This summer, we are highlighting PNW PGA Professionals who have contributed Best Practices to the Section. We hope their programs will inspire you! Search the full Best Practices archive at https://pnwpga.com/bestpractices.
Name: Connor Sproull
Facility: Missoula CC
Hometown: Missoula, MT
PGA Member Since: 2010
Tell us about your golf beginnings. How did you get started? Why did you decide to pursue this career?
I played every sport in the book growing up. I started playing golf when I was 16 and immediately fell in love with the challenge of golf. My best friend Norm and myself bought a junior pass to the local municipal course and mowed lawns in the morning and golfed in the afternoon. The next year both of us got jobs as bag boys at the Missoula Country Club.
Who are or were your mentors?
Being in the golf business for 22 years, I feel like I have a lot of mentors. The ones that really made an impact on me were my boss of 17 years, Skip Koprivica, PGA, my current boss Chris Nowlen, PGA and the three gentleman I worked under in Seattle, Steve Bowles, Mark Sursley, PGA and Marcus King, PGA.
You had success in 2019 with your Junior Golf Tour. Have you had to make any changes this year for social distancing?
We have spread out our tee times and have reduced from 4-somes to 3-somes to accommodate social distancing on the course and after the event when they have lunch.
Do you have any suggestions for PNWPGA professionals about starting a Junior Golf Tour in their area?
When I moved back to Missoula from Seattle in 2014 I was teaching some junior golfers and I kept getting the same question, “Why isn’t there anything for junior golfers in Western Montana?” After that I made it my mission to improve junior golf in Western Montana. Cameron Milton and myself started working on a plan for PGA Junior league and now he has a 72-player league at Polson and we have a 52-player league here at Missoula CC. I developed a few week-long junior camps that are open not only to members of the club, but also non-members. As far as the Missoula Junior Tour goes, I started that with the hopes of getting 30-50 kids that would play golf each week at a different course and meet new golfing friends while playing competitively. My first year we had 75 kids and we have had 70-100 kids every year since 2015. Not only is it a great program for the kids, it’s a great program for the golf courses as they pick up new junior members that get involved in golf.
Read Connor’s Best Practice Here
Search the full Best Practices archive at https://pnwpga.com/bestpractices