September 15, 2023

CEO's Report

Frank Talarico | ftalarico@pgahq.com

Your Chance to Change a Life

As a CEO, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact that mentorship can have on both individuals and organizations.  With registration now open for the 2023 PNW PGA Mentoring Conference, I’d like to focus us all on the power of mentorship and why it should be an integral part of our Section’s culture.

The Role of Mentorship:

At its core, mentorship is a relationship built on trust, guidance, and support. It is a dynamic process where experienced professionals invest their time, knowledge, and wisdom into nurturing the growth and development of their mentees. Mentors offer valuable insights, provide encouragement, and help mentees navigate the challenges they face on their professional journey.

Benefits for the Mentees:

For mentees, the benefits of having a mentor are immeasurable. A mentor serves as a compass, offering guidance and direction in times of uncertainty. They share their experiences, enabling mentees to learn from both their successes and failures. By having a mentor, individuals gain access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise, empowering them to make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

Mentorship is also instrumental in fostering personal and professional growth. Mentees receive continuous feedback, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and capitalize on their strengths. The guidance and support from a mentor can boost confidence, provide new perspectives, and inspire mentees to set ambitious goals. Moreover, mentors often serve as advocates, opening doors to new opportunities and helping mentees build valuable networks.

Benefits for the Mentors:

While the focus of mentorship is typically on the mentees, mentors also gain significant benefits from the relationship. Serving as a mentor provides an opportunity for seasoned professionals to give back and make a lasting impact on someone’s life. Sharing knowledge and insights not only enhances the mentee’s growth but also reinforces the mentor’s own expertise. Mentoring relationships often foster a sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, and personal growth for mentors.

Furthermore, mentors can gain fresh perspectives and insights from their mentees. These relationships can be mutually beneficial, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth within the organization. Mentoring also helps mentors strengthen their leadership and coaching skills, further enhancing their own professional development.

Building a Mentoring Culture:

To harness the power of mentorship, it is crucial to foster a mentoring culture within your organization. Here are a few key strategies to consider:

  1. Encourage Participation: Actively promote mentorship programs and encourage employees at all levels to participate. Create a platform where potential mentors and mentees can connect and form meaningful relationships.
  2. Provide Resources: Offer resources and training programs to help mentors and mentees navigate their roles effectively. Provide guidelines, best practices, and tools that support the mentoring process.
  3. Recognize and Reward: Recognize and reward individuals who actively engage in mentoring relationships. Highlight success stories and showcase the positive impact of mentorship on both individuals and the organization.
  4. Lead by Example: As leaders, we must lead by example and be active mentors ourselves. By demonstrating the value of mentorship and sharing our own experiences, we inspire others to follow suit.

Mentorship is a powerful tool that drives personal and professional growth. By fostering a mentoring culture, we create an environment where individuals can flourish, learn from one another, and achieve their full potential. As leaders and professionals, we have a responsibility to champion mentorship and ensure its integration into our Section and facility cultures. Let us embrace the power of mentorship and watch it transform not only our individuals but also our Section.  As Maya Angelou once said, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” Let us be catalysts for growth, guiding the path to success through the incredible power of mentorship.

Wishing you all a successful mentoring journey.  See you all at Royal Oaks, November 1st.

Special Notes & Reminders

Please join me in congratulating the winners of the 2023 Callaway Golf Challenge! The team led by Grant Cation, PGA of Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club with amateurs Mark Rix, Jeff Chessum and Mike Johnson were crowned PNW PGA Callaway Golf Challenge Team Champions.  PGA Professional Jacob Wilson of Hamilton GC won the PNW PGA Callaway Golf Challenge Individual Champion title. We are excited for the 2024 Challenge. Our sincere thanks to our friends and valued partners at Callaway Golf for making this event possible.

Congrats to the Garmany Majors Shootout Finale qualifiers!  My very special thanks to Bud Garmany, Mark Hoff, PGA and Garmany Golf for so generously supporting this very popular, special opportunity for our Section tournament players. 

Please join me in welcoming the Section’s newest sponsor, Titus-Will Automotive Group. Titus-Will is the Official Vehicle Sponsor of the PNW PGA. Look for our feature story about this wonderful partner in our October edition. Please also keep an eye out for our social media posts highlighting some fantastic car deals this Black Friday.

Lastly, please join me in thanking our 2023 PPC section sponsors, Club Car and Evolve Golf.  Moreover, our collective appreciation for our 2023 Pro-Pro sponsor, Adam Southworth with Dynamic Brands.

I hope to see many of you at the fall meeting, September 19, 6:00 PM, after the first round of the PPC.  As always, if I or our section staff may be of any service to you, please reach out.

Gove Wins Back-to-Back PNW PGA Senior Professional Championship Titles

by Molly Cooper, PGA - Senior Director, Tournament and Member Services

Jeff Gove of The Idaho Club won the PNW PGA Senior Professional Championship at Semiahmoo G&CC on September 7th with rounds of 69-73—142 to win by two strokes over Jeff Coston of Semiahmoo G&CC and Mitch Lowe of Glendoveer GC.

“I am honored to have won this event the past two years,” said Gove. “The pros in this section have a long history of high-level competition and I love to compete against them and play tournament golf.”

“The PNWPGA has a fantastic group of PGA Professionals that do so much to grow the game, honor the tradition of the game and I love being able to be a part of their mission,” Gove added. “I look forward to representing our section at the National Championship and I will do my best to be ready in late October.”

Gove, Lowe are joined by Ryan Malby of Kalispell, MT, Chuck Milne of Vanco Driving Range, Billy Bomar of Bomar Putting Company and Birk Nelson of Orange Whip Trainer, who all qualified for the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac, held October 26 - 29, 2023, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL. PNW PGA Professional Jeff Coston already had an exemption into the national event.

Kevin Coombs of Orchard Hills CC won the Senior Division, and Joe Peccia of Lake Oswego GC won the net competition in the Senior Division.

Designed by Arnold Palmer, Semiahmoo G&CC is a true destination for golfers of all skill levels. Located in Blaine, Washington, Semiahmoo hosted the U.S. Senior Open Qualifying back in 2010 and won several Best Golf Course awards in Washington state, most recently ranked 3rd best in 2022. The PNW PGA would like to thank PGA General Manager Jeff Mehlert, PGA Host Professional Matt Fredrickson and their team for hosting a wonderful event.

FINAL RESULTS

Player Engagement

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

An Unforgettable Experience for Your Facility

Are you looking for a program that will not only boost engagement and family interaction but also increase retention at your facility? Look no further than PGA Family Golf—an extraordinary program that requires minimal administrative time and delivers exceptional results.

What sets PGA Family Golf apart is its ability to involve the entire family, including those who may not be avid golfers. In today’s digital age, it’s rare to find a place where families can spend quality time together, free from the distractions of mobile devices. With PGA Family Golf, you can create moments that will be treasured for a lifetime, amid a beautiful outdoor setting.

Here’s the undeniable truth: golfers are social beings. According to a recent study by Creo Advisors (2023), 40% of respondents reported playing more golf when accompanied by family or friends. If you’re seeking to enhance member/guest satisfaction, boost retention rates, and forge lasting memories, PGA Family Golf is the answer.

The greatest strength of PGA Family Golf lies in its flexibility. We understand that every facility has unique needs and goals. That’s why our program can be tailored to perfectly align with your vision. Let’s connect and discuss how PGA Family Golf can seamlessly integrate into your offerings, becoming the cherished experience your facility has been waiting for.

Act now and unlock the potential of PGA Family Golf. Contact me today, and together, we’ll bring joy, togetherness, and unforgettable moments to your facility.

Make History at the PGA Family Golf Championship

Sign up now to make history by competing in the inaugural PGA Family Golf Championship, set for December 8-10 at PGA West. The PGA Family Golf Championship invites families—teams of 2-4 members, each with at least one adult (ages 18+ as of Dec. 9, 2023) and one junior (ages 10+ as of Dec. 9, 2023)—to vie for the national title in a two-day, stroke play alternate shot tournament. Teams with one or more PGA or LPGA Professionals will compete within their own division. Families will tee it up together on the iconic Mountain and Dunes Courses at PGA West in LaQuinta, California, and enjoy a special rate at the LaQuinta Resort & Club, located just a short walk away from the Championship! Get all the details and Register Now!

Need a Starting Point?

Provided below is a sample “budget” for a PGA Family Golf event at a private club. This sample budget simply provides a starting point for conversations with me, your Player Engagement Consultant, or the stakeholders at your club. 

“The following budget covers a PGA Family Golf event with 15 Families of four participating. Dinner will be enjoyed by all following play at the awards ceremony.”

SAMPLE BUDGET – PRIVATE CLUB

Provided below is a sample “budget” for a PGA Family Golf event at a public facility. This sample budget simply provides a starting point for conversations with me, your Player Engagement Consultant, or the stakeholders at your club.

“The following budget covers a PGA Family Golf event with 15 Families of four participating. A pre-round putting course and instruction/coaching was organized before teeing off.”

SAMPLE BUDGET – PUBLIC FACILITY

Circling Raven Director of Golf puts Golf to Work for Veterans

by WA Golf Staff

Circling Raven Director of Golf Chris Runyan is the first card-carrying PGA pro in his family.

He’s also the first U.S. Marine veteran in a long family line of Army, Navy and Air Force vets dating to the Civil War.

Those two details in the Spokane native’s history converge into the guiding narrative of Runyan’s current and future life. He cares deeply about every man and woman who has served their country in whatever capacity. He honors whatever scars they carry forward, alongside his own.

And he brings that care and honor to bear in his job, weaving them tightly with his lifelong love for the game of golf, which led him to where he is today — heading up Circling Raven at Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel (Idaho’s No. 1 course as rated by Golfweek), and serving as the founder and executive director of one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest fundraising tournaments, the Dan Kleckner Golf Classic, which celebrates its 13th edition this summer.

“It’s really the cherry on top of the golf sundae,” says Runyan of Circling Raven. “My dad was a big golfer and I’ve been playing since I was three. I worked at a golf course before I joined the Marine Corps. I didn’t feel fulfilled, so I needed to do something else. That’s where the Marines got involved.”

During basic training at Camp Pendleton in the late 1990s, Runyan “blew out a knee and my left ankle,” but, adhering to the Marine code of “suffer in silence,” kept it to himself for the better part of two years until he “basically could no longer walk.”

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Employment Opportunities

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

Note: Monte's monthly articles have now moved to the "first of the month" edition

PNWPGA JOB BOARD NOTICE

Upcoming Education

September 28, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am |  PNW PGA “Stay Involved” Education – Pace of Play – presented by Christopher Smith, PGA

Upcoming Events

Arizona Sun Pro-Am presented by Mike Worden

Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2023
Fort McDowell, AZ - We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort
Saguaro and Cholla Courses
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Thank You for Supporting Our Sponsors

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