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, 11042 Sunrise Drive NE on Bainbridge Island. A reception will follow at Wing Point Golf and Country Club, 811 Cherry Ave., Bainbridge Island.