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In this issue:

  sterling cut glass
Gold Level Sponsors

  bryan tunstill

President's Report

I’m proud to say that the Pacific Northwest Section PGA is THE BEST of the 41 Sections in the PGA of America.  We have an outstanding group of Professionals who are dedicated to teaching, playing, and growing the game.  Our Tournament Program is second to none.  We have a strong staff of both Section and Chapter employees, working hard on our behalf.  Our Education offerings are first-rate and plentiful.  Now, we can add to the feathers in our cap with a new program unveiled last week.  We are the only Section in the Nation that has such a program.

Your Section Board of Directors just passed, with full support, the 2015 PNW PGA Apprentice Mentoring Program.  After a year in development, we worked this policy to better position our apprentices to become active, integrated professionals in our association.  We have long known that the best Professionals are those who are well educated, participate actively in our PGA meetings, and play in our tournaments.  This new program requires apprentices to actively engage in these three areas each year.

To remain in “Active” status with the Section, Apprentices are required to attend one PGA Education Seminar, attend one PGA meeting, and compete in one PGA Tournament each calendar year.  It can be a Chapter, Section, or National event – whatever best fits the schedule and location of the apprentice.  Apprentices who fail to satisfy these three requirements shall be placed in “Inactive” status with the Section and lose their Section and Chapter playing privileges. 

Apprentices that are placed in “Inactive” status shall meet with a Section Mentor to develop a plan to satisfy the requirements.  A group of mentors has been established across our Section, in different geographic areas, to be a resource to help these Apprentices get back on track.  We know that there will be some work to be done here, but we are on a good path to have a pool of mentoring Professionals who care enough to help get these Apprentices engaged in our Section.

The details were outlined to you in an email sent from the section on January 28th.  If you would like a copy, you can find it on the Section website. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call the Section office or myself.  Our goal is to have a program that best fits the needs of our membership.

I would like to point out and thank Oregon Chapter President Sean Fredrickson, PGA, for his tireless effort and vision to carry the torch on this program.  Sean’s passion to raise the bar for apprentices will no doubt produce better PGA Professionals in the years to come.

I hope to see you all at the Spring Meeting and Pro-Assistants at Meridian Valley CC in March.  In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me if there is any way I can be of help. 

Bryan Tunstill, PGA
Columbia Edgewater CC
(503) 285-8354 | Bryan.Tunstill@cecc.com

 


jeff ellison

CEO's Report

February marks a significant increase in activity in the Section as we anticipate the coming golf season. In this edition I’ll highlight our success at the PGA Merchandise Show, explain the new Yamaha Player Development Grant Program and alert you to the requirements of the revised Apprentice Mentoring Program.

2015_pga_merchandise_showFirst, thank you for your support of our sponsors! As a direct result, we were 10 for 10 with our renewals last week at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. Your thank you letters and emails really help when I meet with a National Sales Manager. Every sponsor wants to know their support is recognized and appreciated. Your letters tell that story. An order would not hurt either! We were very fortunate to renew sponsorships with 2Undr, Antigua, Bridgestone, Bushnell, Cutter & Buck, Greg Norman, JaniKing, PTE Golf, Sterling Cut Glass and Yamaha. Haas Jordan will be back in 2015 and we are working to expand the support from Brooks Brothers/Page & Tuttle. New to the family are CaddyX and Winners Award Group. Now that I am home, I’ll be working on more local sponsors to support your programs.

pgajlg-blue-orange-200pxThanks also for your support of the PGA Junior League Golf Program. Harold Bluestein joined us on the main stage on January 21 to accept an award from PGA Junior League Golf as a Section of the Year for Region 8. Congratulations coaches, for increasing our teams and lending your energy and professionalism to this exciting junior program.

As Bryan Tunstill mentioned, there is an important update to the PNW PGA Apprentice Mentoring Program. For more than 20 years the Section has fostered an environment where apprentices receive education vital to advancing their careers. We recently modified the requirements of this program making it very simple and focusing on the important elements of being an active and engaged PGA Professional. Click here for complete details.

I’d also like to remind PGA Members that the MSR cycle ends on June 15. Please visit PGA.org and review your progress. If you are short in the PGA required category, after March there is not much on the calendar. The Section and Chapter Spring Meetings are all listed on our website along with the chapter education opportunities. There is not much on the calendar for June 14!

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Gold Level Sponsors
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Start the Season with the PNW Pro-Assistant Championship

pro-assistant

Entries are now available for the PNW Pro-Assistant Championship, to be held March 16-17 at Meridian Valley CC. Head PGA Professional Greg Manley is excited to host this year. Join us for both the tournament and our Section Spring Meeting which will immediately follow our first round at 7:00 pm. The meeting will be worth at least 2 MSR credits in required PGA Education, and it’s the only Section meeting where you can wear golf attire (although a jacket is also acceptable)!

Click here for online entry

Click here to download the PDF entry

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Silver Level Sponsors
EZGO bridgestone Cutter & Buck bushnell clubcar

2015 PNW PGA Apprentice Mentoring Program

The Pacific Northwest Section recently updated the apprentice requirements to retain Section and Chapter Playing Privileges. Important changes have been made in the program with very specific requirements to meet.

To retain active status with the Section, Apprentices are required to attend one PGA Education Seminar, attend one PGA Meeting and compete in one PGA Tournament each calendar year. Click "Read More" for details.

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Yamaha Player Development Grant Program

yamaha

The Pacific Northwest Section is proud to join with our friends at Yamaha to present the YAMAHA PLAYER DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. This new initiative reflects both our commitments to growing the game of golf in the great Northwest.

This opportunity is open to all Pacific Northwest Section Members and Apprentices in good standing who seek funding to help support their own Player Development programs. This program is focused on ADULT programming. The Junior Fund will be developing a similar program focused on junior golf. Our approach will be specifically broad and we encourage you to think outside the box.

Our goals are to provide as many grants as possible, with a maximum of $1,000 per grant. We will focus on enhancing your programs rather than fully funding them.

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Holk's Highlights

parker barth

Who was your inspiration in golf?

"I've had several mentors and influences both in golf and professionally. Between growing up in the Pacific Northwest and simply being a fan of golf, I have to say I still get excited to see Fred Couples play. In fact, Couples actually played our back 9 at Alta in 2001. However, I would say my father, Don Barth, has had the greatest influence on me. He has a tremendous work ethic combined with a brilliant sense of when to take risks. My first job out of college was working with him to design and build Bear Mountain Golf Course in Chelan."

Brought to you by Grant Holcomb and:

antigua
 

Parker Barth

Facility: Alta Lake GC

PGA Member Since: 2013

When did Alta Lake GC open and when did you become Head Pro?

"Alta Lake Golf Course opened in 1974 as a 9-hole course with 12 modest rooms. Our family purchased the property in 1984 and in September of 1993 the back 9 opened. It was an instant hit! The motel was expanded to 30 rooms and from there our popularity grew. I have worked at the course since I was 5 years old dragging sprinklers and parking golf cars. Eight years ago I was given the opportunity to take over the family business and never looked backed." 

How are the rebuilding efforts going after the 2014 fire?

"The rebuilding process has been steady. At first we had to just pick one or two things to accomplish in a day. There was just so much destruction everywhere. If we ended a long day by getting a mainline fixed or a generator going to a pump, then we at least felt like we were making progress. Now we are past the initial, and in many cases, the most basic hurdles."

"Our goal from day one has been to have a full season in 2015. It's now 2015 and we expect to open April 1, per usual."

How has the community been supportive?

"The amount of support our community has received has been overwhelming. Donations have poured into our local charities and relief programs."

 
Silver Level Sponsors
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carol pence

 

Top Ten Skills to Develop for Better Employment Opportunities in Golf

Carol Pence, PGA | PGA Employment Consultant | CPence@pgahq.com

Are you wondering how to achieve better employment opportunities? One major key is to broaden your skill set. To do this, start by taking advantage of PGA programs and offerings. Check for education opportunities offered by your chapter and section. The association offers both a Certified Professional Program and Master Professional Program. Besides these formal trainings, on-the-job training is an even more effective way to learn new skills. If you do not have other PGA Professionals working alongside you in the golf shop, it is up to you to commit to learn and broaden your skillset.

Once you have decided to take the step to acquire new skills, how do you decide what to learn? In my years of working with section employers, there are many skills that employers have identified as critical for those desiring to leap from Assistant Professional to Head Professional or Head Professional to General Manager. Following are three broad categories and ten skills that employers shared to be the most important.

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National Sponsors
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monte koch

 

Kickoff Your Golf Season with The Masters and DCP

Monte Koch, PGA | Player Development Regional Manager | mkoch@pgahq.com

DCP logoI believe that most golfers, especially recreational golfers, see the golf season starting the week of the Masters. Jim Nantz says the Masters is a “Tradition Like No Other.” Thanks to a joint effort (by the Augusta National Foundation, the USGA and the PGA), the Drive, Chip & Putt Finals is creating its own tradition and brand “like no other” the Sunday before the Masters.

A Spring Golf Income/Business Opportunity

The great news is that PGA golf professionals can use the Drive, Chip & Putt (DCP) brand at their own facility to create a “Drive, Chip & Putt Prep Clinic” product. Our partners in DCP now understand that if the number of kids participating in the program is going to grow, it will be because of PGA Professionals.

That’s right, this is your opportunity to build revenue, activity and new business utilizing the significant promotion assets of the Masters Golf Tournament and more. Here’s the concept:

  • Designed to be a preparatory experience for kids aspiring (or just interested) in competing in the national “Drive, Chip and Putt” (DCP) event via a local qualifier conducted by the PNWPGA in May, June and July. (Click here for the qualifying schedule.)
  • Provide a fun, exploratory experience for the youngest kids at your facility, while engaging families.
  • Use this program as a way to jump start your golf season and get those golf families out of “hibernation”.

Click "Read More" to read about the suggested format, schedule and fees.


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National Sponsors
Taylormade-Adidas-Ashworth nike golf Titleist-Footjoy Mercedes-Benz Omega

  blake parrish

The Most Common Money Mistakes among Golf Professionals

Blake Parrish | BP Financial Associates | blake@bpfinancialassoc.com

Anyone can retire. The trick is to enjoy retirement, and that means having enough money.

Making sure you’ve got “enough” varies for everyone. It depends on your earnings and savings during your decades of work. It depends on your standard of living in retirement. It depends on your health and expenses. But the most common mistakes are the same for everyone, regardless of income level. Avoid these seven costly pitfalls, which prevent you from reaching your retirement planning goals.

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Partner-Level Sponsors
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Members on the Move

Jennifer Dodd | Tournament & Membership Administrator

Newly Elected Members

  • David M. LeBeck (A-8) - Astoria G&CC
  • Carter C. Mast (A-8) - The Brasada Club

Class Changes

  • Ronald W. Lee (Mount Si GC) - from A-8 to A-1
  • Kris D. Runge (Twin Lakes G&CC) - from A-8 to A-1

Emplyoment Changes

  • Jeffrey P. Briney (A-8) - from Fairmont Hot Springs Resort to Butte CC
  • Dan S. Harrington (A-1) - from Meadow Park GC to The Home Course

Transfers INTO the Section

  • Robert L. Sanders (A-13) - from Colorado Section to Lewiston G&CC

Transfers OUT of Section

  • Martin J. Chuck - from Tour Striker, LLC to Southwest Section

New Apprentices

  • Spencer Harter - Aldarra GC
  • Bo Baker - Lewiston G&CC
Partner-Level Sponsors
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