April 15, 2023

CEO's Report

Teams Can Grow This Spring, Too

Spring is a time of renewal, growth, and opportunity. As the weather improves and the days get longer, it can be a great time to motivate teams at work and set the stage for a successful year. Here are some tips for using spring to motivate teams at work:

Set goals: Spring is a great time to set goals for the rest of the year. Encourage your team to think about what they want to achieve and create a plan for reaching those goals. This can help to create a sense of purpose and focus among team members, and it can also help to align everyone around a common objective.
Celebrate accomplishments: Spring is also a time to celebrate accomplishments from the past year. Take some time to recognize the hard work and dedication of your team members and celebrate the successes that you’ve achieved together. This can help to build morale and create a sense of pride and ownership among team members.
Get outside: Spring is a time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Play some golf! Plan team outings to local parks or other outdoor spaces and encourage your team to take advantage of the nice weather during breaks and lunch hours. This can help to boost energy levels and improve overall mood and morale.
Refresh the workspace: Spring is a great time to refresh the workspace and create a more inviting and energizing environment. This can include everything from cleaning and decluttering to adding plants or other natural elements to the office. A fresh, inviting workspace can help to create a positive and productive atmosphere for your team.
Encourage learning and development: Spring is also a time to focus on learning and development. Encourage your team members to take on new challenges and learn new skills. This can help to keep them engaged and motivated, and it can also help to create a culture of continuous improvement and growth within your organization.
Emphasize teamwork: Spring is a great time to emphasize the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Encourage your team members to work together on projects and initiatives and create opportunities for them to share their ideas and insights with each other. This can help to foster a sense of camaraderie and support among team members, and it can also lead to better outcomes and more successful projects.
Have fun: Finally, spring is a time to have fun and enjoy the lighter side of work. Plan team-building activities or social events and encourage your team members to take breaks and enjoy the season. A little fun and relaxation can go a long way in boosting morale and motivation.

Spring is a great time to motivate teams at work. By setting goals, celebrating accomplishments, getting outside, refreshing the workspace, encouraging learning and development, emphasizing teamwork, and having fun, you can create a positive and energizing atmosphere for your team. With the right approach, you can set the stage for a successful year and help your team members achieve their full potential.

Important Notes

2023 Sweepstakes Underway

Attracting and engaging the golf consumers in our section has been a priority of ours since the Spring of 2021. Each quarter since we launched this initiative, the PNWPGA executes a consumer-facing sweepstakes. The first sweepstakes of 2023 is now live – “Win a Year of Free Golf!” I encourage you to share this with your clients, members, family and friends. Approaching 70,000 unique golf consumers in our proprietary database, the section regularly engages these golfers with special PNWPGA content, always promoting our members, spotlighting our partners, and sharing unique opportunities in and around the section and larger golf industry. My personal thanks to this year’s thirteen courses for donating foursomes for the 2023 promotion.

Complete your PGA Compensation Profile

The PGA Compensation Survey continues to provide our Career Services team with the information needed to help you and your employer to make truly informed business decisions by giving you reliable data based on your position, facility type and location.

I am respectfully requesting 5 minutes of your time to help ensure that one of our Association’s most powerful employment tools remains effective for you and other PGA Professionals. Your participation is the key to ensuring that our Section’s compensation information is valid and meaningful. Please click here to take the survey now.

Special Partner Thanks

Our sincere thanks to Mr. Garth Mattson and Ashworth for supporting the 2023 PNWPGA Tournament Program, our largest member service. Garth and Ashworth are back, better than ever. I encourage you to contact him today, to explore the reemergence of one of the golf industry’s most iconic brands. Garth can be reached directly at: garthmattson@comcast.net.

Exciting Sponsorship News

The Pacific Northwest PGA Section and Garmany Golf are excited to announce the launch of the “Garmany Majors Shootout,” a new competition designed to showcase the skill and precision of PGA professionals participating in the Section’s four major events and three senior major events. This unique “closest to the pin” contest will allow winners to qualify for the “Garmany Majors Shootout Finale” to be held annually at the PNWPGA Pro-Pro Tournament, the day before the PNW PGA Professional Championship. The Majors Shootout deepens an already significant partnership between the PNWPGA and Garmany. This added component to Garmany’s investment in our Section and our Members will directly increase payouts across Section “majors.”

The PNWPGA Tournament Committee will select two par-3 holes at each of the qualifying events, including the Pelzer Golf Northwest Open Invitational, Pelzer Golf Oregon Open Invitational, Rosauers Open Invitational, Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational, Senior Players Championship, Senior Oregon Open and PNW PGA Senior Professional Championship.

The top two qualifiers from each event will be invited to the “Garmany Majors Shootout Finale” at Suncadia Resort – Tumble Creek Club on September 18, 2023, where the Garmany Majors Shootout Champion will be crowned. The champion at the finale will receive a Portugal Bucket List Experience produced by Garmany Golf, including five (5) nights of 5-star accommodations and three (3) rounds of golf (airfare not included).

Garmany Golf, founded in 2009, specializes in creating unique and memorable golf travel experiences around the world for guests with discerning tastes. With both international and U.S. domestic experiences offered in their portfolio, Garmany Golf customizes all experiences specifically to the interests and tastes of the club, group, or individual guest. I encourage you all to contact Garmany Golf to explore how they might partner with you for all your golf travel excursions at experience@garmanygolf.com.

As always, if I or any member of our Section team can serve you, please contact me directly at ftalarico@pgahq.com.

District #14 Director's Report

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

Your Association Has a Lot of (Golf) Balls in the Air

Let’s see. Anything going on with the PGA of America right now?

PGA Frisco Home

For more than 50 years, our national office has been headquartered in southeastern Florida, a decidedly inconvenient location for Members in both the Southwest and Pacific Northwest Sections. PGA Frisco is now Home. A more geographically central, easier to get to and feel-a-part-of location. An evolution is well under way.

About 50% of our employees are now working in Frisco with 25% remaining in Palm Beach Gardens and the remainder elsewhere in the field. About 35% of PGA employees are new. Our GM and Head Golf Professional in Frisco have been hired and the golf facility is staffing up and proceeding toward opening.

PGA Frisco is the largest current development in North America with world-class partners and amenities. Among other news, a theme park was recently approved with much more development to come. The PGA Senior Championship May 25 -28 will be the first major event at PGA Frisco. If you haven’t taken a look recently, you really should. www.pgafrisco.com.

Deferred Compensation

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, beginning now, April 2023 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. As of this writing, just 3,800 Members had enrolled so there is work to do spreading the word. This should be a no-brainer. The activities are in many cases things you’re already doing. Members can directly register by clicking here and begin submitting for points today.

Support the Membership through our Regional Model

While nothing more than a concept a couple years ago, our Regional Model is flourishing and growing, delivering services and professional opportunities and taking our Association to our Members across the country – a genuine success story.

People and programs include: PGA Career Services and our Career Consultants, PGA ExecuSearch, PGA Regional Directors, Player Engagement Specialists, PGA Coach, PGA Operations Benchmark, PGA HOPE, PGA Works and PGA Junior League.

ExecuSearch alone produced 26K Member/Associate interactions in the past 10 months, a 32% increase vs. prior year.

Maximize PGA REACH capital campaign goals and program impact

Our Growth of the Game initiatives are continuing their successful trends.
PGA Junior League is budgeting to award 4,200 scholarships vs. a prior year of 3,200. And player registrations are +13%.
PGA Hope is forecasted to serve 11,500 veterans in 315 locations nationwide.
The PGA Works Championship will be held at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, AL. Their Membership has committed to raising $2MM for an endowment fund.
PGA JobMatch is a vendor outreach program to 300 local and national organizations that looks to attract diverse talent and businesses to service our 2023 Championships. We have received 273 applications, 97% of which represent such diversity.

PGA Committee Structure

Direct PGA Member participation has never been higher with 32 national committees consisting of a broad cross section of Members from around the country assuring that the collective voice of our nearly 28,000 is being heard. The best introductory option for many is to volunteer and make your voice heard at the Section or Chapter level. Visit resources.pga.org.

Build PGA.com / PGA Coach into a tool for member, industry and the game

We are motivated to turn our public-facing consumer Championship sites and apps into revenue producing platforms. The is no better example than the nearly 3,000 coach profiles currently listed on PGA.com. If you teach the game, you absolutely should be there. The PGA Coach program is free.

So, “What am I getting for my PGA Membership?” Your “return on investment” has never been greater than it is right now. If you’re not finding a way to get involved, advance your career or improve and demonstrate your value to your employer, you may not be looking hard enough. Visit resources.pga.org.

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

Player Engagement

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

Dear Directors of Golf, General Managers, and other managerial personnel,

As a former General Manager myself, I know firsthand the many responsibilities that come with managing human resources, food and beverage, inventory, and cost of goods sold. However, I want to highlight the potential benefits of dedicating just 3-5 hours a week to Player Engagement and PGA Modern Coaching.

This investment of time can lead to a significant improvement in retention rates, attract new members and raving fans, involve all members of a household (not just avid golfers), and even lead to a pay increase.

Here are some specific examples of how Player Engagement and PGA Modern Coaching can benefit your club or course:

Improved retention rates: By providing excellent customer service and engaging with your players, you can build loyalty and keep them coming back for more.
Increased membership: When players are happy with their experience, they’re more likely to recommend your club or course to their friends and family. This can lead to increased membership and revenue.
Raving fans: When players are engaged and having fun, they’re more likely to become raving fans. These are the people who will sing your praises online and in person, helping to attract new players and grow your business.
Involvement of all household members: Golf is a great way to get the whole family active and engaged. By offering programs and activities for all ages and skill levels, you can make your club or course a destination for everyone in the family.
Increased pay: If you can demonstrate that Player Engagement and PGA Modern Coaching have led to improved results, you may be able to negotiate a pay increase with your employer.

I do not want to exaggerate the value of connecting with members or guests through Modern Group Coaching, but I urge you to consider the impact on your club if you could save or sell just 5 memberships. What would the financial implications be? Is it worth dedicating 3-5 hours of your time per week to achieve these benefits? As managers, you already understand the importance of “management by walking around,” allocating time for reports, and forecasting business KPIs. So why not take the time to connect with those you serve in an authentic way?

I highly recommend that you watch the videos below to get a comprehensive understanding of what Modern Group Coaching entails. Additionally, I challenge you to complete the 5-Hour Coaching series on PGA Coach. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Patrick Oropallo, Certified PGA

Mastering The Details (and Why it Matters)

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

Happy mid-April to you and yours! I’m still feeling a sense of awe, inspiration and frankly a little silly after returning from the 2023 Masters Tournament. It was my first time going…you’re probably wondering what took me so long? I was privileged to attend my first Masters with some amazing PGA professionals who kindly acted as guides for me. Their names included Brett, Sara, Carl, Chris, James and Tim. Thanks to all of you for “showing me the way.”

As of April 1, I am happy to say that I am going to be focused as the PGA Career Consultant for the PNWPGA Section and no longer the Regional Director for the West Region. After doing both roles for the past year, I was given the opportunity to do the one that 1) fits my “professional why” the best and 2) allows me to focus my time and energy where it affords me the highest level of professional job satisfaction and 3) is actually better for my family in the long run. I am grateful to Scott Kmiec, Sr Director of PGA Career Services and to Frank Talarico, PNWPGA Section CEO for both being key supporters for me in this move “back to what is best for me” and hopefully for the members, associates and employers in the Section (I care the most about).

How to Flourish During this Season

As we were sitting in the grandstand behind the 12th tee on Wednesday of Master’s Week, Tim (aka The Ultimate Patron) asked me: “What are you most blown away by after your first day at Augusta National?” While that is a simple and open-ended question, it’s also very tough to respond to in a complete way. At the time, I did my best, but after several days, here’s a more complete answer...