In this issue:

• President's Report
• CEO's Report
• 7 Reasons to Enter the Las Vegas Pro-Am
• A Look Back at our 2015 Champions
• 2016 Tournament Preview
• Thank you for Supporting our Charities
• Holk's Highlights: Roy Bishop
• Are You Promoting Your PGA Membership? - Carol Pence
• Celebrating Visioneers in the PNW PGA - Monte Koch

• Pros on the Move
• Lifetime Income - Blake Parrish

President's Report

Last month as I returned home from Florida and the 99th PGA Annual Meeting, I was relieved to leave with such a feeling of confidence in our Association and the game of golf.  Our National Officers and Board of Directors are completely in tune to the needs of the individual PGA Member. This is a paradigm shift that has happened over the last two years, and it is obvious.  The culture of the PGA has changed under our new management team of Pete Bevacqua and Darrell Crall.  Decisions made at National are now asked with this thought process: “If (this decision) isn’t done for the benefit of the individual member, then why are we doing it?” This perspective is one that our Pacific Northwest Section has used for many years, and we are glad to see National not only vocalize it but to act upon it, too.

2016 will be fast approaching. What plans do we as professionals have in store for our golfers throughout the Pacific Northwest?  No doubt there will be a vast assortment of instruction available and countless lessons booked and taught.  There will be thousands of tournaments organized, promoted, administered, and played.  Too many tee times to count will be booked, groups will be checked in with smiles, and all of our facilities will run smoothly and efficiently.  Our golf shops will sell millions in merchandise, custom fit an army of golfers for golf clubs, and provide excellent customer service to all of our customers, members, and guests.  But this is just the ante. 

To get into the game we need to set ourselves apart.  Not only do we need to do the great job that we have always done, but we need to take it a step further.  We need to continue to strive to become the leaders and experts at our facilities, to better our employment situation.  We need to continue to seek to be the most educated men and women in the golf industry.  Together, we need to grow this game of golf in our region.  Make an impact, locally.  Find a niche in your market, town, city, whatever it may be.  Set a goal for 2016 to do one additional thing that will grow golf at your facility.  Introduce some people into the game this year, whether for the first time or welcoming them back again. 

And do one more thing while you’re at it.  Track the results.  Make a note to yourself to check the success of your program at the end of the season, around October 1, 2016.  I bet you’ll like and be proud of what you’ve accomplished.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and a prosperous 2016,

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

CEO's Report

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you, from your staff here in Tumwater.  On behalf of Molly, Angela, Rebekah, Marlena, Cecelia, Denise, Michelle and myself we hope you enjoy our annual holiday card on the cover.  We all thank you for making 2015 such a good year here in the Section. Thanks to your participation, we have some of the best programs in the country and we are already working on enhancements for 2016! 

One of those enhancements is an updated web site. Launching tomorrow, Marlena has incorporated “responsive technology” into the site to automatically respond to different screen sizes and easier-to-read fonts.  Since half of our traffic is now from tablets and phones we think you will enjoy the update.  Please let us know if you encounter any broken links as this was a big project and we appreciate your assistance in the transition.

The 2016 Tournament Schedule is almost complete. Please click here to view as there are a few updates.  Thank you to all our host professionals who were instrumental in securing their facilities for our championships.  Please reach out to your neighbor and thank them for being our host!

We open the season in January at the Mauna Lani, where 16 teams will visit host professional Tom Sursely and enjoy a little island sunshine. This is our first effort managing the entire event after Bruce Cudd’s 40 years of service. This little $250,000 project is not so little! Thanks to Denise for managing the travel schedules of 85 people!  We appreciate Bruce even more now. 

The Section Special Awards Committee is hard at work evaluating the Chapter submissions for each of the 11 awards. The Committee digs deep into the qualifications of each nominee using a combination of the candidates’ bios, the Chapter Awards Committee statement as to why this person was selected and finally additional investigation where appropriate. With this now three-year old process we ensure each award is presented based on the qualifications of the candidates.  The challenge is having five outstanding candidates and the selection is often very difficult.  The Committee meets on December 7 to discuss, debate and finalize recommendations to the Board of Directors for final approval in January.

As we open the New Year your Board of Directors will meet January 4-5 at Columbia Edgewater CC for our annual Business Planning and Winter Board Meeting.  We open with an update to our Strategic Plan, chart the course for 2016 and finalize our budget to carry out the years objectives. It’s a jam packed two days.  Please reach out to your Section or Chapter Officers to share your input on our Strategic Planning process.  Your thoughts are important!

In late January I head to Orlando for the annual Executive Director Conference and the PGA Show. Thanks to National most of the trip is covered giving me the opportunity to meet with our sponsors directly.  Your thank you notes and emails are always important as I meet with a National Sales Manager to renew a sponsorship.  Please take a minute and thank our sponsors during this slow time. A list of sponsors can be found here: http://www.pnwpga.com/about/sponsors/. Just reach out to your local rep to say thanks. To look up your local rep’s contact info, use your handbook or check the directory on the member.pnwpga.com.

The PGA Financial Assistance Fund Scholarship application is now available on PGA.org. You should see the link on the home page before you log in.  Open to children and grandchildren of PGA members, scholarships are available for both incoming freshmen and continuing students.  Recent changes provide for scholarships to be awarded exclusively on merit as well as some incorporating financial need into the determination.  Also, a move to only awarding an individual two scholarships over a four-year period has opened the door to more students receiving support. The online application is due no later than March 1, 2016. Visit PGA.org for complete information.

This week I’ll be finishing up the reviews of our staff working in Chapter positions. It’s been a pleasure working with these gentlemen during 2015 and as you know, our Chapter operations are in good hands. These positions require a commitment to serving the PGA member and each has displayed outstanding performance this year.  Reach out and tell them thanks!

Have a great December spending a little well deserved time with the family and we’ll look forward to seeing you next year!

Jeff Ellison, PGA
Chief Executive Officer

7 Reasons to Enter the Las Vegas Pro-Am

1. Play with a team of your best buddies!
2. Golf w/ carts and range balls included at Desert Pines GC, Chimera GC (formerly Tuscany GC) and Anthem CC.
3. Our tournament HQ is the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino – located right on the Las Vegas strip and convenient to many entertainment and dining options.
4. 12:30 shotguns at Desert Pines GC and Chimera GC, meaning you don’t have to get up early until the last day!
5. Feel like a high-roller at our Cocktails & Awards Dinner on the last night of the trip.
6. $19,000 Prize Fund (based on 24 teams)
7. Fantastic tee prize package

Contact Molly or Jeff for more information: 360-456-6496

Click here for entry form

• Don’t delay in getting your entry in! Limited to the first 24 teams.
• The cost for this trip is: $1,595 / $1,845 single occupancy / $1,520 no room

Grant Holcomb is returning as our title sponsor with his companies Antigua, Slazenger, Sun Mountain, Voo Doo Performance Towels, Range Servant and Imperial Headwear.

Get the event flyer here.

We’d love to see you in Vegas!

2015 - A Look Back at Our Champions

Congratulations to our 2015 tournament champions! View results for all events at www.pnwpga.com.

2016 Tournament Preview

Click here for schedule

Thank You

Holk's Highlights

Prior to his career in the golf business, Roy Bishop was a great amateur golfer. In the early 1950’s, he played an exhibition match with Byron Nelson at Centralia Elks GC. Roy was a member at Willapa Harbor GC in Raymond, where he won the club championship 9 years in a row. He was a frequent pro-am player in the days of Ken Tucker, Ray Bennett, Ray Walker, Ken Still, Al Mengert and Bob Tindall.

"Dad had 6 hole-in-ones in his career, with one of them being under the lights at the old Sham-na-pum Golf Course in Kennewick, where his brother Forie was greens superintendent for many years," said Kevin.

Roy Bishop had a long career in the golf business, beginning in 1962 when he was offered an opportunity to lease the new Capitol City GC in Olympia. The first PGA teaching pro who worked for him was Al 'Tiger' Feldman. The roster of local assistant professionals included such names as Todd Pyle, Bob Marlow and Fred Dornan.  Roy Bishop opened Mountain Greens Golf Range in 1983 and owned it until the early 1990’s.

"Everyone always remembers Dad as a guy who worked morning till night at the course and loved every minute of it,” Kevin recalled.

During his time in the golf business, Roy Bishop was also a sales rep for a new golf club company called Sting Golf. He also was one of the first sales rep's for Club Car Golf Cars. He had a small fleet of rental cars that he took around to local events.

Roy Bishop

Nominated by: Kevin Bishop

Age: 94 - oldest living PNW PGA Member

Hometown:Olympia, WA

PGA Member Since: 1968

We asked Kevin Bishop: what stories does the Section's oldest living member like to recount?

"One story he always remembers is the 'Oswego shanks' story. I was a young teen caddying for Dad in I believe the Northwest Open at Lake Oswego CC. On about the 6th hole Dad got the shanks with his irons. It was awful! He hit about his 4th shank and took down this big branch in a tree. Being the great caddy I was, 'I couldn't take it anymore and handed over the caddy duties to a friend of mine that was also at the tournament to finish it out.'"

"Dad remembers fondly of the days in High School when he caddied double at Spokane CC in the summers. He remembers that as a senior at Rogers H.S. he went undefeated in all of his matches, and they won the city High School championship."

"Dad has been married to my Mom, Jean, who is still alive also, for 71 years. They met at Boeing, where they both worked while Dad was in the Air Force."

If you would like to nominate someone for Holk's Highlights, please e-mail mcannon@pgahq.com.

Brought to you by Grant Holcomb and:

Are You Promoting Your PGA Membership?

We all know that every impression you make on employers, your customers or members as well as the general public will create a greater awareness of your role in golf, sports and entertainment. There are simple and cost-free methods which you can use to better brand yourself as a PGA Professional or Apprentice and generate awareness. Here are two effective ways. First, members are encouraged to use the PGA logo. Second, use your PGA credentials.

Using the PGA Logo

Members, be sure that the PGA Professional logo is printed on your business cards, facility stationary and next to your name on your office door. Utilize the logo and your name in all print advertising such as for upcoming events and player development programming. Also, have the logo embroidered on your facility uniforms. By wearing the PGA Professional logo everywhere you go, everyone you encounter will know that you are a PGA Golf Professional.

Members, get your PGA logo file here (use your PGA.org login) or navigate to https://www.pga.org/articles/elevate-your-business-pga-marketing-resource-center to visit the PGA Marketing Resource Center portal.

The logo may be used anywhere that you conduct business such as behind the counter in the golf shop, on signage at the practice range, on a placard in the club repair room, etc. However, any logo use must be accompanied by your name. There are strict guidelines for logo usage to protect the membership and, unfortunately, apprentices are unable to use the PGA Professional logo. Check out the guidelines for logo use on PGA.org: https://www.pga.org/articles/pga-logos-guidelines.

Using your PGA Credentials

Being referred to as a PGA Professional evokes an image of the game of golf in players and non-players alike. Be sure to identify yourself with the PGA brand by referring to yourself as the “PGA Head Golf Professional” on all of your collateral materials and promotional pieces. Use the credential after your name on your facility’s website, emails, written correspondence, etc. An example would be Joe Jones, PGA or Jack Smith, PGA Apprentice.

These are simple and cost-free ways to identify yourself with the world’s largest sports organization. Consider these methods, as the ultimate goal is to raise your value in the marketplace as a leader in the game and business of golf.

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

Celebrating Visioneers in the PNW PGA

In my November 2015 article, I wrote clearly about the win/suffer realities of being a PGA Professional, and how critical it is to show our employers/owners/boards just how valuable we are. I brought up (in text and in a graphic) the concept of being a “Super Engager” golf professional versus what most employers think of as a golf professional.

As a follow up to this concept, I want to share of few stories of “visioneering” PGA professionals who are doing great things to engage their customers/members in 2015. They inspire me and I hope they do the same for you! I also recall sharing Derek Siesser, PGA‘s story of success with his Winter Program at Qualchan in 2013. It’s amazing to see how many of you took his idea and made it work for you in 2014 and hopefully in 2015. Likewise, I hope these ideas will inspire even more of you in the way Derek’s story did.

Women’s Golf

Marti Loeb, PGA – Waverley Country Club – “Reluctant Golfers”

Moving from Tualatin Island Greens to Waverley CC didn’t cause Marti to stop thinking of ways to engage women who considered themselves “Reluctant Golfers.” She might say it actually heightened her awareness. In 2014, she created a program for female spouses of current Waverley CC members. Charging $25 per week for each session, Loeb averaged 12-15 women throughout the season. To her pleasant surprise, these “RG’ers” came to her at the end of October stating they didn’t want to stop getting together. Participation waned a little bit, but there were still 10+ women involved throughout the winter. The highlight of the winter for Marti was a putting course through memorable parts of the WCC Clubhouse. In 2015, Marti continued to see success and now sees new challenges for 2016. These challenges include new transition opportunities for “RG’ers” looking for something different, and engaging new women into the Reluctant Golfer programs.

Adults (age 40+)

Jim Mapother, PGA – Tualatin Country Club – “Bootcamp Golf”

Based on the book by John Bell, PGA, Jim developed a social off-season development program for adults. Ideal for teaching indoors in confined spaces, the program’s primary tool is a towel (and sometimes a golf club) to coach functional golf movements, help improve flexibility and improve timing. Results:

Year 1: 1 class, 3 days/week – 7 ppl – 18 sessions, $189 (6 wmn, 1 man)

Year 2: 2 classes, 3 days/wk – 9 ppl am, 5 ppl evening session

Year 3: 2 classes, 3 days/wk – 10 ppl each (both full) (70/30 women/men)

David Shelton, PGA & Gary Davis, PGA – Shadow Hills Country Club – “Crazy 8s for Couples”

This may not be a “new” idea, but Shelton and Davis have taken it to a whole new level as a social playing format for couples. Picture four couples (4 women/4 men) playing nine holes as a team of eight in a scramble format (women play their ball, men play theirs and both scores are added for the team score). Scheduled monthly on a Friday evening, Shadow Hills CC sells out both nines and regularly caps it out at 260 participants for golf and a social party after golf. Crazy 8s seems like crazy good success!

Juniors

Ryan Benzel, PGA – Sahalee Country Club – “Levels Development for Juniors” Program

Inspired by many of the martial arts concepts, Benzel has created his own level concept, but instead of belt color, Benzel uses hat color. Starting at the Red Level, kids learn golf skills, character, etiquette and on-course tools. To move up to the next level, kids test on each area (with retakes available) at various times in a given month. Besides creating a good opportunity for himself, Benzel is creating a family-centric concept for Sahalee. He said, “The kids are into it…I started with four levels, and they’re excited to get through them. I need to come up with more levels.” Like several other Section professionals, Benzel successfully ran a “Drive, Chip & Putt (DCP) Prep Clinic” as well. To engage the kids from his Levels Program and DCP, he plans to have multiple PGA Junior League teams in 2016.

Sara Griffin, PGA – Tacoma Country & Golf Club – “PGA Sports Academy Summer Series”

As a mom herself, Sara is attuned to the schedule challenges many parents face, even for scheduling vacations. Seeing these challenges as opportunities, Griffin created a concept based on the PGA Sports Academy curriculum (athletic, character, nutritional development and golf) with two sessions per week on Monday/Tuesday from 1 pm – 3 pm. To give parents flexibility, Griffin charged by the week instead of by the camp. As an example: $50/1 week, $90/2 wks, $130/3 wks or $170/4 wks. In 2014, Griffin went from an average of 24 kids in her “basic” junior camp to 60+…then to 80+ in 2015.

Mark Keating, PGA – Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club – “PGA Junior League Golf – Fall League”

As an original leader in PGA Junior League Golf (PGAJLG), Mark had two teams at Pumpkin Ridge during the regular season. Seeing more opportunity, Mark led again in the Oregon Chapter’s Portland market by bringing professionals together for a 12-team Fall League. Primarily, the program was a playing focused concept, with fewer practices, but there’s no doubt the longer engagement paid dividends in more golf, food and beverage revenues.

New Ideas for 2016

Tim Fraley, PGA – Awbrey Glen Golf Club – “Family Feud & Fun League Golf”

Like Mark Keating and others, Tim is a three-year supporter of PGAJLG. He sees value of the “team golf scramble” format from JLG as a family team concept for 2016. He’s currently working on implementing the plan for late Sunday afternoons with teams based on two adults/two juniors or possibly 8-person teams made up of four adults and four juniors. Check with Tim for more details.

Carissa Simmons, PGA Apprentice – Meridian Valley Country Club – “Kids Night Out”

Great ideas don’t just come from PGA members. Carissa Simmons is finalizing plans for a monthly kids golf, movie and craft night that will be “tons of fun” for them, and create a date night opportunity for parents/members of MVCC. No doubt, this concept will create significant revenues for the Club (as parents may have their date right there at MVCC) but also for Carissa. Check with here for additional info too.

 As I share these stories of “visioneering success” with you, I wish to restate the purpose of these concepts is to create “win-win” opportunities for PGA professionals by PROVE THEIR VALUE to the bottom line of their facility and by showing they are about engagement with customers/members. As I wrote in my November 2015 article, engagement is a means to an end in the golf business. More engaged customers/members are simply:

• More frequent golfers (as much as 20% more rounds in next 12 months)
• Better food and beverage customers (as much as 65% more spending)
• Better golf shop customers (as much as 79% more)
• More loyal customers, more loyal members (and advocates for our facilities)

Hopefully, you are inspired by some (or all) of these stories of success. I know I am. I would love to know what you are doing to “visioneer engagement” at your facility. If a kick-start is what you’re looking for, so you can utilize or adapt one of these concepts (or to create your own) I’m here to help. Further, I’d love to help you build your complete “engagement plan and calendar” for maximum benefit for you and your facility in 2016.

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

Pros on the Move

Michelle Parish | Tournament & Membership Assistant

Employment Changes

• Clint P. Ables, PGA (A-1) - from Wildhorse Resort GC to Tri-City CC
• Jeff R. Coston, PGA (A-6) - from PGA Tour to Semiahmoo G&CC
• Caitlyn G. Doyle, PGA (A-8) - from Sunriver Resort - Woodlands to Columbia Edgewater CC
• Justin M. Newton (B-6) - from Village Greens GC to GolfTEC - Cascade Station
• Cody C. Rowe, PGA (A-15) - from Columbia Edgewater CC to Golfclubs.com
• Charles L. Thurston, PGA (A-14) - from The Links GC to Fircrest GC

New Apprentices

• Jake W. Gregus (B-8) - Tri-Mountain GC
• Ka Shing Hui (B-8) - Nile GC
• Deron R. Pointer (B-8) - Foster Golf Links
• Christopher P. Schuchart (B-14) - Canterwood G&CC

Classification Changes

• Billy B Bomar (Prairie Falls GC) - from B-8 to B-4
• Brad C. Faller (Reserve Vineyards & GC) - from A-8 to A-1
• Samuel G. Smith (Indian Summer G&CC) - from A-8 to A-1

Transfers INTO of the Section

• Benjamin D. Heflick - from S. California to Unaffiliated
• Carolyn E Schaner - from New England to The Oregon GC
• Steven St. Andre, PGA - from Sun Country to FootJoy
• David M. Vivoda, PGA - from N. Texas to Unaffiliated
• Clark R. Willard, PGA - from Carolinas to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Transfers OUT of the Section

• Joan L. Colleran - from Unaffiliated to Rocky Mountain
• Andrew J. Gross - from Bandon Dunes to N. California
• Chuck Holesha - from Unaffiliated to Southwest
• Tyler A. Martin - from Whitefish Lake GC to S. California
• Evan J. Mitchell - from Rock Creek Cattle Co. to S. California
• Timothy J Orban - from Coeur D'Alene Resort GC to Aloha
• Tyson C. Schalock - from Unaffiliated to Colorado
• Ryan E. Stemsrud - from Old Works GC to Southwest

New Quarter Century Club Members

• Michael J. Deprez

Lifetime Income

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

“You can observe a lot by just watching”

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future”

– Yogi Berra

The disappearance of traditional pension plans. The markets may not deliver what investors need from them. Inflation is coming. People are living longer. Do these plot points sound familiar? Well, as it stands, the story ends up like this: Americans are distressingly unprepared for the realities of retirement that may last 30 years, or more.

What are we missing when it comes to retirement readiness? One answer comes up over and over when we meet with people for the first time. Investors don’t really have an intuitive way to see their savings through the lens of the income they’ll have each year in retirement – or an easy way to see how the choices they make can affect that income. They mistakenly think, okay my account was showing $130,000 the end of last year. Another way to think about it correctly is, “how are you going to replace your current wages when the money stops rolling in?”

It’s time to change the conversation, and the definition of successful retirement planning and put the focus on Lifetime Income.

Investors often come to the table with healthy retirement accounts of $130,000 but don’t realize that equates to only $9,000 per year to live on. I might even assume many of them think they need $45,000 to live on but social security supplement is just not going to make up the difference.

Most retirement thinking revolves around a lump-sum concept. Save as much as we can for decades, retire, and then spend down the account each year by withdrawing roughly 4% of the total. The problem with this mentality is that something almost always will have to be sold to kick off that 4% cash paycheck.

For example, one of my clients has been suggesting for some time that he’d like to re-balance the account periodically. His reasoning is because there are too many uncertainties and he feels the account is over-weighted in three sectors. I have showed him exactly how it is diversified, but he feels some kind of adjustments must be made. And then he said, this re-balancing will really help him in eight years as he starts to pull income from the account to live on. Against my strongest recommendation over the past twelve months, he finally directed me to fulfill his strategy. So, I did. Here’s how the numbers break down, however…

He sold company stock that was producing quarterly income of 22% on his original investment, and on top of that the stock had gained a whopping 358% over the past twelve years. His strategy to re-balance dropped his yearly income from $2,126.60 down to $1350 after purchasing new securities. Have you ever asked your boss to give you a $777 dollar pay-cut this year? Have you thought of trading an investment that is returning 22% each year when the United States Government is only offering 2.2% and you must lock up the money for ten years? If you have done either of these things, call me right away!

Financial Advisors need to ensure, with some sense of certainty, they will generate the Lifetime Income clients want for as long as they need it. We do this by changing the benchmark of success from short-term market performance to lifetime retirement income. Setting people up with a spending plan that accounts for actual life expectancies and is flexible enough to adjust as circumstances change is also a good idea. By re-framing the conversation to focus on retirement income, we truly believe we can help people better see what lies ahead. Let’s work together to make sure your story turns out right.

Blake Parrish
Senior VP, Portfolio Manager
Phone: (503) 619-7237
E-mail: blake@bpfinancialassoc.com

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.”