Issuu

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Assistant Professional of the Year: Tom Johnson, PGA I have been working in the golf business for the past 5 years and have been fortunate enough to work under some great leaders in our section. The past 4 years I have had the opportunity to work at Champions Run as the 1st Assistant Golf Professional. Working alongside PGA Professional Greg Neujahr, has developed me into the golf professional I am today. Obtaining my PGA Membership this past June has really opened my eyes into what the PGA crest means to so many people. We as PGA Members are the driving force in an ever changing industry. I have been very blessed to be able to work for a facility that has members that love the game of golf and support our staff and programs. Some of the areas that I have been able to enhance at the club are Junior Golf, Club Fitting, and Men’s Events. I truly enjoy working with our juniors here at Champions Run, and by having a very young and active membership this is possible. Here are some highlights of some of the things I have been able to do: Junior Golf: 1.) Working with our Junior Links program of 170+ juniors and developing energetic and fun ways to learn the game. Adding aspects of golf to new games such as base golf, speedgolf, relay races, and obstacle courses grows the excitement for our juniors. 2.) Given the opportunity to develop and lead our Team Golf program. Setting up practices and scrimmages against other clubs has allowed our juniors to continue working on their games throughout the golf season. Participation tripled in two years because of the excitement surrounding the team aspect of this program. 3.) Working with our Junior Interclub team is an area that I have been able to mentor our golfers that are looking to continue learning and playing the game at a higher level. Being able to take golfers to other facilities and compete against other clubs is something that I believe really keeps the golfers engaged. 4.) Volunteering for Golf in Schools at Minne Lusa Elementary the past two winters has given me a new outlook at trying to grow the game in areas where a kid may have never touched a golf club! Men’s Golf: Over the past few years I noticed a slow decline in our men’s singles match play tournament. After talking with some members it was clear that most of our male golfers lost interest in winning the 5th flight exedra in match play. So in 2015 I reached out to other clubs to learn about their match play events. After meeting with our men’s events committee I developed a new singles match play event called “The Gauntlet”. With a 64 person field the event generated a lot of buzz and was filled within the first week of registration. Club Fitting: At Champions I am very fortunate to be able to have all the newest technology in club fitting at my disposal. With 7 fitting carts on property, our members have access to almost every option. Being a Callaway Staff Member for the past 5 years is something I take great pride in. The members look to me for expertise in fitting the latest in Callaway products and all the other vendors.

Join us as we thank our local Nebraska PGA Professionals. Click here to say #ThxPGAPro

Midland University Student

Creighton University Student

We are excited to introduce you to the newest members of the Nebraska Section PGA team, Cassie Trumbley and Trey Petitt. Cassie will be a Senior at Midland University in Fremont, NE. Cassie is majoring in Human Performance: Fitness and Sports Management with a compressed major in Business Marketing and a minor in coaching. So yes, Cassie does a tremendous job of time management! Cassie is also a very accomplished golfer as she plays on the Midland University Women’s Team. Cassie interned with the Nebraska Women’s Golf Association last summer and she enjoys being around all aspects of the golf industry. Cassie’s very diverse background in organizing and conducting competitions will serve her well as she will be primarily involved with helping conduct over 80 events on the Nebraska Junior Golf Tour this summer. Trey will be a Junior at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Trey is majoring in Finance with an emphasis in Financial planning. Trey is also an accomplished player as he is a member of the Creighton Men’s Golf team. Trey has worked at Firethorn Golf Club for a number of years where he has grown his passion for the golf industry. Interesting fact about Trey, he can do the “Spiderman” like Camilo Villegas! Trey’s tournament background will serve him well as he will assist us at Monday Pro-Am’s, Section Championships and also help administer TEAM Golf events. Please welcome Cassie and Trey to the Section as you see them throughout the season.

Thank You!

2016

May 9 - Aug 17 May 9 - Sep 14 31-May 6-Jun 13-Jun 20-Jun 27-Jun 11-Jul 18-Jul Jul 23-24 1-Aug Aug 1-2 Aug 8-9 22-Aug Sep 9-11 19-Sep 26-Sep 10-Oct

Nebraska Section PGA Assistant Match Play Nebraska Section PGA Match Play Champ Mizuno Pro/Assistant Championship All Star Pro Golf Pro - 3 Am National Car Rental Pro-3 AM Nebraska Section PGA Foundation Pro-Am HCIS Pro - 3 AM Siouxland Golf Charities Pro - 3 Am Golf Fore The Troops TaylorMade 36 Hole Pro - 3 Am Nebraska Assistants Championship NE PGA Senior Professional Championship Nebraska PGA Professional Championship E-Z-GO/Bushnell Pro 3-Am Wells Fargo Nebraska Open Nebraska PGA Cup Series Championship All Star Pro Golf Team Championship Nebraska Section PGA Pro-Am Championship

Tiburon GC - GWH Tiburon GC - GWH Oak Hills Fremont GC Wilderness Ridge Happy Hollow ArborLinks Whispering Creek Firethorn GC Green Valley GC Riverside GC Riverside GC ArborLinks Oak Hills Elks Country Club Quarry Oaks Fremont GC Omaha CC

Omaha, NE Omaha, NE Omaha, NE Fremont, NE Lincoln, NE Omaha, NE Nebraska City, NE Sioux City, IA Lincoln, NE Sioux City , IA Grand Island, NE Grand Island, NE Nebraska City, NE Omaha, NE Columbus, NE Ashland, NE Fremont, NE Omaha, NE

2016

Omaha, Neb.â€“ Near perfect scoring conditions welcomed the largest field of the year at the Nebraska Section PGA Scholarship Pro-Am at Champions Run. The professional division featured a shoot-out with Matt Shaner, PGA of Kearney C.C., Ryan Vermeer of Tiburon G.C. and Devon Kastler of Ashland G.C. posting an impressive two-under-par 70. Finishing two strokes back at even-par 72 was some familiar faces with Nick Wanderscheid, PGA of Green Valley G.C., Jon Petersen, PGA of Tiburon G.C., Tony Baranowski, PGA of Shadow Ridge C.C. and Tom Hearn, PGA of the PGA TOUR. In the two-net on the front and one-net format on the back there were some really good scores as Tom Hearn, PGA rubbed off on his amateur partners, Joe Wolsleger, Rich Buchman and Jeremey McHugh to post 19-under-par to capture the team title. Rounding out the top three teams at 16-under-par was Matt Shaner, PGA and his amateur partners, Brad Holbrook, Jamie Bolwitt and Chris Anderson; Jon Petersen, PGA and his amateur partners, Kelsey Petersen, Tony Roth and Bill Richards. This event benefitted the Nebraska PGA Scholarship Fund which awards scholarships to the children and grandchildren of Nebraska Section PGA Members. Founded in 2007, this fund has awarded $50,250 to 67 children or grandchildren of Nebraska Section PGA Members. The Nebraska Section PGA is truly appreciative to presenting sponsor Club Car and regional representative, Don Brudny of Nebraska Golf and Turf for sponsoring this terrific event. We also appreciate our supporting sponsors, Vinnie Krikac of State Farm Insurance Agency, OMEGA, and Bushnell Golf for their continued support of the Section tournament program all season long. Lastly, special thanks to Director of Golf, Greg Neujahr, PGA, Head Professional, Tom Johnson, PGA, Golf Course Superintendent, Greg Jones and the entire professional team at Champions Run for hosting this tremendous event.

Attend

Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2016 | Hazeltine National Golf Club | Chaska, Minnesota Ticket Information (800) 742-4653 | RyderCup.com/USA PGA of America members and their accompanying spouse/partner or guest (not both) may receive complimentary PGA Member Club tickets. Members' immediate children, under 21 years of age, will also receive complimentary access. Class "F" members, apprentices and PGM students do not receive complimentary admission. Tickets must be picked up on a daily basis from the Admissions & Will Call trailer and all individuals (spouse/partner or guest, children) must be present and visible with the PGA member to receive their ticket. Members must show current PGA of America membership card and photo identification. No PGA Member Club tickets may be collected for a future day of attendance, without exception. Members may bring a different guest, to a limit of one, each day of the Ryder Cup.

The U.S. Department of Labor delivered its highly anticipated final rule on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on Wednesday, which redefines eligibility standards for overtime. The rule increases the pay ceiling under which salaried executive, administrative, and professional workers can earn overtime pay for working more than 40 hours per week. The new rule slightly more than doubles the threshold to $47,476 ($913 per week) from $23,660 a year ($455 per week) for nonexempt employees, which the Department of Labor established in 2004. The new threshold also can be adjusted every three years for wage growth over time. The rule partially addresses concern from groups, including the golf industry, that bonuses and incentive payments can count up to 10 percent of the new salary level. According to the PGA’s Research department: 33.6% of active PGA Class A Members and 84.3% of Apprentices earn less than $47,500 in total compensation. In addition, as encouraged by the golf industry, the “white collar duties test” was left intact, meaning that workers above the salary ceiling cannot become eligible for overtime by performing hourly-type wage duties. This part of the rule comes as relief to many small businesses, which were concerned that high-salaried workers could gain access to overtime wages. The rule will formally take effect on Dec. 1. However, there are several legal challenges expected that could delay the rule from implementation or overhaul it entirely. Overtime Rule Highlights  Beginning Dec. 1, 2016, the rule guarantees time-and-half pay to any salaried employee earning under $47,476 a year ($913 a week) and who works more than 40 hours in a week. That’s double the current salary threshold of $23,660 ($455 a week).  Bonuses and incentive payments can count up to 10 percent towards salary level determination.  There was no change in the “white collar duties test.” Workers who earn more than $47,476 cannot earn overtime, due to them performing duties of an hourly worker.  Automatically updates the salary threshold every three years, tying it to the 40th percentile of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-income Census region (currently the South). The first update would be Jan. 1, 2020. Based on current wage trends, the DOL projects a salary threshold of $51,000 by Jan. 1, 2020.  Legal challenges are expected. The potential implications for both employees and small businesses are dramatic. The Labor Department says approximately 4.2 million people will benefit from the new rule. And while it can raise income levels for hourly workers who work more than 40 hours a week (at time-and-a-half for the excess hours), it can also put a tremendous burden on a business to account for these extra expenses. For example, the ruling could cause businesses to closely monitor hours of employees or eliminate staff to pay for the extra expenses. Theoretically, consumers who would benefit from higher pay—including salary increases higher than the overtime threshold—could also simultaneously feel a hit, too, in the form of higher prices, to keep pace with pricing pressures. Consequences of the Ruling Last September, the PGA of America, Club Managers Association of America, National Golf Course Owners Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the National Club Association issued a joint letter to the Department of Labor. The golf industry stated then that the rule would reshape the compensation structure for PGA Professionals and could harm their employment opportunities. Many PGA Professionals earn a salary of less than $47,476, yet their club allows them to retain fees from lessons, junior golf, and other golf programs. If all commissions and outside fees are not included in salary, the concern is that clubs will need to reconsider how they compensate their employees. The rule could also force clubs to increase golf fees. This will impact access to golf and harm growth of the game. Golf clubs will need to consider the impact of the rule when they prepare their budgets for the end of the year and 2017. Thus, it is important to educate PGA Professionals now about the rule, so they can consider it in their strategic and budget planning. To help you understand the implications of the rule, the White House has created a Fact Sheet for the public. In addition, the PGA of America has designed a PowerPoint to help PGA Professionals prepare for its scheduled implementation in December. 12

Local Qualifiers: Saturday, June 4, 2016 - Hillcrest Country Club, Lincoln Friday, July 8, 2016 - Riverside Golf Club, Grand Island Saturday, July 9, 2016 - The Players Club, Omaha

Date

Site

City

Deadline

Player Memo

June 1

Crooked Creek

Lincoln, NE

May 24

Information

June 7

Shoreline

Carter Lake, IA

May 30

Information

June 10

The Bluffs

Vermillion, SD

June 2

Information

June 14

Knolls

Omaha, NE

June 6

Information

June 16

Wilderness Ridge Talon Course

Lincoln, NE

June 8

Information

June 21

Miracle Hill

Omaha, NE

June 13

Information

June 22

Floyd Park

Sioux City, IA

June 14

Information

June 24

Riverside

Grand Island, NE

June 16

Information

June 28

Hidden Valley

Lincoln, NE

June 20

Information

June 29

Tara Hills

Papillion, NE

June 21

Information

June 30

Jackrabbit Run

Grand Island, NE

June 22

Information

July 6

Jim Ager

Lincoln, NE

June 28

Information

July 11

Fox Run

Council Bluffs, IA

July 3

Information

July 12

Awarii Dunes

Axtell, NE

July 4

Information

July 13

Dodge Riverside

Council Bluffs, IA

July 5

Information

July 15

Sioux City CC

Sioux City, IA

July 7

Information

July 19

Pacific Springs

Omaha, NE

July 11

Information

July 20

HiMark

Lincoln, NE

July 12

Information

July 21

Two Rivers

North Sioux City, SD

July 13

Information

July 25

Mahoney

Lincoln, NE

July 17

Information

July 28

Lochland CC

Hastings, NE

July 20

Information

August 3

Championship @ Fremont Golf Club

Fremont, NE

Invitation

Russel Knox was at 8-under par and in contention when he walked onto the teeing ground of the infamous par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass during the third round of the 2016 PLAYERS Championship. A few minutes later, he walked off the island green at 2-under par having recorded a score of 9 for the hole. Giving up six shots to par on this hole cost Knox dearly. He finished the event in a tie for 19th place, receiving $131,775 in prize money. Had Knox not had this epic fail at the 17th hole, he would have tied for second place, yielding $924,000! If you do the math, each of Russell’s three misplayed shots to the island green cost him roughly $264,000. So how did Knox end up 6-over par on the 17th hole? Simply stated, by putting three consecutive tee shots into the water hazard surrounding the green. His first attempt came up just short of the green. His second attempt from the teeing ground was something akin to a shank well right of the target. His third attempt, like the first, splashed into the hazard just in front of the bulkhead. Electing not to attempt another stroke from the teeing ground, he walked around to the designated dropping zone and successfully negotiated the water hazard from that point. In this situation, Rule 26-1 [Relief for Ball in Water Hazard] was the applicable Rule, along with a Local Rule establishing a dropping zone as an additional relief option. Rule 26-1 states, in part, “If ... it is known … that a ball that has not been found is in the water hazard … the player may under penalty of one stroke: a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped ….” The Local Rule, per Appendix I.A.6 [Dropping Zones] would have read as follows: “If a ball is in or it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in the water hazard …, the player may: (i) proceed under Rule 26-1; or (ii) as an additional option, drop a ball, under penalty of one stroke, in the dropping zone.” After Knox put his first ball into the hazard, he could have played his next stroke much closer to the hole by going to the dropping zone. Instead, he elected to proceed in accordance with Rule 26-1a. That option, coupled with Rule 20-5 [Making Stroke from Where Previous Stroke Made], allowed him to tee the ball when playing again from the teeing ground. Under penalty of one stroke, he was then playing his third stroke from the teeing ground. After that ball was shanked into the hazard, Knox again proceeded under the Rule 26-1a option. Under another penalty of one stroke, he was then playing his fifth stroke from the teeing ground. After that effort ended up in the water hazard, Knox finally took relief under penalty of another stroke by playing from the designated dropping zone. From there, he played his seventh stroke which successfully negotiated the water hazard and ended up safely on the putting green. Two putts later, his ordeal was finally over. Believe it or not, Knox’s 9 was not the highest score ever recorded for the 17th hole at THE PLAYERS Championship. In 2005, Bob Tway posted a 12 for this hole during the third round!

Watch the Video 17

Why Build Relationships There are only three methods you can use to grow rounds for your golf facility: 1.) Entice current customers to play more 2.) Utilize player development programming to create brand new golfers 3.) Market your facility to local golfers who have never heard of or considered you Of the three methods above, relationship building with customers while they are on property can help you accomplish the first two. Since these customers are already on property, the cost to deliver messages to these customers is much cheaper than the cost of trying to create new customers through advertising. For this reason, relationship building with customers is one of the most crucial ways to grow rounds for your facility. Purpose of Building Relationships through On-Site Communications Improve revenue per customer by cross-selling and up-selling Your facilities have multiple revenue centers between F&B, golf programs, events, merchandise, membership and more that you can promote to customers. Communicating with your database gives you the opportunity to gain additional revenue per customer and solidify the position of your course at the top of the customers mind. Improve customer retention by cross-selling and up-selling Cross-selling and up-selling allows your team to learn more about the customer, their preferences and buying behaviors giving you the opportunity to provide a more satisfying experience than a competitor could. Increase facility usage and strengthen customer loyalty by requesting feedback from customers about their experience Having a dialogue with you customer allows you to identify through the customers lens what programs are successful and should be sustained and what deficiencies exist at the facility that need improvement. Assist customers with their flow for their visit and ease of access to facilities You are anticipating questions they may have to make the comfortable. Golf courses can be intimidating for new or first-time customers. They donâ€™t know where to go, who to talk to or even what to do. Having staff PRO-ACTIVELY greet and welcome customers and help them find or get F&B, merchandise, find the first tee or simply check in. Encourage customers to return to the facility There is not a better time to get customers to commit to returning than when they are already there! You show them a good time and their perceived value will be highâ€Ś.meaning the barriers of time and money will be less consequential than when the customerâ€™s memory of their positive experience fades away. Encourage existing customers to spread word-of-mouth referrals for your player development programs We all know word-of-mouth is the least expensive and best form of marketing. A study of Get Golf Ready students shows that:

-Over 90% of participants have a family member, close friend or colleague who plays golf -80% through close friend -60% through immediate family member -Over 50% through business associate

Create relationships for the purpose of building future loyalty and goodwill Two conditions must be met for a customer to be loyal. They must believe your facility offers them a superior value (price, course conditions, scenery, pace) and a superior value (emotional feelings when visiting facility). To feel that superior relationship they must believe the facility knows, understands, listens, values and shares values with them. Meet/Exceed customer service expectations Customers begin recording the experience they receive within five seconds of arriving at your facility. This means we must meet and greet as soon as possible and keep that communication coming throughout their stay. As golf professionals you are social and outgoing in nature. Share and spread your values with fellow team members to have the whole facility on board. You already do an amazing job! We just need the team behind you to join you in the fight. 18

Pictured Above: PGA Junior Series alum, Jordan Spieth

Assistants Championship – August 1 – Riverside Country Club, Grand Island, NE

Senior Championship – August 1-2 – Riverside Country Club, Grand Island, NE

Section Championship – August 8-9 – ArborLinks, Nebraska City, NE 20

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Education Corner  

Access the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show videos Access the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show videos  Player Development MSR Reporting Form

Name

Current Class Current Facility

Previous Facility

Previous Class

Cody W. Gorsett, PGA

A-1

Fremont Golf Club

Tiburon Golf Club

A-1

Nathan M. Kalin, PGA

A-4

Fremont Golf Club

A-1

Micah J. Partridge

B-8

The Prairie Club

Arrowhead Country Club

B-8

Peter B. Hagen, PGA John R Bierbower Thomas C. Jensen, PGA Nicholas S. Shanahan, PGA Doug Schultz, PGA Chris W. Wiemers, PGA Ryan C Bloomberg, PGA Justin L. Onken, PGA Greg D. Johannesen, PGA Jonathan W. Casey, PGA James T. Rolls, PGA Jeffrey A. Perdew, PGA Eric G Wheeldon Jonathan D. Moore, PGA James R. Weaver, PGA Mark L. Christensen, PGA Jeff Porter, PGA Daniel Zadalis, PGA James M. Kinney, PGA

David Honnens, PGA Executive Director dhonnens@pgahq.com

Sean Oâ€™Neill, PGA Tournament Director soneill@pgahq.com

2 3 3 3 4 4 6 8 10 11 19 23 23 24 25 26 27 27 30

Joe Canny, PGA Junior Golf Director/ Player Development Coordinator jcanny@pgahq.com

Renee Tyson Operations Manager rtyson@pgahq.com