Welcome to the new normal. We now have all five chapters operating events, each doing so within a responsible manner. We all appreciate the cooperation of everyone involved to minimize the interaction of players, maintain social distancing and follow the ever-changing guidelines of our local governments. The goal of your Board is responsible operations in alignment with the government mandates. We will stay current with each of our five states and adjust operations with the changing environment.
Each Chapter is working with the Board to be flexible and operate in the best interest of the events they manage. Please read Chapter and Section emails to keep current with the changes as we expect the pace of changes to accelerate as we move to higher levels in each state. Past practices have been to make last minute changes if they will benefit the event. Please, stay current so you don’t get trapped.
The Section has published entries through the Northwest Open Invitational in mid-August. Once we start playing at Arrowhead in the Oregon Open Invitational, it’s going to be a busy summer for us all. We hope to see you frequently but understand the demands this compact schedule places on all of you. Because of this, the OR, WA and NW Open Invitationals will all be contested at 36 holes. We hope one less day away from work, one less day of expenses, and one less donated day from our host courses will benefit everyone. We all prefer a 54-hole championship from just the competitive perspective, but we have learned there are many competing aspects of our lives right now. This temporary decision is part of that same balancing process.
As we look to the fall, our plan is for a more normal operation. If the situation allows, we plan to host Chapter and Section meetings, run the full 54-hole PGA Professional Championship at Canyon River and bring the Merchandise Show to you once again in Tacoma.
PGA Junior League has become even more relevant this summer, as it may be one of the few games in town for our young people. The new guidelines allow for maximum flexibility at your club as you serve your members and grow the game at your facility. Reach out to PGA Junior League Regional Manager Branden Thompson for ideas on how to structure your local program this summer. 503-869-2827 or bthompson@pgahq.com.
Your Section staff continues to work remotely with a gradual opening of the office on the horizon. Our limited hours will remain through most of July as we deal with the significant budget shortfall due to the loss of important programs. Please reach out to us and we will get back to you, just extend a little patience to this great team that remains dedicated to you. I could not be prouder of your Chapter and Section staff as they have really pulled together as a group through this difficult time. You have a great team to carry you forward into the future.
Jeff Ellison, PGA