I don’t know about you, but I feel like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day.” It feels like we have been here before. Who would have thought in March that our Thanksgiving traditions and activities would be in jeopardy? But here we are. Once again, we have to deal with closures and restrictions. I know I am tired of the virus and its impact on our lives. But, we have over 250,000 people who could not participate in Thanksgiving; there were simply empty chairs for those who died from Covid. As difficult as these times are, we must continue to follow the guidance issued by our states and also be diligent about practicing good public health practices. Don’t forget your and other’s mental health as well —check in with your friends, your relatives, and your neighbors. A simple, “How are you doing” can mean a lot.
I mentioned in my last article about using this time to work on your personal leadership development. In the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey outlines these habits. Habit number 7 is “Sharpen The Saw.” If you are trying to saw down a large tree using a hand saw, the more you saw, the more the saw becomes dull. You can continue to saw, or you can take time to sharpen the saw. The point is this, during the peak golf season, taking time to sharpen the saw rarely happens. Now, we can take the time to sharpen our saw. Learn something new! If it’s a new language, try Babbel.com. Want to improve your Excel skills; take a class on Udemy.com. Improve your cooking skills or learn how to direct a movie, go to Masterclass.com. I am not endorsing any of these sites, but I use them to sharpen my saw. Learning something new is great for your mental health.
We have added new members to the Section board. Bill Shea is the new Section Secretary and Chris Nowlen is the new Section Vice-President. We will have a virtual Winter Planning meeting in December; Frank and Rebekah are hard at work developing our 2021 Section budget that will be discussed and approved at the meeting.
While our tournament programs are winding down, I would like to recognize our Player of the Year award winners.
- Shane Prante, PGA, Assistant Player of the Year
- Jeff Coston, PGA, Omega Senior Player of the Year
- Brady Sharp, PGA, Omega Player of the Year
In closing, while 2020 has been a crazy year, we still have many things to be thankful for. Stop and reflect on the positive. Look forward to our 2021 tournament schedule: https://www.pnwpga.com/tournaments/2021-tournament-schedule.
Be safe, take care of yourself and others around you, and have a happy holiday season!
Howie Pruitt, PGA
Director, Golf Operations, Aspen Lakes GC
President, Pacific Northwest Section