Staff WriterDave Pelz, one of golf’s most revered instructors and innovators, passed away on March 23, 2025, at his home in Dripping Springs, Texas.
In a world where everyone clings to that “secret tip” to conquer the fairways and greens, Dave Pelz turned whispers and guesswork into hard, scientific truths.
The man was as fascinating as a bunker shot spun to perfection—part NASA scientist, part golf sage, and 100% devoted to teaching players how to master the short game.
Pelz famously zeroed in on the wedge-and-putter end of the golf spectrum, discovering that nearly 80% of shots lost to par occur within 100 yards of the hole.
And wouldn’t you know it, this eye-opening fact forever changed how the game is taught and played, from casual duffers hacking away on public courses to the steely-eyed pros on Tour.
THE PRO’S PRO
When golf legends like Phil Mickelson credit you for sharpening their short game, you know you’re onto something.
Pros such as Tom Kite, Lee Janzen, D.A. Weibring, Beth Daniel, Steve Elkington, Vijay Singh, Jane Geddes, Payne Stewart, Mike Weir, and Patrick Reed (to name a few) also sought out Pelz’s wisdom.
Those stars alone collected more than 20 major championships—an impressive haul by any measure.
Born in Indiana and raised in Kentucky, Pelz earned a four-year golf scholarship to Indiana University, where he studied physics and nurtured his dream of playing professionally.
But the universe had other plans. As he wrote later, “I kept being beaten by other Big Ten golfers… especially a kid from Ohio State named Nicklaus.”
Fourteen years at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center followed, where he investigated the mysteries of Earth’s atmosphere and beyond.
Still, the pull of golf was irresistible, and in 1975, he traded rocket science for flagsticks, analysing golf through a methodical, data-driven approach that had no rival at the time. It was only fitting that folks on Tour dubbed him “Professor Putt.”
TIRELESS INNOVATOR
With a brain forever tinkering in the labs of golf, Pelz invented training aids that brightened the eyes of weekend warriors and Tour pros alike.
From the Pelz Teacher Putter to the Dave Pelz Putting Tutor, he came up with new ways to sharpen a player’s aim and roll.
A total of 20 patents bear his name, proof of a persistent curiosity that never took a day off.
Perhaps his crowning jewel was the “3X4 Wedge System,” a game-changing approach to controlling wedge distances.
That system, still taught worldwide, helped amateurs and pros drop shots from their scorecards.
It also led to the creation of the Dave Pelz Scoring Game Schools, where thousands of everyday golfers learnt to refine wedge play and putting skills in ways they’d never dreamt possible.
As an author, Pelz raised the bar with bestsellers like Putt Like the Pros, Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible, and Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible.
He penned insightful instruction for Golf Magazine for more than three decades and spent 15 years hosting The Dave Pelz Scoring Game Show on the Golf Channel—always eager to share every discovery he made.
In 1996, buoyed by his science-based approach, he founded the World Putting Championship, a stage where both amateur and professional sharpshooters vied for the chance to be named best putter on Earth.
NO DREAM WAS TOO BIG FOR PELZ
True to his personality, Pelz built a personal “golf lab” right in his Texas backyard, featuring replicas of legendary holes like Augusta National’s 12th and TPC Sawgrass’s 17th.
Even in his final days, he and his research team could be found studying the art of scoring, ensuring that his methods and measurements would keep evolving alongside the modern game.
Dave Pelz’s legacy hums along in every carefully struck wedge shot and every confidently holed putt.
He leaves behind his wife, JoAnn, their five children, nine grandchildren, and a legion of grateful golfers who learnt that lowering your score isn’t just about practice—it’s about practising the right way.
His spirit endures wherever there’s a golfer with a wedge in hand and a dream in their heart.
Those wishing to share their memories or tributes can visit www.pelzgolf.com/tribute/.
“10 years ago, I was 24 years old, and I asked Dave Pelz if he would work with me and coach me. To help me with my short-game and my putting. But he became and was so much more to Justine and I than a coach.
He taught me how to think, how to listen, and he brought so much life to my game. Dave Pelz (DP) was and is the best coach I ever had. To say that he will be missed would be such an understatement. His contributions to the game of golf will outlive my lifetime, and I hope one day to have contributed as much good in the world and in the game as he did. He pushed me to think harder, think higher of myself, and be a better person regardless of any circumstance I was faced with. He cared about the game, like I care about the game. When so many people are caught up in money, at the end of the day- the last time I saw him…just three weeks ago, we were talking and just trying to figure out what would be best for the game of golf. We shared many views about the game, and the massive divide the game of golf has faced and how to put it back together.
He and his wife, JoAnn, (JP), were two people Justine and I always looked up to the most and two people we could always count on. In golf and in life.
I have never forgotten anything he ever said to me, because sure enough-as soon as I would- Justine would be quick to remind me what Pelz said, and although I cannot share all of the lessons he taught me, I can share with you the person he was to me, and the coach he was to me and sadly I wish we could start all over again because he made learning fun, experimenting was fun. He never doubted a theory or an idea I had, he taught me to test it. He never doubted my ability, he challenged it. And more than anything, he and JP loved Justine and I the way a mom or dad loves to see their children achieve a dream, a goal, and wanted the best for us, and it was so real and genuine. I wish he were still here because I would tell him how much he meant to me in my life and in my game, and that I am forever fortunate and grateful to have been a part of his life, to know him and his family, to love them and care about them, and for it to be reciprocated in a way I never expected.
I’ll always appreciate Dave’s mind, and how well he used it to create, invent, research, to write, to build, it taught me so much more than golf to spend time with him. He was relentless in his pursuit of achieving greatness in the game of golf. Through science, research, experiments- everything he ever taught me holds strong and holds true, and it always will, because Dave didn’t back anything he wasn’t 100 percent sure of. He didn’t sway with the wind, he was the wind. Every time I ever met with him, he blew me away, because his presence, his sincere nature coupled with a kind sense of humor, and his drive made for the best coach I could have ever asked for.
Dave’s life should be celebrated, and never forgotten. Our love and hearts go out to JoAnn Pelz who Dave used to always lovingly and affectionately call JP. JP was and is his equal in every way, and you couldn’t have asked for a better match than JP and DP.
Thank you for the memories, thank you for your support, and thank you for believing in me. You changed my life. I love you DP. We love you and you will forever be in our hearts and minds.”
Your friend, Patrick Reed
Pelz may have left us physically, but his passion for precision and innovation echoes on every green, ensuring that generations to come will feel his influence every time they pull a wedge or line up a putt.
