Wow, September 15 already! It’s been a very busy season here in the office, I hope your year was successful and profitable! Your Section and Chapters strive to deliver programs and services to help you maximize the benefit of your PGA membership. Let us know what we can do better and what existing services you really like (so we don’t change them).
The Pacific Northwest Section Merchandise Show, Annual Meeting and Education program moves to Portland this year and is also a week early. We will be at the Oregon Convention Center (near the Moda Center) on October 14-16. Don’t head out to the Expo our you might be surprised! We have a strong education program with offerings on Monday and Wednesday. The Annual Meeting is again at 7:30 AM on Wednesday morning, which will be preceded by a nice breakfast thanks to Pelzer Golf. The popular Pro-Vendor changes both time and format. We will visit TopGolf at 7:00 PM on Monday night! Please register yourself and your buyers for the Show, register early for education and most importantly sign up for the Pro-Vendor no later than September 30.
I’ve talked at length about PGA Junior League and the benefit it brings not only to the game, but to the professionals who embrace this fantastic program. Thanks to all of our coaches, the Pacific Northwest Section eked out a narrow victory and we are the #1 PGA Junior League program among the 41 Sections. In total, 3,395 kids participated in our Section in 2019. This represents a 17.7% increase over 2018 and builds on a long history of growth. If you are not taking full advantage of this opportunity, please call our PGA Junior League Regional Manager, Branden Thompson at 503-869-2827 to find out why so many of your peers are using this program to benefit their kids, their facilities and themselves.
Your chapter is actively seeking nominations for the chapter Special Awards. Through this program, we strive to recognize the very best professionals in each chapter who excel in each of the 11 categories. We need your help identifying your peers and if you are nominated, please respect the person who thinks you are pretty terrific and complete your bio. Modesty is a virtue, but there is a time to toot your own horn and this is it! Let the Committee decide if your efforts are deserving of special recognition.
Visit your chapter web site to find our more or call your chapter awards chair.
If you are a PGA Associate or employ a PGA Associate, please remember the Section’s Associate Mentoring Program requires Associates to attend one meeting, one qualifying education seminar and play once. Letters just went out regarding your individual situation. Meetings will all be held during September and October. Don’t wait, your only chances left are the Section Annual Meeting in Portland and the Fall Chapter Meeting. Plan today. Chapters will fire up their education calendars soon, check in with your chapter education chair if you are short. Finally, know your chapter event schedule, three of the chapters are about done!
We’ve released the 2020 Section Tournament Schedule. As you can see, we have another terrific line up. We are very fortunate to have such a great schedule. My thanks to all our 2019 host professionals and those of you who helped us add your fine facilities for 2020!
Sometimes I hear “what does National do for me?” Two very immediate services are provided by Monte Koch and Branden Thompson, both National employees who are solely funded via National with their focus squarely here in the Northwest. Monte provides not only employment services, and of course his educational road shows each spring and fall, but he also spends a considerable amount of his time individually coaching professionals to be better. Our PGA Junior League program would not be the same without Branden. With 3,400 kids on 361 teams, it’s a monumental task to form leagues, coordinate playoffs for 64 All-Star teams and facilitate your needs with National. Think for a moment of the funding the Section would have to develop just to offer these services on our own! We appreciate both of their support and all they do for the 1,200 professionals in the Section. Thank you, gentlemen.
Have a great fall, enjoy the break the rains will bring and I hope to see you in Portland at the Merchandise Show and Annual Meeting.
Jeff Ellison, PGA
CEO, Pacific NW Section PGA