Bryan Tunstill, PGA
(503) 285-8354
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One of the Core Components of the PNWPGA Strategic Plan is Community Outreach and Charity. Your Board of Directors recognizes the importance of being active in our local communities, as it assists in helping grow the game and bettering the employment of individual PGA members.
Here is where you can help: if you or your club host or coordinate an event (or several) that benefits a local charity or organization, please take the time after the event to promote that success. Too often we forget to “toot our own horn”’ Please don’t be afraid to write about the tournament or event that you just hosted, take some pictures of the fun people are having playing golf, and get the article published. Whether it is simply asking for insertion in your club’s newsletter or sending as a press release to local newspapers or media, the small amount of time that it takes to wrap up the event will prove invaluable to you and to our entire organization. The publicity that is created will benefit you, your local course or club, and the entire association of PGA Professionals. Your efforts are appreciated – please let others know about them.
There are countless ways to become involved in your community. Many charitable organizations utilize golf as a fundraising vehicle currently, through charity tournaments and the like. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of fundraising events in the Pacific Northwest annually. But there are many organizations that are held back from doing so, often because they are uneducated on the benefits of what golf can do for them.
Give this a try, it worked for me: block off 30 minutes one rainy day, I’m sure we will have one this spring. Google “charity [your town, state]” and pick a few. Contact them and introduce yourself, letting them know where you work and what you do for a living. Offer to have them out to your course, tour them around, and show them what a fundraising tournament would look like at your facility. Track the leads, see if one comes to fruition. If/when it does, then you can track the success of the event and you have something to talk about! Your club owner or Board will thank you later, when it shows up on your bottom line as a net gain.
Make it a great spring!
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Jeff Ellison, PGA
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It’s May and, like all of you, we are going full-speed in the Section and Chapter offices. Chapter pro-ams are at peak levels, making our chapter folks very busy. Help them out by submitting your registration information early and accurately, filling your teams instead of cancelling and leaving a detailed message when you call and don’t reach them. Believe it or not, they are easier to reach than you on a call back! This pro-am activity really ramps up the activity in the Section office managing deposits, payouts, MSR’s, handicaps and of course eligibility for the chapter events. We have a couple things going at the Section level too!
We are in URGENT need of your assistance for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, June 6-12 at Sahalee CC. The Section manages the volunteer effort for the Practice Range and Short Game area. We still need about 40 professionals – members or apprentices – to pick up a couple of shifts. For the practice rounds, you’ll be up close while the players work with their instructors; during the championship, you’ll witness them preparing for competition. Please find time in your busy schedule to assist, you’ll enjoy the experience. Volunteers who work at least two shifts will receive their uniform free – shirt and outwear from Polo and a Section hat. Lunch and free parking are included. To volunteer, click here for the schedule of available shifts, and then call Angela Hinzpeter in the office to sign up.
Dues bills will be hitting your email shortly. Every year, the PGA of America emails your dues invoice. Simply log into PGA.org to make your payment or print off an invoice for the club to pay. If you have an email address in the system, that is how your invoice will arrive. Paper copies will only be mailed to the handful of members with no email on record. Notice I did not say “correct” email address. If you don’t see the email, just log into your account. New this year, you can assign a “proxy” to have temporary access to your account for the purpose of paying your dues on-line with a company credit card. Log into PGA.org for the information, right below your dues amount.
The first round of the Yamaha Player Development Grants and our Junior Fund’s Youth Player Development Grants have been awarded. In total, just under $19,000 has been provided to you! We do have a little funding left under the Yamaha program so look for round 2 soliciting new applications very soon. Deadline for this will be June 15.
Yamaha Grants went to Clint Ables, Tim Bakker, Mark Easley, David Fern, Mark Gradin, Mat Hennick, Evan Johnsen, Casey McCoy, Christopher Meyer, Aaron Oakley/Jeff Evans, and Ed Paine. Junior Fund Grants were awarded to Kathy Brown, Chuck DaSilva, David Fern, Sara Griffin, Chris Grossbach, Mat Hennick, Steve Hill, Shanda Imlay, Chris Johnston, Cameron Milton, Chris Nowlen, Ed Paine, Justin Roberts, Chris Runyan, Ted Westling, and Todd Young. In all, a very diverse group of programs were supported. Congratulations to all these professionals who are definitely “growing the game” in the great Northwest.
There is a new entry process for our National Championships. Most importantly, there is no longer a universal national deadline in July! Our deadlines will be the typical 10-20 days before the championship……and will close on the appropriate day at midnight! Two benefits for you…1) you don’t write three championship checks the same month you are paying your dues; and 2) you should know your final schedule by the entry deadline. With this change…be careful…there will not be a late entry opportunity.
The Section Secretary election process is in motion. Be sure to read Dan and Sean’s response to this month’s topic.
On the Tournament front, entries are out for the Oregon Open and Rosauers Open. The Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open just closed but if you enter by Wednesday, I’m sure we have a few spots available. Our 2016 destination events were very popular, nice fields and a lot of fun. Look for information on 2017 shortly…..Hawaii in January or Vegas during March Madness….hmmm…..maybe both!
Finally, we live and die with our sponsors, please go out of your way to send them a short email of thanks. This is so important as they forward these to their sales managers…..the folks who approve the checks for next year! We need you. Please do this, it only takes a second.
Have a great May, enjoy the sunshine, play a little, teach a little more and be thankful we work in such a great industry. It’s the people who make this so special. I know, I’m lucky to work with such a great staff and all of you.
Jeff Ellison, PGA
CEO, Pacific Northwest Section PGA
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Rosauers Open Invitational to be Contested at MeadowWood
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Entries are now available for the 29th Rosauers Open Invitational, to be held July 15-17. The Umpqua Bank Pro-Am will be held July 13-14. This popular golf tournament has returned to MeadowWood GC, which previously hosted this event in 2014. Bob Scott, PGA Head Professional and Chris Curran, Assistant PGA Professional, are ready to host this great event!
- Liberty Lake, WA – MeadowWood GC
- 6,874 Yards, Par 72
- $135,000 Purse - including an $11,000 first place check! The payout is deep, 34 PGA Professionals will make a $1,000 check or higher.
- Defending Champion Corey Prugh of Manito CC is expected to try and defend his title against a full field of 168 PNW PGA Professionals and amateurs.
- The record for most Rosauers wins is held by Corey Prugh of Manito CC (2009, 2011 & 2013, 2015). The tournament record of 192 was also set by Corey Prugh in 2009 at Indian Canyon GC.
Join the Umpqua Bank Pro-Am
Professionals, after you sign up for the Rosauers Open Invitational, please do not forget to also sign up for the Umpqua Bank Pro-Am on Wednesday-Thursday, July 13-14. You will be paired with a sponsor team and have the opportunity to play the course in tournament conditions before the championship, enjoy a hosted breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, as well as win money and have a chance to thank our sponsors personally.
These sponsors also raise funds of $105,000-$135,000 annually for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, the official charity of the Rosauers Open Invitational. Email Molly Cooper at mcooper@pgahq.com to let her know of your availability during the Umpqua Bank Pro-Am. Participation in the pro-am is important to keeping this championship great!
Play one of Washington’s Most Desired Courses to Play
MeadowWood Golf Course is an 18-hole par 72 championship public municipal golf course. In 1985, Jeslyn Morris Schultz of the Schultz family donated 150 acres to Spokane County to build the Links style golf course, designed by Robert Muir. Opened in 1988, MeadowWood is mainly an open course with strategically placed trees, bunkers, and water features. With a varying set of tees, it can be enjoyed by golfers of all skill levels. Golf Digest once ranked MeadowWood “One of the Top 10 Best Public Golf Courses in the State of Washington”.
Learn More
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Gibbons Wins PNW Senior Players' Championship
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Champion Rob Gibbons and Host Professional John Thorsnes
By Molly Cooper, PGA
Director of Tournament and Member Programs
Walla Walla, WA – Wine Valley Golf Club, 6,525 Yards, Par 72
Field - 52 teams of one Pacific Northwest PGA Professionals and one amateur.
PGA Professional Rob Gibbons of Arrowhead GC won the 2016 PNW PGA Senior Players’ Championship at Wine Valley GC. He birdied the first hole in a four-person playoff against PGA Professional Jeff Coston of Semiahmoo G&CC, amateur Mike Kloenne of Columbia Edgewater CC and amateur Keith Crimp of Ellensburg G&CC.
Rob Gibbons also won the team four-ball competition with his amateur partner Pat O’Donnell. The Arrowhead GC duo fired a team score of 16-under par with rounds of 65-63-128. They won by three strokes over the team consisting of PGA Professional Joe Carranza (Aldarra Golf Club) and amateur Tom Hale (Tacoma C&GC) and the team of PGA Professional Brent Murray (Oswego Lake CC) and amateur Spencer Klapp (Tualatin CC).
“Anytime you can win a Section event it feels great. All of the best senior players are usually there, so if you can win you know you beat the best,” Gibbons said after succeeding in the playoff.
When asked about his thoughts going into the playoff against so many other great players, Gibbons responded, “In a playoff anything can happen so I wanted to try to make a birdie as soon as I possibly could. Fortunately, the putt I made in the playoff was the same putt I had in the morning, so I had a better feel for the speed. I had left the putt short in the morning.”
Early in the first round, PGA Professional Tom Carey of Meriwether National GC made a hole-in-one on hole #6 with an 8 iron. Two holes later on hole #8, amateur Mike Kloenne of Columbia Edgewater CC playing in the same group dunked a 6 iron. A couple hours later, amateur Tom Hale with a 7 iron in his hands, made a hole-in-one on hole #6.
The Senior Players’ Championship welcomed back PGA Professional Ken Allen and Club Glove to the event this year as a sponsor. Ken was on site at Wine Valley to meet each participant and hand out a tee gift. Troy Flateau of Northwest Golf Consulting/Golf Genius also joined us as a sponsor this year.
The Senior Players’ Championship is a two-man team competition of one Pacific Northwest PGA Professional and one amateur playing a both an individual and a four-ball competition.
Wine Valley Golf Club, which opened in April of 2009, has been rated 5th on Golfweek's Best New Courses. This stunning Dan Hixson design unfolds on a grand scale, playing over rolling hills in the shadow of the Blue Mountains. Wine Valley GC has broad fairways, dramatic bunkers, and bold, undulating putting surfaces.
The Northwest Open Invitational will once again return to Wine Valley GC this August 15-17. Look for entry forms in June.
Thanks to PGA Professional John Thorsnes and owner Jim Pliska, we are confirmed to return to the Senior Players’ Championship again next year. Seniors, plan on playing next year! Both Senior Player of the Year Points and Senior Hudson Cup Points were earned for top finishers.
CLICK HERE to view Senior Hudson Cup Points.
CLICK HERE to view Senior Player of the Year Points.
Final Results
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Candidates for Secretary
If elected, you will move through the officer chairs over an eight year period, in your view, what should be the role of a Section Officer?
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Members on the Move
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Sponsors
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Gold Level Sponsors |
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Holcomb-In-One Sponsors |
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National Sponsors |
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Partner-Level Sponsors |
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