The Myrtle Beach golf market lost one of its award-winning and most generous teaching professionals this past weekend.
Darren deMaille, who operated the Quick Fix Golf school at Tupelo Bay Golf Center in Garden City, died Sunday morning in his sleep at the age of 48.
deMaille was on vacation in Key West, Florida, with his wife Leanne Graham (Shelley), a former morning talk show host on Hot Talk WRNN 99.5 FM.
deMaille, a Class A PGA of America professional, was instrumental in increasing access to golf on the Grand Strand for people with disabilities, particularly military veterans, and also had a passion for teaching junior golfers.
“He was a real asset to the community and a good guy,” said Gary Schaal, past president of the PGA who is the executive director on the Strand of Project Golf and an administrator of PGA HOPE, which deMaille participated in as an instructor. “He’d do anything to help people play better. He was a technician with a good bedside manner and good sense of humor. A really good instructor.”