May
OFFICERS/BOARD
President Dawn Neujahr, PGA
Vice President Mike Schuchart, PGA
Secretary Phil Palmer, PGA
Honorary President Gil Russell, PGA
Board Member Nick Wanderscheid, PGA
Board Member Chris Cover, PGA
District 8 Director Greg Neujahr, PGA
NEBRASKA PGA STAFF
Executive Director/CEO David Honnens, PGA
Managing Director Seth Scollard, PGA
Tournament Director Vincent Bachteler, PGA
Nebraska Junior Golf Director/PGA REACH
Programming Assistant—Kurt Karcher, PGA
Operations Manager Renee Tyson
Development Officer Bob Danenhauer
Digital Media Director Brett Renner
PGA REACH Prog. Coord. Nic Latcham, PGA
The Nebraska Section PGA annually hosts the Legends of Golf Classic to honor and celebrate the PGA Professionals who have paved the way for future generations. The event is only eligible for PGA Members who have served for 20 or more years or that are 50 years of age and older. 32 Nebraska PGA Professionals were in the 2023 field and the group represented 949 years of PGA Membership. The format of the event is two-person teams with one best-ball on the par 3’s and a shamble on the par 4’s and 5’s.
Off to a quick start, Mike Antonio, PGA of Happy Hollow Club and Ty Stewart of Lost Rail Golf Club birdied three of their first four holes to take the early lead. Joining that duo with a hot start was our back-to-back defending champions, Jon Petersen, PGA of Tiburon Golf Club and Jim White, PGA MP of The Fairways at Lincoln. Continue Reading…...
Dear Nebraska Section PGA,
Summer is here and let the golf begin as we check off another Memorial Day weekend and work towards the July 4th Holiday. I just returned from the PGA Championship at Oak Hill CC in Rochester, NY and witnessed a truly great championship for our association. Watching the finish of Michael Block, PGA and seeing him get it up and down on hole #18 to secure his spot in the 2024 PGA Championship was something else! The New York crowds were behind him that final round and the roar on hole #15 when he made the hole in one was epic. The venue at Oak Hill CC was perfect for a major championship and so proud of the tournament team led by Kerry Haigh. I also just returned from the Senior PGA Championship in Frisco, TX and was really happy to see the property at PGA Frisco completely open. I know the East course designed by Gil Hanse is a true test and I look forward to hearing what the field thought of the lay out.
-Have you signed up for the Deferred Comp program yet? Currently there are 4,200 PGA Professionals registered for this new member benefit. Don’t miss out on the chance to put money in your pocket and watch your investment grow over time. Go to PGA.org to see all the details of the program and click the button to sign up. It only takes 5 minutes of your time.
-The Career Consultant and Recruiting team for the PGA is doing great work growing compensation for our membership and recruiting/retaining current members. There are currently 4,477 Associates in the PGA Education program compared to 3,686 a year ago. This is great news as we are all looking for qualified staff and the golf business continues to boom. Please reach out to our local Career Consultant Kevin Drew, PGA and let him help you navigate the hiring process or new ideas on how you can increase your compensation.
-Did you see the option on your dues statement to support the Medical/Disaster relief fund for our association? The is purely a member funded benefit that can greatly help any PGA Professional. The board approved raising the donation from $30 to $40 this year and raised the payout per member from $7,000 to $9,000. I know there have been several professionals in our section that have received these funds so if you can support the donation with your dues payment it was be greatly appreciated. The fund has taken a hit over the past two years with the hurricane down in Florida so building it back up is a goal we are looking to achieve.
Enjoy the start of Summer and thanks for allowing me to serve as your National District Director!
Sincerely,
Greg Neujahr, PGA District 8 Director
Who is the right mentor for me?
We hear a lot about the importance of having a mentor or mentors in our industry. Some of us have been fortunate enough to have worked for someone or with someone we consider to be a mentor. But, what made them valuable to us?
Many times we have looked to someone and wanted them to be a mentor because of their reputation or stature in the golf business maybe they were a top merchandiser, or an accomplished teacher, or just seem to have had all the right jobs in the industry. Certainly from a knowledge standpoint, there is much to be learned from those individuals who have seen great success, and we all should take advantage of that when given the opportunity.
I would argue the best mentor you can seek out in golf is someone who has shown a genuine interest in you as a person and your future as a golf professional. To take it a step further, I would encourage you to look for someone who shares your value system. What values shape your decision-making from a career standpoint?
Assessing your values is one of the first steps in your career planning process. I am on the journey with you, so don't hesitate to reach out to see if we can schedule a convenient time to talk further. The goal is not only for you to find the best mentor, but also to begin mapping out your career goals and a strategy to accomplish them.
Ready to get started? Let’s do this.
Explain facility performance like a pro with PGA Operations Benchmark
The free PGA Operations Benchmark is the only way to understand how your course compares to the market. It offers the first interactive picture of your overall facility performance and gives you the power to make informed decisions. Public and private courses can sign up for the PGA Operations Benchmark program today.
PGA of America Member App & Deferred Compensation
The new PGA Member app is live in the Apple and Google Play stores. Members can now track PDRs, pay dues and submit and track Deferred Compensation points all through an app. Learn more and download it today!
DONATE HERE
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 2023 13U National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship will be held October 4th-8th, 2023 at Fields Ranch West at PGA Frisco.
The 17U post season goes all the way to a National Championship, as opposed to completing their season at the Regional Event in prior years. It is planned for Late November in Greater Dallas but exact details are yet to come.
Good luck to all of the 2023 PGA Jr. League Teams! Let’s make it a great season!
