CEO's Report

A Good Pivot Isn’t Just Critical for Your Swing

Frank Talarico

Someone far smarter than I correctly said that a “pivot is a change in strategy without a change in vision.” Eric Reis said this, and his comments were meant to inspire entrepreneurial thinking. That is the kind of thinking that will empower us to grow in our service of you. For so long as an organization remains faithful to its purpose, pivots are unavoidable if really big goals are to be achieved. The Pacific Northwest Section very clearly is committed to “serve the member and grow the game.” That is non-negotiable. How we achieve this goal must be agile, and we find ourselves in an environment where being flexible and nimble is mandatory.

There are many opportunities for us to pivot as the PNW PGA. Some of these chances are our choices, times when we can elect to try something that could prove to serve and grow even better. We are guardians of our mission and we are all privileged to be a part of golf as our chosen vocation. Other pivots are thrust upon us. A global pandemic has forced a number of these decisions on us, and the Section is executing on your behalf. This year’s merchandise show is one such example.  Virtual or otherwise, the annual PNW PGA Merchandise show is a fantastic opportunity for our members to connect, learn, and do business with many of our industry’s leading vendors. This year’s show is only days away—October 20-21—and if you have not yet registered, finish this article and then click through to be a part of our show.

Register for the Virtual Merchandise Show

Produced in combination with this year’s virtual merchandise show is our 2020 Annual Meeting. Another “pivot” point in this year full of challenges we are aptly responding to, the Annual Meeting will be held virtually. This is your Section, and its operations affect each of you directly. I invite you to join us on October 21, 8:00 AM. Anyone with new business is encouraged to submit their items to me or to our Section President, Howie Pruitt. I sincerely look forward to “seeing” you all on the 21st.

Despite what feels like a constant process of change, one thing that I am proud to say is not compromised is the tradition we will enjoy behind our 2020 Hudson Cup. My congratulations to those who were selected to represent our Section, October 22-23 at Meadow Springs Country Club. My thanks to Under Armour for their continued support of this event and our Section. Moreover, I want to take this opportunity, as the tournament season winds down, to thank ALL of our sponsors. You are all valued partners in the service of our members, and our continued work to grow the game. I encourage each of you to share your appreciation with them, as well. A full list of our 2020 tournament sponsors and their contact information is on our members-only website, the Online Member Handbook.

Online Member Handbook (ForeTees login)

Finally, I would like to add my personal note of thanks to the membership. In just forty-five short days, the men and women of the Pacific Northwest Section have welcomed me warmly. I have had the pleasure of Covid-appropriately fist-pumping with you. We have already enjoyed many socially distanced conversations and calls. I was honored to witness the swearing-in, in-person, of the new Inland Empire Board of Directors at this year’s annual meeting at Liberty Lake. I’ve learned in my career that it is the people who make the difference, they always do. The PNW PGA proves that, time and time again. As always, if there is anything we can do for you, more or better, never hesitate to let me know.

Frank Talarico, CEO
ftalarico@pgahq.com

District 14 Director's Report

Doug Doxsie, PGA

It has been nearly a year since I humbly began my first year as your District 14 Director. The fall-winter “business as usual” quickly turned upside down with the pandemic in March and it is hard to believe that was just six months ago. Obviously, the PGA of America, our PGA Sections and our PGA Professionals have been challenged this year. Every one of us or someone we know has been dramatically affected in some way, whether from illness, employment, finances, lifestyle, the fires or other.  I am sure everyone in the Pacific Northwest is ready for a reset in 2021. I hope all of you are persevering both personally and professionally and that you have found strength in these unprecedented times.

As I reflect over the last six months and our challenges, I come away impressed with our entire Association: our staff, leaders, members and associates. The efforts to keep our business afloat by the PGA staff at National, Sections and Chapters has been inspiring. They have rolled up their sleeves and managed efficiently and effectively on our behalf.  The support from our national office has been a blessing. From the onset, the COVID-19 resources they provided us daily, if not weekly were invaluable. Their efforts to convince governments that golf can be a positive, safe and important recreational activity was monumental. Resources like Back2Golf, the Golf Emergency Relief Fund, Dues Deferral and Section Financial Support were just some of the things our association provided all of us.

The elected PGA leadership, especially board members at all levels, have made tough decisions, found solutions, and always with the thought of how it affects the PGA member at the forefront. Our “volunteer” leaders have dedicated amazing amounts of their time and in virtual meetings working on our behalf for our Association. Next time you encounter a Chapter or Section Board Member, I encourage you to express your thanks for all the time they have dedicated leading our Association this year.

Possibly the most striking, I have been impressed by our PGA Professionals. There has been a spirit of sharing and support that has shined bright during this year. We saw this early through group emails sharing ideas and best practices. Simple things such as virtual town hall meetings gave us more chances to bond and support each other. PGA Professionals have provided an unbelievable “escape” by providing golf, working countless hours and servicing more golfers than ever. I have always believed the best part of our business and our profession are the people. I have always liked this quote from Simon Sinek; “working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.” The PGA is more than letters and a badge, it is a community of dedicated and caring people. Our PGA Professionals show their passion every day, and it has never been more apparent than this year.  

Usually, I would highlight news and information about the PGA of America but the PNW PGA Section Fall Meeting is next week and I will be sharing plenty of information about the topics listed below. I will also discuss many of these in my next article. If you want a sneak preview, these are also detailed on PGA.org for your reference.  

 Since I have this forum, I will offer one more piece of encouragement. Please stay engaged in your Association. Volunteer for a Committee or run for your Chapter Board. Attend your Chapter or Section meetings. Likely they will be virtual, but these are a great resource and opportunity to connect with your fellow PGA Professionals. You can also stay engaged by checking out PGA.org or your Chapter or Section websites for resources, announcements, and information.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. I always invite you to reach out to me if I can be of assistance.

Doug Doxsie, PGA
Seattle Golf Club
PGA District 14 Director
425-681-8889
doxpga@msn.com

PGA Jr. League

Branden Thompson, PGA - Regional League Manager

As I write this, I would normally be breaking down signage at Grayhawk Golf Club after another exhilarating but exhausting PGA Jr. League National Championship. Alas, the world had other plans.

I will say I am very proud of all the PGA Jr. League coaches this year, whether or not they were able to get their teams and leagues rolling. Everyone is working very hard and seeing a renewed interest in the game. The work put into consumer engagement, like PGA Jr. League, is paying off.

It is very apparent that there is opportunity in 2021. The first are “in-house” leagues. There are many benefits for both the coaches and families. Among those are less travel, more time building loyalty to the coach and the facility, capturing all the revenue and being in control of delivering a quality and responsible experience.

Second, expanding age groups are a valuable opportunity. Adding 17u has never been easier when it comes to attracting players. Many of these teenagers have been introduced or reintroduced to the game over the last six months. Give them a way to get a team experience again and they’ll become the next generation of golfers at your club.

Captain registration will open in November. Register early and get your schedule set for next year. I will be conducting a few sessions of the PNW Stay Involved series. Plan on attending to get help with starting or growing PGA Jr. League at your facility. The dates of those sessions are:

  1. October 28th at 2pm - Starting PGA Jr. League in 2021
  2. November 24th at 2pm - PGA Jr. League “In-House” League Success
  3. December 17th at 2pm - Integrating 17u into your PGA Jr. League Program

Please contact me if you would like to chat individually about being successful with PGA Jr. League at your facility.

Regards,

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

Building Blocks of Your Career Series

Monte Koch, PGA of America Employment Consultant

Part 2: Learning From & Leveraging Your Experiences

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” – Jim Rohn

Last month, the topic was “Finding Your Passion & Purpose” In that article, I wrote: “Fact: This is a hard business…and there will be hard, long and sometimes difficult days with a career in golf. It’s your passion, your purpose that will “power you through” on the tougher days.

Part 1: Finding Your Passion & Purpose

Experience is what we gain from these tougher days, not from the “restful days on the beach.” Our ego (the self-important part of ourselves) prefers the comfortable, non-challenging, conflict-free days over the challenging ones. And, it’s that same ego that wants us to run from challenges and wants to cheat us out of getting valuable experience(s) that will help us elevate our career faster and more significantly. If you want to learn more about how our ego can negatively hinder, check out this book by Ryan Holmes:

Ego Is the Enemy

Or check out this summary pdf of the book here

On those tougher days, we have the chance to:

In a simple statement, experiences are the opportunities often presented as “windows to a win” or “threats to suffer.”

Fact: Experiences either drag us down or lift us up – but the amount of drag OR lift is highly dependent upon the “set of our sail.” Jim Rohn and author, Christian Voelker often referred to the way we respond, especially with our attitude, as the “set of our sail.”

“It’s the Set of the Sail…” by Jonathan Voelker

There are so many examples of two different people who encountered basically the same situations and experiences, yet one is more successful than the other. It’s not luck. It’s a difference of attitude. A great attitude can exhibit itself in optimism, perseverance, professionalism and grit.  The late great Zig Ziglar said “It’s your attitude, not your aptitude that will determine your altitude.” Here’s a video of ZZ from 2013:

Your Attitude Controls Your Outcomes

Based on your passion and your purpose, and your True North, “how’s that working for you right now?” If you feel like you’re not flourishing and your professional attitude is suffering, I will refer you back to this question from the last article: Are you in “the right dirt” already? Or are you tracking today toward the right dirt where you can flourish as you hoped for when you started your career path?

If yes, is there someone you can help with the “set of their sail?” If not, now is the right season for us to connect and work on how you can discover or rediscover your passion, and/or learn from the many unique experiences from this crazy year we call 2020. Either way, my role and purpose is to help you get more value out of your career. You only get one career, so make it count.

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

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.

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

Listed in order of most recent first. Note: these are listed as of 8 AM, October 14, 2020. Positions listed here are not guaranteed to be available. Visit jobs.pga.org to see the most current listings.

Job Title Facility PGA Contact
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL Lake Spanaway GC, Puyallup, WA Brian Petoletti, B1

TEACHING & COACHING GOLF PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

Job Title Facility
JR GOLF DIRECTOR & FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR RedTail GC, Beaverton, OR

MANAGEMENT POSITIONS (HP, DOG, GM or similar) 

Note: not all positions like these will be posted here; instead, postings will generally be at the request/approval of the employer.

Job Title Facility
HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL Washington National Golf Club, Auburn, WA
FLEET CAR SALES REP Western WA Rep for Pacific Golf & Turf, Portland, OR

It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Your CareerLinks Profile

CareerLinks is Phasing Out Soon! Take just afew minutes and update your Job Preferences today. If you want to see current job opportunities, you need to update your Job Preferences on PGA.org. Unlike the old CL profile, this just takes 2-3 mins (not 20+.)

By updating your "Job Preferences" on pga.org, you'll start to see open positions similar to your preferences listed on your PGA.org dashboard (see picture below.)

We are asking PGA Members and Associates to make these updates, even if you aren't an active job seeker:

Click here to get started

 

Pacific Golf & Turf PNW Pro-Amateur Championship

by Molly Cooper, PGA - Director of Tournament & Member Programs

PGA Professional Brady Sharp and amateur Tyler Daniels of Wine Valley GC won the PNW Pacific Golf & Turf Pro-Amateur Championship by two strokes over the teams of PGA Professional Ryan Benzel and amateur Ben Minyard of Sahalee CC, PGA Professional Jeff Coston of Semiahmoo G&CC and amateur Blake Kukula of Surfside Golf Course and the team of PGA Professional Derek Berg of PNW Golf Academy with his amateur John D’Amelio of Inglewood GC.

Astoria G&CC, considered one of the Northwest’s premier private golf clubs, hosted this year’s championship. The unforgettable and challenging 18-hole golf course, built on top of ancient sand dunes near the Pacific Ocean, is one of Oregon’s hidden gems and host to the annual Oregon Coast Invitational Tournament. Astoria G&CC has also previously hosted this event in 1963, 2010 and 2015.

“When I get onsite at Astoria, I know it’s going to be good time no matter what the weather could be, there's so much rich history there.  There are so many great holes and the course can be gettable,” Sharp commented on the golf course.

It was more than just gettable, as Sharp and Daniels came away with the trophy and the first place check.

“It feels great to win this tourney,” said Daniels of the win. “After looking at all the past winners of the event, it is quite the honor to know our names will be on the trophy forever with all of them!”

He added, “The coolest part about winning this tournament is Brady and I getting to bring the trophy to Wine Valley and representing our course and especially our great owner Jim Pliska as well as our wonderful golf professional Chris Isaacson!”

It isn’t all about winning, however. This event is famous for being a fun and competitive experience for professionals and amateurs, held at the best courses in the Northwest.

“2020 has been such a crazy year and to be able to get away and play with a great friend and co-worker makes it that much better!” said Sharp. “I haven't had the opportunity to play in the Pacific Golf and Turf PNW Pro-Am Championship before, work allowed it this year and Tyler and I jumped on the chance to go!”

“It is so fun to play golf with Brady.  His enthusiasm for golf and winning golf tourneys is unlike anything I've ever been a part of,” said Daniels of their team energy. Sharp won the Oregon Open Invitational earlier this year.

The Pacific Northwest Section PGA would like to recognize Pete Trudeau with Pacific Golf & Turf for their title sponsorship!  Thank you to Astoria G&CC, PGA Professional John Kawasoe and all the staff for hosting this terrific event!

Final results

Open Events

PNW PGA Virtual Merchandise Show

We are excited to take the PNW PGA Merchandise Show, Fall Education and Annual Meeting online on October 20-21, 2020!

Virtual Exhibit Hall - Stop by our virtual exhibit hall and support our vendors. Each vendor will have a "booth" you can visit where you can find out more information and communicate with them in real-time during show hours.

Education - This event is a huge opportunity for MSR credits as well, with FREE education webinars presented by Chris Runyan on October 20 and Keith Bennett on October 21.

Annual Meeting - Get important updates from your Board and Association at the 2020 Annual Fall Meeting – which is being held online. The meeting is worth 3 PGA Required MSR’s or 1 AMP Meeting Credit for Associates.

Register Here

Education Opportunities

Online Education Schedule

Check out the tentative 2021 schedule below!

2021 Tentative Schedule

October 15, 2020

Foreword Press

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