CEO's Report

What a Difference a Year Makes

Frank Talarico

It was a year ago that the world collectively hit the pause button.  Through the last twelve months, we as an association of golf professionals changed in a way we had never had to sustain before.  Our profession is our sport, and our sport is inherently a social game.  One year ago, we were mandated to shut it all down, professionally and quite literally personally.  Nonetheless, with diligence, sound but flexible planning, and prudent management I am pleased to report that your chapters and your section are rounding into 2021 poised for a great year. Moreover, I could not be happier to say, one year later and still abiding by evolving COVID protocols, we are ready to hit the “play” button.  Weather is changing and with it comes the start of our 2021 Tournament Schedule. 

While our spring meeting is regrettably virtual, we will be playing golf March 22 and 23.  Our thanks to Willamette Valley Country Club and Mr. John Grothe, PGA for hosting our upcoming Pro-Assistant Championship.  There is no substitute for being together and while we cannot gather to discuss PNW Section business, we are confident those making the trip to the event will not be disappointed.  I would also like to express our appreciation for this year’s event sponsors.  These companies and brands are critical to the success of the event, and to the member experience across all section and chapter tournaments.  This year’s Pro-Assistant sponsors are Bushnell, Sterling Cut Glass, PTE Golf and GT Golf Supplies.  Please thank their representatives when you see them before your round.

Continuing our work as a section team, always engaged with the mission to serve the members and grow the game, we have completed the second of two staff moves to ensure alignment of precious but critical resources with that mission.  As was mentioned in my last column, with the hire of Tanner Montgomery, PGA as our new Manager of Tournament Operations, a vacancy was created.  Again, to ensure that our chapters and their members consistently enjoy excellent service, we redefined the Executive Director role vacated with Tanner’s departure. 

In cooperation with the leadership of each chapter and bringing in the leadership from the Western Montana Chapter, we are pleased to create a new, three-chapter Executive Director position.  With one hundred percent of the incumbent’s focus and energy directed on these three chapters, we are all confident that the new role will open a new approach and new opportunities.  To that end, it is my pleasure to announce the hiring of Mr. Alec Bahnick, PGA.  Alec comes to us from Seattle Golf Club where he was Assistant Professional.  He also served a one-year internship at the Section in tournament management and administration.  Alec has undergraduate degrees in management and marketing.  He is a graduate of the PGM program.  Notably, Alec played NCAA Baseball, even competing in the College World Series as a starter on the Webster University team.

The season ahead is an exciting one for us all. I am very proud to report that by the time you read this, for the first time in our section’s history, you should have received our five-year tournament schedule.  With an aim to reducing unnecessary scheduling conflicts across our chapters while proving ample time for our members to plan their tournament participation, we believe taking a long-view of our tournament operations will increase participation and sponsorships as we secure in advance some of the most requested venues across our section. 

2022-2026 Tournament Schedule

Released last Wednesday, the entry for the 2021 Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational is now available.  Always a phenomenal experience, this year promises to be no different.  Our thanks to Mr. Greg Manley, PGA and the team at Meridian Country Club for, again, hosting this annual event.

Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational entry

You should have, also, received notice and the opportunity to enter our brand new “Mexican Fiesta Pro Am.” 

For more information and to enter your team, click here

As promised, we are adding not just one, but two new destination pro-am's.  Available April 1, 2021, entries for our second, brand-new destination pro-am in Arizona go live.  We are always working to build upon our past successes.  Destination pro-am's are something that our section has always done very well.  In addition to providing an opportunity for our members to enjoy time with their amateur playing partners, our destination pro-am's are an important source of income for our section.  I want to personally thank each of you for assuredly making this year’s events a great success for us all.

As always, if I can ever be of service to you, for any reason, never hesitate to reach out.  I think we can all agree: what a difference a year makes.  Welcome to your PNW PGA 2021 season. 

Play often and play well,

Frank Talarico, CEO
ftalarico@pgahq.com

District 14 Director's Report

Doug Doxsie, PGA

This month I would like to share some of my personal perspective on our profession, our industry, and the opportunities created by the pandemic. While you do not have to agree with me, I hope it gets you thinking about how you engage with the PGA of America and your fellow PGA Professionals.

Over the years, I have often heard the comment from PGA Members, “what does the PGA do for me?” My initial reaction is always to list some of the many benefits available to us, starting with these just to name a few:

• Wonderful playing opportunities in the section and chapters
• Great educational opportunities and resources
• Outstanding employment resources with our Career Services Consultants
• Access to terrific growth of the game programs like PGA Junior League, PGA Reach, PGA Coach, Drive, Chip & Putt, etc.
• Support from our fabulous section and chapter staffs
• Availability of a multitude of tools for your job including best practices, tutorials and information

I could go on with many more, but perhaps the best benefit of being a member of our association is the social and networking opportunities our industry creates. Never has this been more evident than during the pandemic. For instance, I was part of an email group of Seattle-area Head Professionals early on to share ideas about operations, best practices, surveys, and more to more effectively navigate our respective golf operations during this stressful time. The sharing of information was invaluable, and I know this happened all over the country. I have always found this aspect of our profession the most rewarding ‒ the simple ability to talk “business” with other PGA Professionals and share experiences.

My other retort when I get the question of “what does the PGA do for me” is to reverse it like the John F. Kennedy quote, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. I encourage you to reflect on what you can do for the PGA of America, Pacific Northwest Section, Chapter, or fellow golf professionals. Are you engaging with PGA programs that bring value to you as a PGA Member or Associate? Are you participating or promoting PGA Junior League or Drive, Chip & Putt? Are you taking your golfers to Pro-Members or destination events? Are you participating in the surveys, educational opportunities, and other programming? How about getting involved as a chapter committee member or as a director on the board? Are you active in golf events for charity? I would argue that anything you engage in spreads the word about the value of our profession and the PGA Professionals who lead it.

The most obvious example of what you can do for the PGA happened this year, by the situation forced on us by the pandemic. Our PGA Professionals were heroes in my mind by providing golf in a safe manner for a society that desperately needed some refuge from the toll of the pandemic. With guidelines and policies seemingly changing weekly, you are all to be commended. I think the benefits of this will help us all in the years to come, with all the new golfers and reinspired current players participating in our great game.

As I always advocate, be a part or your association and interact with your peers. The more you engage, the more you get back, and it helps all of us to be relevant in our industry.

Thanks for all you do,

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

One month in and the PNW PGA has over 1,100 players registered so far.  That’s awesome!  Here are a few reminders for you.

Captain Registration

There are still some facilities yet to register.  Use the link below to get it done.  Take advantage of the momentum!  This is the best time to get your kids signed up and attract new ones. 

2021 Captain Registration

What Is PGA Jr. League Worth?

The Value Tracker tool is the best way to put a number on the value of PGA Jr. League to you and your facility.  It only takes about 10 minutes. For those needing numbers to justify course time and access, this tool gives you the information you need.  I guarantee you will see that the time used on the course for PGA Jr. League is more valuable than the few green fees given up.  PGA Jr. League drives golf shop sales, food and beverage and increases member/consumer engagement.  Please take the time to complete the Value Tracker now. It will only help you.

Value Tracking Form

PGA Family Cup

I’m excited about a new and unique opportunity open exclusively to PGA Jr. League Captains in 2021: PGA Family Cup! You may or may not have participated in our limited pilot in 2020, and we’re launching to former and current PGA Jr. League Captains in 2021.

www.pgafamilycup.com

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that families are seeking activities they can enjoy together in a responsible way, and they’re discovering that golf is a fun and healthy way to spend quality time outside in fresh air.

Read more about PGA Professional John Moscoso’s 2020 experience with PGA Family Cup here.

PGA Family Cup is designed to be flexible to fit the needs of your customers and facility. Through our learnings from host professionals, we recommend a series of two or more 9-hole, par 3 events with a team scramble format to maximize fun and inclusivity; however, you can modify your event(s) as you see fit.

Download our PGA Family Cup Facility Guide here for a programming overview and best practices.

PGA Family Cup brings family members of all ages together and connects them through golf. Golf is a game for a lifetime, and PGA Family Cup teams are multigenerational. Think grandparents, aunts, uncles, moms, dads, children, cousins and more, all playing on the same team.

Watch this short PGA Family Cup video to learn more.

PGA Family Cup is a great opportunity to bring the entire family together (whether they golf or not) and create life-long memories in a fun, new and meaningful way. Level up your engagement with families in 2021!

Learn more and register today at PGAFamilyCup.com.

One-on-one Assistance

Want to  discuss PGA Jr. League, Family Cup, or just bounce some ideas around? The following link will take you to my Calendly page where you can choose a time that works for you, and eliminate the need to email back and forth. 

Click Here to schedule

Have a great season,

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

Building Blocks of Your Career Series

Monte Koch, PGA of America Employment Consultant

Part 7: The Law of Influence

Continuing in our Building Blocks of Your Career series, we now approach No. 7 of 9: “The Law of Influence”. Drawing once again from the highly regarded book, the Go-Giver, author Bob Burg shares the “Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.”

Click here to see/hear this chapter read in a video in just over 10 minutes

A quick summary on Burg’s perspective on The Law of Influence is available online here and it states, “The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.” Along with that, Bhaavin Shah SSY (Holistic Life Coach) summarized his findings from The Law of Influence in the following phrases:

“All things being equal, people like to do business with those they know, like and trust.”

• We know this is a reality as golf professionals. As merchandisers, we buy from the reps we like, know and trust. We also have OEM equipment staff deals because our members, customers and students are more likely to trust our perspective regarding their golf equipment choices and purchase decisions.
• Key takeaway #1: Understand the value of your influence is based in being both likable and worthy of the trust that is entrusted to you. In fact, you are responsible for nurturing that trust, not those you influence (or may wish to influence).
• Key takeaway #2: Though it’s not about you, the actual value of this influence when it drives revenues, sales and loyalty is supremely important to your employer; as such, it has significant implications on your compensation and job stability.

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. It’s not who you know, it’s about who knows you. It’s now who knows you, it’s who knows about you.”

• I like how this statement goes beyond “who you know.” It ups the bar a bit in terms of influence as it adds in the dimension of who knows you AND what your reputation is. (Of course, there are those who don’t want to like and/or trust us, and won’t give us any chance to influence them. Oh well. Let’s focus on those who are open to us.)
• Key takeaway #1: As with the first statement about likability and trust, we must also understand the value of our influence is nurtured by our reputation. As noted previously in this article series, when it comes to our reputation we are “always interviewing” and our reputation is a current snapshot of our “influence resume.” Take care to manage this “who knows about you” concept with intentionality.

“The influence carried through pushing doesn’t go so far. Pulling has a great power just like pulling a rope vs pushing a rope.”

• First off, this is a strong analogy and it clearly makes the point. Pulling allows the one pulling to engage their full energy into the effort, while engaging the ground at the same time, while pushing on a rope certainly is ineffective.
• The idea of pushing with a rope is clearly not a good one. But, the idea of pushing (gently, as with a nudge from the hand of one person to another), is very much a picture of influence. The difference between the touch of a hand vs through a “thin, limp rope” is massive too. One’s ability to touch another, literally or figuratively, belies a level of trust that is earned.

“Your biggest markets come not from your friends, but from friends of your friends.”

• Another obvious one that really makes sense, but it infers the “market of influence” comes from how much influence we have (built on likability, trust and reputation) with those we influence and their willingness to leverage their influence in a way that is beneficial to us and/or our cause.
• Key takeaway #1: The idea that someone is willing to put their influence (aka their reputation) on the line for us, our facility, our cause is significant. It must never be taken for granted, and those who have the greatest influence understand this. They nurture their influence, welcome feedback and accept influence from others in a reciprocal way.

“The Law of 250 says that each of us has a circle of 250 people we know, each of who has one such circle. So the potential is huge.”

• The Law of 250 implies the “market of influence” nearly everyone has. In golf, due to the role most golf professionals have, industry experts estimate the market of influence is typically around 600 people. If this is true, and we combine the concept of “friends of your friends” it could be 4-5x that number.
• Key takeaway #1: In terms of building one’s career, this final bullet is a fine summation of The Law of Influence. One’s ability to be likable, be worthy of trust, to maintain a strong reputation with as many people (and their friends) as possible has a both a direct and indirect impact on one’s ability to drive value, revenue and more influence for the team, employer and/or brand one is partnered with.
• Key takeaway #2: Those who have the maximum influence developed it through years of nurturing and investment in their influence. Naturally, they tend to be protective of that influence and don’t just “lend it out” to just anyone. Not that they won’t do it, they carefully evaluate who they will trust it with. When someone you admire, or someone who inspires and influences you trusts you with their “brand” or reputation, they are giving you a tremendous compliment (so treat it as such).

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 5 pm, 3/13/21 or were slated to close before 3/15/21. Positions listed here are not guaranteed to be available. Visit jobs.pga.org to see the most current listings.

Job Title	Facility
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Tacoma CGC, Lakewood, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	White Horse GC, Kingston, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Washington National GC, Auburn, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Black Rock Creek GC, Sunnyside, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Hamilton GC, Hamilton, MT
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Lakeland Village GC, Allyn, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Olympia CGC, Olympia, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Tualatin CC, Tualatin, OR
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	McNary GC, Keizer, OR
1st ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Wildhorse Resort GC, Pendleton, OR
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Twin Lakes G&CC, Federal Way, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Golf Club at Newcastle, Newcastle, WA
1st ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Tri-Mountain GC, Ridgefield, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Meadow Lakes GC, Prineville, OR
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Iron Horse Golf Club, Whitefish, MT
ENTRY LEVEL ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Orchard Hills GCC, Washougal, WA
ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL - CLUBFITTER	REDTAIL GC, Beaverton, OR
1st ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Bear Creek CC, Woodinville, WA
ASST PROFESSIONAL/ENTRY LEVEL STAFF	Arrowhead GC, Mulino, OR

TEACHING & COACHING GOLF PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

Job Title	Facility
DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION	Buffalo Peak GC, Union, OR
CERTIFIED PERSONAL COACH	GOLFTEC - Southcenter, Tukwila, WA
CERTIFIED PERSONAL COACH	GOLFTEC - Lynnwood, Lynwood, WA
CERTIFIED PERSONAL COACH	GOLFTEC - South Lake Union, Seattle, WA
DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION	TopGolf, Hillsboro, OR
JR GOLF DIRECTOR & FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR	REDTAIL GC, Beaverton, OR
FULL-TIME TEACHING PROFESSIONAL	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	Stoneridge GC, Blanchard, ID
HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Semiahmoo GCC, Blaine, WA
HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL	The Oregon Golf Club, West Linn, OR
ASSOC. HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Portland Golf Club, Portland, OR
HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL	Quail Valley GC, Banks, OR

Don't Miss Out on the Opportunity That Could Be Your Next Best Move!

This has been an unprecedented season of job changes and movement by professionals across all phases of our business. Take just a few 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

 

PNW PGA 100-Hole Marathon

On April 28, 2021, the PNW PGA team is taking the challenge to complete 100 holes of golf at High Cedars GC, raising money to benefit a charity of each participant’s choice. We have additional teams participating on April 27 at Port Ludlow GC and April 28 at Missoula CC. Your support will keep us going!

See the full lineup and donate online

We also invite you to pick a date at your club, a charity you are passionate about and join us in this year’s PNW PGA 100-Hole Marathon. We will add you to our participation lineup, promoting you and your efforts in our charity drive. You may use our PNW PGA 100-Hole Marathon logo, and we ask that you email Molly at mcooper@pgahq.com with your:

• Date and course you are playing
• Charity you are supporting
• Link to your GoFundMe or other donation page

We hope you will join us in our charity drive and get outside and play some golf.  You may be surprised by how many of your members join you if you decide to partner with us and marathon 100 holes this spring/summer!

Upcoming Events

PNW PGA Virtual Spring Meeting

March 22 @ 7:00 PM

PNW PGA “Stay Involved” Education

Ask Me Anything on Golf!
Mar 24 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Presented by Jeff Coston

Player Development Programming: a Profit Center for Every Facility Type
Apr 6 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Presented by Noah Horstman

Full Education Schedule

Check out the 2021 tournament schedule below!

2021 Tournament Schedule