March 2023 Newsletter

March 2023

OFFICERS/BOARD

NEBRASKA PGA STAFF

President—Dawn Neujahr, PGA

Executive Director/CEO—David Honnens, PGA

Vice President—Mike Schuchart, PGA

Managing Director—Seth Scollard, PGA

Secretary— Phil Palmer, PGA

Tournament Director—Vincent Bachteler, PGA

Honorary President—Gil Russell, PGA

Nebraska Junior Golf Director/PGA REACH Programming Assistant—Kurt Karcher, PGA

Board Member—Nick Wanderscheid, PGA

Operations Manager—Renee Tyson

Board Member—Chris Cover, PGA

Development Officer—Bob Danenhauer

District 8 Director—Greg Neujahr, PGA

Digital Media Director—Brett Renner

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My name is Keenon Davis and I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in December of 2022. I received my degree in Fashion Merchandising and Design, as well as a minor in Business and Art. I grew up playing golf at a young age and have since developed a passion for this amazing game. I wanted to get a job that combined my excitement for fashion as well as golf and was lucky enough to get connected with John Sheridan. John took a chance on hiring me to work under him here in Nebraska and Iowa, and I couldn't feel more blessed to be in this position! I look forward to serving and meeting you all soon!

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Register for Spring Meeting

Register for Golf

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Register Today to Play!

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Nebraska Section PGA Member Nick St. Onge of The Country Club at Lincoln has been selected to the 2023-24 PGA LEAD class. This year will be the eighth edition of the PGA of America leadership program.

This will be the third straight PGA LEAD cohort with Nebraska Section PGA representation within the national program after Sarah Pravecek, PGA (2022-2023) and Alphonse Peterson, III, PGA (2021-2022) served in past years.

Established in 2016, PGA LEAD is the Association’s leadership development program, created to identify, mentor and progress PGA Members from diverse backgrounds along a guided path to volunteer leadership roles at the Chapter, Section and national levels of the Association. PGA LEAD also helps PGA Members who have a desire to serve and make an impact on nonprofit boards within the communities where they work and live.

This 18-month leadership development program reinforces the PGA of America’s commitment to create a game, workforce and industry supply chain that better mirror America’s demographics.

More specifically, the PGA is committed to inclusive governance, environments, systems and structures that create the opportunity for all PGA Professionals to develop, grow and lead.

“I was motivated to apply for PGA LEAD to not only grow that network, but also to learn more about leadership, become a better leader, and to be able to pass along what I learn to others”, said Nick. St Onge, PGA. “Now, to be accepted into the program, I’m excited to get started.”

Among the alumni of the PGA LEAD are three PGA Section Presidents, three Section Vice Presidents, two Section Secretaries, 19 Section board members and 19 National Committee members.

It’s proven that participants of this program take their leadership and career skills to the next level and St. Onge hopes to benefit in the same way.

Continue Reading…...

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You're invited to be among the first in the industry to experience the Omni PGA Frisco Resort at PGA Frisco, the new Home of the PGA of America, as the host venue for the 2023 PGA Buying & Education Summit in Frisco, Texas.

From sunrise to sunset, the schedule will offer plenty of opportunities to: Meet with a curated group of apparel, accessory, equipment, technology and golf lifestyle brands Learn through education sessions at the State-of-the-Art Professional Development Center Participate in experiential networking opportunities across the expansive PGA Frisco campus Each evening will offer a chance to unwind but stay connected through a Demo Night, fashion show, nightly industry networking events and fun golf competitions at the PGA District, which features The Dance Floor, a lighted 2-acre, putting course; The Swing, a lighted, 10-hole, par-3 short course; The Ice House with six live hitting bays; Lounge by Topgolf featuring Topgolf Swing Suite technology and a variety of virtual games; and the tech-focused, high-touch and data-driven experience of the PGA Coaching Center.

Join us at PGA Frisco to learn, source products and network, while experiencing the new home of the PGA of America. Sign Up to Learn More

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Happy Spring Nebraska PGA, The season is now upon us and hoping Mother Nature gives us a couple good months of weather so we can start the year off on a good note. I just returned from our National committee meetings in Chicago and National budget approval for 2023. It was a great two days of listening to new ideas from the committees on how to serve the member and grow the game. Many new committee members in place and awesome energy in the room as they laid out their initiatives for the year. I thought I would share some key initiatives that were discussed and looking to develop: -Activate PGA Frisco to its fullest potential -Execute Deferred Compensation -Elevate support of Sections and Membership through the Regional Model -Continue to build PGA.com into a tool for members and industry -Drive impact of Career Services -Maximize PGA Reach -Continue to elevate our championships and promote the PGA member The new budget cycle for our National association will start April 1st and at our last board meeting the 2023 budget was approved. Some of the challenges we are facing in the next cycle would include inflation costs associated with labor and travel, purse escalations and funding Deferred Compensation.

There are a number of key components to this years budget: -The roll out of the Deferred Compensation member benefit -Completing the Coaching Center in Frisco at the home of the PGA -Section support -Hiring of our new COO Mr. Craig Kessler -Championship purse increases

I know the board feels that it is important to continue to fund member facing programming and the new budget follows this path. The strategic plan was shared with all the committees and I feel they will continue to work together to make sure new initiatives be in alignment.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your National board representative for District 8 and look forward to seeing you all on the course this Spring. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely, Greg Neujahr, PGA District 8 Director PAGE 13  Nebraska PGA News  March 2023

Compensation by the Numbers

The lull of the offseason has come and gone and PGA Professionals and facilities are gearing up for the start of the new season. Let’s take a look at 2022 VS. 2023 by the numbers for compensation in Nebraska and the remaining 40 sections of the PGA. In the chart below, I have provided 2022 Vs. 2023 averages for several classifications (as well as a link to a more formal report). Are you at your max earning potential as a professional? What are we doing to not only show our worth to our fa-

cility, boards, and / or committees, but what are we doing to increase our earning potential through programming?

If you would like to have a conversation about how to increase your compensation or your earning potential, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I have included some numbers below with professionals I have already been able to help here in the Nebraska Section.

CLICK HERE FOR NEBRASKA PGA 2022 Vs. 2023 COMPENSATION REPORT PAGE 14  Nebraska PGA News  March 2023

Kevin Drew- Career Consultant Website PAGE 15  Nebraska PGA News  March 2023

Contact Clark Smith:- 515-202-2951 clark.smith@aheadsales.net PAGE 16 Nebraska PGA News  March 2023

Complimentary Access to the 2023 Masters Tournament As a courtesy extended by Augusta National Golf Club, Class A PGA Members, Life Members and Master Professional Members only may receive complimentary daily access to the 2023 Masters Tournament. Learn more here.

PGA of America Issues Statement on USGA/R&A Distance Proposal We are strongly opposed to any rules changes that will make the game less fun for recreational golfers. Regarding this specific area of interest, we are pleased that there is no longer a focus on changing or modifying the ball or clubs that recreational players may use. Read more here.

PGA Members Enroll in Deferred Compensation Now Beginning on April 1, PGA Members in good standing can potentially earn up to $1,500 a year to a deferred compensation plan by participating in a combination of 16 activities. Members can directly register by clicking here.

Career Opportunities for Junior College Golfers The NJCAA has announced a partnership agreement with the PGA of America. The PGA of America and the NJCAA will work together to grow the game of golf by sharing professional and career opportunities with two-year collegiate golfers. Learn more here.

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DONATE HERE

As a military veteran, I have always been aware of the importance of mental health. The trauma of combat, the stresses of deployment, and the challenges of reintegration can all take a toll on a person’s mental well-being. Fortunately, I have found a unique way to improve my mental health and reconnect with my military buddies through golf.

Last year, I participated in PGA HOPE at Meadowlark Hills Golf Course in Kearney, Nebraska. PGA HOPE stands for Helping Our Patriots Everywhere, and it is a program designed to introduce golf to military veterans as a form of therapy. I learned golf fundamentals and techniques through PGA HOPE while connecting with other veterans who shared similar experiences.

What I appreciated most about PGA HOPE was the supportive environment it provided.

The instructors were patient and understanding, and the camaraderie among the participants was palpable. I felt like I was part of a team again, and that was a feeling I had missed since leaving the military. Continue reading…..

2022 PGA HOPE Kearney Graduation Recap Video PAGE 18  Nebraska PGA News  March 2023

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After donating their 100th set of clubs and push carts through the Clubs FORE Youth program in 2022, PGA REACH Nebraska has announced six more High School Girls’ Golf Programs as 2023 Clubs FORE Youth Recipients. Lincoln Northeast, Lincoln Northwest, Bayard, Schuyler Central, Lexington and Boone Central High School Girls Golf programs will be impacted this season.

In 2018, PGA REACH Nebraska worked with the Nebraska Schools Activities Association to conduct a study covering more than 70 High School Girls Golf programs across the state to identify barriers to golf for girls. The results were staggering. The study found that 56% of the girls in Nebraska competing in high school golf do not use their own clubs and 43% of the equipment used was outdated, broken, or borderline unusable.

In an effort to fix this problem, PGA REACH Nebraska implemented the ‘Clubs FORE Youth’ program in 2021 with the goal of fully equipping ALL High School Girl’s Golf programs in need of resources and equipment assistance. Clubs FORE Youth is an initiative founded by the Southern California Section PGA to provide high school-aged girls (14-18) with the necessary golf equipment and resources needed to compete and experience the game’s most important characteristics.

“We identified a barrier, and we are committed to bridging this gap by providing every female scholar-athlete in our state with the proper equipment needed to compete. We want to level the playing field”, said PGA REACH Nebraska Managing Director Seth Scollard, PGA. The benefits of Clubs FORE Youth include brand new sets of Callaway golf clubs and bags, Sun Mountain push carts, Nebraska PGA Professional instruction, and course access through the partnership with Nebraska Junior Golf & the Nebraska Golf Association.

The six newly selected schools will soon join the growing list of Nebraska High School Girl’s Golf Programs that have been impacted by Clubs FORE Youth. Continue Reading…..

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Bennington's Anna Midyett will compete at Augusta National in the 2023 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals on Sunday, April 2, 2023, prior to the start of the Masters Tournament.

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DCP Event Registration is Open!

REGISTER NOW! PAGE 22  Nebraska PGA News  March 2023

Create your 2023 PGA Jr. League Programs today! Players can start registering for published programs on February 1st.

I’m a 2022 PGA Jr. League Coach Since you’ve already created your account and set your location, you’ll simply need to publish your 2023 programs.

I didn’t register as a Coach in 2022 Begin by signing up as a Coach through PGAJrLeague.com. From here, you’ll create a location and then publish your 2023 programs.

2023 Nebraska PGA Jr. League Section Qualifier Fremont GC on Tuesday, July 25th **If there are too many teams for one qualifier, there will be two qualifiers. The second location is Jackrabbit Run GC in Grand Island on Wednesday, July 26th.

Teams will be split as evenly as possible based on geographic location if this additional qualifier is needed.

2023 Nebraska PGA Jr. League Section Championship The Club at Indian Creek (Red Feather Course) on Saturday, August 12th IMPORTANT: The top two teams in both the 13U and 17U divisions at the Section Championship will qualify for the regional event, which will be held at The Ridge GC in Sioux Center, IA on Sept. 1-3, 2023.

The 17U post season will have a National Championship starting this year, as opposed to stopping at the Regional Event in previous years.

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Terrance Riordan, PGA

4/1

Gregory Gilg, PGA

4/13

Nick Wanderscheid, PGA

4/2

Ky Molholm, PGA

4/14

Robert Walker, PGA

4/2

James White, PGA

4/16

Brady Schnell

4/3

Gerald Fitzpatrick, PGA

4/16

Christian Hall

4/4

Jonathan Beaver, PGA

4/16

Mike Schuchart, PGA

4/6

Drake Lundeen, PGA

4/18

Chad Manes, PGA

4/7

Don Kruse, PGA

4/22

Scott Allacher, PGA

4/8

Britton Ward, PGA

4/23

Tyler Hadden, PGA

4/8

Jon Petersen, PGA

4/24

Robert Thomason, PGA

4/8

David James, PGA

4/25

Mallory Simmelink, PGA

4/9

Matthew Nelson, PGA

4/26

William Scarborough, PGA

4/11

Cody Steuter, PGA

4/26

Nickolaus St. Onge, PGA

4/12

Mike Cornell, PGA

4/26

Steven Friesen, PGA

4/12

Jennifer Smith, PGA

4/28

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