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In this issue:

  Cutter & Buck
Gold Level Sponsors
  bryan tunstill

President's Report

Record breaking heat. Record breaking low snowpack. Predictions for very challenging fire season throughout the area. And this is just the start of the summer!

With these hot spells at our golf courses, my radar goes up with the safety of the golfers at our club. These ideas are not original, but they do help ensure everyone enjoys their rounds of golf at the club:

  • Promote the drinking of non-alcoholic, clear liquids. Having a good time is great, but alcoholic beverages dehydrate us quickly. Yes, water is best. Make sure your golfers know where water is located throughout the course or where the beverage cart may be.
  • Promote headwear, protective umbrellas, or golf carts to keep some shade over your golfers’ heads. Having your front line staff suggest a golf cart does wonders for your bottom line.
  • Provide a clean, cold ice towel for your golfers. This nice touch allows for some interaction between staff and clients, and provides the personal touch that shows you care about who is out on the golf course.
  • Train your staff to know the early signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Some people don’t take into account the toll that 4 or more hours of direct sun can do to a body without protection and hydration. Be ready and alert for any medical situation that may arise with excessive heat.

sterling cut glassWe all get in situations during tournaments of our own or at our facilities where our knowledge of the Rules of Golf is tested under pressure. Whether it is a club championship, member guest or a Section Major, strange things are going to occur on a golf course and the need to “dig deep” into the Decisions Book is inevitable.

I had such a situation last month at my club during our member/member tournament. The ruling involved two teams playing stroke play, with a wrong ball played incorrectly as an embedded ball in a water hazard, with one team giving advice (albeit bad advice) on the rules, and finally playing from a wrong place. I think I know the Rules pretty well, but in times like this I always feel better reaching out for a second or third opinion. Luckily, we are a group of professionals that are always willing to help each other out and I was able to call upon a fellow pro for some backup. I always appreciate knowing that I can reach out to a fellow professional and ask for some advice. Needless to say, I’m willing to do the same if called upon.

Have a fun and safe summer,

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

 

 
Gold Level Sponsors
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jeff ellison

CEO's Report

Our thoughts go out to the PGA Professionals and people of the Wenatchee area with the Sleepy Hollow fire. Unfortunately, hot dry temperatures could lead to a rough summer here in the great Northwest.

July means the Rosauers Open Invitational is just around the corner.  We are all excited to return to Indian Canyon and she looks to be in the best shape in years. PGA Professional Gary Lindeblad and his new Superintendent Fred Marchant are looking forward to being our hosts and presenting the best “Canyon” in years. Entries are scheduled to close today but we’ll accept them for a little while longer. Enter now!

Thank you to Josh Willis, Erik Mattille and the entire team at Crosswater for a great Oregon Open Invitational last month. Crosswater is a fantastic facility, we had perfect weather and we crowned a worthy champion in David Lebeck. As always, our sponsors make our championships a success. Bridgestone Golf, Sun Mountain, Greg Norman, AMA Golf, Abby’s Pizza and National Car Rental all contributed to the success of this championship. We appreciate all our sponsors do to make our event a success, please support them. And stay tuned for the announcement of the venue for the 2016 Oregon Open!

After 40 years, Bruce Cudd has retired. Beginning in 2016, we’ll be running the Hawai’i Pro-Am in-house. We return to Mauna Lani on the Big Island again… it’s just that good. Formal events call for January 14-21, 2016 but many groups extend their trips to enjoy a little more sunshine in January. Entries will go out shortly. There are two simple changes. First, we will not book airfare. With most players booking separately already, we’ll just be handling hotel and golf. Second, ground transportation is also an individual process. We only transferred just two couples between hotel and airport the last couple of years so we’ll discontinue this option as well. What we will maintain is a great hotel, two fine golf courses, and sunshine every day in January. Click here for flyer.

Our other destination pro-am, the Holcomb-In-One Las Vegas Pro-Am heads back to the Monte Carlo and the fun only found on the Las Vegas strip. March 13-17, 2016 will align nicely with a little basketball and the last two years has led to nice weather. Join us.

Drive Chip and Putt is almost complete. Options are still available in Spokane, Missoula, Portland and Eugene. Encourage your juniors to register today at www.drivechipandputt.com.

The Pacific Northwest Section PGA Merchandise Show will visit a new venue this fall. We are pleased to visit the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Located in downtown Tacoma, we have 30 restaurants and watering holes within walking distance. The Murano will serve as the host hotel and is right next to the Show.  Fun will be the name of the game around all our events. Thanks to our friends at Nike Golf, Mike Bender has agreed to headline our Education Program. Contracts are out to our vendors and we’ll be sharing details of the education schedule, Pro-Vendor and other fun activities soon.

I hope you were able to experience the US Open at Chambers Bay. Congratulations to Brent Zepp and the entire team at Chamber Bay for a job well done.  I was able to drop in on Sunday — what a massive undertaking it is to stage this event! Thank you to the USGA for bringing a major to the Pacific Northwest. Next year, it’s the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club. Scheduled for June 9-12, 2016 we’ll be assisting with volunteer duties on site and with a variety of Growth of the Game activities. Mark your calendar now to assist. I’m sure we’ll have details around the first of the year.

Enjoy the hot weather. I hope to see you at the Rosauers, Senior Oregon Open or Northwest Open in the very near future.


Jeff Ellison, PGA
Chief Executive Officer

 

Northwest Open Invitational Returns to Wine Valley GC

nwopen

Entries are now available for the Northwest Open Invitational at Wine Valley GC on August 17-19.  The entry deadline is Wednesday, August 5.  PGA Director of Golf John Thorsnes is excited to host this year and invites you to take part of this historic championship.

This year once again, you will play all three days – the event is a 54-hole stroke play, no cut championship!

pro online entry form | pro entry form (pdf) | amateur online entry form | amateur entry form (pdf)

The Oldest PNW PGA Championship

Watch 168 of the best PGA Professionals and top amateurs from Washington, Oregon, Northern Idaho and Western Montana in this event’s 111th year.

The Northwest Open is a significant part of Northwest golf history. The early years of the championship were dominated by Seattle Golf Club’s Robert Johnstone (who won 6 of the first 10 events) and “Long Jim” Barnes. Spokane’s Marvin “Bud” Ward captured six championships over a 22 year span, five as an amateur and his last as a professional.

Last year, the Northwest Open Invitational was taken by amateur Carl Jonson of Wing Point G&CC who won in a day long battle against PGA Professional Tim Feenstra of Broadmoor Golf Club when he took the lead for good with a birdie on the par 3 16th hole.

For complete list of Northwest Open champions and courses played, visit the PNW PGA history project site.

Wine Valley GC

Wine Valley Golf Club, which opened in August of 2009, has already been listed on Golfweek’s Best New Courses—coming in at #5. This stunning Dan Hixson design unfolds on a grand scale, playing over rolling hills in the shadow of the Blue Mountains. Wine Valley GC had broad fairways, dramatic bunkers, and bold undulating putting surfaces.

In addition to fantastic golf, take time to enjoy one of the many winery tours available in Walla Walla. The Walla Walla Valley has been called “the next Napa Valley,” and for good reason. Here, winemakers from around the world are growing the next generation of legendary wineries. http://www.wallawalla.org/wineries/

We look forward to seeing everyone at beautiful Wine Valley for the Northwest Open Invitational!

Download the flyer for this event.

 

PNW PGA Professional Championship Entries Close July 7

ppc

Entries close on TUESDAY, JULY 7 at 2:00 PM. You may register for this event through PGA of America Membership services at 800-474-2776 or online at www.pgatournaments.com.

Eligibility:
You must be employed in one of the following classifications as of July 7 to be eligible to play in the PNW PGA Professional Championship: MP, A-1, A-2, A-4, A-5, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-9, A-10, A-11, A-12, A-13, A-14, A-15, A-16, A-17, A-18, A-19, A-20, A-21, A-22, A-23, A-24, LMA and LMMA.

Advancement:
Top finishers in our PNW PGA Professional Championship will advance directly to the 49th PGA Professional Championship at Turning Stone Resorts, Atunyote and Shenendoah courses, Verona, New York on June 26-29, 2016.

The Championship, previously hosted by Turning Stone Resort in 2006, located about 30 miles east of Syracuse at NYS Thruway, will be bringing a field of 312 PGA Professionals to Turning Stone Resorts. The Championship will utilize the Atunyote and Shenendoah Courses.

Last year, seven professionals advanced to the 48th PGA Professional National Championship June 28 – July 1, 2015, at the Philadelphia Cricket Club – Wissahickon Course – in Philadelphia, PA. Who will advance to the 49th? It could be you, if you’ve entered!

 

PNW Senior PGA Championship Entries Close July 14

senior PPC

Entries close on TUESDAY, JULY 14 at 2:00 PM for the Senior PGA Professional Championship at The Home Course in DuPont, WA.  The championship will be held Wednesday- Thursday, September 2-3 with an Optional Pro-Am on Tuesday, September 1 (we will pair you with another PGA Professional and amateurs from The Home Course).

Compete for the Title of Senior Champion

Eligibility: You must be eligibly employed and classified in one of the following active membership classifications as of July 14th or have Life member status (LM, LMA, LMM, or LMMA) to be eligible to play in the Senior PGA Professional Championship Qualifier: MP, A-1, A-2, A-4, A-5, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-9, A-10, A-11, A-12, A-13, A-14, A-15, A-16, A-17, A-18, A-19, A-20, A-21, A-22, A-23, A-24.

Advancement: Successful qualifiers from the PNW Senior PGA Professional Championship will advance directly to the 27th Senior Professional National Championship presented by Mercedes-Benz, held October 15-18, 2015 at Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses in Seaside, CA.

Players qualifying to the Senior PPC will receive a bonus payout of $300 each.

Additionally, the top 35 finishers at the 27th Senior Professional National Championship earn a berth in the 77th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, to be conducted in May 26-29, 2016, at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Note: If you want to have a chance to advance to qualify for the Senior PGA Professional National Championship presented by Mercedes-Benz, you must enter through PGA of America Membership services at 800-474-2776 or online at www.pgatournaments.com.

Play the Epic Home Course

The Home Course was designed by golf course architect Mike Asmundson of Scottsdale, Arizona and opened on June 29, 2007. It is a walkable layout with panoramic views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier present throughout the golf course.

The Home Course was selected by the United States Golf Association as the assisting course for the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship. It is truly a great championship golf course at the home of golf in the Pacific Northwest.


 

National Car Rental PGA Assistant Championship to be Contested at Tualatin CC

assistant championship

You may register for the 2015 National Car Rental PGA Professional Championship through the PGA of America Membership services at 800-474-2776 or www.pgatournaments.com.  The entry deadline is Tuesday, July 21 at 2:00 PM. Please pay close attention to the 2:00 PM entry deadline for this event!

Eligibility: You must be employed as an A-8 or as an Apprentice (including Apprentice Head Professional) as of July 21 to be eligible to play in the Section National Car Rental PGA Assistant Championship.

Advancement: Top finishers in our Section National Car Rental PGA Assistant Championship will advance to the National Car Rental PGA Assistant National Championship that will be played at PGA Golf Club – Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, FL, held October 29 – November 1, 2015.

Encourage your employees to enter: The more players who sign up, the more spots our Section will receive to advance to the National Championship. Additionally, the purse increases as our players increase!

Note: The PGA of America has adopted the condition of competition for Grooves and/or Punch Marks at the Section level of the Pacific Northwest PGA Assistant Championship. ALL PLAYERS MUST comply with this condition of competition.

 

Silver Level Sponsors
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Lebeck Reigns Victorious at Oregon Open Invitational

david lebeck

by Austin Fields - PNW PGA Tournament Intern

SUNRIVER, OR – Crosswater Club – 7,051 Yards, Par 72

greg normanPGA Professional David Lebeck of Astoria G&CC fired a three-round total of 207 (67-69-71) to find his way into the winners circle for his first Major win at Sunriver Resort – Crosswater Club. Lebeck was two shots off PGA Professional Derek Barron of Tacoma Golf Center heading into the final round, before clinching his victory.

After posting a first round score of 67, Lebeck stated, “I was feeling pretty good about where my game was and about how to play the course.  I played solid all day and posted a good score.”

Tied going into the back nine of the final round with Barron, Lebeck stuck with the same strategy that’d been working for him all week. “It was important for me to keep the ball in play off the tee. From the fairway I could pick and choose if I wanted to get aggressive or not,” Lebeck explained.

Jesse Heinly of Pro Golf in Bend won low amateur honors, carding a three-round total of 216 (68-75-73), which put him in sixth place for the overall championship.

The first two days of the event held two pro-am team competitions: a best 2 net of 4 and a four-ball, with each professional paired with an amateur in teams of four. In the best 2 net of 4, Professionals Derek Barron and Ben Nelson along with amateurs James Feutz and Dana Christianson took first place with a two day total of 258. Barron and Feutz also fought their way in, becoming the Pro-Am Four Ball Champions with a two round total of 128.

Crosswater, Sunriver Resort’s golfing gem, is a gorgeous 18-hole heathland-style semiprivate course situated on 600-acres of woodlands and carefully preserved wetlands. Crosswater is threaded by the Deschutes and Little Deschutes rivers. This Robert E. Cupp designed course was named by Golf Digest as one of America's 100 Greatest Courses and in 1999, and Golf Week named it one of the Top 10 best courses you can play in Oregon in 2014.

The Oregon Open Invitational benefited the KIDS Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse. The Oregon Open donated $1,000 along with a raffle that the organization put on during the event. All proceeds go directly to the KIDS Center.

Thanks to National Car Rental for providing the team winnings for this event. Special thanks to PGA Director of Golf Josh Willis and Head PGA Professional Erik Mettille of Crosswater Club for bringing the Oregon Open back to Sunriver! Special recognition goes to Superintendent Derek Draper and staff for providing participants with an exceptional conditioned golf course. The PNW Section would like to thank all of the volunteers and Crosswater staff for making this such a spectacular event. 

results | team results

 

 

Points Lists

 

Silver Level Sponsors
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Holk's Highlights

david lebeck

Who inspired you in your golf career?

"My mom and dad were my inspiration. I started playing golf at a very young age because that is what my parents did. I was an all-around athlete growing up. Baseball, soccer, basketball and golf were my sports. I just stuck with golf. "

Brought to you by Grant Holcomb and:

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David Lebeck

Facility: Astoria G&CC

Hometown: Portland, OR

University: Boise State University; played golf all 4 years.

PGA Member Since: 1996

Tell us a little about your past playing career prior to becoming a PNW PGA Professional.

I turned professional in 1996 and started my playing career then. I continued to follow mini tours and other professional events for the next 12 years, playing events and tours in the US and Canada.  In 2008 I stopped my touring and started looking for a job as a club professional.  I started working at Astoria Golf and CC in 2009."

You recently won the Oregon Open Invitational. How does it feel to win your first Section Major?

"Winning is always nice. Winning a Section Major is something special. I won the Oregon Am in 1995 and one of my goals has always been to win the Open someday. It’s nice to have that completed."

 
 
National Sponsors
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carol pence

 

Promote Value, Promote Yourself

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

Sometimes “doing business as usual” or maintaining the status quo isn’t good enough. As we all know, changes happen, new industry trends germinate and grow, employers desire tasks to be done differently, or customers’ needs change. If you desire job security and/or career enhancement, please ask yourself these questions:

  • Am I embracing change?
  • Have I evaluated my strengths and limitations as they relate to the job arena?
  • Do I upgrade my skills and acquire new ones?
  • Do I have a self-improvement plan with identified goals and action dates?
  • Do I seek new responsibilities?
  • Have I recorded my accomplishments this season?
  • Have I educated my employer on my accomplishments?

The last one is key to success. Make sure as you go through the season to communicate to your employer what you have contributed. It doesn’t call for beating your chest too often or loudly and run the risk of appearing arrogant. At the same time, it is important to provide reports regularly to your employer. These should not only include what you have done, they should include what your fellow employers have contributed too.

Under Employment on PGA.org is an article which can assist you in crafting your reports. It is labeled “Golf Operations Employer Communication Planning”. This will provide ideas for identifying the frequency and mode of communication, what to communicate, setting a calendar for reporting times as well as forms to utilize for annual reviews. There is also a sample Executive Summary from which to get more ideas.

Other tools to utilize in showing your value for contributions derived from your player development programs are PGA PerformanceTrak and the Revenue Scorecard.

Please feel free to contact me anytime regarding these useful tools. Remember, it is critical that you set up a regular written communication process with your employer. A good time to start is now.

 

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monte koch

 

The Terrible Cost of "Not Knowing"

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

During my travels this past month, I have been able to see several different types of facilities. I’ve seen “blue collar” publics to high-end privates and everything in between. In general, we have some amazing golf professionals leading staffs who deliver a great golf experience every day here in the PNWPGA Section. However, I believe my value is not just in noticing the great things our colleagues are doing, but to notice the opportunities where they can improve, enhance or better track their results to improve their jobs in terms of security, stability and income.

A central theme I’ve noticed lately is private clubs promoting their array of memberships and wedding packages. At public facilities, it consists of weddings, catering events and similar. There’s something missing – player development programs!

I am not arguing with the need to promote sales of memberships, weddings, events, etc. They are key revenue streams for a vast majority of our facilities. However, there’s one key difference between these types of sales and the sale of player development and golf.

At virtually every facility selling weddings, there is a dedicated wedding salesperson/coordinator. When have they felt the need to “create” brides and grooms? They don’t have to. Likewise, for group events and parties (eg. birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) does the salesperson create the birthday or anniversary?

On the other hand, our industry is different. In golf, we must be actively creating golfers and creating/deepening engagement within our core golfers. Except for a very small percentage, golfers don’t occur naturally like brides, grooms, birthdays and anniversaries. Golfers must be created, nurtured and engaged.

For PGA professionals, it would seem this is our core role and our core business purpose. With that in mind, please ask yourself these two questions...


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  blake parrish

Millionaire Next Door

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

As a money manager, a tremendous amount of pride comes from watching an account grow over the million dollar mark. Many a millionaire has told me that true diversity has much to do with controlling one’s investments. My dad was famous for saying things like, “I never buy anything that I thought could be taken away later because of unforeseen circumstances (usually too much spending and debt on my part).”

There is a lot of chatter among our media in this country over the claim by academics, like French economist Thomas Piketty, who argues that capitalism is creating vast dynasties of wealth that are hoarded by a select few, with money being handed down from one generation of trust-fund babies to the next. The super-rich get richer every year while denying the rest of us a chance, right? I don’t know and don’t bank my retirement on mulling around over this kind of false-rhetoric.

Here is what I do know...


Read More

 
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Pros on the Move

Michelle Parish | Tournament & Membership Assistant

Employment Changes

  • Paul A. Benson (A-23) - from unaffiliated to Willamette Valley CC
  • Timothy V. Johnson (B-8) - from unaffiliated to The Home Course
  • Nicholas R. Schindler (B-8) - from Bear Creek CC to Glendale CC
  • Travis B. Weza (A-6) - from Redtail GC to Reserve Vineyards & GC

New Apprentices

  • Joshua D Diemer (B-8) -Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
    Gregory P. Goodson (B-8) - Grants Pass GC
    Jason R Himple (B-8) - Everett Golf & CC
    Philip G. Kohnken (B-8) - Eaglemont GC
    Justin M Newton (B-8) - Village Greens GC
    Joshua D Olson (B-8) - Chewelah G&CC
    Timothy J Petrone (B-8) - Creekside GC
    Nicholas A.B. Pollock (B-8) - Rainier G&CC

Newly Elected Members

  • Nicolas V. Gonzalez (A-8) - University of Idaho GC
  • Adam I. Page (A-8) - Columbia Edgewater CC

Transfers OUT of the Section

  • Birch D. Criswell (LM) - to Rocky Mountain

Transfers INTO the Section

  • Lyndsey Benjamin (A-6) - from Southern California to Jackson Park GC
  • Ira B. Hally (A-8) - from Tennessee to Waverley CC
  • Michael J. Shutte (A-20) - from New England to Prospect Brands

New Half Century Members

  • Bruce Clark

wildhorse

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