March 15, 2023

CEO's Report

Frank Talarico | ftalarico@pgahq.com

Our Mission is a Long-Term Investment

In an email sent to customers recently, a familiar brand to many in the Pacific Northwest, Patagonia, celebrated its company’s birthday by sharing what it says is next for the company. That email reaffirms a company culture focused on its organizational mission. 

You might recall that last year, Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, wrote another memorable letter explaining that he decided to give away the company by putting its shares into an irrevocable trust. The goal was to ensure that 100 percent of Patagonia’s profits would go towards causes that benefit the environment. “Earth is now our only shareholder,” Chouinard wrote.  The obvious reaction (at least one of them) would be, “Well, he put his money where his mouth is.”  I’d argue he put his money where his mission is, too.

If you are ok with paying above average prices for outwear and accessories you probably believe in Patagonia’s mission.  This email will probably resonate with you. One sentence, however, stands out for me more than the others. It turns out it’s a powerful lesson for every organization committed to their mission:

“Let’s make things that last longer.”

It’s the third line of the email, and to be honest, I read past it a few times. For some reason, the third time I read through the email something finally clicked for me. I think it might be that those six words so perfectly define the company’s mission, while being the exact opposite of what nearly every other brand does.

It sometimes seems as though companies default towards whatever makes them the most money in the short term, whether it proves better for anyone or not. Making products that fall apart or delivering services that don’t “hold up” is a way to do that. If you make something people want but force them to replace on a regular basis, that might seem like a good business model if you are only motivated by profit.

But how far do you get if you are, instead, motivated by mission?

For Patagonia, their mission is a commitment to their customers that their shirts and socks and jackets will last longer. And customers pay a premium because Patagonia makes better products.

The Section is motivated by our mission to serve the members and grow the game of golf. Golf course owners and operators should hire PGA Members because you are the experts in the game, you are the very best.  You are why the game grows. You are why veterans’ lives are changed.  PGA members, especially the members in this section, are why my sons and I have the opportunity to make special memories on a Saturday. You are committed to your profession. 

Looking “long term” is also good for the organization’s mission. A passion to our mission makes the mission permanent, and a longevity around serving our members and growing our game benefits whoever may be coming next. Nonetheless, thinking for the long-term is hard, especially when you’re just starting out.

Here we are, at the start of another “season” in the Pacific Northwest.  It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure to sell more clubs, lessons, and tee times, worry about costs, and give the bottom line a short-term boost. Let’s not get distracted.  Let’s always think long-term, never taking our collective eye off of our mission. 

The PNWPGA is on a mission. The PNWPGA, its members and our partners are passionate about our mission.  We want it to last. Our shared goal is to build something that will outlast those of us who have the privilege at this moment “to serve the member and grow the game.” As Patagonia shows us, the best way to do that is to “make things that last.”

Some important membership reminders and notes:

Destination events! Team entries are available for the Mexican Fiesta Pro-Am. Entries for the Arizona Sun Pro-Am will be available on March 31.

Look for an exciting new competition presented in partnership with Garmany Golf, coming soon in 2023.

Partners who make this all possible:

My personal and most sincere thanks to Mr. Grant Holcomb for 20 years of being the title sponsor of the “Holcomb-In-One Las Vegas Pro-Am.” By all accounts, the 2023 event was yet another great success.  Grant, thank you, for creating an event whose legacy sets the standard for destination pro-ams across all forty-one sections of the PGA.

Thank you to our 2023 Pro-Assistant sponsors, especially, Jared Bouchey and Farmers Insurance, Sally Schmitz with Bushnell Golf, Bryan Dickson with Sterling Cut Glass, Matt Pollitt with PTE Golf, Ian Crick with StrackaLine and Darrell Livingston with GT Golf Supplies.  Thank you ALL for investing our section, our members, and our mission.

As always, if I or any member of our Section staff can ever be of service, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Frank Talarico, CEO

District #14 Director's Report

Jeff Lessig, PGA - National Director, District #14 | jlessig@pgahq.com 

Is Deferred Compensation a PGA Game Changer?

As we know, there are tax rules that prevent our Association from directly giving money to members. But a basic principle is that we can reasonably compensate a member for performing services that advance our exempt purpose; specifically for growing the game of golf.

Our Association has created a new plan whereby members that participate in programs that meet specified performance objectives can earn a contribution towards a deferred compensation fund.

PGA Members can potentially earn up to $1,500 a year to a deferred compensation fund by participating in activities.

Over the years, investments will grow and provide supplemental income for participating Members upon reaching the age of 65.

In addition to all our programs and other benefits, this is now a very real and accessible vehicle to accumulate wealth towards a more comfortable retirement. We further hope that this can serve as a truly significant recruiting and retention tool to attract new talent to our great and growing industry.

Subcommittees that included your fellow PGA Professionals, board members and ED’s worked on program details and administration.

This revolutionary new program won’t be without challenges, but for the first time ever we received a response of YES, we can do this from the IRS. We will roll out, review and refine the program over the first few years.

Registering for the PGA of America’s Deferred Compensation Program is a literal “no-brainer”. Registration is painless and takes only a minute.  Just click on the link below and register through your PGA.org account.

The start date for earning points is coming up in just a couple weeks – April 1, 2023.  Please register today. 

Details on the points system, eligible activities by career path (that many of you are already participating in), detailed Plan Documents and FAQ’s are also available: https://resources.pga.org/member-benefits/deferred-compensation.

In addition to Deferred Compensation, the Resources tab on PGA.org also includes a wealth of information on other PGA Member Benefits including Insurance, Member Assistance Funds, Scholarship Programs, Golf Retirement Plus and more. 


Jeff Lessig, PGA
National Director, District 14
jlessig@pgahq.com

Player Engagement

Patrick Oropallo, PGA - Player Engagement Consultant | poropallo@pgahq.com

The Time is Now!

This is a call to action! PGA Jr. League season is close, and I am encouraging you to consider forming a team this year. PGA Jr. League benefits you in three ways: you make more money, your facilities benefit greatly and most importantly, families and juniors have fun!

PGA Jr. League is a lucrative program for coaches. One of the PGA Modern coaching principles is to coach golf in a group setting, while getting on the golf course as much as possible. This style of coaching increases your hourly rate and essentially gives you your time back for important things like family and perhaps some golf! Here is an example of a PGA Coach hosting one team of 12 at their facility with the average coaching fee in the Pacific Northwest:

$249 Coaching Fee X 12 Jr. League Players = $2,988

8 Practices X 1 Hr. Ea. = 8 Hours

4 Matches X 2 Hr. Ea. = 8 Hours

Total Program Hours = 16

Total Income $2,988 / 16 = $186.75 hr.

Not only is the coach making nearly $190 an hour in this scenario*, but the 12 participants are getting lots of time on the course and many hours of skill building under the watchful eye of a PGA Professional. In fact, it’s a very good deal for parents and families as they are paying $22 an hour for top notch coaching ($249 Coaching Fee + $99 Game Changer Fee = $348/16 = Approx. $22). A real “win, win” financial proposition for parents and Coaches.

*I realize many of you pay your facility a % back, even if 10% was paid to your facility the coach still nets $168 an hour in this scenario.

PGA Jr. League drives spending at your facilities. Did you know the average facility experiences nearly 15k of ancillary revenue because of your PGA Jr. League Program? Some programs have driven 50K+ of additional revenue. How, may you ask? Not only will you see cart fees, range fees, merchandise sales and F&B sales increase, but what if you were able to retain or attract a member because of your engagement with them through PGA Jr. League? You can see how quickly this can add up and it is no secret that the PGA Professional is the driver of this program. I encourage all of you to share this information with the stakeholders at your facility, so they not only realize how valuable PGA Jr. League is but more importantly how important you are! In the fall when budgets are being written and it comes time for your review, how powerful is it to tell your story when it includes revenue generated because of your efforts?

Kids and families love this program. In my opinion, there are two main benefits for juniors. One, they make friends and enjoy the company of each other while they play this great game of golf. I can tell you from my own experience that golf is most enjoyable when I am playing with others, and I don’t believe this is any different for children. Two, kids like to play on the golf course! Often, particularly with busy courses, juniors are relegated to the driving range and practice areas. Kids want to experience the course just as much as you and I do. Parents also love watching their child grow and experience this great game of golf.

I am urging you, if you have ever considered hosting a PGA Jr. League team, now is the time. Put more money in your pocket, enjoy more work life balance, provide an enriching experience for your juniors and be the rain maker at your facility. I am here to support your efforts and help you in the process, so even if you are new to PGA Jr. League you have someone in me that will be by your side. If you are already hosting a team, thank you for leading the way. I would encourage you to not only lead by example but share the benefits of PGA Jr. League with those around you that are not participating, yet! By my estimation there are nearly 1,200 golf professionals in the Pacific Northwest and only 10% participate in PGA Jr. League. Encourage your fellow Professionals, share your “why” and grow PGA Jr. League participation. As my friend and mentor says, “We are better together” and I truly believe it will take all of us to grow this wonderful program and see it thrive for many years.

Thank you for all you do and thank you for growing the game of golf.

Patrick Oropallo, Certified PGA

Schedule an Appointment with Me

Convergence Towards Your Best Year as a PGA Professional, Part V: Wisdom

Monte Koch, PGA Certified Professional, CEIP - PGA Career Consultant | mkoch@pgahq.com

The golf season here in the PNW is about to begin, and even though we will still have some days when playing will still require some amount of “nails” or fortitude, we are all looking forward. For so many of us, the “tradition like no other” that takes place the first full week of April in Augusta, GA is when we feel like the new season really begins.

As we wrap up the series on utilizing stoic principles, “Convergence Towards Your Best Year (Yet) as a PGA Professional” we’re going to turn our focus to Wisdom. Interestingly, it will be these four principles (along with talent and luck) that will likely be present in the top performing players (and likely the winner) of the Masters. We will see courage, moderation, justice (e.g. kindness to oneself/others, patience, professionalism) and wisdom on display.

As stated in the previous four articles in this series, the goal here is to think more about “making the most” out of today (and this season) based on convergence. In an effort to provide context, please refer back to these three articles for reference as we continue to build on the foundation of Convergence: Overview (Article 1), Convergence: Courage (Article 2), Convergence: Moderation (Article 3) and Convergence: Justice (Article 4).

For this article, let’s consider Wisdom, and how to apply it to our lives as PGA Professionals.
Read more >

Employment Opportunities

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

PNWPGA JOB BOARD NOTICE

Upcoming "Stay Involved" Education Webinars

March 15 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PDTPNW PGA Professional Women's Happy Hour 

Upcoming Events

Pelzer Golf Northwest Open Invitational

May 22-24, 2023
DuPont, WA - The Home Course
Enter online

PNW PGA Mexican Fiesta Pro-Am

Oct 30 - Nov 4, 2023
Villa Del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa
TPC Danzante Bay
Enter online

Upcoming Entry Releases

31
MAR

Arizona Sun Pro-Am
Nov 30 - Dec 4, 2023
See flyer/entry form

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