Hello fellow PGA Professionals. My name is Chas Holmes and I am delighted and honored to be running for Section Secretary in 2022 in hopes of serving you for the next 8 years of another 100 years of success. I certainly look forward to the campaigning and I would like to wish my running mate John Grothe the best of luck as we make this journey together. I know we will both learn a great deal from each other and that our Section will be in good hands regardless of the outcome. I hope you will take a few minutes of your time to learn more about us in the coming months.
Let me start by telling you a bit about myself in hopes of sparking a future conversation with many of you when we cross paths. I grew up in Normandy Park, WA located a few miles west of the SeaTac airport. My grandfather started me in golf at a par 3 course in Federal Way called Belmore Park where I made my first par at 4 years old… Driver, 3 iron, putter. I played most of my golf at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club growing up. I am a proud graduate of O’Dea High School and Seattle University. Fast-forward a bit… I now serve as the Head Golf Professional at Yakima Country Club in Yakima, WA and was previously the Head Golf Professional at Tam o’Shanter Golf and Country Club in Bellevue, WA.
I am a blessed father of two, husband of one, friend of many, enemy to none, mentor to some, listener to all, and servant to you. My life is full yet balanced and I’m humbled everyday with the opportunities I’ve been given. I’m driven by helping those around me and making others better and am passionate about governance and professional development within the Pacific Northwest Section PGA. Recently, I was one of ten PGA Professionals chosen for the PGA LEAD program that was established to identify and develop future leaders within the PGA. I have served on the board of the Western WA Chapter as the Professional Development Committee Chair and on numerous committees within the Western WA Chapter. I currently serve on the Section Board as the Vice President of the Central WA Chapter, sit on several Central WA Chapter Committees, am certified in golf operations, specialized in executive management, and am the 2021 Section Professional Development Award winner.
I also enjoy giving back to my community through volunteering at the Union Gospel Mission, serving as a Rotarian, starting my birdie journey to golf in schools (which raised over $5,000 in 2021), receiving a 2021 PNW Section Youth Player Development Grant, and am the current Treasurer of the First Tee Central WA. Lastly, I serve on the Section Tournament Committee and have competed (I use that term lightly) in 25 section majors and over 100 pro-member tournaments over the last 8 years. I enjoy the company of you all at these events and supporting our tournament program because I know it drives operations at both section and chapter levels.
My experiences and opportunities make me a great candidate for your Section Secretary because I understand the business operations, challenges, successes, and needs of PGA Members and Associates at the Section level, small chapter level, and large chapter level.
Our mission in the Pacific Northwest PGA is simply stated but takes careful planning, feedback, and thoughtful execution to succeed – to serve the member and grow the game. My goal as your Section Secretary follows right in line with this mission with a simple addition – to serve, PROMOTE, AND DEVELOP the member and grow the game. I want our Pacific Northwest community to know how valuable we are as PGA Professionals and understand the importance of our jobs and what we do for them and our local communities. This, and everything our officers will do under my leadership, aligns with our Section strategic plan. You may have seen examples of this via social media or emails promoting our Section PGA Professionals. With your vote, I will stand up for each of you, promote you, and lead our board of directors into making educated decisions that better your lives as PGA Professionals.
There are too many open Assistant Professional jobs in our Section and we currently don’t have enough qualified talent to fill these positions. It’s a supply and demand issue – there is much higher demand for golf professionals but not enough supply. I believe that most of us got into this business because someone, likely a PGA Professional, invited and inspired us to consider it. There is only one way to change the current situation and it will take a collaborative, intentional effort from each of us to educate the community about what we do, how we impact our communities and more. This will inspire more of our young people, especially those who love golf already, to be like us and be part of the meaningful mission to make golf better for those we serve, teach, and coach. With this positive message, we can flip the supply and demand curve. As an officer of your Section, I will make sure you are supported by our Section Board AND with talented Professional staff at your facilities.
Sincerely,
Chas Holmes, Certified PGA
Head Golf Professional
Yakima Country Club
Office – (509) 452-2266 | mobile – (206) 550-5135
CWC PGA Vice President