CEO's Report

Jeff Ellison, PGA

We are in Vegas just finishing the Holcomb-In-One Las Vegas Pro-Am. Grant and his companies – Antigua, Imperial, PlayKleen, Certifresh and Sun Mountain have been supporting us for 16 years. We are very fortunate to have such a good friend of the Section. And thanks to all of you for supporting all our sponsors in return.

Next week is another big week for Section activities. Sunday is the Special Awards Ceremony and Board Meeting. Monday at 7:00 PM we have the Section Spring Meeting.  The Pro-Assistant Championship takes place Monday-Tuesday. All are at Seattle Golf Club.  Please join us on Sunday as we honor the Section Award recipients with a reception at 5:30 with the ceremony at 7:00. Registration is required.

Awards Ceremony RSVP

The Section Spring Meeting is a chance to interact with your leadership as we focus on highlights coming your way in 2019. It’s already/going to be a busy year, please join us for a preview.

I’m pleased to announce a new partnership with EPEC Golf. EPEC offers a quality, cost-effective solution for junior clubs that grow as the player grows. In addition to their sponsorship, they will be supporting our growth of the game initiatives based on the sales on the Section.  Call our local representative Scott Nelson.

Visit epecgolf.com

With the ever-increasing use of credit cards to enter our events, even required now in three chapters, we have a new credit card sponsor. TCM Bank is offering a Section logo credit card available to you or your amateurs. The no annual fee card has a nice set of benefits and the application process is simple and on-line. It took me five minutes to apply and my card arrived in a week.

Section PGA Mastercard® Credit Cards information

Just a reminder that our Membership and Vendor roster is an on-line app from ForeTees. If you have not been using this tool, you are missing out. There is a web-based option for the shop and one for your mobile device. It’s pretty slick, just click on a phone number to dial, or an email address and your email client opens to start the email. If you need help logging in, please contact us at the Section office.

Online Member Handbook

Login Instructions

Speaking of email, this is how we reach you. Two things really help. Make sure we have your proper email address in our database. Submitting a change form through National is the best way to make sure we update you at the National, Section and Chapter level. Also, add the following email to your contacts info@pgaofamericagolf.com to ensure emails are not sent to a spam or junk folder. The Section, Chapters and National use this same address. Adding it really helps.

Finally, please complete the PGA Compensation Survey. Whether you are an A-1 or an Associate, your information is important. It will help you in your quest for additional compensation as well as help our PGA Career Consultant drive up compensation across the Section. In appreciation of your support, Ryan Chin of AMA Golf will be donating 100 gifts that we will raffle off to those who complete the survey by March 31, the deadline to earn MSR’s.

In the next few weeks I’ll be at the Oregon, Western Washington and Western Montana meetings. Please feel free to ask questions during the meeting or catch me privately. An officer and I will be at each just for this purpose.

Here’s to the snow melting and golf back to full speed soon!

Jeff Ellison, PGA
CEO, Pacific NW Section PGA

District #14 Director's Report

Don Rea, PGA

Ever heard of the American Development Model?  How about the Aspen Institute?  Well, if you haven’t, you should know that coaching in every sport is changing.  The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, among many other things, informed us that the United States leads the globe in…...childhood obesity.  They also found that kids are leaving organized sports at alarming rates because of specialization leading to burnout and specialization leading to injuries.

Kids need to play multiple sports and the USA Olympic Committee is leading the charge to ensure that not only are our Olympic athletes better, but as a nation we are more active.   The American Development Model is doing amazing things for USA Hockey, which was the first sport in the US to endorse the model by getting kids, parents and coaches to follow its long-term development plan.  Check out the following website to see how it all works for them. 

www.admkids.com

Golf has also recently endorsed the ADM and the PGA has been charged by the other National Governing Bodies of golf (PGA Tour, USGA, LPGA, Augusta National) to inform the public through its coaches.  The first step was to create www.pga.coach Have you been there yet? If not, please do so today. As a member, all of the videos and education are FREE of charge and after going through the program you will be certified in the ADM.  What does that mean?  Well, it means you can now access the new PGA Coach app (available on iPhones and Droid devices).  The app is full of great videos, lesson plans and scheduling tools and will improve ever year.

www.pga.coach

Coming in Spring 2020, the PGA will begin leveraging its media partners and marketing assets to drive people to PGA member coaches that have the PGA Coach app.  No app, no access to this never before offered marketing program for PGA members.  This will be a substantial investment in driving business to PGA members and their facilities.  Very exciting stuff and available for free because you are a member of the PGA of America.

Please never hesitate to give me a call at Augusta Ranch – (480) 354-0802 #102. email me at: drea@augustaranchgolf.com

Once again, thanks for the opportunity, never hesitate to contact me with any questions, God Bless and have a great day. 

Don Rea, PGA

Five Tools for Leadership

Monte Koch, PGA of America Employment Consultant

It’s March, and we’re now less than a month from the start of the baseball season, and our golf season is just around the corner. This is the time of hope for many of us as green grass golf professionals, as we anticipate the upcoming Masters Tournament being our “season opener.”

Some of you have seen me deliver a seminar called “Five Tools for Leadership” in recent months. It’s been well received so I thought I would share some of the concepts further. In baseball, we have players like Ken Griffey, Jr in the past, and now Mike Trout and a few others. For baseball, the Five Tools include:

1. Speed – for stealing bases, getting infield hits, tracking down fly balls, putting pressure on pitchers and defenders
2. Power – for raw power, hitting a baseball 400+ feet, driving in runs
3. “Hitting for Average” – contact hitter, sees a lot of pitches, hit any pitch, hit to all fields, hard to strikeout
4. Fielding – excellent field coverage, make few errors, anticipate where ball is going, where to go with it
5. Arm Strength – able to throw farther, and more accurately…saving runs, making assists, throwing base runners out

For our golf-centric businesses and operations, we have “five tools” that I’ve observed in some of our best “leader golf professionals.”

1. Proper Focus >> Clarify the win (in baseball, if you score more runs than your opponent, you win the game)
   1. If the leader hasn’t made clear what a win is or isn’t, the team will make up its own; that’s not a team, it’s just a group of individuals who happen to have gotten a job at the same place.
   2. What is your “win?” Maybe it’s your “Wildly Important Goal?” (What is a WIG you ask?)
   3. Learn more about what a WIG is with this video:4DX (The Four Disciplines of Execution Summary Video)
   4. What is your Wildly Important Goal? (WIG) [Hint: Public course, WIG is “# of Rounds”; Private Club, WIG is “# of dues paying members.”] Does your whole team know what the WIG is? And how they can advance the team to it? (eg. Do they know how to drive in runs for you, for the team WIG?)
   5. What activities “drive in runs” for us? (Lead Measures) *Runs scored, games won = Lag Measures
   6. How do we create a “winnable game”? (Keep Score)
   7. How do we hold each other accountable? (A scoreboard)

Clarify the when “the crowd” can cheer by:

1. Celebrate the wins and the wins within ; (Example: advancing a runner into scoring position.)
2. Focus on “team wins.” When we focus team wins, team members become better teammates and cheer individual and group successes. Celebrating wins generates loyalty and fosters unity. Winners have higher morale. Because, when you win, I win…we win. Model this for your team members.
3. Teach and model “I want us to win, so…how can I support you in driving in runs for our WIG?”

Clarify what doesn’t work for the team:

1. Don’t ask the wrong “player” to do the right thing(s) Asking Mike Trout or Ken Griffey, Jr to lay down a bunt is not a good use of their skillset;
2. Focus on the “wins” (the WIG), managers/coaches and teammates decide ahead of time and know their roles Knowing Roles: Flourish in them, Contribute to the Win

2. Defined Systems >> Determine What is Important:
   1. How are we going to “Drive in Runs” or our WIG? (The 3rd Base Coach gives signs for a reason.) Every team member doesn’t get to decide on his/her own system. (We refer back to knowing their roles, knowing their strengths, understanding how they contribute.)
   2. Let the System Drive Day-to-Day Operations. Momentary changes “on the fly” aren’t ideal, (eg. leadoff batter swings at a 3-0 pitch that is “way outside”. This is not good.) Well-defined, consistent systems create automatic wins through consistency. They’re tried and true. In golf, the script works to deliver the experience.
   3. Decide Ahead of Time, What Won’t Be Done. Good strategies are often derailed by a team member’s refusal to live within “the system” (eg. catchers rarely make great base stealers.) Good leaders take the time (in training camp) to explain “the why” for the system. Knowing the system, and the why behind, actually allows for freedom to perform, freedom to deliver with authenticity, freedom to anticipate.
   4. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat & Repeat: A good system, a good script allows for great execution (delivery) under pressure (baseball teams have spring training so the team DNA, player’s reactions are ingrained in their mind and muscles)If we value our system (our script) we will put in front of our players. If we don’t value it, why would they? Remember, the urgent too often crowds out the truly important.
3. Constant Effort >> Give Your Best:
   1. A good leader models what they expect (want respect, want followers, model what you want)
   2. Your players (staff) will mirror you. Feel like your team isn’t giving the effort you need…that should tell you something
   3. Half-hearted, half-baked effort ruins the best plans. Start with a great recipe, then choose poor ingredients, don’t follow the instructions…
   4. Give Your Best to the Right Activities: Back to the Wildly Important Goal (modeling effort on the lead measures that drive the WIG)
   5. Give Your Best to the Lead Measures: these efforts drive the WIG (Give due what drives green fees, member dues, group events.)
   6. Don’t give your time, your best, to the Lag Measures. Lag measures are the reporting. They’re historical…already happened, and can’t be changed, affected or improved!
   7. Stop Making Excuses for Poor Results: Are you still in “Triple A” as a leader?(stop blaming others, your employer, your staff for your lack of success)
   8. Are your players still in “Triple A?” What can you do to help them make the most of their talents, tools? (eg. Pete Rose)
   9. Honor Your Players’ Efforts. A high five recognizing the right attitude, a “coachable spirit” or similar puts value where it belongs
4. Commitment to Growth >> Model “Not Settling” for The Same:
   1. “Good is the Enemy of Great” (good rookies become great veteran players through commitment to growth.) Are you modeling Professional Development? Or are you accepting your “good enough?”
   2. Are you “coaching” How to Grow? Good coaches explain AND show players how to get better at a part of the game: “If you can improve your footwork here, your throws will be more accurate.”
   3. Your team members learn by watching you. They will have a hunger to learn (or not) based on their observations of you.
   4. Your team members learn by listening. Your talking reinforces (or destroys) your actions.
   5. Growing Leaders Create More Opportunities:
      1. For Themselves Many leaders are afraid of success.
      2. For their Players. Back to “When you win, I win…We win.”

• For their Teammates. When my players or my teammate succeed, I look better because of it.

5. Calculated Communication >> Commitment to “Fail Forward”:
   1. Learn something new every season, every month. Lifelong learners never go stale. They can afford to fail. Learn from failures, model it. Show a genuine desire to learn from mistakes, starting with owning them, asking for support/forgiveness. Never stop learning, growing…refining.
   2. Communicate expectations clearly: If you’re the leader, you’re ultimately responsible for the communication. (Catchers are the leader; if the pitcher throws the wrong pitch…) High expectations only work with they’re clear…and consistent. (Ever felt like a ‘crossed up catcher?’)
   3. Assumptions destroy results. If a player on your team doesn’t know the playbook, or the script, it’s not just their fault.
   4. Know who you’re talking to. Learn how to communicate best with each of your players. (Some like lists, some hate them…some like explanations, some feel insulted by them.)
   5. Listen with INTENT TO UNDERSTAND, not with the intent to respond. Work hard to hear the best intent, the best part of the plan, or idea…to sift through the dirt (to find the nuggets)

As your Career Consultant, and your business coach, I hope to see more PGA professionals learning and utilizing these “five tools for leadership” to driving in runs (revenue and value) for their employer in 2019.  I hope you’ll give me the chance to learn more about you, your facility and your career vision in 2019…let’s work on building (and exercising) these Five Tools where it’s necessary.

Monte Koch, PGA Certified Professional/Player Development | Career Consultant
PGA Career Services | PGA of America
Serving PGA professionals, employers in the Pacific NW & Rocky Mountain PGA Sections
Email: Mkoch@pgahq.com Cell: 206/335-5260

Career Planning and Coaching

PGA Jr. League

Branden Thompson, PGA - Regional League Manager

Captains, here are some updates for PGA Jr. League as we head into the season.

League Formation

I have sent out league worksheets for each chapter.  Take a look at those and verify that the framework matches up with your expectations.  Most of the leagues are similar to prior years but the program is growing, so there may be few changes. 

Scheduling

Once you’ve got your league finalized you can start working on a schedule.  I’ve got some spreadsheets to make this easy for you to generate matchups.  Contact me to send one to you that corresponds to the number of teams in your league. 

Marketing to players

Hopefully you have noticed some PGA Jr. League promotion during the PGA Tour broadcasts the last few weeks.  We’ve had more parents than ever asking about how and where to register their kids.  Take advantage of this momentum now.  This is a great time to send out an email promoting your program to your database.  I can help you insert a direct link into the email to make it easier to register if you don’t know how to do that.  There is an email template for you in addition to other great tools in the Captain Resource Center.

Captain Resource Center

We’ve added some ambassador soundbites and created a player testimonial video that is awesome!  Use this video to market your program.

https://vimeo.com/322916934

Rostering

As you get your players registered remember to roster them onto the team(s) you have.  That step must be completed prior to requesting the team kit. 

Team Kit Ordering

The lead time for ordering team kits is 20 business days.  This means you need to request your team kit a month before your first game to receive your jerseys in time.  The link to submit the request form is located on the Captain Resource Center.  This process is a little different than prior years so let me know if you need help with it. 

Good luck with your season and let me know how I can help.

Regards,

Branden Thompson, PGA
561-293-2585
bthompson@pgahq.com

Muckleshoot Casino WA Open Invitational

pro online entry pro entry form (PDF) amateur online entry amateur entry form (PDF)

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 take place on May 18-19 followed by the championship on May 20-22.  The deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 1.

We return with the ever-popular 54-hole individual stroke play NO CUT championship format.

Why We Love It

“The Washington Open is the tournament I would most like to win as a player. What this event does for the Folds of Honor and local community is something that we should all be proud of, and proud to support. In addition to the impact on our community, being able to play in front of friends and family on a challenging golf course is something I don’t experience very often.” – Shane Prante, PGA

Excellent Competition with NO CUT

You won’t want to miss this exciting tournament at one of our Section’s most prestigious golf courses. This event draws 168 of the best professional and amateur players in the Northwest. Last year, PGA Professional Ryan Benzel of Sahalee CC  won by one stroke over PGA Professional Shane Prante of The Home Course, PGA Professional and 2014 Champion John Cassidy of Arrowhead GC  and amateur David Ganz of Gonzaga University. Each year we see fantastic play!

A Rich History

The Washington Open Invitational dates back to 1922. In that year, young Al Espinosa captured the crown at Yakima CC. Some big names have won this event over the years including the Zimmerman brothers, Al and Emery, along with Chuck Congdon, Al Mengert, Senior Tour Player Rick Acton and PGA Tour Player Fred Couples.

There have been some amazing champions since the event started. In 2016, Jeff Coston claimed his fifth Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational title adding to his wins in 96, 99, 2001, and 2010, tying him with legend Chuck Congdon in the most Washington Open Championships of all time. Chuck Congdon held the record for the most wins (39, 47, 50, 52, and 62) while Al Mengert holds the record for the most consecutive wins (63, 64, and 65). The current tournament record is held by PGA Professional Tim Feenstra of Broadmoor GC (2011) and PGA Member Jeff Gove (2012).

View past champions

Play 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 and 2013–2018. They also hosted the SAFECO Classic from 1982-1999.

Play at Muckleshoot Casino

While you’re in town, check out our title sponsor! Muckleshoot Casino offers over 3,100 video gaming machines with the greatest variety of game themes under one roof. It also offers a variety of table games including $1 Blackjack and 25¢ Roulette, as well as the largest non-smoking Poker Room in the State! The Casino also has 8 tasty restaurant choices to satisfy your cravings, 6 different bars, and a variety of special guest entertainers at no cost. If that isn’t enough, make sure you hit up the HUGE BINGO HALL located just across from the Casino.