President's Report

Thank you to Aspen Lakes GC and to our host Howie Pruitt, PGA for a great Oregon Open. Congratulations to Colin Ingllis for his win in an amazing finish. Our Section Tournament program is very strong and is serving our members who like to compete, get away from their shops and enjoy the comradery of an event like the Oregon Open. Our Tournament Staff works tirelessly to make our events amazing, please thank them when you see them next. I hope to see many of you in a few weeks at the Rosauers!

Your Section Officers are preparing for their summer meeting. This is time for us to measure the success of the organization, catch any shortfalls and get ready for the fall sessions that will be here before you know it. Serving the association at the Section Officer level requires a tremendous amount of time and I want to thank Greg Morris, Sean Fredrickson and Bryan Tunstill for all of their dedication to make sure your association is governed efficiently. Somebody has to serve, and I’m honored to serve with each of them.

This is an election year for the PGA. Elections for chapter positions, section secretary and the national secretary position will all be held this fall. If you have a desire to serve, I encourage you to consider your chapter positions. Educate yourself on our candidates for section secretary, Marcus King and Howie Pruitt. They are both great candidates; be sure to read their responses to this month's question. Your section leadership is hard at work communicating with the four candidates for the national position. This person will eventually be the president of our association. If you know any of the four candidates for national secretary, Jim Dorman, Rick Murphy, Tom Wildenhouse or John Lindert and have some input for myself or Greg Morris please don’t hesitate to let us know where you stand!

Finally, enjoy your season and welcome the business. Thank you for all you do to grow the game and represent the PGA of America and the PNWPGA. If I can do anything for you, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Greg Manley, PGA
President, PNWPGA
Meridian Valley CC
greg@meridianvalleycc.com

CEO's Report

I trust you had a profitable June with play increasing everywhere, the weather improving and golfers eager to enjoy your fine facilities. Activity is at full speed in the office with chapters going all-out, the end of the MSR cycle, the beginning of the next one and of course, PGA Junior League and Drive Chip & Putt in high gear.

On July 1, the PGA of America rolls out the Member Assistance Program for all members and their immediate families. This innovative program will provide you with many of the benefits enjoyed at Top 100 companies around the country. Details are available on PGA.org as well as on www.pgamap.com. You can think of this as a broad range of “work-life” benefits… check it out.

The Rosauers Open Invitational and the Wildhorse Senior Oregon Open Invitational highlight the July championship calendar. Both are our largest purses for their respective fields. Why? We enjoy a great program because of our tremendous sponsors. Rosauers Supermarkets has been the driving force behind “The Rosauers” for all of its 31 years. Wildhorse Resort & Casino, thanks to Gary George, has been the host and sponsor of the Senior Oregon Open for 16 straight years. We are very lucky indeed!!!

Our destination pro-ams are all set. The Hawaii Pro-Am presented by State Farm Jim Ostrander Agency is traveling to Kauai next January 10-17. We’ll play two courses, the Ocean Course at Hokuala and Poipu Bay. Both are fantastic. With a new site we need to work on confirmations a little sooner. Put down your deposit today. Click here for complete details on how to spend a week in the sunshine this winter.

The Holcomb-In-One Las Vegas Pro-Am will take place March 10-14. Look for complete details shortly after the 4^th of July. Join us for the fun that only Las Vegas can provide!

Branden Thompson is hard at work confirming PGA Junior League teams and leagues and we hope within a week or so to have finalized all 8 of our local playoff assignments and your specific schedule. We have 2,984 kids enrolled to-date in PGA Junior League! That’s a 20% increase over 2017. Nice work, captains. Our Drive Chip & Putt numbers are up to 1,850… a 26% increase over last year. Talk about growing the game.

The Pacific Northwest Section PGA Merchandise Show is set for October 23-24, 2018 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. In addition to the Show, we will hold our Annual Meeting on the morning of the 24^th and Chuck West and I will present an education seminar the afternoon of the 24^th on the 2019 Rules of Golf. More on this entire program in the coming months.

For an in-depth look at the 2019 Rules of Golf, sign up now for a PGA/USGA Rules of Golf Workshop. Registration is open on usga.org.

Finally, a big thank you to Aspen Lakes for hosting the Oregon Open Invitational. A fair, fun and challenging venue for all. Thank you Howie Pruitt and congratulations to our champion Colin Inglis.

Don’t forget to download the Section App and bookmark the members web portal on your computer to access up-to-date member and vendor rosters.

Jeff Ellison, PGA
CEO, Pacific NW Section PGA

Candidates for Secretary: Marcus King & Howie Pruitt

Marcus King on Engagement with the Opportunities and Benefits of PGA Membership

LEADING A PRO TO WATER

This month’s question is: “The Section, Chapters and National offer a vast array of opportunities for professionals to benefit from their PGA membership. As an officer, how will you help the grassroots professional engage with their association and participate in these opportunities?”

This question was asked because getting PGA members to engage in their association and its benefits has always been a challenge. Leading a horse to water and getting them to drink seems easy, but we are all very busy professionals and it is all we can do to balance our work life and our home life without passing out in front of Golf Channel watching last weekend’s European Tour final round replay, a half-empty Red Bull in one hand and the remote falling out of the other.

We also run headlong into our employers who don’t see the value proposition in our time serving on committees, boards or even charitable activities, thus discouraging participation. Squeezed bottom lines means less time to engage in PGA opportunities, especially those in leadership development and programming.

Maybe we as PGA leaders just aren’t trying hard enough to get you to engage in PGA opportunities and benefits? Maybe we need to ask you more often, “what do you want from your PGA membership?” (At Overlake, our staff motto on our tee shirts is “Ask the members what they want and give it to them, unless it’s illegal, immoral, or unethical…and even then we’ll consider it!”) Maybe the opportunities and benefits just aren’t valuable enough to reach up and pick off the tree? Maybe you just don’t have the time or energy? Maybe you just don’t know about them?

So, what are some of the ways you can benefit from your PGA membership?

Mutual backscratching. For some cool benefits, download this PDF: http://www.pnwpga.com/pdf/pga-member-benefits.pdf. I personally use these benefits whenever I can, and our sponsors enjoy the benefit of increased sales with a valuable demographic. They scratch or backs, and we scratch theirs. These relationships need nurturing, though, and it is up to us to nurture these relationships with our use of their benefits.
Benefit of the badge. In 2012, M.L. Rose wrote in Golfweek Magazine: “Perhaps the biggest benefit to becoming a PGA professional is simply the right to call yourself a PGA pro. In the world of golf, the title “PGA pro” means instant credibility with employers, customers and the general public. Whether it’s a player seeking a lesson or a golf facility in need of a manager, many people in the golf world automatically look first to a PGA pro.”
Leadership development. Nothing sharpens your leadership axe or adds more arrows to your leadership quiver than…leadership! Participating in committees, serving on a board or drinking all of the Kool Aid and becoming a Chapter or Section officer will give you valuable leadership skills and give you a safe forum in which to practice your new skills before using them in your facility or community.
PGA Programs. Whether you need some employment advice, or want to make a check by playing in our Chapter and Section events, or want a scholarship for your college-bound offspring, or want to add on certifications to your title, or want to take advantage of pre-built player development programs, the PGA has something for everyone and every facility.

These benefits and opportunities are better than most associations enjoy, so how, as an officer, can I lead our PGA horses to water (not surrounded by yellow or red stakes)?

If elected as your next PGA officer, to help you engage with your Association opportunities and benefits, I would:

Educate you on the benefits you already have. This might include a “featured benefit of the month,” or posting the PDF of the member benefits on our website, or attach 10 minutes to education sessions reminding you of your benefits.
Ask you what kinds of benefits you want that you don’t already have. Your Chapter and Section boards can figure out many of these, but I’m sure there are benefits you wish you had but aren’t currently offered, like a group 401k or medical insurance (e.g. finding a way around inurement.) I know you need another survey like you need a case of the shanks, but we do need to gauge your pulse to help you help yourselves.
Help you understand the value propositions of PGA opportunities and benefits. Again, featuring the opportunities and benefits of engaging in your Association, not only for yourself, but for your fellow PGA professionals and your employers and helping you and your employer attach value to your engagement.

Ultimately, you need to know about your PGA benefits and opportunities, you need to know how they benefit you and your employer, and you are the one who needs to grab the golden ring and get as much value out of these benefits and opportunities as you can. It is up to we PGA officers and board members to facilitate this process and to “serve the member.”

Thank you for reading…I’m heading out to play my Senior Match Play match against the affable gentleman and great player Neal White over at White Horse Golf Club, and am now looking at the course map to see how close the 11^th green is to the clubhouse.

Cheers!

Marcus King, PGA, CCM, CCE
General Manager
Overlake Golf & Country Club

Howie Pruitt on Engagement with the Opportunities and Benefits of PGA Membership

Pruitt This month’s question presented to Marcus and I, I think is a critical issue that is often neglected.

“The Section, Chapters and National offer a vast array of opportunities for professionals to benefit from their PGA membership. As an officer, how will you help the grassroots professional engage with their association and participate in these opportunities?

The two questions I hear most often are: “Why don’t we have bigger pay-outs” and “Cheez, our dues are so high, what do I get for it?”

I can assure you that the tournament committee and your Section Leadership is constantly working on the first question. The second question is trickier, and in the end requires you, the member to do some research and work. My role as a Section Officer is to help you understand what our association provides you in terms of benefits. Some of these benefits are well known, others not so much. I’m going to break down some of our benefits into two buckets.

The first bucket, I’ll call “Individual/Family Bucket”. Unfortunately, many of us work for owners or organizations that don’t provide the greatest benefits in health care and insurance. However, our Association can help. I encourage you to log into your member account at pga.org, click on the “Benefits & Tools” tab at the top of the page and then click on insurance benefits on the left. When you follow the drop-down menu, you will see several insurance offerings available to you. Don’t have a 401K or a retirement program? On that same Benefits & Tools page, click on PGA Golf Retirement Plus and learn how our Association has created a way for you to begin building for retirement. Most of you know about “spectator” benefits – getting free tickets to events like the Master’s, US Open and others, and if you have kids, you probably know about our PGA scholarship opportunities. But how much do you know about our PGA Partners and their Perks & Discount. I didn’t know much until I had a conversation with one of my PGA LEAD classmates. She told me that they remodeled their kitchen and installed all new KitchenAid appliances. All were purchased at substantial discount. I encourage you to check out the Benefits & Tools page to see all of what the PGA has to offer.

The other benefits bucket is the “Career Benefits Bucket”. This bucket does get used, but I’m convinced that there is so much more in this bucket that is underutilized. How is your CareerLinks profile? Is it up to date? When was the last time you even looked at it? If your profile is not up to date, you may be missing out on some job vacancy announcements. Not looking for a new job? That’s okay. Use those vacancy announcements to compare your job to ones being advertised. Do your skills match the desired skills for those positions? If not, you may be losing ground to your peers. So, what should you do? It’s time to use another of your benefits, your PGA Career Consultant. The career consultants are here to help you stay relevant in your career. Monte Koch is our Career Consultant; he is waiting to help you. The best news is that his services are free to you as a PGA member. Try getting career services elsewhere for free; that’s not going to happen. Another one of our benefits is our robust education program. Your education committee and Monte work closely to provide you with quality education programs. These programs are designed to help you continue developing yourself as a PGA professional, but also make sure that your skills are keeping up with the desires of your leaders and owners. How are you doing in the eyes of your owners/leaders? Do they see you as being a value? You can prove it to them by using another of your benefits, the Revenue Scorecard. Using this tool will give you the facts and figures to show your owners/leaders how much you are contributing to their bottom-line. Use the tool to make it hard them to left you leave. Lastly, from an operations point of view, use the PGA budgeting tool. This is a great benefit when it comes time to create those yearly budgets. It is easy to use and will save you time. It is also a great way to teach your PGA Associates about budgeting.

The last benefit I want to speck to is PGA LEAD. Over the last few years our Association has recognized the need to grow new leaders. The Association’s Senior Leadership committed to this need by creating PGA LEAD. This 2-year program is open to every member. LEAD focuses on teaching new leaders about our Association, learning leadership skills, and how to develop themselves to be ready to step and Lead at the Committee, Chapter, Section and National level. Imagine how much this type of developmental training would cost you on your own. It’s another great benefit to you as a PGA member.

Some of you might be wondering if I am going to answer the question posed? “The Section, Chapters and National offer a vast array of opportunities for professionals to benefit from their PGA membership. As an officer, how will you help the grassroots professional engage with their association and participate in these opportunities?” I just did. This is exactly the type of conversation I want to have with our Section members at every opportunity. Our Association provides us with great and varied benefits; my job as one of your Officers will be to tell you the story.

Remember the old sales adage, “Features tell, but Benefits sell.” Use and enjoy the great benefits your membership offers you.

Howie Pruitt, PGA
Director, Player Development/Head Golf Professional
Aspen Lakes Golf Club
Sisters, OR 97759
541-549-4653
Cell-541-390-7875
www.aspenlakes.com
Director, Oregon Chapter, PGA of America
2017 Oregon Chapter, PGA of America, Patriot Award Winner

Inglis Wins First Major at 2018 Oregon Open Invitational

By Nathan Pajutee, Tournament Intern

Situated brilliantly between the snow-capped mountains of Central Oregon, Aspen Lakes Golf Course played host to the 2018 Oregon Open Invitational. With its beautiful scenery and signature red cinder bunkers, the 7087-yard Par 72 course provided a fantastic venue for what became a conclusively dramatic tournament. Coming from behind, PGA Professional Colin Inglis of Emerald Valley GC birdied two of his final three holes to emerge victorious and claim his first PNW section major.

The first day of the tournament featured perfect weather and a plethora of low scores. David Ganz, an amateur from Gonzaga University, shot 5-under par 67 to take the first round lead. The leaderboard would be tremendously altered after round 2 however, as strong winds created a challenge for much of the field. Despite the conditions, PGA Professional Corey Prugh of Community Colleges of Spokane shot an exceptional 6-under par 66 and held a two-shot lead over Colin Inglis, who had impressively shot two straight rounds of 3-under par 69.

Weather conditions for the final round also featured blustery winds, creating more challenges for our leaders. Scores remained tight until the final few holes, where Inglis astonishingly birdied 16 and 17 to take a two-shot lead.

On this finish, Inglis said, “I started to get a little down on myself early on the back nine as I really wasn’t making any putts. I just knew if I kept giving myself chances eventually they were going to fall, and they finally did on 16 and 17. It was hard not to press but I did a good job staying patient. I knew if I could make par [Prugh] would have to make eagle to tie, and the 18th is a really hard hole to eagle with the dogleg.”

A par was exactly what Inglis needed on 18, as he claimed the 2018 Oregon Open Invitational and his first PNW Section major. Inglis, who has won two Oregon Chapter Championships said, “It is always a great feeling to win any golf tournament, however this is far beyond my other wins to be quite honest. There are just so many great PGA Professionals and amateurs in the Northwest, to win one of these you really have to play some good golf and stay sharp mentally.”

With this win, Inglis moves forward as a real contender going into the remaining tournaments of the summer. “I think this win just gives me more confidence going forward. Now I know I can win and play with the best players in our section, and that will help me in the future.”

We’d like to thank Aspen Lakes GC, our great sponsors, the volunteers, and all of our players for making the 2018 Oregon Open Invitational such a fantastic event. With their help, we were able to raise $3,030 for the Kids Center, a local charity that assists struggling youth in abusive situations. We’d also like to thank host professional Howie Pruitt, Superintendent Josh Knapp and his grounds crew, Rob Malone, and the Cyrus family for their help in providing an outstanding tournament experience.

As for the competitors, we look forward to seeing you all again at the next Oregon Open Invitational at Pronghorn Golf Club on June 18-20, 2019.

Final Results

Northwest Open Invitational

WALLA WALLA, WA – Wine Valley GC – 6,980 Yards, Par 72

The Field:

Past champions such as last year’s champion PGA Professional Shane Prante of The Home Course, PGA Professional Brian Thornton of Meridian Valley CC, and PGA Professional Corey Prugh of Community Colleges of Spokane are expected to return to take their shot at another title this year against a very strong field of PNW PGA Professionals and amateurs for the Northwest Open Invitational.

History of the Championship:

The Northwest Open Invitational is a significant part of the history of golf in the Pacific Northwest. The list of past champions reads like a who’s who in Pacific Northwest Golf. In fact, sixteen members of the Pacific Northwest Section’s Hall of Fame are Northwest Open Champions.

The early years were dominated by Seattle Golf Club’s Robert Johnstone (who won 6 of the first 10 events) and “Long Jim” Barnes. Barnes, the professional at Tacoma C&GC from 1911 - 1915, won the first two PGA Championships (1916, 1919) in addition to the 1921 U.S. Open and the 1925 British Open! Spokane’s Marvin “Bud” Ward captured six championships over a 22 year span, five as an amateur and his last as a professional. Bud was also a National Amateur champion and may have won a few more but for the lack of championships during WWII.

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.

CLICK HERE – to view exemption list.

CLICK HERE – to view a complete list of past champions.

Rosauers Open Invitational

Spokane, WA - Indian Canyon GC
July 13-15, 2018

Late Entries Available!

National Car Rental PNW Assistant PGA Professional Championship

DuPont, WA – The Home Course
August 6, 2018

PNW Senior PGA Professional Championship

Molalla, OR – Arrowhead GC
September 6-7, 2018

Two entries: If you want to have a chance to advance to qualify, you must enter through PGA of America Membership services at 800-474-2776 or www.pgatournaments.com. There is a SEPARATE (and additional) entry for a chance to play for the purse and title of Senior PGA Champion. You will need to get BOTH entries in if you wish to qualify for the Senior PGA Professional Championship AND our Section title!

PNW PGA Professional Championship

Richland, WA - Meadow Springs CC
September 18-20, 2018

PNW PGA Merchandise Show

The 2018 Merchandise Show will be held in the beautiful Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center on October 23-24, with vendor move beginning at noon on Monday, October 22 and the Annual Meeting on Wedneday, October 24.

Holk's Highlights: Amy Wilson, PGA

This month we interview Amy Wilson, who was nominated to be featured in ForeWord Press because of her efforts in Player Development for kids and adults.

Hometown: Kelso, WA

Elected into membership: 2008

Tell us a little bit about your career. Who or what inspired you to be a PGA Professional?

My inspiration came from a combination of the support I always had from my mom and dad and the professionals I grew up with: Joe McLaughlin (Mint Valley GC) and Fred Bader (Three Rivers GC). My career path took a detour through the maintenance side of golf but led me back to the golf shop. Sara Griffin, John Kawasoe and Harold Bluestein played a huge part in motivating me through the process of becoming a PGA Professional and they continue to be invaluable resources for me as I travel on this crazy road!

Pros on the Move

by Michelle Parish, Tournament & Membership Coordinator

Employment Changes

Koll M. Farman, PGA (A-1) - from Chambers Bay to The GC at Newcastle
Matthew T. Fredrickson, PGA (A-6) - from The GC at Newcastle to GOLFTEC - Tualatin
Douglas M. Kauffman, PGA (A-13) - from Unaffliated to Gold Creek Tennis & Sports Club
Christopher J Lisk, PGA (A-8) - from Glendale CC to Puetz Golf - Bellevue
Kevin R. Miller, PGA (A-8) - from Port Ludlow GC to White Horse GC
Craig Moore, PGA (A-1) - from Seattle GC to Allenmore Public GC
Mark Rhodes, PGA (A-1) - from Desert Canyon Golf Resort to Lakeview G&CC
Nico D van der Ven (B-8) - from Jackson Park GC to Aldarra GC

Class Changes

Wayne W. Clark, PGA (Walter E. Hall GC) - from A-8 to A-1
Scott W. Erdmann, PGA (Oswego Lake CC) - from A-8 to A-14
Michael D. Kasch Jr., PGA (Pasco Golfland) - from A-4 to A-1

New Associates

Alexander M. Mroz B-8 Inglewood GC
Benjamin M. Richards B-9 Snohomish GC

Newly Elected Members

Kyle Birnie, PGA (A-14) - Riverside G&CC
Nathaniel J. Cummings, PGA (A-1) - Desert Canyon Golf Resort
Michael E. Horner, PGA (A-8) - Bill Roberts GC

Reinstated Members

Patrick W. Wike, PGA

Transfers INTO the Section

Matthew J. Blake, PGA (A-4) to Pumpkin Ridge GC from Northern Texas
Christopher W. Burke, PGA (A-1) to Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow from Northern Texas
James H. Noe, PGA (RM) to Unaflliated from Unaffliated Section
Jonathan R Roth, PGA (A-8) to Lake Padden GC from Colorado Section

Transfers OUT of the Section

Christian M Andrade - from The GC At Black Rock to Southwest
Bradley Myrick, PGA - from Unaffliated to Unaffliated Section

New Half-Century Club Members

Jim Skaugstad, PGA

A unique buying event & unforgettable business experience awaits you at the 2018 PGA Fashion & Demo Experience. Join us August 13-15 in Las Vegas to network with peers, earn 20+ MSR credits while learning from influential industry leaders and access the products, services & trends that will keep you ahead of the curve.

Your Career View Depends on Perspective

Monte Koch, PGA of America Employment Consultant

“There is no such thing as winning or losing in a game that has no end. There is only ahead and behind. There is no such thing as winning business, winning global politics, or winning life.” #SimonSays #theinfinitegame

Please click on the picture and watch the brief video (3:10) with Simon Sinek on Finite vs Infinite Goals. From my perspective, there are obvious takeaways that we, as PGA professionals can apply to our own work lives and careers.

Here are a few that jumped out (and maybe some that didn’t exactly jump, but are still quite applicable):

Your Career is Infinite: You don’t WIN YOUR CAREER, you may “win the job” but THEN WHAT?

The Value of a Financial Advisor

Blake Parrish, CFP®

People often ask me about the value of hiring a financial advisor. After all, they charge you money with the goal of making you MORE money. To many people, this means basing a decision to hire an advisor solely on whether or not they can deliver rates of return that beat the market.

But good financial planning decisions go far beyond how and where you invest – they can potentially enhance your lifetime standard of living. Investing for Retirement, Charitable Giving, Higher Education, a Home, Investment Properties, etc. It’s important to understand that, because success may not always equal a higher portfolio return in the short term. Here are five intangible ways that a financial advisor can potentially add value to you.

"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."