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The e-newsletter of the Middle Atlantic PGA
Newsletter Date:
January 2014
Volume XXVI, Issue I
The Middle Atlantic Professional
Important Dates:
January 20
Youth & Family Golf Summit
Orlando, FL
January 21
PGA Show Demo Day &
Instructional Workshops
Winter Garden, FL
January 22-24
2014 PGA Merchandise
Show
Orlando, FL
March 3
Section Spring Meeting
March 8
Awards & Hall of Fame
Banquet
Inside this issue:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
President’s Perspective: Planning
for 2014
The Free & Spontaneous Year of the
Horse
Section Direction by
Executive Director Jon Guhl
Resources for Today’s PGA
Professional and What Employers
Player Development Discussion:
What is Your Plan?
A Word from Our Allies
Chapter Chat
President’s Perspective: Setting the Course for 2014
By President John Madden,
PGA Head Professional at
River Bend Golf & Country
Club.
I hope everyone had a great
holiday season. The deep
freeze is upon us and I hope
all of you get an opportunity
to travel somewhere warm
over the next couple of
months.
The Board of Directors met in
early December at our annual
planning session to chart out a
course for the upcoming year.
This year’s facilitator for the
session was Darrell Crall, COO
of The PGA of America. The
session was very productive
and I am excited for the new
direction we will be taking,
especially in the areas of
Player Development and
Foundations.
Financially, the Section had
another strong year. This and
the additional monies from The
PGA of America (through ADP
funding) and PGA Tour will
allow the Board of Directors
to map out some new and
exciting programs that will
benefit you directly at your
facilities. You will learn more
on this exciting news in the
coming months.
The MAPGA led the way and
ranked 1st out of the 41
sections in participation and
involvement in PGA of
America programs. I expect
our section to lead the way
again in 2014. Please start
this process by filling out the
2014 compensation and
facility survey.
(Cont. on page 2…)
Congratulations to MAPGA Past President and PGA of America Honorary President
Allen Wronowski on his retirement. A celebration was held at Hillendale Country Club
where MAPGA Officers John Madden, PGA; J.P. Lunn, PGA; and John Malinowski, PGA
and Executive Director Jon Guhl were in attendance to honor Allen.
Thank you, Allen, for your service to the MAPGA, the PGA and the golf industry.
Page 2 The Middle Atlantic Professional
MAPGA Board of Directors
OFFICERS
President
John Madden, PGA
River Bend Golf & CC
Vice President
Matthew Schulze, PGA
LPGA Kingsmill Championship
Secretary
J.P. Lunn, PGA
Holly Hills CC
Honorary President
John Malinowski, PGA
Ocean Pines Golf & CC
DIRECTORS
Mark Beran, PGA
Brice Busse, PGA
Butch Butler, PGA
Peter Gardner, PGA
Lynne Hunter, PGA
John Lyberger, PGA
Jeff Maynor, PGA
Sean Taylor, PGA
Mike Thomas, PGA
Josh Tremblay, PGA
Andy Weissinger, PGA
2014: The Free and Spontaneous Year of the Horse
Ancient Chinese astrology
designates an animal sign for
each year and 2014 is the
Year of the Horse. A sign of
strength, freedom, and
success, the horse, to many of
the Chinese, is a hero and the
Year of the Horse promises
good fortune.
The freedom side of the horse
encourages us to return to
nature and enjoy life and life’s
adventures. Fortunately golf
p rov ides that outdoor
adventure where we can be
free from our daily routine,
free from the many stresses in
our lives, and free to enjoy the
game we love. Maybe this
year is your chance to play
more golf? Maybe it’s your
opportunity to be that leader
who helps others learn and
enjoy the game? Take that
free spirit of the horse and
harness it into something
beneficial for you, and your
future.
A n o n l i n e a r t i c l e b y
professional astrologer Susan
Leavitt expresses the Horse
year as a “time of fast
v i c t o r i e s , u n e x p e c t e d
adventure, and surprising
romance.” She also adds that
“energy is high and
production is rewarded.
De c is i v e a c t i o n , n o t
procrast inat ion, br ings
victory. But you have to act
fast in a Horse year. If you
are not 100% secure about a
decision, then don’t do it.
Events move so quickly in a
Horse year that you don’t
want to gallop off in the
wrong direction.”
May the successful, valiant,
and adventurous spirit of the
horse lead you to much
prosperity in 2014.
President’s Perspective cont.
Remember to participate in
Golf 2.0 programs such as
Get Golf Ready, Tee it
Forward, PGA Sports
Academy and PGA Jr. League
Golf. Take advantage of our
own Player Development
Regional Manager Mike
Aldrich, PGA to assist you and
your facility with growth of the
game initiatives.
I would like to take this
opportunity to congratulate all
the 2014 Section award
winners and our 2014 HOF
inductee Thomas Barry, PGA of
Jefferson Lakeside Club.
Please join us on March 3rd at
the Section Spring meeting
and March 8th in Richmond at
the Jefferson Hotel to honor all
the winners.
Happy New Year,
John Madden, PGA
jmrbgcc@aol.com or
(703) 759-2640
“...Our Education committee
will offer ‘MSR Mondays’
next Fall that mix teaching
and business topics.” -Jon
Guhl
Page 3 Volume XXVI, Issue I
The start of the New Year
always lends itself to
reviewing the past and
looking to the future. Your
Section office is no different.
The Section Board and staff
have been busy with their
Planning Session and
committee meetings to chart
our course for 2014 and
beyond. We wi l l be
complet ing our 2014
Business Plan shortly and
are excited to push even
h a r d e r o n P l a y e r
Development ; of fer ing
programs for all of our
MAPGA members to choose
from to improve their
careers.
A couple highlights: our
Education Committee will
offer “MSR Mondays” next
fall (1 day-long seminar per
Chapter) that mix teaching
and business topics. Also,
we will roll out a Peer Review
program offered by our
Employment and Club
Relations committee that
allows you to have seasoned
fellow PGA professionals give
you an independent review of
your golf operation -
completely confidential and
supportive of the host
professional - to discover its
strengths and weaknesses.
The goal of this program is to
help you grow on your
strengths and shore-up on
the areas that may negatively
impact your employment. On
the tournament front, we will
offer two Pro-Scratch events;
adding $7500 each from PGA
of America partner National
Car Rental.
SHOUT OUTS
- Congratulations to Randi
Miller, PGA (Trump National-
DC) for being named to the US
Kids Top 50 Teachers list.
Also, Trillium Sellers, PGA
(Chevy Chase Club) was
designated as a Master Kids
Award Recipient by US Kids.
It’s always great to be
recognized for your efforts.
- Jim Estes, PGA; Bernie Najar,
PGA; Janet Phillips, PGA; Adam
Smith, PGA; and Chuck Will,
PGA were recently recognized
as GRAA Top 50 Growth of the
Game Teaching Professionals.
Way to go all! Thanks for
leading the way!
WHAT’S NEXT?
- Are you going to the PGA
Merchandise Show? The
official dates are January 22-
24. While you can certainly
get updated on the latest lines
in equipment and apparel, I
urge you to take advantage of
the world class educational
opportunities that are offered
during that time. Nothing
shows that you continually
want to improve yourself more
than continuing education.
- Town Hall Meetings. Please
follow News & Notes and/or
the website for schedule
updates as the schedule is
still a work in progress. In
February, I will travel to all
parts of the Section to
facilitate discussions on any
t o p i c s y o u d e s i r e ,
encou rage p ro - t o - p ro
interaction, and perhaps
share some Section news as
well. Hope to see many of
you at one of these
sessions!
- Spr ing Membership
Meetings will be here before
you know it. Mark your
calendars for March 3 for the
Section Spring Membership
Meeting, and March 24
(South) and March 31
(Central and North) for the
Chapter Meetings.
I hope you’ve enjoyed some
rest and relaxation over the
holidays and are ready to
attack 2014 with vigor and
make it your best year yet.
Please feel free to let me or
the officers know what we
can do to help you even
more!
Very respectfully,
Jon Guhl
MAPGA Staff
(540) 720-7420
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jon Guhl, ext. 125
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Stacey Smith, ext. 121
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
Jeremy Greiner, PGA, ext. 124
JUNIOR GOLF DIRECTOR
Bob Heintz, ext. 128
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Kelly Lawson, ext. 126
DIRECTOR OF
COMMUNICATIONS
Stephanie Jennings, PGA,
ext. 116
Section Direction by Executive Director Jon Guhl
Upcoming Business & Employment Town Hall Meetings
February 13—9:00 a.m. Bayville Golf Club (757) 460-2616
February 19—10:00 a.m. Springfield Golf & CC (703) 451-8338
February 20—10:00 a.m. Holly Hills CC (301) 694-7210
Page 4 The Middle Atlantic Professional
Eyes on Employment: Resources for Today’s PGA Professional and
What Employers Seek
I have received a very warm
welcome by the members of
the section and the staff.
Really appreciate the support
and willingness to assist me in
the new role. Dick Bradow is a
great resource and will
continue to serve the PGA
members just from a higher
level. I look forward to
assisting the PGA members in
any employment related
matters and believe my
background in the golf
industry will provide the proper
perspective for PGA members.
PGA Resources for Today’s
PGA Professional
As part of your New Year’s
resolutions, you may be
designing your career plan and
make sure that you are
investing your time and energy
into a strategy that best
prepares you to compete in
today’s golf marketplace. Or
maybe you have heard about
a job opening, plan to pursue
the position, and want to give
yourself the best opportunity
to be selected. How can you
tailor your cover letter,
resume, and interview
materials to that particular
position?
As part of the PGA CareerLinks
service, PGA Employment
Consultants assist employers
in assessing their needs,
creating position profiles, and
identifying skills desired of job
candidates. Through working
with hundreds of employers
annually, PGA Employment
Services has identified some
trends in the top skills
employers seek from PGA
Professionals.
Employers expect a high
standard of golf related skills
from their PGA Professionals
and assume a substantial level
of expertise from those who
h a v e a t t a i n e d P G A
membership. Employers are
increasingly looking for other
attributes and skills to add to
the golf skills. Most employers
are seeking the highest and
best combination of people
and business skills in their
PGA Professional.
Professionals who can provide
value to their facility by
enhancing the customer
e x p e r i e n c e t h r o u g h
exceptional service, while at
the same time taking the lead
on the “generation” side of the
business, including the
following:
•Generating play/participation
•Generating revenues/sales
•Generating profits/return
on investment
•Generating new customers/
retaining existing customers
(public/resort)
•Generating new members/
retaining existing members
(private)
If you are in the process of
updating your resume or
applying for a new position,
it’s also important to target
the content of your resume,
cover letter, and materials to
the needs and key priorities
for the job you are seeking.
Concent ra te on you r
a c c om p l i s hm e n ts a nd
involvement with developing
successful new programs,
increasing rounds and
revenues, and enhancing the
customer experience, and
use statistics wherever
possible to quantify what you
have done. You can see
examples of this by viewing
the sample resumes on the
PGA Employment Center area
of PGALinks.
(Cont. to page 9…)
Don Sweeting is an
Employment Consultant
for the PGA of America.
He can be contacted at
dsweeting@pgahq.com
(704) 440-8025
Page 5 Volume XXVI, Issue I
The MAPGA Board of Directors and Awards Committee are proud to announce the 2014
Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame inductee and award winners. All the nominees are
recognized by their peers as being exceptional role models. Each recipient will be honored
on March 3, 2014 at the Section Spring Meeting and on March 8th at The Jefferson Hotel in
Richmond, Va. for the annual awards banquet. Congratulations to the following honorees:
2014 Hall of Fame Class of 2014
2014 Award Recipients
2014 Middle Atlantic PGA Award Winners & Hall of Fame Inductee
Tom Barry, PGA
Jefferson Lakeside club
Richmond, Virginia
PGA Professional of the Year Josh Tremblay, PGA Springfield Golf & Country Club
MAPGA President’s Award
To be announced at
Spring Membership meet-
ing
Teacher of the Year Bernie Najar, PGA Caves Valley Golf Club
Horton Smith Award (Education) J.P. Lunn, PGA Holly Hills Country Club
Bill Strausbaugh Award (Club
Relations & Community Service) Jim Fitzgerald, PGA
Chevy Chase Club
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Youth Player Development Award Linda Gaudi, PGA Country Club of Fairfax
Player Development Steve Greiner, PGA Fort Belvoir Golf Club
Merchandiser of the Year
Resort Nick Spinnato, PGA
Turf Valley
Ellicott City, Maryland
Merchandiser of the Year
Public David Finocchiaro, PGA
Augustine Golf Club
Stafford, Virginia
Merchandiser of the Year
Private Marc Kimminau, PGA
Talbot Country Club
Easton, Maryland
Assistant PGA Professional
of the Year Trish Gates, PGA
River Bend Golf & Country Club
Great Falls, Virginia
David Wortman Citizens of the
Year
HITT Contracting &
Lindsay Automotive Group
Title Sponsors of the
MAPGA Junior Tour
Earle Hellen Sports Media Award Michael Williams Radio Host—“The 19th Hole”
106.7 The Fan
Salesperson of the Year Michael Pastirik, PGA Peebles Golf Cars (Club Car)
All award winners and the
Hall of Fame Class of
2014 will be honored at
the MAPGA Hall of Fame
and Awards Banquet
When:
March 8, 2014
Where:
The Jefferson Hotel
Richmond, Virginia
Invitations will be sent out
the first week of February.
Page 6 The Middle Atlantic Professional
“Your management and investors
will be very interested to read
about your plans as your
performance directly affects them.”
- Mike Aldrich, PGA
Player Development Discussion: What is Your Plan?
By Mike Aldrich, PGA
Why do you need a plan to
teach golf?
You may have a general vision
of your instruction business;
key activities, revenue goals,
a marketing strategy, and a
mental picture of your
business for the next 5, 10 or
even 20 years. One of the
benefits of planning is the
likelihood for success, as
many hurdles may be
removed, or at least
anticipated.
Who else knows about your
goals?
A business plan can be a
v e h i c l e t o c l e a r l y
communicate your plans to
your employees , your
management and your
partners. Conversations with
these parties are vital, but it
may be difficult for them to
recall details without a written
version. A good business plan
not only reveals the essential
activities for your business’
success, but will also share
your passion and values.
How clear is your plan and
the steps that it will take for
success?
Most business owners have a
good idea of their core values
and activities. Putting your
plan in writing helps you focus
your efforts. It will give you
insight into activities that are
integral; putting them ahead
of those that are less
important. A good business
plan will also include methods
to gauge your current status
and provide benchmarks for
measuring performance.
While you develop your plan,
us e S W O T (S t re ng t h/
W e a k n e s s / O p p o r t u n i t y /
Threat) analysis to uncover
previously unconsidered
aspects of your business. You
might uncover new potential
students, teaching formats, or
ways communicate your
students impact on the health
of the facility.
What is a business plan?
A business plan is a written
overview of your entire
enterprise. It should include
in-depth analysis of your
current business practices and
provide the opportunity to
focus future efforts. It does
not normally detail daily tasks,
but focuses on the key
activities that have a major
influence on the success of
your business. There are
many ways to build your
business plan. See the
sample business plan for a
private club on page 7.
With whom should you share
your business plan?
Most importantly, share your
plan with anyone to whom you
report. Your management and
investors will be very
interested to read about your
plans as your performance
directly affects them.
Secondly, share it with
anyone who will support your
efforts, especially peers and
subordinates. Customers
and prospects should also be
privy to certain areas, like
your mission statement and
the core activities which may
interest them. Each of your
customers should be aware
of your pass ion for
instruction and all of the
instructional services that
you offer.
You use the snowy winter
days to plan for your
t o u r n a m e n t s a n d
merchandise. To have a
financially successful and
impactful instruct ional
programming, why not start
planning for the year today?
Please reach out to me if you
would like more information
a n d g u id a nc e a b out
developing a plan. I consult
regularly with professionals
to develop strategies that
can increase the income and
value of PGA Professionals.
I’m available to meet at your
club, and will also be at the
PGA Show with several open
times for meetings.
(Cont. to page 7…)
Mike Aldrich, PGA is the Player
Development Regional Manag-
er for D.C., MD, & VA.
He can be contacted at
(703) 728-9033
maldrich@pgahq.com.
Page 7 Volume XXVI, Issue I
Player Development Discussion cont.:
How do I develop my plan?
Use the Player Development Cycle (pictured right) to help bring out the core activities for a
successful program. It will help you think about the more important tasks and consider the
steps that you will need to take.
Communication (November-January)
Share your overall vision for player development with your management and coworkers
Overall Revenue/Expense
Major Program Elements
Expected Benefits
Analysis (January)
Consider the current status of the club, the economy and the golf
operation
Do SWOT analysis on the current and potential programming
Planning (February)
Develop detailed plans for initiating your programming several
months before your season begins
Include staffing needs, staff training, program marketing and
tracking and reporting methodology
Marketing (Year Round)
Create your marketing materials and sign-ups for your programs
Talk to your existing students and committees to promote
programs
Execution (March-November)
Focus your instruction on the golfers and their enjoyment of the learning process
Ask questions of your golfers and listen for opportunities
Follow up with staff and provide encouragement, training and guidance
Tracking/Reporting (Year Round)
Report quarterly results, focusing on correlating facility activity and income to instruction
to management and committees
Conduct survey of all participants and parents of juniors
Page 8 The Middle Atlantic Professional
VA Governor’s Budget to Include $100,000 in Grants for Golf Courses
From the VA Golf Council...
Governor Bob McDonnell
announced on December 12,
2013 that his upcoming
biennial budget will include
major funding aimed at
c o n t i n u i n g t h e
administration’s efforts to
improve water quality in
Virginia’s rivers and the
Chesapeake Bay. The budget
p r o p o s a l s i n c l u d e s
investments and allocations
for projects such as
Chesapeake Bay restoration,
pollution reduction efforts,
storm water grants, oyster
replenishment programs,
funding for the Tangier
Seawall and other water
quality projects. With this
budget the McDonnell
Administration has now
invested more than $460
million in water quality
projects over the course of
the last four years.
The Governor’s budget will
include new funding of
$100,000 to support grants
for golf courses to complete
their nutrient management
plans, a requirement by July,
2017. These grants will
represent approximately 50%
of the cost, and they will be
awarded through Nutrient
Management Planners who
are approved by the state.
V i r g i n i a ’ s N u t r i e n t
Management Plan
A nutrient management plan
promotes healthy turf while
minimizing the loss of
nutrients to the environment.
Golf course superintendents
can use this type of plan to
apply lime and fertilizer
efficiently and economically. It
may also save on costs while
improving turf health by
reducing mowing and the over-
application of nitrogen.
Nutrient management plans
are proven to produce
vigorous, hardy grass plants.
A plan’s site-specific nutrient
recommendations for fairways,
tees, greens and roughs are
based on inputs analyzed to
produce agronomically sound
and environmentally friendly
recommendations. These
p lans a r e w r i t t en to
established standards that
assure minimum nutrient loss
to the environment.
Some inputs used to develop
nutrient management plans
include:
●Detailed map of locations
and sizes of areas to be
treated.
●Ident i f icat ion of so i l
characteristics.
●Type of turf determines
proper timing of fertilizer.
●Soil tests to determine plant
nutrient needs, based on
existing nutrient levels.
●Environmentally sensitive
areas ident i f i ed and
appropriate management
practices, including buffers
and application timing,
recommended to minimize
nutrient loss from the root
zone.
●Irrigation water analysis to
determine what nutrients at
what rates are supplied
through irrigation
water.
●Current fertility program
used to established residual
nitrogen contributions to
adjust current season’s
nitrogen rates.
●Recommendations are
made including the type,
amount and timing of lime
and fertilizer applications.
(Cont. on page 9…)
The Virginia Economic Impact Study supported by the Virginia Golf Council is available on
MAPGA.com under the EMPLOYMENT page. The executive summary states the following…
“Virginia’s $1.3 billion golf industry generated a total economic impact of $2.5 billion in 2012,
supporting nearly 30,000 jobs with wage income of $733.4 million.”
Page 9 Volume XXVI, Issue I
So whether you are applying
for a new job or working to
enhance your current job
security, it’s becoming
increasingly more important
to understand what your
e m p l o y e r ( o r f u t u r e
employer) is looking for and
to demonstrate the benefits
and value you provide as a
PGA Professional.
I encourage you to visit
PGALinks when you have
some dedicated time and
understand the vast amount
of resources available to
assist you in a variety of
areas.
•Click on the Employment
Center from the main
PGALinks page.
•Everything you need to know
about employment is available
and suggested reading,
updated documents titled ‘Job
Hunter’s Tool Kit’ and ‘Career
Fitness Manual’.
•Click on Player Development
from the main PGALinks page.
•Ideas and Templates to
assist you in generating play.
Important Reminder – 2014
PGA Compensation Survey
Make sure that you and all
members of your professional
staff complete the 2014 PGA
Compensation Survey on
PGALinks. Your participation
will help provide you and your
fellow PGA Professionals with
accurate compensat ion
information when you need it
for negot iat ions, job
searches, and budgeting. It
will also assist those of us
who work with employers on
your behalf in our efforts to
upgrade compensation for all
PGA positions.
All individual responses are
completely confidential, so
please take a few minutes
and complete the survey.
More details are available on
PGALinks.
Best wishes for 2014!
Don Sweeting, PGA
(704) 440-8025
d s w e e t in g @ p g ah q . c om.
Eyes on Employment cont.:
As the input data changes or
is updated (example: when
new soil test reports are
received), the plan is revised.
Usually, this involves
a d j u s t i n g n u t r i e n t
recommendations as needed
to ma inta in pos i t i ve
environmental effects from
following the plan.
The goals of nutrient
management planning for
golf courses are simple, but
important. Apply fertilizer
while plants are actively
growing so the plant will “take
up” the nutrients. Apply
nutrients at rates that closely
match the nutrient need of the
plant during the time period
for which the application is
made. Nutrients taken up by
the plant are not subject to
being lost by leaching down
through the soil profile or by
water running off the
landscape into streams and
lakes.
For FAQ’s on the Nutrient
Management Plan Grants
v i s i t h t t p : / /
w w w . d c r . v i r g i n i a . g o v /
water_quality/faq-golf-course
-grants.shtml.
VA Golf Council cont...
VSGA & MSGA Open
Events for 2014
4/14—VSGA Club
Championship, The
Foundry
4/23—MSGA Pro-Am
Norbeck
7/14-16—MD Open
Lakewood CC
7/17-19—State Open of
VA, Ballyhack
9/18-19—Sr. Open of VA,
CC of VA
10/13-14—MD Sr. Men’s
Open, Elkridge
10/20-21—MD Women’s
Open, Congressional CC
Please visit VSGA.org or
MSGA.org for more
information.
Page 10 The Middle Atlantic Professional
Southern Chapter: Phillips & Smith Recognized by GRAA
Janet Phillips, PGA Head Professional and co-owner at Windy Hill Sports Complex and
Adam Smith, PGA Director of Instruction at Salisbury Country Club have been selected as
2013 Golf Range Association of America Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching
Professionals.
Janet and Adam were selected from a group of highly regarded teachers and will be
recognized in the January 2014 issue of Golf Range Magazine and will be listed on the
association’s website GolfRange.org.
For Janet, this latest honor is among the many professional accolades she has received
including most recently: 2013 Coach of the Year, St. Catherine’s School, Richmond, VA;
2012 Ping Regional Club Fitter of the Year; 2012 Golf Range Association of America Top
50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, the 2011 Executive Women’s Golf
Association (EWGA) Businesswoman of the Year; 2011 Northeast Section LPGA
Professional of the Year finalist; 2010 Play Golf America Top 100 Performer by the PGA;
appointment to the PGA President’s Council on Growing the Game 2005 through 2011;
2006 Northeast Section and National LPGA Professional of the Year Award as well as
recipient of the Northeast Section LPGA Professional of the Year Award the following year;
and 2003 Middle Atlantic PGA President’s Award.
Adam Smith is an award-winning PGA Professional who was named the 2008 Middle
Atlantic PGA Section Teacher of the Year. He has been on Golf Digest’s Best in the State
list since 2011. As a second generation PGA Professional, Adam has been in the golf
business his entire life. He has dedicated his career to growing the game of golf by
mentoring junior golfers, teaching golf fitness and proudly serving the members of
Salisbury Country Club, where he has been employed since 2008.
Northern Chapter: Najar Recognized by GRAA
Bernie Najar, PGA Director of Instruction at Caves Valley Golf Club has been selected as a
2013 Golf Range Association of America Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching
Professional.
Since Bernie’s start in the business in 1994, he has dedicated his career to helping
golfers improve their games. Bernie has been recognized by his peers in the Middle
Atlantic PGA Section as Teacher of the Year in 2004 and 2014, the Horton Smith Award
winner in 2011 and 2012, and has been Golf Digest’s No. 1 ranked Teacher in Maryland
since 2011.
PGA’s Program Manager supported by Active
Networks is your one-stop marketing source for
successful player development programs—
SIGN UP TODAY!!
Central Chapter Update by President Josh Tremblay, PGA
Page 11 Volume XXVI, Issue I
I’m very excited about the direction that Central Chapter Board of
Directors is taking. Newly appointed tournament chair Geoff
Montross, PGA is starting up a Central Chapter Tournament
Newsletter and is close to securing the last of the sites for our
2014 tournaments. We have started a Social Committee that will
be headed up by Pete Labourdette, PGA and will have several
opportunities for PGA Professionals to network at local
establishments and possibly sporting events. Our Central Chapter Spring Meeting and
Pro/Pro will be held on Monday, March 31st at Belmont Country Club and we’re working
on planning a very valuable meeting for all professionals in attendance. I hope to see
many of you in the coming weeks either at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando or at
the Section Membership meeting on March 3rd.
Joshua Tremblay is the Head PGA Professional at Springfield Golf and Country Club in
Springfield, VA. Please contact him at (703) 451-8338, or joshtremblay@pga.com.
Jim Estes and Chuck Will Recognized by GRAA
Jim Estes, PGA Director of Instruction at Olney Park Golf and Chuck Will, PGA Head
Professional at Dulles Golf Center have been selected as 2013 Golf Range Association
of America Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professionals.
The growth of the game award can be best exemplified by Jim’s achievements as co-
founder of the Salute Military Golf Association, a non-profit that provides war veterans
the opportunity to use golf in their mental and physical recovery. Jim has given over to
1,500 free lessons and provided 1,200 troops with free custom clubs. Over the past six
years SMGA has provided free private lessons, and golf clinics to our wounded vets at
four chapter locations.
At the Chuck Will Golf Academy and C.W.G.A. Golf Shop at Dulles Golf Center & Sports
Park, Chuck offers a complete instructional program for all skill levels, novice to low
handicap. He is a PGA Certified Professional in instruction and both the GRAA and U.S.
Kids Golf have recognized him as one of the Top 50 Golf Instructors in America. Golf
Digest has voted Chuck as one of the Best Teachers in Your State (Virginia) and the
Chuck Will Golf Academy as one of America’s 100 Best Clubfitters
Plan to attend your Chapter Spring Meeting and Tournament…
Central Chapter—March 31st at Belmont CC
Northern Chapter—April 21st at Prospect Bay
Southern Chapter—TBD
Check the MAPGA Calendar for updates
1 PGA Dr.
Stafford, VA 22554
Phone: (540) 720-7420
Fax: (540) 720-7076
E-mail: midatl@pgahq.com
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MISSION: The mission of the Middle Atlantic PGA is to
promote growth in the game of golf, to provide
ongoing education and professional
development for our members, and to actively
improve employment opportunities for PGA
Professionals across the region.
VISION:
The Middle Atlantic PGA… a member-driven
association providing leadership across the golf
industry.
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