President's Report

Wow, we went from the wettest winter on record straight on to summer! I hope you all have the chance to take advantage of the increased business and, most importantly, catching up on your budgets for 2017! Just as we have struggled to hit our revenue targets while managing our expenses, our sales reps and sponsors have weathered the same storm. Please don’t be afraid to patronize our sponsors whenever you can. For easy reference, here is a link to our sponsor page: https://www.pnwpga.com/about/sponsors.

Meridian Valley just completed hosting the Washington Open. I cannot thank our Section staff enough for all of the very excellent work they do administering our events and many programs. The Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational cannot be held without our sponsors, and I thank the Muckleshoot Casino for their tireless support of this event. I am proud to say that the pro-am in advance of the championship raised $61,000 for the Folds of Honor. Hosting an event is a huge endeavor, whether it’s a Section major or a one-day Chapter pro-am. To those 230 host sites, thank you for allowing us to hold an event and help further the PGA brand.

Because we are in the heat of the season, I cannot encourage you enough to live the motto displayed by one of my many mentors in this business. Steve Prugh always told me to make sure we are always making efforts to play, teach and promote this great game. We are the leaders in the game and we must set that example. Use a Section major to “get away” from the daily grind and enjoy the game with and against your fellow professionals. The most valuable thing about this business is networking—and what better way to do it than on a golf course with your peers?

Finally, thank you for being an important part of this great game and leading others down the path of a lifetime of enjoyment that the game can provide. If I can ever be of assistance to you, I hope you won’t hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Greg Manley, PGA
President, PNWPGA
Greg@meridianvalleycc.com

CEO's Report

The weather has finally turned and the golf season is upon us – full speed I hope! You have heard me say that PGA Junior League Golf is the very best program rolled out by the PGA of America, well another local example just surfaced. Check out this segment on the Golf Channel highlighting one of Kevin Story’s kids at Eagle Crest: https://vimeo.com/219532715

Local Qualifying for Drive Chip and Putt starts on June 11 at The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie with another six events in June and the final four in July. The complete schedule can be found here. Please help us promote this FREE event to your juniors and their parents.

A big thank you to Muckleshoot Casino, Meridian Valley CC and our golf industry sponsors of Perfect Drive, TaylorMade adidas, Golf Genius and Haas-Jordan for a very successful Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational. Thanks to the commitment of our sponsors and players, the event raised $61,000 for the Folds of Honor! That’s an amazing $160,000 in just three years.

Speaking of Folds of Honor, we are supporting our professionals in Alaska with a Folds of Honor Scramble on August 12 to raise funds for the Folds. Also, each of you has the unique opportunity to support this tremendous need by hosting a Patriot Golf Day event. While Labor Day weekend is the traditional time, you may host an event any day of the year. It’s easy, the format is 100% up to you, just make it fit your facility. If you need ideas, give me a call.

Entries are out for the 30^th …that’s right, the 30^th Rosauers Open Invitational on July 14-16. We are indebted to the fine folks at Rosauers Supermarkets who have been with us every step of the way to make this not only a successful event for Section professionals but also a fundraiser for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. This event truly is a partnership between the people of Spokane, Rosauers, the Nursery and PGA Professionals. Thank you all for making it successful. I’m happy to say we will return to ‘the Canyon’ for this important anniversary. Click here to enter.

Entries are out for the PGA Professional Championship, September 19-21 at Circling Raven Golf Club. Always a popular spot for this championship with the fine Gene Bates-designed golf course and on-site hotel/casino, you don’t want to miss this one. The old common deadline is gone and we now enjoy a more normal entry close of September 6. For this championship we use our standard major championship entry fee ($320 plus $25 for skins). This year with Circling Raven GC being a cart facility, we added in a cart fee into the entry to get to our $375 total. By going with our normal entry fee, we are able to add an additional $23,500 to the purse and we will pay up to 50% of the field. Thanks to using our normal entry fee we’ve averaged well over $70,000 the last five years and with your participation we expect this year to easily top that mark. Click here for more information.

We’ve added two new sponsors recently. GT Golf Supplies and Darrell Livingston will support the Northwest Open and Birk Nelson with Orange Whip will be part of the Oregon Open, Rosauers and Northwest Opens. Please welcome them to the Section!

The 2017 Bunny Mason Scholarships have been awarded to Samantha Thurston – $1,000 and Eva Knowles – $500. These scholarships were established by the late Hall of Famer Bunny Mason and are additionally supported by your 1% Club donations and the Tickets for Charity program at the Winco Foods Portland Open.

June also means our PGA dues are due. Please don’t miss the June 30 deadline. If you have not seen an invoice…it’s not coming. National sends all but a handful of notices via email. Just log into PGA.org or call 800-4PGA-PRO. Each year, those of you who have your employer pay your dues end up with late fees as they try to mail the check with their AP run on July 10. Please walk your dues through accounting to avoid the late fee. One useful feature is that you can visit PGA.org and create proxy access for your employer to access your account and pay your dues. This should help your employer pay with a company credit card and simply get it done!

The Special Olympics North America Golf Championship is being held June 26-28 at Willows Run Golf Course in Redmond, Washington. The folks from Special Olympics are in need of PGA Professionals to serve as Rules Officials for this championship. While a working knowledge of the Rules of Golf is important, the right approach and a willingness to help are most important. The golfers are skilled players of all ages from kids to seniors. Ideally, officials will work all three days but there will likely be a place for you if you can only work a couple of the days. This is a volunteer position so no funding is available for your expenses. If you are available these dates please contact Steve Jubb, PGA at National Alliance for Accessible Golf 772-233-1879 or steve@accessgolf.org.

Finally, be sure to follow Scott Erdmann, Tim Feenstra, Russell Grove, Ryan Malby, Brent Murray, Corey Prugh, and Bryan Tunstill at the PGA Professional Championship, June 18-21 at Sunriver Resort. Coverage is provided on Golf Channel, why not have it on in the shop and share with your members that each year you enter the qualifier for this championship as well…..and you are going to make it next year.

Jeff Ellison, PGA

McCullough Takes 2017 Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational

By Mitchell DeKruif, Tournament Intern

Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, WA hosted the 91st Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational and Pro-Am benefiting Folds of Honor. The 6,707 yard, par 72 course provided the perfect venue for a successful pro-am and competitive championship. The pro-am was held May 20-21 with the three-day championship following May 22-24.

The Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Pro-Am, benefiting Folds of Honor, consisted of a field of 29 sponsored teams of four amateurs and one PGA Professional each. The teams competed in a two-day, best 2 of 5 net shamble format. After 36 holes of competition, the margin of victory was only one shot. The Sysco-sponsored team, consisting of host PGA Assistant Professional Hagen Dickinson (Meridian Valley CC), and amateurs Jim Redman, Nate Spitzer, Steve Elmore and Russ Heaton, took home the victory with an impressive 50-under par. Even more remarkable than their score was the $61,000 raised for Folds of Honor. Folds of Honor is a foundation which provides academic scholarships to the families of fallen American soldiers.

After the exciting conclusion of the pro-am over the weekend, the 54-hole championship began. 165 PNW PGA Professionals and amateurs teed it up with one goal in mind: to hoist the Washington Open Invitational trophy as champion. Exceptional play would be needed in order to accomplish this goal as narrow fairways, firm greens and challenging hole locations made low scores hard to come by. Round one concluded with three PGA professionals atop the leaderboard at 3-under par: Derek Berg (Sahalee CC), Tyler Sweet (Sunland G&CC) and David Phay (Whidbey G&CC). Round two saw a lot of jockeying for position, but no one separated themselves as tough conditions kept the leaderboard congested. It ended with PGA professional Derek Berg on top at 4-under par, followed by PGA professional Shane Prante (Lake Spanaway GC) at 3-under and PGA professional Ryan Benzel (Sahalee CC) at 1-under. These men would make up the final group on day three, but no one could prepare for what amateur Drew McCullough (Meadow Springs CC) would conjure up in his final round.

When asked how he prepared for his final round, Drew replied that he knew he had to “hit more greens… to shoot a solid number.”

And a solid number it was. Drew finished his front nine at 4-under par, right on the heels of the leaders in the final group. After his eagle on 13 he knew he was only one shot back and within striking distance to win the championship. Coming in, Drew didn’t play it safe as he ended his round birdie, birdie to shoot a tournament low round of 65. This was enough to edge out low PGA professional Shane Prante by one shot.

“It feels great to win my first major against such a good field on a great course,” Drew said of his dramatic win. That sums up the week; the best players in the region, playing a challenging golf course and amateur Drew McCullough finding his name atop the leaderboard.

We’d like to thank Meridian Valley CC, Muckleshoot Casino, all of our great sponsors and the players for making the 2017 Washington Open Invitational and Pro-Am benefiting Folds of Honor so successful. Host PGA professionals Greg Manley and Koll Farman did an excellent job along with Craig Benson and his grounds crew staff. We look forward to returning to Meridian Valley CC in 2018 for the 92nd Washington Open Invitational.

Final Results

PNW PGA Professional Championship

PGA Assistant Professional Corey Prugh of Manito G&CC is expected to return and defend his title this September against a very strong field of PNW PGA Members for the PNW PGA Professional Championship. PGA Professional Mark Nelson and his staff are excited to host this year’s championship at Circling Raven GC in Worely, ID.

You must be employed in one of the following classifications as of September 6 to be eligible to play in the PNW PGA Professional Championship: MP, A-1, A-2, A-4, A-5, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-9, A-10, A-11, A-12, A-13, A-14, A-15, A-16, A-17, A-18, A-19, A-20, A-21, A-22, A-23, A-24, LMA and LMMA. The top seven finishers in our PNW PGA Professional Championship will advance directly into the 51st PGA Professional Championship, presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz USA and OMEGA, held at Bayonet Black Horse, Seaside, California on June 17-20, 2018.

That’s right! We are playing for seven spots to advance to the National Championship held on the WEST COAST next June! Last year we had a $71,800 purse (plus $2,625 in skins) with 93 professionals playing and paid half the field.

You may register for this event through PGA of America Membership services at 800-474-2776, www.pga.org or http://www.pgatournaments.com

The entry deadline is Wednesday, September 6th at 11:59 PM (PDT). Please pay attention to the entry deadline for this event. We will have NO LATE ENTRY!

Learn More

Senior Oregon Open Invitational

We expect a strong field of competitors for the Senior Oregon Open Invitational this year as we return to the Wildhorse Resort & Casino for our 15^th straight year! We will have a full field of 56 teams (224 PGA Professionals and amateurs). This event fills every year and usually has a large waiting list. Please make sure you are aware of the entry priority processing procedure to see what category you fall under. As requested, we now offer online team entries!

We realize that many of you are participating in the Senior Washington Open Invitational and may not be able to get the Senior Oregon Open Invitational team entry in immediately. That’s ok and won’t hurt your chances of getting accepted!

All players (see below) just need to make sure your team entry is received no later than Wednesday, June 21 at 5:00 PM to go into your respective categories. Exempt players will get accepted immediately. Everyone else will get updated on your team status on Thursday, June 22.

2017 Entry Priority

Exempt players*
b. The balance of the field will be filled by remaining professionals using following ranking priority**:
Number of events (Sr. WA Open, Sr. Players’, Sr. OR Open, Sr. PGA***, WA Open, OR Open, Rosauers Open, NW Open, PPC) played in prior calendar year, January to December.
Professionals with the same priority in “1”, by number of tournament rounds posted in the PNWPGA Handicap System.
Professionals with the same priority after “1” and “2”, by date of the latest prior year score in PNWPGA Handicap System.

* The early deadline for category A is three weeks after entries have opened at 5:00 PM.
** All entrants will be on waiting list until the close of entries to ensure correct ranking, then confirmed according to priority.
*** Sr. PGA will count twice in this ranking list.

CLICK HERE for the Senior Oregon Open Exemption List

No category has a priority based on receipt of entry, simply meet the deadlines for your situation.

Learn More

National Car Rental PNW Assistant PGA Professional Championship

August 7, 2017

Canby OR - Willamette Valley CC

Enter at www.pgatournaments.com

Deadline for entries: July 26 at 11:59 PM

Rosauers Open Invitational

Umpqua Bank Pro-Am: July 12-13

Championship: July 14-16

Spokane, WA – Indian Canyon GC

pro online entry | pro entry form (PDF)

Deadline for entries: June 28

PNW Senior PGA Professional Championship

Championship: September 7-8

Optional Pro-Am: September 6

Everett, WA – Everett G&CC

enter National qualifier at www.pgatournaments.com | Section entry form (online) | Section entry form (PDF)

Deadline for entries: August 23 @ 11:59 PM

Rannow, Bob - 120.00
Prante, Shane - 100.00
Berg, Derek - 95.00

OMEGA Senior Player of the Year Points

Sovay, Tom - 150.00
Carranza, Joe - 95.00

Assistant Player of the Year Points

Prante, Shane - 175.00
Berg, Derek - 145.00
Cassidy, John - 112.50

Hudson Cup Points

Lisk, Chris - 100.00
Cassidy, John - 95.00
Benzel, Ryan - 87.50
Thornton, Brian - 87.50

Senior Hudson Cup Points

Sovay, Tom - 255.00
Carranza, Joe - 212.50
Gibbons, Rob - 205.00

Holk's Highlights: Debby King, PGA

Facility: Laurelwood Muni GC

Hometown: Born in Baltimore, MD. Currently has lived in Eugene, OR for the past 10 years.

PGA Member Since: 1995

Debby King was first inspired to get into golf by her father. Then it was Bob Toski who, along with the PGA and LPGA, taught her to be a teacher. Recently, King received a Yamaha Player Development Grant for her Glow Golf Event at Laurelwood Muni GC. We asked her to share some highlights about this event.

Members on the Move

by Michelle Parish, Tournament & Membership Coordinator

Emplyoment Changes

Steven W. Borror, PGA (A-1) - from Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow to Bandon - Old MacDonald
Phillip J. Gaggero, PGA (A-1) - from Shuksan GC to Lake Padden GC
Benjamin R. Halter, PGA (A-8) - from Sahalee CC to Gamble Sands
Kristopher C Halvorson (B-6) - from Salem GC to Creekside GC
Jacob J. Hanson, PGA (A-1) - from Alderbrook G&YC to Mill Creek CC
Joshua J Petersen (B-8) - from Jorgensen Golf Inc. to Fairwood G&CC

Class Changes

Robert H Fisher (Arrowhead GC) - from B-14 to B-8
Raymond E. Otis, PGA (Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow) - from A-1 to A-13
Adam M. Rogers, PGA (Overlake G&CC) - from A-8 to A-1
Mark T. Sursely, PGA (Overlake G&CC) - from A-1 to A-4

New Apprentices

Daniel T Amann (B-8) - Deer Park GC
Robert E Baier (B-8) - Canyon River GC
Nathaniel F. W. Colo (B-8) - Indian Summer G&CC
James A Haban (B-8) - Grants Pass GC
Sean RW Holm (B-8) - North Shore GC
Brady B Humpherys (B-8) - Coeur D'Alene Resort GC
Jared A Lambert (B-8) - Eagle Crest GC
Christopher S Ming (B-8) - High Cedars GC
Jarrett D Retz (B-8) - Manito G&CC
Nico D van der Ven (B-8) - Jackson Park GC

Newly Elected Members

Ryan M. Dahl, PGA (A-1) - Horn Rapids GC
Carl J. Hetterle, PGA (A-8) - Broadmoor GC

Transfers INTO the Section

Eric R Barna (B-8) to Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club from Southwest
Kevin W. Casby, PGA (A-8) to Rock Creek Cattle Co. from S. California
Scott C Cherry (B-8) to Heron Lakes GC from S. California
Alex W. Cormier, PGA (A-6) to GolfTEC - Lynnwood from Unaffliated
Evan J. Mitchell, PGA (A-8) to Rock Creek Cattle Co. from S. California
Robert A Newbill (B-8) to Brasada Canyons from S. California
Raymond E. Otis, PGA (A-13) to Pumpkin Ridge - Witch Hollow from N. California
Jordan D. Ropp, PGA (A-8) to Tetherow GC from Aloha
Christopher M. Rosenquist, PGA (A-8) to Pronghorn from Southwest
Kyle M. Stanley, PGA (A-3) to PGA Tour from Carolinas
Koby J. Stauffer, PGA (A-8) to The Club at Rock Creek from S. California
Harrison M Taylor (B-8) to Village Greens GC from Southwest

New Quarter Century

Thomas B. Davidson, PGA
Fred W. Haney, PGA

New Half Century

Hank Friede, PGA
Michael R. Renshaw, PGA

The Value of High-Trust Networks

Monte Koch, Player Development Regional Manager

Recently, one of my colleagues shared a really good article with me entitled High-Trust Networks and High-Performing Teams. It’s not a golf article, but the author Geoffrey Moore shares some significant applications I believe line up with our as PGA professionals. In the article, the difference between a High-Trust Network (HTN) and a Low-Trust Network (LTN) are discussed.

What is a High-Trust Network? Are you building a high-trust team or a low-trust team? Let's analyze this useful concept as it relates to golf facilities.

Be a Valuable Asset to Your Facility

Carol Pence, PGA of America Employment Consultant

The workplace is tough and may be for foreseeable future. It is how you approach your job that will define you and your value to your facility. Here are four ideas for a successful approach.

Go beyond your job description. Do you ever hear co-workers say, “That’s not my job,” when presented with a task? Of course, you have. Are those the words the boss wants to hear? No. Going the extra mile towards every new assignment will expose you to new tasks and a learning opportunity. Plus, it shows that you are focused on the needs of your employer and the facility.

Getting Motivated About Investment

Blake Parrish

“At least I know you don’t have to shoot 65 to try to win” – Ernie Els

I was fortunate enough to hang around golf greats like Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Ian Baker-Finch, among others, during my days in the South Florida Section. One of my memories was of how Mr. Player would walk down the practice tee mid-morning and completely lay into the members while they warmed up prior to going out on the course. He’d say things like, “look at how out of shape you are! Do you know that I do 1,000 sit-ups a day and I’m 78 years old? What kinds of food do you feed your overweight body? Let me know if you need help getting in better health so that you can hit the ball as far as I can even though you’re half my age.” Not exactly the type of stuff a PGA club pro could get away with saying to their membership, but it does remind me of how people need catalysts to get them to do things that are in their own best interest. This includes money habits, investment strategy, partnering with a professional team, etc.