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In the Northern California golf circles, well, probably in an even bigger circle than NorCal, mention “the Lipper” and everyone knew who you were talking about.
Born Dan Lippstreu on Dec. 11, 1941, Lipper was the head golf pro at Las Positas College for 35 years, becoming one of golf’s most respected people in the Bay Area.
When news came that Lipper died on Oct. 28 at the age of 84, it was easy to understand that many people were moved.
Count me among that group. Once I heard of Dan’s passing, two words came to mind — iconic and legend. There was a sadness, to be sure, but I also had to smile at the memories of Lipper.
I love golf. I have a golf lifestyle publication and have had the privilege to cover four U.S. Opens, numerous PGA Tour events, some LPGA events and even a Presidents Cup.
I have played some amazing courses throughout North America. Golf is on TV, usually in my home office, every weekend throughout the PGA Tour season — much to the chagrin of my wife.
And to be honest, most of my love of the game of golf was in no small part thanks to Dan.
Once I became a sportswriter back in 1985, golf was, largely due to my matriculation at Chico State (Dan’s alma mater), a beer-a-hole type event, of course with a shot or two before the round.
But then I met Dan doing some stories on all things Las Positas and we talked golf — all things golf.
Here was a guy raised on the big three of sports — football, basketball, and baseball — suddenly getting more interested in golf.
Dan made golf cool at a time when it wasn’t as mainstream as it would get when Tiger Woods stepped in.
It was a game that interested me, as there were no teams. You were out there on your own with no place to hide, no place for excuses.
I loved that. Throw in the self-governing aspect of the game, and I was hooked.
I started covering high-school golf in the mid to late 1980s, and among the top golfers was Dan’s daughter Donna, a 1989 graduate of Amador Valley High.
Getting to cover Donna gave me a chance to see yet another side of Dan — the doting father. Dan took a great deal of pride in his girls, Donna and Pam, teaching and coaching them both.
That level of pride carried over to the massive number of junior golfers that went through the Las Positas program.
He took over the program in 1973 and had the number of junior golfers at a hardy group of 250, many whose family drove them hours so they could attend.
In 1982, he was named by Sports Illustrated as the National Junior Golf Promoter of the Year. By 2016, more than 11,000 junior golfers had gone through the program, many of whom went on the play collegiately, as well as professionally.
He served a year as the president of the Junior Golf Association of Northern California and spent 11 years on the group’s board of directors.
One of the best players he coached was Jean Zedlitz, who won the EBAL boys’ golf championship before there was girls’ golf at the local level.
After graduating from Amador Valley, Zedlitz went on to be a two-time All-American at UCLA and competed on the LPGA Tour.
I remember how proud Dan was that at one point he held the men’s course record at Las Positas, and Donna held the women’s record.
Donna lives in Arizona and is the founder of the globally recognized Golf Party Live podcast. Pam — now Pam Fischer — teaches golf.
A celebration of life is planned for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13 at Las Positas.
The stories will be legendary and are sure to elicit some thunderous laughs, mixed with the sense of loss from so many that such an important part of their life is gone.
The Lipper may be gone physically, but be sure he lives on in anyone who was lucky enough and privileged enough to have known him.
RIP Lipper, and thank you for all you have given the game and those who knew you.
Game of the week
Last week it was the San Ramon Valley at Monte Vista football game, and it turned out to be a great one, as the Wolves pulled out the 21-16 win over the Mustangs.
Evidently the folks at the North Coast Section felt the same way as by seeding the two teams No. 4 and No, 5. They’ll meet again this week in the first round of the NCS Open/D-I playoffs.
The game is set for 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 13) at San Ramon Valley High School.
