bryan tunstill

Bryan Tunstill, PGA
(503) 285-8354

President's Report

As President of our Section, one of the privileges I enjoy most is to congratulate a fellow Professional when they have been honored for their achievements at the highest level. I am proud to say that our own Matt Brown of the Highlands Golf Course in Gearhart, Oregon has been bestowed the 2016 National Merchandise of the Year for Public Facilities. Matt’s tireless efforts have set him apart in the world of merchandising, as he has seen success both in the shop, through mail order business, and over the internet. He spends countless hours finding creative and unique ways to increase his sales and drive profit to his business. His success is inspiring to all of us, as we compete for merchandise sales in a market that is as competitive as it has ever been. I look forward to seeing Matt’s formal ceremony at the 100th PGA Annual Meeting in New York City this November. Congratulations, Matt!

It is also time to point a very important group that has taken a part of our Pacific Northwest Section and made it even better. This group is the PNWPGA Special Awards Committee, a group of PGA Professionals that encompass all corners of our vast Section. They work behind the scenes, reviewing our Awards process and making it even better. Over the past few years, our Awards Committee has taken a hard look at how the award winners at our Chapter and Section levels are determined. The nominating form and process have been modified and improved to most clearly identify the best possible candidates for each award. Our timelines have been changed to better align our Awards winners with National deadlines and to allow us to properly recognize our winners. A PNWPGA Awards ceremony has been organized each year, to honor our deserving Professionals in our Section with family, friends, and peers in attendance. This group has networked with multiple National Award winners, who often sit on the National Awards Committee, to help our candidates have a better chance to move ahead and win National Awards. All these efforts have come to bear fruit, as we have seen an increase in the Professionals in the Pacific Northwest Section win National Awards. In 2013, Kathy Gildersleeve-Jensen of Indian Canyon GC was named National Teacher of the Year and Roger Wallace of Polson Bay GC was named the Bill Strausbaugh Award winner. In 2012, Amy Pendergast was named National Merchandise of the Year for Resort Facilities, and in 2010 Tom Davidson also won this award. Before these recent winners, it had been far too long since a PNWPGA member was a recipient of a National Award.

Your Section Board has a working mantra of “Continuous Improvement”, and our Special Awards process was targeted a few years back as having “room for improvement.” The goal was to have a process that was transparent, consistent across all Chapters, and would give our candidates a better chance to be awarded on a National Level. This group includes many people, as the Committee has changed over the last few years to include new leaders in the various Chapters.
So, now seems a good time to give a shout out and “Thank You” to the group that has made this part of our Section stronger over the past few years: Greg Manley from Meridian Valley CC, Greg Morris from Iron Horse GC, Scott Swanson from Yakima CC, Bob Turnquist from the Oregon Golf Club, Justin Parades from Persimmon CC, David Owens from Hamilton GC, Darin Vaughan from Twin Lakes Village GC, Mike Hegarty from Wildhorse Resort GC, and Scott Swanson from Yakima CC. This is just one of many important Committees that VOLUNTEER their OWN TIME, out of their already busy schedules, to make the PNWPGA the best Section in the US. So on behalf of your Board of Directors and the Membership of the Pacific Northwest PGA Section, we thank you!

Best,
Bryan Tunstill

jeff ellison

Jeff Ellison, PGA

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CEO's Report

It’s not too early to begin planning to attend the Pacific Northwest Section PGA Merchandise Show, October 25-26 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. This is our largest gathering of the year with over 600 industry professionals in attendance. For you new folks, it’s more than just our Merchandise Show, we hold our Annual Meeting on Wednesday morning, we offer two education programs and Chambers Bay will host the annual Pro-Vendor Championship. More information is available at http://www.pnwpga.com/merchandise-show/. Mark your calendar now!

The Wildhorse Senior Oregon Open Invitational kicks off August 2 for the 14th straight year at Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Pendleton. Two hundred and twenty-four of the top seniors in the Northwest will enjoy all that Wildhorse has to offer. Thank you Gary George and Mike Hegarty! Follow the results on Golf Genius.

The Northwest Open is now in its 7th year at Wine Valley Golf Club. This popular venue has seen plenty of great golf and the course is in fantastic shape again this year. The budget includes a $70,000 total purse, so why not join us? Click here to enter.

The Pacific Northwest Section has been conducting Drive Chip and Putt qualifiers since the very first pilot year and this year we were privileged to host 10 Local Qualifiers and will host 2 Subregionals in early August. A big thank you to our host professionals for sharing their facilities and recruiting the legion of volunteers who help us conduct these fun events. In total over 1,400 kids signed up in our Section. Thank you: Ed Bezanson, Tom Carey, Dennis Dolan, Koll Farman, Tom Farris, Josh and Mel Fish, Mark Gardner, Justin Gravatt, John Grothe, Trent Henning, Chris Issacson, Colin Inglis, Robin Lorain, Greg Manley, Brandon Proudfoot, and Justin Roberts for your support. Finally, Angela Hinzpeter, Cecelia Morales and Monte Koch have put in countless hours managing these events….thank you all. As you plan for 2017, why not join your fellow professional who offered Drive Chip and Putt prep clinics this spring? It’s a great way to engage the families at your facility.

It’s not too early to start planning for the Holcomb-In-One Las Vegas Pro-Am, March 12-16, 2017. We added a new facility – Las Vegas Country Club – to the lineup along with favorites Chimera and Anthem Country Club. Entries will be out in September, but start working on your team now.

Enjoy the sunshine and heat of August in the great Northwest, it will be gone all too soon!

Jeff Ellison

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Hawai'i Pro-Am Returns to Mauna Lani Resort

Don't you wish you could save some of this warm weather for winter? Why not experience summer in winter, and join us for the 2017 Hawai'i Pro-Am! Our 42nd annual winter destination event will take place January 12-19, 2017. We are returning to Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island for 7 days of surf, sun and golf. Deadline for Entries and Deposits: September 1, 2016

The entry fee includes: seven nights stay at Mauna Lani Bay Resort (Ocean View), a couple of welcome reception and awards dinners, three rounds of golf and carts at Mauna Lani Resort (North and South courses), plus daily payouts and prizes.

Click here for the Hawaii Winter Pro-Am entry form

Feel free to share this flyer to help recruit a team.

Learn More

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PNW PGA Professional Championship Deadline Extended

The entry deadline for the PNW PGA Professional Championship has been extended to Wednesday, September 7 at 11:59 PM. You may register for this event through PGA of America Membership services at 800-474-2776, www.pga.org or www.pgatournaments.com. Please pay attention to the 11:59 PM entry deadline for this event!

We are playing for spots to advance to the National Championship held within our own Section next June! Additionally, the low 20 scores at the 2017 PGA Professional Championship will earn a place in the 99th PGA Championship.

Learn More

Northwest Open Invitational

Walla Walla, WA – Wine Valley GC
August 15-17, 2016

Details

PNW Senior PGA Professional Championship

Salem, OR – Illahe Hills CC
September 7-8, 2016

Details

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Bayley Wins Rosauers Open Invitational in Record Fashion

By Mitch DeKruif, PNW PGA Tournament Intern

MeadowWood Golf Course in Liberty Lake, Washington was host to the 29th Rosauers Open Invitational featuring the Umpqua Bank Pro-Am. The par 72, 6,874 yard course is nestled in beautiful Spokane County and has been ranked by Golf Digest as “One of the Top 10 Best Public Golf Courses in the State of Washington.”

The Umpqua Bank Pro-Am made up the first two days of competition. Sixty-four teams of one professional and four amateurs competed in a best 2 of 5 net score format. The team sponsored by Bank of America took home the crystal after a two-day total of 58 under par. The team consisted of PGA Professional Gordon Corder (Manito G&CC) and amateurs Brad Ryland, Scott Kramer, David Millheisler and Steve Fazzari. Even more impressive than their winning score was the $120,000 raised for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery located in Spokane. The nursery provides a sanctuary for children who are at risk for abuse or neglect. The event has raised nearly $2,750,000 for this wonderful cause in its 29 years. To learn more, volunteer or donate, head to www.vanessabehan.org.

After the conclusion of the Umpqua Bank Pro-Am, 161 professionals and amateurs teed it up over the next three days in pursuit of the Rosauers Open Invitational trophy. What would unfold over the course of play was a re-writing of the record books, the execution of the rarest feat in golf and an impressive young champion.

Derek Bayley is a humble 20-year-old junior at Washington State University. His record-setting victory came in at an astounding 27 under par, six shots lower than the previous record. Even more impressive than his runaway victory was the majestic 59 he fired in round two of the event. When asked about his thought process, Bayley explained that he simply focused on each shot rather than the score.

“I was just in a rhythm… I eagled 7, and birded 8, and stood up on the ninth tee thinking to myself, ‘Wow, am I really 13 under par thru 17 holes?’ Once I made the four-footer for 59, I was shocked. Unbelievable,” said Bayley. The win was his first in a professional event, the significance of which did not evade him. “To have the best pros in the area and beat them, it’s pretty special to say the least.”

PGA Professional Tony Robydek (Pro Golf Discount-Tacoma) took second and low professional honors with a three-day total of 19 under par. Other notable performances included top ten finishes by previous champions Corey Prugh (Manito G&CC) and Tim Feenstra (Broadmoor GC).

PGA Professional Jess Wingett of The Highlands GC posted a hole-in-one on #8 round 2. PGA Professional Tim Morton of Stone Ridge GC aced #17 and also posted a hole-in-one on Saturday.

We’d like to thank host professional Bob Scott and head superintendent Mike Kingsley for the outstanding hospitality and immaculate golf course. Another thank you goes out to Rosauers, Umpqua Bank and all of our other fantastic sponsors who make this event so successful year after year.

Final Results

Points Lists

Player of the Year | 1. Brian Thornton, 310 | 2. Ryan Benzel, 300 | 3. Corey Prugh, 265
Senior Player of the Year | 1. Jeff Coston, 345 | 2. Rob Gibbons, 240 | 3. Tom Sovay, 165
Assistant Player of the Year | 1. Tim Feenstra, 305 | 2. John Cassidy, 267.5 | 3. Ryan Malby, 235
Hudson Cup | 1. Ryan Benzel, 310 | 2. Darren Black, 265 | 3. Brian Thornton & Corey Prugh, 242.5
Senior Hudson Cup | 1. Jeff Coston, 617.5 | 2. Rob Gibbons, 545 | 3. Steve Prugh, 415

Candidates for Secretary

As a Section Officer, how would you go about engaging the grassroots golf professional to be involved in the PGA Chapter, Section and National organizations?

fredrickson

Sean Fredrickson, PGA

The answer to this question lies in effective Professional Development and Mentoring programs. These directives have always been passions of mine. If you look at my past work within the Oregon Chapter and PNW Section, you will see that my track record is strong in both of these categories.

Currently, I chair the Membership/Mentoring Committee for our Section. I’ve also worked very hard in developing young apprentices with more detailed Orientations and our new Apprentice Mentoring Program. I firmly believe that we must do what we can as leaders to motivate Apprentices and PGA Professionals to PLAY, TEACH and PROMOTE the game as much as possible. I understand the need of involvement and the duty we have as Professionals to give back and safeguard our chosen profession. Engagement must not be thought of as an option but as a must.

If you ask “Grassroots Professionals” like Chris Runyan of the Inland Empire Chapter, Matt Brown of the Oregon Chapter, Justin Roberts of the Montana Chapter, Sara Griffin of the Western Washington Chapter and Jason Aichele of the Central Washington Chapter what engagement has done for them, both personally and professionally, my guess is that they all will tell you that their success is directly related to their involvement in National, Section and Chapter activities.

Encouragement needs to start early. Our Apprentice Orientations and Apprentice Mentoring Programs should focus on active participation and how it relates to success. New Professionals must be informed, educated and motivated. While our current process isn’t broken, I would like to continue working with the Mentoring and Education Committee to develop a “participation blueprint” that is given to each Apprentice following his/her orientation. When they finish their orientation it should be crystal clear as to not only how to get involved but why involvement is crucial to their success and the success of the golf business.

Time and energy are words often used when Professionals answer why they don’t get involved. While a legitimate excuse, our Section and Chapter leadership must play an active role in encouraging the grassroots Professional to become engaged. Sometimes a gentle nudge or a word of encouragement is all that might be needed to call someone to action. My own involvement in my association began this way. A simple nominating or selection committee could work towards identifying future board members or committee members, while a list of active Mentors developed by our Education, Mentoring, Player Development and Tournament Committees could help inspire the grassroots Professional to teach more, play more, or find the time to become involved in a national program like PGA Junior League. Pairing mentors with disengaged Professionals could go a long way in elevating participation levels in both programs and governance. We are beginning this process in the Oregon Chapter and we are excited to realize future returns.

As I stated last article, our Section recently started to redefine the mission and scope of our 6 Section committees. I believe we need to hold each Chapter also accountable to do the same. Chapters need to be aligned with our Section. While the needs of each Chapter differ, the need to grow the game of golf is the same. Programs, Committees and Board Members should be clearly posted on each chapter website. How can we expect our Professionals to get involved if they don’t even know what options are available to them? When I looked today, many of our chapter websites were incomplete and lacked the necessary information to inform or motivate Professionals. As your next Section Secretary I will work with each of our 5 chapters in making sure programming is clearly defined, easy to identify and consistent from our Section to each of the five chapters.

To summarize, I believe that it is the duty of our Section leadership to inspire, inform, educate and motivate each one of you. This should begin the moment a new Professional registers as an apprentice and should continue throughout our professional careers. Programs must be highly visible and the barriers to entry must be minimal. We must cultivate leaders and promote our successes. Maybe most importantly, we must change our culture of thinking that engagement is not optional but a duty we have to ourselves, one another, and to the game of golf.

Sean Fredrickson, PGA

harrington

Dan Harrington, PGA

Whether you are a 20+ year veteran of the golf profession as I am, a new PGA member or apprentice, or somewhere in between, your contributions and involvement in Chapter, Section and National affairs is needed. Involvement of our Section professionals is best achieved through ever-improving channels of communication and a unifying culture of our leadership. I believe we already possess the latter. Engaging the 1200+ professionals to become more participatory requires that leaders of our industry continue to dynamically motivate using traditional “handshake” relationships as well as current effective marketing and communication campaigns.

A few weeks ago, I took a five-day road trip to Western Montana, Idaho, and the Spokane area. In addition to volunteering to assist in the success of two Drive, Chip, and Putt Championship competitions, I was able to visit with professionals from 17 different “grassroots” facilities. A visit to Mission Mountain Golf Course in Ronan, Montana, a stop at Esmeralda Golf Course in Spokane, a brief chat with the guys at Hayden Lake Country Club, with many points in-between, yielded a common interjection from virtually every one the professionals: Continued effective communication of tournament, governance, and professional best practices that meet our Section’s mission and operational goals. This common theme led me to ask a simple question of each of the twenty or so professionals – What interests you most about the golf profession and could I call on you, if elected Secretary, to become an active participant in activities that our Section has organized?

In addition to continued “handshake” tours of the Northwest, in order to engage and invite participation from a larger number of golf professionals, we need to continue staying current with technology and marketing strategy mediums that stirs an emotional call to action. A business communications professor at my alma mater Western Washington University impressed upon me a theory that is still applicable today – “The path to customer loyalty and commitment is paved with the cement of fresh ideas and common personal satisfactions.” A perfect example of a recent fresh idea that applied to our golf “product” was produced by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA):

The AJGA helps young men and women earn college scholarships through competitive golf tournaments. It has over 6,000 youth members and hosts 100+ tournaments a year. Last year, they had a goal to promote and raise awareness of the ANNIKA Invitational, an all-girls tournament sponsored and publicized by Annika Sorenstam. The AJGA’s goal was to use Twitter to promote the event. They used fun visuals and celebrity endorsements to extend their Twitter reach during the tournament. In addition to tweeting pictures of girls playing golf and spending time with their families, they set up a photo booth at the registration table. People could dress up in costumes and share silly pictures of themselves on their social media accounts. 161 contributors sent 570 tweets during the tournament and an AJGA tweet was featured in a morning talk show on the Golf Channel. In total, the event received 3.6 million impressions.1

This example of a highly successful social media campaign had a couple heavy hitters in Annika and The Golf Channel on it’s side. However, I posit that our Section has a large number of regional feel-good stories, and an outstanding staff to tell these stories, and we should obtain the tools to publicize them. It would be my goal as Secretary to communicate these grassroots successes to our Section, to National, and hopefully to a global audience. There is a no more enticing call to action for a fellow golf professional than a motivating story in his or her own back yard. This can be done by obtaining and implementing current technologies to better transmit, in real time, home-cooked best practices and programs that will bring the members of our trendsetting, yet vast, geographical Chapters together.

As a Chapter board member for the past eight years and a Section officer for almost half this time, I have always prided myself on being a listener and always keeping an unbiased and open mind. After all, a leader of so many outstanding professionals and game changers in our region requires that I be a clear communicator and effective motivator of ideas. I ask for your vote this Fall for the position of Section Secretary.

1 Connectivity.CQrollcall.com, Anne Dermody, February 1, 2016

Dan Harrington, PGA
President – Western Washington Chapter – PGA

Holk's Highlights

Clint Ables, PGA

Facility:Tri City CC
Hometown: Grew up in Enterprise, OR, currently Kennewick, WA
PGA Member Since:2001, received class "A" status in 2007

Clint Ables was inspired to get into the golf business because of his passion for the game. He enjoyed introducing others to golf, as well as playing it himself. It's not surprising, then, that Ables created a Discover Golf Day at Tri City CC. Not only that, but he won a PNWPGA Yamaha Player Development Grant to help fund it.

We asked Ables to tell us a little bit about his program, and what the benefits have been to both new golfers and to his club...

Brought to you by:

Career Services
Carol Pence, PGA
(510) 706-1583
CPence@pgahq.com

Five Tips for Making Your Customers Feel Like Stars

If Jason Day walked into your golf shop today, how would you behave? If you're like most people, you'd drop whatever you were doing and approach him, smiling, ready and eager to serve him. If Brooke Henderson was on the phone asking questions, you'd do whatever you could to answer him, correct? What about the rest of your customers or members? According to author Donna Cutting, treating them like stars is important for ongoing success. Here are five of her secrets that will get your customers buzzing about your facility...

Read more

scg

Members on the Move

Michelle Parish
Tournament & Membership Assistant

Employment Changes

Christopher Runyan (A-6) - from Prarie Falls GC to GolfTec-Spokane
Justin J. Gravatt, PGA (A-1) - from Alderbrook G&YC to The Home Course
John D. Grothe, PGA (A-1) - from OGA Golf Course to Willamette Valley CC
Russell E. Grove, PGA (A-14) - from Twin Lakes Village GC to College Golf Camps of America LLC
Quincy B. Smith, PGA (A-8) - from Quail Valley GC to The Golf Club@Redmond Ridge

Class Changes

CJeffrey M. D'Amico, PGA (Wing Point G&CC) - from A-1 to A-13
Danny R. Moore, PGA (Creekside GC) - from A-1 to A-13

New Apprentices

Kevin M. Burke Jr. - The Golf Club at Echo Falls
Aiden T. Clark - Bill Roberts Golf Course
Jared T Duvall - Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow
Michael E Horner - Bill Roberts GC
Christopher J Vargas - Inglewood GC

Resigned

Daron T Casey B-8
Nathan R Espinoza B-8
Wesley P. Hayden A-8
Benjamin J. Weyland A-20

Newly Elected Members

Nicholas D. Carlson, PGA (A-1) TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge

Transfers OUT of the Section

Christopher G. Grossbach, PGA - from The Golf Club @ Redmond Ridge to Philadelphia
Mark R. Hillin, PGA - from Coyote Trails GC to Southwest
Ronald E. Mills, PGA - from unaffiliated to Southwest
Michael W. Starks, PGA from Callaway Golf to Southwest

Transfers INTO the Section

Robert E Marshall, PGA (LM) - to Unaffiliated from Rocky Mountain
David T. Price, PGA (A-15) to unaffiliated from Northern California

Deceased

Roger Cook - obituary
Thomas E. Denham - obituary

Financial Services
Blake Parrish
Senior VP, Portfolio Mgr.
(503) 619-7237
blake@bpfinancialassoc.com

Money Manager for You Incorporated

““Golf isn’t just my business, it’s my hobby” – Lee Trevino

Imagine you’re a PGA golf professional, but were also assigned the position of money manager, how would you do? Let’s say the job title is actually money manager for You Incorporated and you need to manage money for yourself better than at the facility you work for. Would you fire you, or keep the job? Wait, don’t actually answer that.

You have to tell your money what to do or it will leave you and go somewhere else. A written budget for the month is your money goal.

People who win at anything have written goals. Goals are what “YOU” are aiming at. There’s a famous saying that goes something like, “when you aim at nothing you’ll hit it everytime.” Accountability, commitment, and writing down one’s goals enhances goal achievement. Here’s a study to back it up.

Did you read The Millionaire Next Door when I mentioned it in a previous newsletter? The key to this story is to give every dollar a name before the month starts...

Certified Financial Planner Boardof Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.”

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President's Report

CEO's Report

Hawai'i Pro-Am Returns to Mauna Lani Resort

PNW PGA Professional Championship Deadline Extended

Bayley Wins Rosauers Open Invitational in Record Fashion

Points Lists

Candidates for Secretary

Members on the Move

Sponsors