2022 Co-Golf Professional's of the Year Matt Sherlock, PGA

2022 Iowa PGA IPGA Co-Golf Professional of the Year

Matt Sherlock, PGA

Matt Sherlock the PGA General Manager, Owner and Head PGA Golf Professional of MK Golf Shops Inc. and John Panek, PGA General Manager at Davenport Country Club have been named the 2022 Iowa PGA CoGolf Professionals of the Year. The Golf Professional of the Year Award is the highest honor paid to an Iowa PGA Golf Professional. The honoree is chosen based on leadership abilities that stand above the rest, contributions made to their facility’s success, and excelling as an overall golf professional at the Iowa PGA Section level. This is the first time in the history of the Iowa PGA that there has been a tie for this award.

Sherlock and his wife Kandis manage MK Golf Shops, Inc. that leases Edmundson & Harvest Point Golf Courses in Oskaloosa and holds a management contract with the City of Pella to manage and operate Bos Landen Golf Course in Pella, Iowa. All three courses are public golf facilities. They operate and manage 45 holes of regulation golf, two name brand retail golf shops including club repair, two driving ranges, two full-service beverage bars, two full-service concession businesses and one indoor golf simulator. Their golf shop business was also nominated for Public Merchandiser of the year in 2022. They have successfully and proudly been in business for 11 years. Their staff of nearly 50 people consists of seven full time employees, a Head Superintendent with full grounds crew, golf shop staff, cart attendants, driving range attendants, four PGA professionals, one PGA associate, one retired Golf Course Superintendent and his wife Kandis, as co-owner and financial manager of the company. When we started this business, they had a staff of four people! All these great people are the reason their business works. Sherlock is in the golf business because Jeff and his wife Lori offered him, and eventually his wife, a pathway for success. He is currently in his 28th consecutive golf season on these properties. It has been a great ride and experience. MK Golf Shops expanded to Bos Landen in 2020 and are completing their 3rd season managing this property. Between the 3 golf courses they host around 80 events per year ranging in size from 40-150 people each and they also host five golf leagues per week. Their business was always the goal, but it has progressed faster, and bigger, than they ever dreamed. They have had eleven consecutive years of generating a profit and growing our business larger, year after year. We are blessed.

every day they need a quality and reliable staff that is thoroughly trained and loyal. They have that in their business.

Sherlock has also served the Iowa PGA Section and Iowa PGA Foundation. He was elected to the Iowa PGA Board Sherlock is proud to say that Jeff Smith, of Directors nine years ago. After one PGA, BG Campbell, PGA, Mike Lathrop, term he was encouraged to run for the PGA have all contributed to their business elected position of Iowa PGA Board daily. Jeff Smith manages and leads the Secretary. He won this very close elecgrounds crew at their Harvest Point prop- tion and started his time as an officer on the Iowa Section Board of Directors. erty, BG Campbell is on their grounds crew at Edmundson GC. If you ever get the He served a term as President from chance to have an experienced PGA Pro- 2019-21 and is currently the Honorfessional enjoy retirement while helping ary President of the current Board of maintain your golf course, take it. Hogan Directors. Sherlock has been involved in Section governance in some way Rockhold, 2022 Assistant Golf Professional of the Year nominee, is Sherlock’s right- for almost his entire Class A career hand person, Assistant Golf Professional, and has participated and traveled as a and primary golf instructor. Hogan is in- delegate or delegate support to seven Annual meetings with four more to go. strumental in their business and is going to be a leader in the Iowa PGA in the future. He has represented the Iowa PGA at four district meetings, dozens of SecSherlock has been in the golf business tion events, Iowa PGA Foundation and his entire working life and a Class A PGA strategic planning meetings during his member for 11 years. Sherlock has worked term. at Edmundson and Harvest Point Golf Courses since he was 12 years old for His largest challenges during his term as respected Iowa PGA Professional, past a section officer were the hiring of two District 8 Director, Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Executive Directors in less than twelve member and Past Iowa PGA Section Pres- months, expanding the section intern ident Jeff Smith, PGA. Jeff has been, and positions, hiring more full-time section always will be, his mentor and a very close staff members and creating a stratefriend. Sherlock chuckles to himself that gic plan for the future of the Iowa PGA. Jeff is now an employee of their company after all these years! A major Challenge he faced was figuring

figuring out how to function as a Board and Section during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which tragically took the life of his dad, John Sherlock, on November 20, 2020. His motivation though this tough time was to help guide the section sensibly but still respect the seriousness and magnitude of this pandemic. He saw firsthand the impact to both his family and his business.

In 2017 he was named the Iowa High School Golf Coaches Association Golf Professional of the year for contributions made to high school golf. He worked with eleven different high school and college golf teams at their facilities as he feels it is their duty to grow the game for future generations. MK Golf Shops has supported the Iowa PGA through hosting the Iowa PGA Junior and Pee Wee tours and Drive, Chip & Putt qualifiers every year. They also offer complimentary golf and cart privileges to all GIVE program veterans and their guests and have done this since the inception of the GIVE program in 2007.

In 2021, Sherlock was extremely honored to receive the first ever Deacon Palmer Award from the Iowa PGA. This award is for a PGA Professional that has overcame personal and/or physical hardship and still positively contributed to the game of golf. He doesn’t dwell on the past health challenges of his life, but he doesn’t forget them either. Again, he is, and still is, blessed to be surrounded by amazing people that have supported him though some of the hardest but also most rewarding days of his life.

Jeff Smith, PGA, “Matt also has been very active in the governance of the Iowa Section serving as board member, all chairs of the Executive Committee, serving as President from 2019-2021. Those were two very challenging years serving our section as the COVID pandemic nearly shut down golf In Iowa. Matt was instrumental in working with his officers and the Iowa State House and Governor In convincing them that golf was a sport/activity/ business that could operate within many safety guidelines and be a healthy outlet for people to safely enjoy.

Many PGA Professionals struggled through this pandemic and Matt lead our Iowa Section and those in need with dignity and compassion. Matt also experienced two very personal challenges in going through back surgery and, sadly, losing his father due to COVID. Matt continues to stay active in our section stepping up to remain on the Iowa Section PGA Board of Directors as Past President for two additional years.”

Erin Strieck, President- Iowa PGA & Iowa Golf Foundation, Director of Golf at Pinnacle Country Club, “Matt is a true professional, even in the face of adversity. He is a person of true integrity and treats everyone from a golf professional to the guests of his golf courses with great respect. These attributes in my opinion make it easy for me to go on and on about Matt and make him the perfect recipient of the Iowa Section Golf Professional of the Year.” On behalf of the Iowa PGA Members, Associates and Iowa PGA staff we congratulate Matt Sherlock as the 2022 Iowa PGA Co-Golf Professional of the Year.