April 1, 2020

President's Report

What strange times we find ourselves in.  The typical theme of this article would be to review a busy week of Special Awards, Spring Meeting highlights and Pro-Assistant results; as well as previewing future events and encouraging you all to take an active part in your chapter and section tournament and event programming.  Instead, I get to report on the impact of a serious and deadly virus that has many of us confined to our homes and closing our facilities.  I’ll be honest, writing this article seems somewhat trivial in the grand scheme of things.

Your section board convened on Monday, March 23^rd for the better part of the day to discuss the impacts of our new reality.  I want to personally thank each of the board members for taking time to meet on your behalf.  We began our meeting with one theme in mind: How can we serve each of you during this difficult time?

The financial impact of this shutdown is significant.  Much of our board meeting was spent re-evaluating our 2020 budget and plotting a new course of action.  Lengthy discussion was had and hard decisions were made.  While we never expected to find ourselves in this situation, we planned for this day.  We should all commend past board members for their foresight and sense of financial responsibility.

From a financial perspective, we are very confident we’ve developed a strategy to be in a sound financial position at the end of the year EVEN IF we don’t play a single event in 2020.  I know that staff and leadership in each of our five chapters will be doing the same in the coming days.

The section board also took steps to address concerns from our associates in our section.  Please click here to read about approved changes to our Associate Mentoring Program (AMP) for 2020.

Your Special Awards Committee initiated discussions on how we are going to acknowledge our 2019 Special Awards recipients in the coming months.  We look forward to developing a plan to not only recognize this past year’s winners, but also identify new ways to determine and highlight future winners.  Thank you to Howie Pruitt for chairing the committee this past year and I would like to introduce Roger Wallace as he begins his year-long term of chairing the Special Awards Committee.

PGA of America leadership has also been hard at work updating policies and procedures with regards to your membership and those working on their membership.  The current MSR cycle has been pushed out a year, PAT qualifying changes were made, updates to our PGA PGM program have been approved, and many more changes are in store.  I encourage you all to visit the PGA.org website daily.  PGA.org can be a tremendous resource for all of us during these challenging times.

The PGA of America has an excellent central location that you can use to find the latest and most up-to-date information on navigating COVID-19 at your facility.  Click on the following link to learn more: https://www.pga.org/coronavirus-resources.

Communication during times of crisis is critical.  Our goal is to keep PNWPGA Professionals informed as much as possible.  You should expect section-wide emails as new information is available and further decisions are made with regards to our operations.

In closing, we know that a light exists at the end of this tunnel. More importantly, I am confident we will come out stronger on the other side.  My hope is that we are playing golf by the Washington Open at Meridian Valley Country Club.  If that is the case, I can’t wait to tee it up with many of my fellow professionals.

We are all in this together.  Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Sean Fredrickson
Head PGA Professional – Oswego Lake Country Club
PNW PGA President

Tournament Committee Update

• Increased Net Purse
• Shorts
• "No Cut" Changes
• Entry Fees
• Fall 2019 tournament survey summary 

Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational

Meridian Valley CC – 6,707 Yards, Par 72
Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Pro-Am – Saturday-Sunday, May 16-17
Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational – Monday-Wednesday, May 18-20
Field size -136 professionals, 32 amateurs
Competition – 54 hole stroke play

We are excited to return to Meridian Valley CC for the 94th Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, April 29. 

We are planning on this event taking place and we hope you will add it to your schedule! In the event that circumstances force us to cancel the Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational due to COVID-19, we will refund your tournament entry fees.

Returning This Year, There Will Be a Cut After 36 Holes

The field will be cut to the low 65 professionals and ties plus amateurs with scores in that range following the second round (see tournament regulations).

We Can't Wait to 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. 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 2013–2019. They also hosted the SAFECO Classic from 1982-1999.

Holk's Highlights: Jacob Lippold

Jacob Lippold, PGA, Head Professional at Chambers Bay GC in Tacoma, WA was named Merchandiser of the Year for Public facilities. In his first full year of managing all merchandise operations, Jacob has put Chambers Bay on track to exceed both 2017 and 2018 numbers. He has especially grown headwear sales. Jacob is not afraid to take risks when it comes to merchandising and, to keep shoppers coming back, he employs creative new ideas such as co‐branding the Lone Fir logo with popular brands.

Hometown: ​Sequim, WA

PGA Professional Since: January, 2012

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

I first picked up a club at 15 years old, just a couple of weeks before high school tryouts.  I had played soccer since I was four years old and it was a massive part of my life.  Soccer and golf were both spring sports in Sequim and I was experiencing a bit of teen rebellion so I chose to tryout for the golf team...

Employment Opportunities

Monte Koch, PGA of America Employment Consultant

These are primarily “PGA Professional” only positions posted on the PGA Career Services Job Board: https://jobs.pga.org

Internship, non-PGA positions, strictly retail and “franchise” ownership positions will not be listed here.Please visit jobs.pga.org to see these types of opportunities.

Listed in order of “most recent first” – note: These are listed as of 10 pm, Mar 29, 2020 (visit PGA.org Job Board for “up to the minute" listings). Positions listed here are not guaranteed to be available. 

ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS (Full-time, not Internships)

Pros on the Move

by Robin Lindsey, Tournament & Membership Coordinator

Employment Changes

• Mitchell R. Berschauer, PGA (A-1) - from Overlake G&CC to Allenmore Public GC
• Tam F. Bronkey, PGA (A-14) - from Eagle Crest Golf Resort to Bend GC
• Edward R. Clark, PGA (A-1) - from Bear Mountain Ranch to Desert Canyon Golf Resort
• Zachary J. Culpepper (B-8) - from Coeur D'Alene GC to Wildhorse Resort GC
• Colin V. Inglis, PGA (A-8) - from Emerald Valley GC to Shadow Hills CC
• Todd J. Killingsworth (B-8) - from Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow to Waverley CC
• Austin T. Landis (B-14) - from Stone Creek GC to Arrowhead GC
• Wallace D. Small, Jr. (B-8) - from Sand Point CC to Bear Creek CC
• Timothy Sullivan-Byorick (B-8) - from Sand Point CC to Harbour Pointe GC
• Benjamin A. Talbot, PGA (A-14) - from Chambers Bay to Meadow Park GC
• John B. Thorsnes, PGA (A-6) - from Bend GC to Astoria G&CC
• Cordell R. Weber, PGA (A-8) - from Seattle GC to Overlake G&CC

Classification Changes

• Jeremy L. Wexler, PGA (Palouse Ridge GC) - from A-1 to A-4
• Michael R. Parker (Tri-Mountain GC) - from B-6 to B-14

New Associates

• Nicholas D. Gorham (B-8) - Riverside G&CC
• Carter B. Mackey (B-8) - Glendoveer GC

Newly Elected Members

• Kyle J. Clearman, PGA (A-8) - The Club At Snoqualmie Ridge
• Austin D. Hurt, PGA (A-8) - Wing Point G&CC
• Nathan H. Pajutee, PGA (A-8) - Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Transfers INTO the Section

• Dick Dorn, PGA (A-1) to Forest Hills CC from Colorado Section
• Grace Park (B-8) to Sand Point CC from Northern Ohio Section
• Dean A. Dorland, PGA (A-1) to Okanogan Valley GC from Rocky Mountain Section

Transfers OUT of the Section

• Brady R. Jones, PGA - from Seattle, WA to Carolinas Section
• Nathaniel J. Cummings, PGA - from Desert Canyon Golf Resort to Southwest Section

COVID-19 Resources

CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 INFORMATION FROM PGA.ORG

State Labor Offices – click the link, and then click on your home state – then click in the table to go directly to the labor department website.

Teaching & Coaching Best Practices

Register for #GolfAtHome free webinars for golf professionals from Operation 36. Create interest and excitement for families during this “shelter in place” period and possibly drive new business once we can begin business again. Click this link for more details on the program. Email Matt Bartell (bartell@op36golf.com) to sign up for a webinar for professionals.

PGA's Recommendations for Golf Operations

Let’s Stick Together. If you have a concern about how your neighboring facility is operating within the “appropriate guidelines” (though all of these guidelines are based on best practices, not legal requirements), please BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR and take the time to go directly to the golf professional who is leading the operation. Ask them about what they’re doing and why–don’t take what you heard they’re doing as fact. Seek to understand their situation and then, only then, should you offer suggestions on how they might improve things (and maybe you’ll learn something you could do differently or better too). Let’s work together as we educate golfers to the appropriate behaviors in our “new normal”.

Roth Conversions

Is your financial advisor calling you? One of the things we’ve been intentionally focused on during the bear market and economic recession is calling clients who will benefit immensely from a Roth Conversion.

Roth Conversions can be a powerful tax and retirement planning technique.  The idea behind most Roth Conversions is to take money from an IRA and convert it to a Roth IRA.  Essentially, you’re paying taxes today instead of paying taxes in the future.

So, when stocks are off the highs in your IRA, why not pay taxes on these low amounts and convert them over to your Roth?  It is the right time now.  Once the stocks are in the Roth, and you meet certain requirements, the money grows tax free and can be taken out tax free down the road.