2015 Spring Meeting Booklet

2015 Spring Membership Meeting
Blue Bell Country Club
April 6, 2015
Philadelphia Section PGA
2015 Spring Membership Meeting
Blue Bell Country Club
April 6, 2015
Officers
John Pillar – President
Ian Dalzell – Vice President
John Rogers – Secretary
Jeffrey Kiddie – Director of Section Affairs
Dave McNabb – Director of Tournaments
Dan Haskell – Honorary President
Past Presidents
1973-74 Henry McQuiston
1978-80 Dick Smith, Sr.
1981-82 Tim DeBaufre
1983-84 Jack Connelly
1985 Harry Hammond
1986-87 Ted McKenzie
1988-89 Pete Trenham
1992-93 Leo DeGisi
1994-95 Jack MacCarty
1996-97 Mike Atkins
1998-99 George McNamara
2000-01 Michael Mack
2002-03 Michael Cole
2004-05 Tom Carpus
2006-07 Rich Smith, Jr.
2007-08 Jim Smith, Jr.
2009-10 Mark Anderson
District Directors
Independent Directors
I. Bob Hennefer
II. Kevin Wiest
III. Chip Richter
IV. Joe Hughes
V. Mike Wood
VI. Joey Pohle
VI. Patrick Shine
Algot Thorell
Central Counties Chapter
Philadelphia Assistants Organization
Rick Gibney, President
Justin Riegel, Co Chairman
Dan Haskell, Co Chairman
2015 Spring Meeting
Central Counties Chapter – President’s Report
We are excited for the upcoming season to get started. Hopefully all the snow and cold weather is
long behind us now. I am sure everyone is ready to have players on their course, students in their
lesson book, and with a bit of luck, able to find some time to get in a round with their members or
fellow professionals.
The Chapter is looking forward to another successful season. We have an excellent tournament
schedule for 2015, thanks to all of the hard work done by our Tournament Director, Judd Caruso.
Thank you Judd! There are some nice educational opportunities with our Spring and Fall meetings.
Chip Richter has done a wonderful job putting those educational seminars together and we would
like to thank him for all of his efforts.
The Chapter Board of Directors has taken on the task of trying to grow our membership base. We are
reaching out to all of our fellow PGA Professionals within the Chapter boundaries and are trying to
spread the word on what a great schedule of events we have and the camaraderie we enjoy as
Chapter members. So to those who already know about our organization, thank you for your
continued support of this association. If you have not been involved with the Chapter before, please
come on out to one of our events and see what we have to offer.
Information about the Chapter is available on the Section website or by contacting any of our Board
members.
Please remember to thank all of our tournament sponsors at each event that you may be able to play
in. It is amazing what a short note of gratitude or if the opportunity presents itself a quick in-person
thank you can do for us in retaining or gaining sponsorships for our future events and seminars.
I would like to thank all of the Chapter Board members for their efforts in helping to keep the Chapter
moving in a positive direction. Thank you to our staff at the Section office, Geoff Surrette, Barb
Creveling, and Sue Unger for their dedication to our Chapter's endeavors.
Good luck to everyone and I truly hope 2015 is a great year for you, your facilities, and the Chapter!
Sincerely,
Rick Gibney
Central Counties Chapter President
Colonial Golf & Tennis Club
2015 Spring Meeting
Philadelphia Assistants Organization Report
The Season has finally arrived! Once again the PAO Committee has been working hard to provide a
fantastic experience for all Assistant Golf Professionals and Apprentices in the Philadelphia Section.
Our goals for the 2015 season remain the same; offer quality education and playing opportunities
while giving back to the community. After a long winter we are ready for our 2015 Spring Meeting at
Waynesborough Country Club. Thanks to Adam Brigham and the club for hosting us. Our keynote
speaker this year will be John Applegate from Wildwood Golf & C.C. John has won numerous golf
tournaments and has qualified for twelve National Club Professional Championships. We are excited
and honored to have him speak to our group about his experience with Trackman as well as his
programs and ideas. It should be a great day for all in attendance.
Tournaments:
We are once again fortunate to have Cobra/Puma Golf as our Premier Partner. Thanks again to Tom
Carroll for his efforts in supporting our group so strongly the last three seasons. Bryan Kienke and his
committee have put together a fantastic tournament schedule for 2015 with some of the top facilities
in the Philadelphia area and we are looking forward to record turnouts in all of our events. The top
30 players on the point list will once again be invited to the PAO Tour Championship. Thank you to
Dave McNabb and the Applebrook Golf Club for their support and thank you to all of our host
facilities and Head Golf Professionals, our organization would not go forward without your support.
Please see the entire 2015 Tournament Calendar below.
Education / Mentoring / Communication:
Congratulations to Luke Arentz for accepting the Head Professional position at Rolling Road G.C.
outside Baltimore. With his appointment as Head Professional, David Grossman (C.C. of York) has
assumed the role of Committee Chair for Education/Mentoring/Communications. The Education
calendar is shaping up nicely thanks to the hard work of David and his committee members. For
2015, we have education events with John Applegate and Eric MacCluen for instruction, Mizuno for
advanced club fitting techniques and a panel of manufactures representatives for professional – rep
relations seminar and a Pro-Rep golf event. The mentoring program will move forward as usual. We
have a devoted group of PGA Members who are eager to help anyone in need with gaining PGA
Membership. Please visit the PAO webpage to see our Circle of Mentors program. On the
communication front we will continue to keep everyone informed of tournament winners and results
as well as any upcoming events and volunteer opportunities in our Section through the PAO tab on
the Philadelphia PGA website.
Finance / Charity / Jr. Golf:
I would like to welcome our newest member to the PAO Board, Ron Pine. Ron is joining us from
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. We are lucky to have him and look forward to his leadership. The
PAO is excited to get involved with the Philadelphia Junior Tour this year. We are currently exploring
ideas with Brian Schulte & Geoff Surrette to see if we can offer a special experience for some of the
juniors during a few of their events this season. We hope to expand upon the PGA Golf Day
Marathon that was started last season. The PAO raised over $8,000 last year and our goal is to at
least double our donations. During our Spring Meeting we will again hold our “Pros fore Clothes”
drive and donate to a local shelter.
We are all looking forward to a great 2015 season! As always, if you have any questions, suggestions
or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out.
Respectfully submitted,
Justin Riegel, PGA
PAO Co-Chairman
Gulph Mills Golf Club
PAO Mission Statement
The purpose of the Philadelphia Assistants' Organization is to prepare the Assistant Golf Professionals
of the Philadelphia Section PGA of America for future professional success as a PGA member. We will
give Assistant Professionals the opportunities to prepare themselves for the playing ability test, the
PGA's Professional Golf Management Program, the golf business, and future PGA membership. This is
accomplished with leadership, mentoring, support through education, networking, and tournament
competition.
2015 PAO Tournament Schedule
March 30th
April 13th
April 20th
May 11th
May 18th
June 8th
June 22nd
June 29th
July 13th
July 20th
August 3rd
August 10th
August 31st
September 8th
September 28th
October 12th
November 2nd
Spring Meeting @ Waynesborough C.C.
Stonewall Classic
Radley Run Classic
Combined Event - DVO @ Concord C.C.
LedgeRock Classic
Combined Event - Conestoga Classic
Saucon Valley Classic
Indian Spring Classic
Lehigh Classic
Combined Event - Hyndman Memorial @ Huntington Valley C.C.
Assistants Championship @ Gulph Mills G.C.
Whitemarsh Valley Classic
Bent Creek Classic
PAO Pro-Am @ TBD
Makefield Highlands Classic
PAO Tour Championship @ Applebrook G.C.
Fall Meeting @ TBD
2015 Spring Meeting
Player Development Committee Report
The Player Development Committee is anxiously waiting for a busy and exciting 2015 season to being,
under the guidance of Geoff Surrette and Philadelphia PGA President John Pillar.
The first event of the season was the annual North Coast Golf Show in Oaks, PA on February 13th-15th.
With the winter weather being as cold as it has been, the number of people that participated
increased dramatically. Section professionals manned hitting stalls and we saw an increase in the
overall support for the event compared to previous years. Thank you to those professionals that
donated their time to conduct lessons and to Lou Guzzi for coordinating the schedule. A special
thanks to Leila Mackie, Joe Monforto, Geoff Surrette and the entire Philadelphia PGA staff for their
time and effort toward that event.
As we begin the 2015 season, the goals and objectives for the Player Development Committee will
continue on the same path as in 2014: improving consumer events, expanding Get Golf Ready college
program, Golf in Schools’, and PGA Junior League Golf. The committee had a great deal of success in
2014 with the Get Golf Ready program implemented at the college/university level. The overall
mission was to go to various universities and speak to specifically business school students about the
connections and relevance golf can have when it comes to the business world. With the help of Leila
and others, we were able to conduct this program at Villanova University with 18 business school
students. We had four Get Golf Ready sessions and students were divided among three facilities
(thank you to those host professionals and your facilities) – Aronimink Golf Club (Jeff Kiddie),
Sunnybrook Golf Club (Eric Schultz), and Philadelphia Country Club (Scott Reilly). The program
focused on not only promoting the game itself but also the business assets that golf can provide and
the value of a private club membership. The committee is committed to growing this program in
2015 and in the future!
Another area focus is on our consumer events. With the Professional National Championship coming
to the Philadelphia Cricket Club this year we will have a number of different opportunities for Section
professionals to get involved. We are in great demand for assistance with these events so we
strongly encourage you to look and see which day you or your assistant(s) could be of service.
In 2014, we introduced the Greater Philadelphia Golf in Schools’ Program. The Section has partnered
with the Golf Association of Philadelphia along with SNAG golf equipment to introduce golf
instruction at the middle school level. The goal is to have a PGA ambassador for each school that will
work with the PE teacher to implement the four-week curriculum. The PGA ambassador would use
the SNAG equipment and be ‘hands on’ with the PE instructor throughout the entire process and
would be compensated for their time. Our goal in 2015 is to support this program by continuing to
raise funds for the Philadelphia PGA Junior Golf Foundation. As our foundation grows, we will have
an opportunity to offer this program in more schools while helping to cover the equipment costs. The
Section and the committee agreed to offer more player development equipment to lease to the
members in 2015. The money that is collected through leasing this equipment helps to grow the
Junior Golf Foundation. The Golf In Schools’ Program is something we want to expand in the future.
PGA Junior League Golf is the other initiative we are trying to continue to grow in 2015. We grew
from 5 leagues and 24 teams in 2013, to 10 leagues and 55 teams in 2014. The Section was able to
have a spot in the Regional Championship in 2014. The goal this year is to double participation again
in our Section. To learn more or if you are interested in participating visit: www.pgajrleaguegolf.com
We are encouraging you and your staff to send the Section your player development “best practices”
that you implement at your club. This is just another way we as PGA Professionals can pass along
ideas and help other professionals in our Section continue to grow the game at their respective clubs.
If you have a “best practice” you would like to share please send it to Leila Mackie at the Section
office: LMackie@pgahq.com
Once again, we are looking forward to a fantastic 2015 with the help of Section PGA Professionals. If
you have any interest in holding a growth of the game event or would like more information about
any player development programs or initiatives please contact me or Leila Mackie at the Section
office.
On behalf of the committee, we would like to thank all the Philadelphia Section members and staff
for their efforts in growing the game of a lifetime.
Respectfully submitted,
Ed Gibson, PGA
Co-Chairman Player Development Committee
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
2015 Spring Meeting
Director of Section Affairs Report
The Director of Section Affair’s role is to help create member programs, provide member services and
extend the Philadelphia Section PGA into the community. The following PGA Professionals make up
the Player Development Committee and volunteer a significant amount of time on behalf of the
Section, for whom I’d like to say a sincere “Thank you” for their contribution:
Player Development Committee Members:
Ed Gibson (Chair)
Andy Barbin
Rebecca Dengler
Bob Doria
Steve Wager
Bob Hennefer
Dan Hoban
Peter Lovenguth
John Petronis
Eric Pevoto
Jeff Kiddie
Special Awards:
Tom Carpus
Lou Guzzi
Bob Hennefer
Joe Hughes
Scott Nye
Joey Pohle
Chip Richter
Kevin Wiest
Mike Wood
The Special Awards Committee has the unyielding task of determining the most qualified PGA
Member from a group of exemplary candidates. We are proud to announce the following Section
Members as the 2014 Special Awards Winners and on behalf of the entire Philadelphia Section PGA,
I’d like to extend to you our heartfelt congratulations!
Golf Professional of the Year:
Teacher of the Year:
Youth Player Development:
Assistant Professional of the Year:
Merchandiser of the Year:
Horton Smith Education Award:
Bill Strausbaugh Award:
Player Development Award:
Golf Salesperson of the Year:
Private:
Public:
Resort:
Ian Dalzell, PGA
John Bierkan, PGA
Eric MacCluen, PGA
Sean Palmer, PGA
Dave Pagett, PGA
Rick Gibney, PGA
John Pillar, PGA
Lou Guzzi, PGA
Eric Kennedy, PGA
Ed Gibson, PGA
Jim Ravina
In closing, I wish to thank the Executive Committee (John Pillar, Ian Dalzell, John Rogers, Dave
McNabb and Dan Haskell) for their undoubting commitment to the Section and the District Directors
for their support. Additionally, I want to thank Executive Director, Geoffrey Surrette and the Section
staff for their unselfish dedication.
Please feel free to contact me at any time with issues, concerns or questions.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Kiddie, PGA
Director of Section Affairs
Aronimink Golf Club
2015 Spring Meeting
Instruction Committee Report
Dear Fellow Members:
We are happy to report that golf instruction in our Philadelphia Section has been very strong following our
Fall Meeting. It is very clear that our Section is growing the game of golf through golf instruction.
PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit – Orlando, FL
January was a wonderful month for golf instruction as the PGA of America held there PGA Teaching and
Coaching Summit down in Orlando Florida. Many of our Section Professionals were in attendance and had
the opportunity to hear from so many wonderful speakers.
Lou Guzzi on Golf Channels “Lesson Tee Live” – Orlando, FL
Our very own, Lou Guzzi was the Golf Channels Special Guest for the entire show on “Lesson Tee Live”
hosted by Brian Crowell and Annabel Rolley. Lou opened the show with a crack of his whip and they were off
and running. Lou showed some swing drills along with answering many viewer questions. The show was fast
paced, fun, educational and all viewers had a chance to learn something about golf during the show.
The North Coast Golf Show - Oaks, PA
This was the fifth year for our Philadelphia Section PGA to provide instruction at the North Coast Golf Show.
We had a total of six teaching stalls along with six stage show presentations which gave us the ability to
provide more instruction and to showcase more of our PGA Members to the attendees. Thank you to all who
volunteered for this event, great job!
Sharpen Your Teaching Tools 2.0 Live on March 9th - White Manor Country Club:
Live lessons with Ted Sheftic, Lou Guzzi, Dom DiJulia, John Dunigan and Mark Sheftic. During the day the
speakers were asked to reveal their “decision trees” in evaluating and creating the prescriptions for the
student. The goal was to share the thought process that created the process of improvement, rather than
just the before and after results. It was a great day for learning and a special thanks goes out to John
Dunigan and White Manor CC for putting this great day together for our Section Members.
Interactive Teaching Forum on March 16h – Talamore Country Club:
What a great day to learn as PGA Professionals Eric Kennedy and Mike Wheeler moderated our panel
which included Ted Sheftic, Lou Guzzi, Dom DiJulia, John Dunigan, Mark Sheftic and Eric Handley.
Presentations were given on many different topics as our Professionals shared their Teaching Secrets
while keeping the Q & A active throughout the course of the day. A special thanks goes out to Mike
Wheeler for all the work he put into getting this off the ground and to Talamore CC for hosting this
great event for our Section Members.
Old School VS New School on March 23rd – at Bent Creek Country Club
All joined host Bob Kramer along with professionals Eric MacCluen, Eric Cogorno, and Mark Walder in a lively
discussion regarding the Old Style of Teaching vs the New Style of Teaching. Talking about old school teaching
styles and blending the new technology of FlightScope, Trackman, K-Vest, Body Track, Pressure Plates and so
much more made this day very informative for all that attended. A special thanks to Bob Kramer and Bent
Creek CC for hosting this great day of learning.
Have a great 2015!
Respectfully submitted,
Lou Guzzi, PGA
Co-Chairman Instruction Committee
John Dunigan, PGA
Co-Chairman Instruction Committee
2015 Spring Meeting
Junior Golf Report
This season is off to a bit of a slow start, but things are starting to ramp up. I hope all of you were
able to spend some down with your friends and family during the off-season. Thank you to the many
individuals that continue to prioritize junior golf at their facilities with creative teaching and playing
opportunities. Below are some highlights for the upcoming junior golf season, please take a moment
to familiarize yourself with these offerings, and consider introducing them to your facility.
Junior League Golf (JLG)
Junior League Golf is a great way to grow junior golf programs at your facilities. Designed to better
socialize the game for kids 13 & under, JLG promotes a popular, less stressful scramble format. The
program is easy to implement, and has shown great success and increased revenue across the
country. The Philadelphia Section PGA had 55 JLG teams in 2014 and is looking to double that
number for 2015. I encourage you to look into creating teams at your facility and continue to make
it a success. Visit www.pgajrleaguegolf.com for more information and to register a team.
Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour
The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour continues to prosper, boasting 833 members and over 80 events
for the 2014 season. Players in 2014 had 17 opportunities to earn national rankings through the
American Junior Golf Association's (AJGA) PBE system and the Junior Golf Scoreboard (JGS). With the
help of summer interns, tournament photos were published on the Philly Junior Tour website,
Facebook and Twitter pages along with all results and press releases too. The Junior Tour would not
be possible without the support of our host professionals and facilities, and the Section would like to
extend a sincere thank you to all who hosted events in 2014.
Elite Tour:
Junior golfers fit into many different categories of age, ability and experience. The Philadelphia PGA
Junior Tour works to develop tournament programs to accommodate all levels of competition for junior
golfers. To this end, 2015 will see five toseven Elite Tournaments on the schedule for higher-level
competitive golfers. These tournaments are recognized for Performance Based Entry by the AJGA and
nationally ranked by JGS.
Format:
An Elite Tour event is to be played over two consecutive days with both rounds played at the same
facility. Typically, the first round will be an afternoon shotgun. After results are in, the players are
then re-paired according to their standing in the event. Tee times will take place on the second day.
How to qualify:
To qualify for the Elite Tour a player must post a qualifying score in a Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour
event. This score must have been posted in any season since 2012. To enter the Boys 13-18 Division,
the qualifying score is 79 or lower. To enter the Girls 13- 18 Division, the qualifying score is 89 or
lower. The Elite Tour is open to 18-hole division players only. To play on the Elite Tour, a junior
golfer must be a registered member of the Philly Junior Tour but there is no additional membership
fee to play on the Elite Tour.
Philadelphia College Series:
The College Series provides competitive playing opportunities for 17-24 year-old men and women
enrolled in secondary education. In 2014, 56 members registered for the season with 6 playing
opportunities around the Philadelphia area. Designed to attract both collegiate team players and
independent amateur competitors, the 2015 season will include six, 18-hole, 1-day college events.
Drive, Chip & Putt
Our Section will be hosting 8 local qualifiers and 2 sub-regional qualifiers for the 2015 Drive, Chip and
Putt Championship. The Championship is open to boys and girls ages 7-15. Boys and girls will
compete in separate divisions over four age categories. For more information, please visit
www.drivechipandputt.com.
Junior Golf Sponsors
The Graham Company will once again be our Title Sponsor for 2015. Tournament partners also
include Adidas, Aquafina, Ashworth, BagBoy, David Dodge, Gold Medal Recruiting, Golf Galaxy,
Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, Next Generation Golf, Perry Weather, PTE Golf and Thor Guard will help
support the Junior Tour's growth in 2015.
Junior Tour Affiliate Program
Motivate and inspire a new junior golfer at your facility by participating in the Junior Tour Affiliate
Program. Each year you can give away a free Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour membership (valued at
$125) to a promising junior at your facility. The only restriction is that the free membership must be
given to a NEW Junior Tour member, but golf professionals may award the membership however
they wish. We are happy to recognize Affiliate Member facilities on www.phillyjuniortour.com.
Philadelphia PGA Section Professionals are the best ambassadors for growing the Philly Junior Tour.
Please consider adding a link to www.phillyjuniortour.com to your facility's website.
Junior Committee and Staff
I want to thank all of the Junior Golf Committee members which includes: Harry Hammond, Dave
Smith, Dan Hoban, Ben Debski, John Rudolph, John Dunigan, Matt Davis, Kevin Duffy, Eric MacCluen,
Dan Mrozinski, Jim Parella and Andrew Barbin. I would like to thank our Junior Golf Director Brian
Schulte for his continued efforts in the organization of our junior programs. I would also like to thank
Victoria Valente for her 2 years of service with the Section. Victoria has accepted a job with The
Union League Golf Club at Torresdale as their Golf Shop Manager and we wish her the best of luck in
her next endeavor. Bobby Howie, formally with Wilmington Country Club, has taken the job as
Operations Coordinator with the Section so please welcome Bobby when you have the opportunity
at bhowie @pgahq.com or (267) 622-6149.
Respectfully Submitted,
Patrick Shine, PGA
Chairman Junior Golf Committee
2015 Spring Meeting
Tournament Committee Report
Thank you for entrusting me to serve as your Director of Tournaments. My first year was a rewarding
one and there are many exciting things on the horizon for 2015. I would also like to thank our
Tournament Committee for their hard work, dedication and service to our association.
Thanks to the hard work of Geoff Surrette, our Section staff and the Philadelphia PGA Tournament
Committee, we once again have a schedule of events that offers something for everyone. Whether it
is an individual championship, an opportunity to entertain some of your members at one of our ProAm events or partnering with one of your fellow professionals and enjoying some camaraderie in one
of our team events, I hope you are able to take advantage of the many events that are available.
Our Section boasts one of the most highly regarded tournament programs in the country. None of
this would be possible without the support of our sponsors. There are many long-time supporters of
our section, as well as some newcomers this year, all of whom have made significant contributions to
our program and make possible the many playing opportunities we currently enjoy. Please keep
these folks in mind when you are making the difficult decision of who to support in your golf shops.
Even if you cannot financially support them, taking a moment to drop a note or making a personal call
to thank them for their support can go a long way towards maintaining these relationships in the
future.
Congratulations to George Forster who captured his second Philadelphia PGA Professional
Championship title last September and also to Cleve Coldwater on his victory in the Senior PGA
Professional Championship. I would also like to recognize the 2014 Players of the Year, Stu Ingraham Senior, Billy Stewart - PAO and Dave Quinn - Drexel Morgan and Co. Player of the Year.
A special thank you to our host facilities, their members and our host professionals, all of whom make
many sacrifices so we have a place to play. I respectfully ask that you be mindful of the fact that you
are a guest at these facilities and conduct yourself in the appropriate manner. We are fortunate to
secure many of the most highly regarded courses in the area on which to compete. Supporting these
facilities and thanking the club and their officials for their generosity will go a long way in enabling us
to return in the future...not to mention, it’s the right thing to do!
Speaking of host facilities, a very special thank you goes out to the membership of the Philadelphia
Cricket Club and Jim Smith Jr. the Director of Golf for their efforts to secure the 2015 PGA
Professional National Championship this June 24 – July 1. Due to their efforts, Philadelphia golf will
once again be on center stage at this showcase event for PGA Professionals with over 100 million
viewers worldwide tuning in to the Golf Channel to watch the finest PGA Professionals in the country
compete for the title of National Champion! Congratulations to all thirteen Philadelphia PGA
professionals who will represent our Section at the highest level right here in our own backyard.
In closing, I would like to thank you, the members of the Philadelphia PGA for making this the best
section in the country. I feel fortunate to be associated with some of the finest professionals our
association has to offer and more importantly to call you my friends. We are fortunate to get up
every morning with the opportunity to go to work and do what we love for a living. While this
sometimes gets lost during the many demands we face, I hope you are able to take a moment out of
your busy days to appreciate how fortunate and blessed we all are. I wish you all the best and a
happy, healthy and successful 2015 season!
Respectfully submitted,
Dave McNabb, PGA
Director of Tournaments
2015 Spring Meeting
Secretary’s Report
The role of Secretary is an Executive Officer position within the Section and primarily oversees three
main committees in addition to sitting on the Board of Directors – Junior Golf, Education, and
Membership. I would like to take a moment to thank each of those PGA Section Members who have
taken the time and put forth the effort to further the cause in each of these areas. In our short time
together their enthusiasm has been infectious. The current committees are made up as follows:
Junior Golf Committee
Patrick Shine (Co-Chair)
Harry Hammond
John Rogers (Co-Chair)
Dan Hoban
Andy Barbin
Eric MacCluen
Matt Davis
Dan Mrozinski
Ben Debski
Brian Schulte
John Dunigan
Dave Smith
Kevin Duffy
Education Committee
John Rogers (Chair)
Ned Graff
John Bierkan
Elizabeth Granahan
John Carpineta
Robert Kleckner
Tom Carpus
Brian Kramp
Judd Caruso
Gary Mackay
Vince Ciarlone
Kevin Nicholson
Kevin Cotter
Scott Reilly
Gerry Davis
Mike Wheeler
Kevin Duffy
Membership Committee
Eric Shillinger (Co-Chair)
Rick Kline
John Rogers (Co-Chair)
Gary Mackay
Chris Brosius
Don Spieller
Rick Gibson
Nick Wolfe
Tony Greidanus
The Philadelphia Section PGA would like to inform you of the following changes in membership
since the 2014 Fall Meeting:
Attained PGA Membership
Elizabeth Blomgren, PGA
Gregg Gipp, PGA
Michael Heidler, PGA
Shawn Matthews, PGA
Bradley Nelson, PGA
Brian Shoemaker, PGA
Christopher Wright, PGA
Achieved Half Century Status
Tim DeBaufre, PGA
Howard Kramer, PGA
Donald Siok, PGA
Achieved Quarter Century Status
Scott Dunn, PGA
Kerry Mattern, PGA
Thomas Miller, PGA
Mark Monahan, PGA
George Petrole, PGA
Mike Sander, PGA
Rob Shuey, PGA
Achieved Senior Status
Tom Borsavage, PGA
Elizabeth Granahan, PGA
Tom Kelly, PGA
Bret Marshal, PGA
Patrick Sweetra, PGA
Charles Winn, PGA
Members and Apprentices who have transferred into the Section since the Fall Meeting of 2014:
Don Beardsley, PGA
Michael Binney
Michael Hodges, PGA
Jason Lamp, PGA
Ryan Poserina, PGA
Vince Ramagli, PGA
Thomas Regan
Matthew Romond, PGA
Patrick Terpak, PGA
Steven Wright, PGA
We would like to recognize all of the PGA Professionals who have completed their Certification in the
various categories within the Philadelphia Section since November 2014:
Golf Operations
Ben Debski, PGA
Instruction
Gerry Davis, PGA
Steve Wager, PGA
Michael Wheeler, PGA
Respectfully submitted,
John Rogers, PGA
Secretary, Philadelphia Section
2015 Spring Meeting
Vice Presidents Report
As your Vice-President my role encompasses Section Financials, Club Relations, and Hall of Fame.
Financial
The Section remains in a strong and stable financial position. With the move last year to our
permanent home site in Lower Gwynedd, PA we had some significant changes to our financial
reporting and have since cleaned up our old rental agreement and stabilized into an ownership
position. Our Junior and Tournament Departments remains on solid ground and our sponsorships
remain stable thanks to the relationship building and loyalty Geoff has created with our partners. The
total value of the restricted fund as of 2/28/15 was $517,989 with $387,418 being held at Haverford
and $130,571 being held as a CD by Valley Green Bank. This marks a modest increase in value for the
year and reflects the normal market fluctuations you would expect.
The one major difference in our budget planning for 2015 was the addition of increased ADP funding
from PGA of America. This new program that will effectively double the financial support to all
Sections by 2019 was activated in 2014. With the difference in our fiscal years we were only able to
recognize have of the initial increase in 2014. Now for our 2015 budget we will be able to recognize
over $60,000 of additional support. This will be used in a number of different areas. Most notably in
the expansion of our intern staff that will now support junior golf, communications, and player
development as well as professional tournaments. Our hope is that this will be able to add to the
services we deliver to our members on a day to day basis as well as give needed support to our full
time staff. Continuing to be financially sound and responsible to the membership at large is extremely
important to Section leadership and staff as we strive to deliver high-level service to every member
and continue to serve the industry and grow the game.
As Philadelphia Cricket Club gets ready to host the PGA Professional National Championship in late
June we have made a financial commitment to the club and the event. We have become a local
Tillinghast Sponsor with the Cricket Club. This will give us the opportunity to entertain a number of
our local partners throughout the year as well as events that are tied to the Championship. This was a
great way to show our support to the leadership and staff at the Cricket Club as well as become more
engaged with the Championship. We hope to see you out at the Cricket Club supporting our
Championship.
Club Relations
On the club relations side we have had some movement of PGA Professionals over the winter
months. Our Career Consultant Tom Kendrick continues to work closely with Geoff Surrette to visit
facilities and build the best possible jobs for the area.
We currently have PGA representation at 296 facilities within our Section boundaries, which
represents some 62% of the total golf courses. We have 880 current members of our Section
including apprentices. Over 20% of our apprentices are currently in “suspended” status, something
that is troubling to the Association and to our Section and an area we must focus our attention on in
the coming weeks and months ahead.
As of March 10, 2015 our Compensation Survey numbers were very low with less than 30% of our
members having completed the survey. This information is so critical for Tom Kendrick and Geoff
Surrette to use when they work with facilities. We have been able to show that when the survey
numbers are up the average compensation goes up in the reporting tools that are used to give
facilities compensation information. We are all going to need this information at some point so I urge
you to take a few minutes to fill out the survey so that you and your fellow professionals are well
represented.
From the date of our 2014 Fall Meeting, Tom Kendrick has managed 10 CareerLinks jobs within the
Section. Our number of job changes has remained pretty consistent over the years with some peaks
and valleys. Tom is a wonderful asset that we have available to us and I would urge you to reach out
to him when you get the chance.
Hall of Fame
Our Hall of Fame Committee has been working over the winter months to take an old idea and make
it new again with the creation of a Playing Legends category. This new form of recognition will be
highlighted at our Fall Meeting, with the intention of recognizing Hall of Fame inductions and Playing
Legends every other year.
I want to thank Barb Creveling, Geoff Surrette and the entire Section staff for their support,
dedication, and overall professionalism to the business of our association. I continue to be impressed
by their unwavering dedication to our members and could certainly not perform my role as Vice
President without all of their assistance and support.
I hope to see many of you on the course this season and at our educational events.
Respectfully submitted,
Ian Dalzell, PGA
Vice President
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
2015 Spring Meeting
Presidents Report
It has been an honor to represent the Philadelphia Section and hard to believe how fast my
presidency has gone by; with only 6 months remaining we have accomplished many of the initiatives
set at the start of our term. I assure you that our Executive Board and Board of Directors have been
looking ahead and have worked diligently in all areas of the Section’s affairs. The two pillars of the
Long Term Strategic Plan focus on growing the game and serving the member and our Section is no
different, in fact that has been the focus for many years and will continue for the success of our
association.
As mentioned in many communications, if you have any questions I urge you to contact your District
Directors for your respective regions and bring your voice and concerns to the Board level. We have
reached out to our regions and held our directors responsible for hosting education opportunities
and round tables. Leila Mackie has proven to be a valuable asset for our members and their facilities
and I urge every professional to utilize her talents and skills to improve your facility. We have had
great success from our national allies, but now is the time to push a little harder, as experts in the
game, to grow this great game for now and in the future.
Congratulations to our Award winners this year, in particular Ian Dalzell for his Golf Professional of
the Year award. Ian and all the award winners have shown themselves to be the leaders in their
perspective areas and I’d encourage every professional who sees a fellow professional going above
and beyond to nominate them for any award appropriate. We have so many talented PGA
Professionals in our boundaries and it’s vital to have them recognized. Thanks to Jeff Kiddie and his
committee for their time and effort with this process.
We will be hosting the Professional National Championship at the historic Philadelphia Cricket Club,
thanks to Jim Smith, Jr and the membership for bringing our Championship to the Philadelphia
Section. I encourage you and your members to come and see the finest PGA Professionals in the
country compete in June.
In closing, we would like to thank our entire office and field staff for continually providing the
professional business environment that not only represents the PGA but has put our Section and our
Executive Director at the top of the class. Their tireless efforts year round are truly appreciated and
have made our new home office a great representation of our brand. I encourage you to stop in and
take a tour of our historic trophy room. Best to all in a successful 2015 season!
Respectfully submitted,
John Pillar, PGA
President, Philadelphia Section
Quote for the Season:
Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the
impossible!
- Francis of Assisi
2015 Spring Meeting
Executive Directors Report
Welcome to the 2015 Season. I’m sure many of you have been working hard for the past few weeks
and months preparing for a successful golf season. The Section staff has been hard at work preparing
for 2015 as well. Along with those preparations we would like to welcome the newest member of our
staff, PGA Member, Bobby Howie. Bobby will fill the Operations Coordinator position recently held by
Tori Valente who has moved on to take a position at the new Union League at Torresdale.
Hopefully you have read through the other Committee and Officer reports and have seen what has
taken place over the past few months. I am just going to give you a few of my thoughts and try not to
be too redundant. As we have discussed over the past 2 seasons we will continue to see an increase
in our ADP funding from the PGA of America. With the difference in our fiscal years we could only
recognized half of the first years increase. So for our 2015 fiscal year we will be recognizing over
$60,000 of increased funding. You will see that support in an increase of our intern program with
additional support for our Junior, Tournament and Communications programs. We are also going to
continue to invest in our player development programs, marketing and promotional resources for our
brand, additional equipment, and our Junior Tour.
Philadelphia Cricket Club will be hosting the 2015 PGA Professional National Championship at the end
of June. We have partnered with the club to help support and celebrate the event. This has given us
additional opportunities to support our local partners and have a true partnership with the club and
the event. We have been meeting with the club and PGA of America staff during the off season to
help prepare for our support of the event. There will be a number of consumer player development
events around the tournament along with our member’s participation on a number of different
committees.
We have also been working closely with our allied associations during this off season to see what we
can do together to support all of the professionals, members, owners, and facilities in our region. We
are working on some initiatives and messaging that we can deliver as a group to help educate and
encourage current players as well as attract new players into the game. There will be much more to
come out of these conversations!
As always, the Section staff continues to so a great job on your behalf. I would like to thank them for
their hard work and dedication to the entire membership. I would also like to thank the Officers,
Board, and all of our Committee chairs and members for their service to the Section.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the Spring Meeting. Thank you again for allowing me to serve as
your Executive Director.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey Surrette, PGA
Executive Director
Contact Information
Officers
President
Vice President
Secretary
Director of Sec Affairs
Dir. of Tournaments
Honorary President
John Pillar
Ian Dalzell
John Rogers
Jeffrey Kiddie
Dave McNabb
Dan Haskell
(570) 685-8102
(215) 659-1584
(717) 816-6110
(610) 356-6055
(610)-647-7667
(609) 828-4791
john.pillar@woodloch.com
idalzell@hvccpa.org
jrpga@comcast.net
jkiddie@aronimink.org
dmcnabb@applebrookgolfclub.com
dhaskellpga@gmail.com
Contact Information
District Directors / Central Counties Chapter President / PAO Co Chair
District I
District II
District III
District IV
District V
District VI
District VI
Independent Director
Independent Director
CCC President
Co-Chairman PAO
Co-Chairman PAO
Bob Hennefer
Kevin Wiest
Chip Richter
Joe Hughes
Mike Wood
Joey Pohle
Patrick Shine
Algot Thorell
(609) 502-4821
(302) 227-8953
(717) 243-6866
(814) 863-0257
(610) 758-7177
(215) 723-3680
(215) 672-3356
(215) 518 0493
prohennefer@gmail.com
kevinwiest@hotmail.com
crcccpro@aol.com
jdh174@psu.edu
mikewood79@hotmail.com
joeypohle@gmail.com
pshine@commonwealthgolf.com
athorell@valleygreenbank.com
Rick Gibney
Dan Haskell
Justin Riegel
(717) 657-3212
(609) 828-4791
(610) 828-9370
pgarg1@verizon.net
dhaskellpga@gmail.com
JRiegel@pga.com
District Breakdown
District 1: New Jersey south of the 40th parallel, and the Trenton Country Club in Trenton.
District 2: All of Delaware and part of Maryland.
District 3: Pennsylvania Counties: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon,
Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, and York.
District 4: Pennsylvania Counties: Bradford, Carbon, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna,
Lycoming, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour, North Cumberland, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan,
Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming.
District 5: Pennsylvania Counties: Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks (north of Route 202)
District 6: Pennsylvania Counties: Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Bucks
(south of Route 202).
Contact Information
Philadelphia Section PGA Staff
Executive Director
Geoffrey Surrette, PGA
215-481-9083
gsurrette@pgahq.com
Assistant Executive Director
Barbara Creveling
215-481-9081
bcreveling@pgahq.com
Member Services Director & Chapter Admin
Sue Unger
215-481-9084
sunger@pgahq.com
Tournament Coordinator
Ellen Berlinger
Office: 215-481-9089
Cell: 215-399-7865
eberlinger@pgahq.com
Player Development Coordinator
Leila Mackie, PGA
215-481-9080
lmackie@pgahq.com
Director of Communications
Joe Monforto
215-481-9086
jmonforto@pgahq.com
Junior Director
Brian Schulte, PGA
215-481-9087
bschulte@pgahq.com
Operations Coordinator
Bobby Howie, PGA
267-622-6149
bhowie@pgahq.com
Field Tournament Director
Carl Berlinger
Cell: 215-399-7882
ceberlinger@verizon.net
General Information
Office:
Philadelphia Section PGA
1009 Penllyn Pike
Lower Gwynedd, PA 19002
Office: 215-886-7742
Fax: 215-646-3961
Websites:
www.phillypga.com
www.phillyjuniortour.com
www.phillycollegeseries.com