CEO's Report

The 2018 season is in full swing.  Chapters are getting started with meetings and events, the Section programming kicks into high gear and National initiatives require your attention as well.  Ready or not, the golf season is here.

The Section Spring Meeting is scheduled for March 19, 7:00 PM at Willamette Valley CC in Canby, Oregon. John Grothe, PGA is looking forward to welcoming you to the meeting and the Pro-Assistant Championship, as well as a great education program and our Special Awards banquet. I hope you plan to join us.

The Pro-Assistant Championship is one of our most popular events thanks to our sponsors – Bushnell, Cutter & Buck, Strideline, Hole In One U.S.A. and PTE Golf.  These supporters really make this a special event, like a $29,000 purse!  Please join us. Click here for complete details or to enter the Pro-Assistant Championship.

We’ve added education before the Spring Meeting on Sunday, March 18. The PGA of America is bringing their Business Simulation program and will offer a morning program focused on private facilities and a public facility focused offering in the afternoon. These simulations are interactive, team projects where you work together to solve business challenges. Based on the solution you choose, the computer calculates results and then delivers the next scenario to solve. Reviews are great from those who have taken these in other sections. We also have Birk Nelson of Orange Whip offering a one hour seminar opposite each of the simulations; join us for Birk as well. Click here for more information or to register for Spring Education.

This year is an election year at the National, Section and Chapter level. I can report that the chapters have nominated two candidates for Section Secretary – Marcus King and Howie Pruitt.  We’ll begin the campaign with the next issue of ForeWord Press with these two answering questions for you.  Please be informed and prepared to vote when the candidates visit each chapter this fall.

Player Development is a very personal task for each golf professional and their own facility. I encourage you to develop players into regular customers at your place. Treat them right, show them a good time and you will have a loyal customer for life.  We offer three tools to help you out. First, our Yamaha Player Development Grants and the Junior Fund program for Youth Player Development. Between them we are offering $24,000. Click here for more information on the 2018 grants programs.

You should have registered your PGA Jr. League team by now. If not, do it today.  Our PGA Junior League Regional Manager, Branden Thompson will be finalizing leagues and playoff regions very shortly so please sign up today.  We are also scheduling local playoffs and the Sectional, look for the schedule soon.  I’m happy to report the Regional will be at The Home Course on September 29-30. No trip south!

The final Player Development tool is Drive Chip and Putt.  This unique program is for every kid of every ability. While the top flight players appear to have an advantage, every year we have kids of all abilities advance up the ladder. DCP is fun, it’s just an hour and a great concept to build a junior event around. Host a prep clinic or just a club competition.  Capitalize on the marketing power of this National event to grow your business.

We are lucky to have Monte Koch serve as our PGA Career Services Consultant.  Monte does a great job but needs your help. You all did a great job completing the Compensation Survey last year and the data was very helpful to Monte as he worked to upgrade not only the compensation of open positions but of those who sought his help.  Please help us out again this year and complete the survey before March 31. The better and more current the data, the more valuable it is to you and me! Simply log into your PGA.org account to complete the survey.

Tournament season is upon us. We head off to Vegas and the Holcomb-In-One in just 10 days and upon our return it’s Pro-Assistant time.  Entries are still open for the Pro-Assistant Championship. Entries are also open for the Senior Players’ Championship on April 17-18 at Wine Valley GC.  Ken Allen and Club Glove continue their support of the senior set.  Entries just went out on the Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational, May 21-23 at Meridian Valley Country Club.  Please share this entry with your top amateurs as well.

In each issue of Foreword Press I try to highlight our sponsors. We are very lucky to receive such great support. As I mentioned above, Ken Allen and Club Glove are back to support the Senior Players Championship. We have two new sponsors to add to the team – first Strideline will join us as a presenting sponsor of the Pro-Assistant Championship and Jason Fenton and Honma are joining the team supporting the Bandon Dunes education seminar.  We have a few more in the hopper we’ll be rolling out soon.

Finally, we are working with ForeTees on an app for the Section and Chapters. We have a few tweaks for the programmer to add and it will be ready for prime time.  Watch your email for updates.

Have a great spring and I hope to see you at Willamette Valley for the Spring Meeting.

Jeff  Ellison, PGA
CEO, Pacific NW Section PGA

Enter the 92nd Washington Open Invitational

Section President and Meridian Valley CC Director of Golf Greg Manley invites you back to MVCC for the Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational.  The pro-am benefiting Folds of Honor will be held on the weekend, May 19-20 followed by the championship on Monday-Wednesday, May 21-23, 2018.  The deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 2.

We return with the ever-popular 54-hole individual stroke play NO CUT championship format. The course will play at 6,707 Yards, Par 72.

Excellent Competition

You won’t want to miss this exciting tournament at one of our Section’s most prestigious golf courses. This event, now in its 92nd year, draws 168 of the best professional and amateur players in the Northwest.  Last year, amateur Drew McCullough of Meadow Springs CC won the 91st Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational by one stroke over PGA Professional Shane Prante of Lake Spanaway GC. In 2016, Jeff Coston of Semiahmoo G&CC won after firing rounds of 71-65—73-209, 7-under par for the championship. Each year we see fantastic play! View past champions & results.

Meridian Valley CC

Meridian Valley CC is championship golf at its most beautiful. This exceptional 18-hole layout was designed by Ted Robinson, one of the nation’s leading golf course architects, who chose the site based on the stunning views the surrounding area provided. MVCC opened in 1967 with 9 holes ready for play. The second nine holes and clubhouse opened in 1968. Over the years, MVCC has grown into one of the Northwest’s most respected golf courses. MVCC hosted the Washington Open Invitational in 1972, 1976, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. They also hosted the SAFECO Classic from 1982 through 1999.

Why We Love It

“The Washington Open has everything a great championship needs to be successful. We get to compete on a tournament-tested championship-caliber course with immaculate conditioning. The Pacific Northwest Section runs and organizes tournaments as well as any section in the country, and our strength and depth of the field ensures the champion will have outlasted the competitors as well a great golf course. The Washington Open benefiting the Folds of Honor is everything a Section Major should be. I look forward to the experience every year.” – John Cassidy, 2014 Champion

Senior Players' Championship Entries Available

Wine Valley GC host professional Chris Isaacson welcomes you to sunny Walla Walla this spring! The team entry is now available for the Senior Players’ Championship on April 17-18. The deadline for this popular event is Wednesday, April 4.

The course will play at 6,525 Yards, Par 72. There are individual professional and amateur competitions with gross and net payouts. The team four-ball competition will be based on gross scores only.

The Section's Senior Team Event 

Seniors, bring an amateur and play in the first senior major of the year! You won't want to miss this fun competition. Last year, PGA Professional Tom Sovay of The GC at Redmond Ridge captured the PNW Senior Players’ Championship by four strokes after rounds of 68-67-135, 9-under par.  Winning the team Four-Ball competition was the team of PGA Professional Chris Isaacson and amateur Charlie Rice. View all champions.

Wine Valley GC

Wine Valley Golf Club has been rated “One of The Top Three Golf Courses to Play in Washington” by Golfweek.  It has been awarded many other honors since opening in 2009. 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.

Why We Love It

“Every year I dearly look forward to driving over Snoqualmie pass looking at the melting snow, knowing I’m headed towards rolling hills and the Wine Valley Golf course.  I get to visit with all the great professionals I competed against over the years.” – Tom Sovay, 2017 Champion

PNW Pro-Assistant Championship

We are still accepting entries for the PNW Pro-Assistant Championship at Willamette Valley CC on March 19-20. The Spring Meeting will take place immedietely following round one.

Enter online

PDF entry form

Spring Education Seminars

Two education seminars will be held on March 18 at Willamette Valley CC.

Read more & register online

PNW PGA Special Awards Ceremony

Please join us in celebrating the 2017 PNW PGA Special Award Winners, March 18 at Willamette Valley CC. Reception begins at 5:00 and the ceremony begins at 6:30

RSVP Online

Take the PGA Compensation Survey

Due by March 31

You may earn up to two (2) MSR credits

PGA Jr. League

2018 is shaping up to be a great year for PGA Jr. League. With the projected number of teams from the captains registered so far, we are looking at 38% growth in teams over 2017. If you have been on the fence about having a team, this is the year to start it. We are seeing PGA Jr. League become an experience your members and customers demand. There is still time to form a team if you haven’t done so. Go to www.pgajrleague.com/captains to register and contact me if you need help.

League formation will be completed in March so you can get schedules together to communicate to your facilities and parents. This will allow you to answer those questions that are so important to filling your teams. With the growth we’ve seen there will be some slight modifications to the framework. I know some of you are ahead of the game and working on schedules, just be aware of the possibility of a new being added. Some league may grow past the 8 team limit, so we will address that as needed.

Please use the PGA Jr. League Marketing Resource Center. You can find customizable flyers, email templates, logos and other great items to use to market your program.  

One of the best ways to get interest in your program is to host a Kid’s Golf Day in the spring. Set up a few stations to introduce putting, chipping and full swing. Have all your program information ready to sign kids up on the spot. This is a good way to drive early season traffic to your facility.

If you have a great idea or best practice, please share it with me. I’m always looking for ways to help other PGA professionals be successful and you are the best resource.  

Branden Thompson | Regional League Manager
Serving the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest Sections PGA
(503) 869-2827 E | bthompson@pgahq.com

Holk's Highlights: Chuck West, PGA

Facility: Harbour Pointe GC

Hometown: Born in Houston, TX; grew up in Corvallis, OR

PGA Member Since: 1993

When Chuck was in high school and a member at Corvallis CC, he took lessons from Jim Hays (who is now at Golf City in Corvallis).

“I worked in the bag room as well but Jim was one of those guys that was willing to be ‘a real person’ to a high school kid that was half serious about golf.  He would go play with some of us juniors.  We ALWAYS thought ‘today is the day I’m going to beat Jim,’ but I don’t think we ever did,” Chuck recalled.

Doug Hixson and Mark Keating, respectively the Head Professional and assistant at Emerald Valley GC at the time, also made an impression on young Chuck West. He went on to become a Head Professional himself. He is currently a PGA staff member at Harbour Pointe GC and a PGA Rules Official. Chuck is also a rules official for the NCAA Mens Golf Committee and the Pac 12 Mens Committee. He is the 2017 PNWPGA Perry Williams Award Winner.

Pros on the Move

by Michelle Parish, Tournament & Membership Coordinator

Employment Changes

• Mitchell R. Berschauer, PGA (A-8) - from Seattle GC to Overlake G&CC
• Derrick S Campbell (B-8) - from Sun Dance GC to Fairways GC
• Ryan M. Dahl, PGA (A-8) - from Unaffliated to Wildhorse Resort GC
• Nathaniel P. Kitt, PGA (A-8) - from Unaffliated to Broken Top Club
• Thomas A. Kollasch, PGA (A-6) - from Unaffliated to Northwest Golf Range
• Bruce Perisho, PGA (A-13) - from Unaffliated to Oroville GC
• Derek R. Siesser, PGA (A-14) - from The Creek at Qualchan to Indian Canyon GC
• John B. Thorsnes, PGA (A-1) - from Unaffliated to Bend G&CC

Class Changes

• Justin Gravatt (The Home Course) - from A-1 to A-4
• Caleb W. Hung, PGA (Overlake G&CC) - from A-8 to A-24
• Brandon D. Proudfoot, PGA (Mount Si GC) - from A-8 to A-4

New Associates

• Nathan J Dick (B-8) - Wildhorse Resort GC
• Matt T. Filaroski (B-8) - Mountain View GC
• Thomas C. Larson (B-8) - Coeur D'Alene GC
• Ryan L. Payne (B-8) - Mountain View GC
• Brian T. Petoletti (B-8) Classic GC

Newly Elected Members

• Kevin R. Miller, PGA (A-8) - Port Ludlow GC
• Paul J. Russo, PGA (A-8) - Tualatin CC
• Brandon M. Stransky, PGA (A-8) - Tualatin CC

Transfers INTO the Section

• David A Grove (B-8) to Langdon Farms GC from S. California
• John Herndon, PGA (A-13) to The Club at Rock Creek from Southwest
• Cooper R Loew (B-8) to Eugene Country Club from Minnesota
• Harrison M. Taylor, PGA (A-8) to Village Greens GC from S. California
• Thomas P. Vold, PGA (A-1) to Shuksan GC from Southwest

Transfers OUT of the Section

• Nicholas D. Carlson, PGA - from Club at Snoqualmie Ridge to Northern Texas
• Jared T Duvall - from Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow to Southwest
• Robert Garza, PGA - from Lost Tracks GC to Southern California
• Brett E Gilmore, PGA - from Pumpkin Ridge - Ghost Creek to New England
• Andrew G. Silvestri, PGA - from Pronghorn to Southern California
• Jacob S. Suarez, PGA - from Highlands GC to Southwest

Pay Attention to What Gets Your Attention

Monte Koch, PGA Certified Professional/Player Development |  Career Consultant

It’s March and the 2018 golf season is just around the corner. As a green grass golf professional, I recall feeling excited, anticipation (and maybe a bit of dread) about how the season would unfold. At this point, the tournament, member event and buying plans are pretty much “dialed in.” Just a few tweaks to be made here or there in the execution phase.

We know these days when execution and delivering the result is a key focus, and it’s likely one of the facets we enjoy about the business. It’s those big event days, with the double shotgun or the member-member that we can really focus on the “script” and push aside the distractions that hit us every single day. The old golf professional job of the 80’s is as gone as some of our favorite pop stars are from the 80’s. In those days, there was only the phone and face to face. No email, no text, etc.

These days, distractions are truly everywhere. It’s a “high noise/low volume” environment for us (and for our customers/members.) These days, we are bombarded with numerous daily intrusions: urgent email, drop-in (or “drive by”) visits from customers/members, snap decisions that need to be made in “the heat of battle” and solutions when someone doesn’t keep their promise as we’d expected. Most of us now travel with technology that connects them to a running “noise stream distractions” and “to-dos” 24/7.

So, we know this right? Of course, we live it. What to try to do about it? We can’t stop the distractions. We can’t stop the “to-do list” from growing…or can we?

Still Planning Your Retirement Strategy? What Are You Waiting For?

Blake Parrish, CFP®

I have been stunned recently by some of the discussions I have had with some of my own children’s friends and relatives about finances and investing towards a more secure financial future. The lack of knowledge that has swept over this country is alarming to say the least. Younger folks with longer time horizons are not investing! They might be saving some money or placing some “bets”, but they are NOT putting that money to work.

Why is that? What is going on?

Only YOU are responsible for your own personal financial future.

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.”