November 2022 Newsletter

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Tim Whalen, PGA announce his passing on Saturday, October 29th after a valiant battle with cancer at the age of 58.

Elected to PGA Membership in May of 1994, Whalen got into the golf business working for the late Bob Schuchart, PGA at Holmes Park Golf Course in 1991. Whalen moved to Omaha in 1993 and began a wonderful tenure under then Director of Golf, Don Germer, PGA at Ironwood Golf & Country Club. Whalen spent the last 10 years of his PGA career working for Rob Spomer, PGA at Eagle Hills & Tara Hills Golf Courses. Whalen was remembered by his close friends as being very quiet, polite but a no nonsense type of individual. He loved his music and Don Germer remembers many days of the Jackson Five being on repeat in the pro shop. Whalen was extremely well respected by the entire golf community as he cared deeply about being a PGA Professional!

Memorials can be sent to Nebraska Cancer Specialists. Please keep Lisa, Libby and the Whalen family in your thoughts and prayers.

On Monday, November 14, 2022 the Nebraska Section PGA membership elected Phil Palmer, PGA of Miracle Hill Golf & Tennis to serve as their next Secretary. Palmer joins President Dawn Neujahr, PGA, Vice President Mike Schuchart, PGA and Honorary President Gil Russell, PGA in office.

“It is great to have the opportunity to represent the PGA Members of the Nebraska Section and that they had trust and belief in me to do so. What excites me most is discovering the unknown and advancing opportunities for our members, our Section and our foundation.” Palmer

I hope you had a great Holiday with your family and are ready to close out 2022! December is a great time to reflect on the past year and start planning for 2023. There are many things to be grateful for as our business continues to boom and the need for a PGA Professional at the facility is stronger than ever. Checking in with your staff to see how their year went and what they see in the future is very important. Setting your staffing up for the 2023 season will be one of the most important decisions you make for success. Reach out to Kevin Drew, PGA our local Career Consultant to glean some ideas on how to organize your crew for next year and keep them motivated.

If you are looking to be a leader in the section or on a national level, please check out the sign up for the 2023 Cohort VIII PGA Lead application. This is an incredible leadership development program designed specifically to identify, mentor and progress PGA Members from diverse backgrounds along a guided path. Sign up deadline is December 23, 2022, on PGA.org.

Have you thought about taking your staff to the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida? The show will be back better than ever after a smaller footprint last year and it is a great way to jump start your season. This is a perfect way to network, see the new products for 2023 and attend a few education seminars. The dates are January 24th 27th, 2023 and now is the time to start planning your trip.

The nomination process for the 2022 Nebraska Section PGA Special Awards has begun so please take a moment to nominate your fellow professionals and let them know how much you appreciate what they do for our section. It is so rewarding to see someone you nominate go onto win the award and get the recognition that they deserve. The deadline for nominations is December 15, 2022.

Lastly thank you for letting me serve as your District 8 Director this past year and I’m looking forward to 2023. I will be attending our final board meeting of 2022 the middle of December down in Frisco, Texas as we go through board training. This will also be the first official board meeting for my replacement Joel Burger, PGA from the Minnesota PGA Section. I’m excited to be working with Joel as he will be shadowing me next year and learning how the board works. Thank you for your friendship and wishing a Happy Holiday and Happy New Year to all of you. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns as we enter another exciting year in the golf business.

Sincerely,

Greg Neujahr, PGA District 8 Director

Dear Nebraska PGA Members & Associates: Happy Holidays Nebraska PGA!

Recharging your Batteries

As the temperature begins to drop and the sun sets at 5:00 PM, a sigh of relief hits every professional. The off season is finally upon us, it’s important to sit back, relax, and take some time for you and your family. How are you going to spend the next few months recharging your batteries?

TAKE A VACATION Whether it’s a vacation with friends or family, use the quiet part of the season to get away and enjoy some time away from work. This doesn’t mean you need to hop on a plane and go to the beach. A “stay”cation can provide the same opportunity to take your mind off work and help recharge your batteries. Set boundaries between your work and personal life . It can be hard to switch off from work, but it’s important to know when to call it a day. For starters, try not to check your work emails in the evenings or on weekends. This can be tricky as we all know members don’t always respect time or boundaries. Set a precedent in the off season to only respond to work emails and calls when you are at the facility.

PLAN YOUR OFF SEASON Use the extended down time to plan out the upcoming season. Set goals for each week to help keep a productive schedule without spending too much time at work. Many of us are prone to procrastination, it’s only natural. But this means we tend to work longer hours because we end up playing catch up later in the day. Keep track of your hours and where your efforts are being spent, and you might find that you can reduce your time on less urgent tasks. If you find yourself being unproductive, step away from your computer for a short while: it’s important to have breaks and refuel. You’ll find yourself more motivated and able to crack on with work when you get back to your desk.This especially comes in handy if we do get an unseasonably warm winter / spring and early start to the 2023 golf season.

PLAN/PROMOTE A HEALTHY WORK/LIFE BALANCE FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON The most important thing you can do in the off season is to focus on what you and your facility can do to better promote a healthy work / life balance next year. What are the tools you need to ensure you and your staff won’t get burnt out in the middle of the season? Use the time you have now to make your team successful in the future. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for best practices among golf departments across the country.

Kevin Drew- Career Consultant Website

The USGA has just announced changes to the Rules of Golf that will take effect on January 1, 2023. These are the first changes to the Rules since the major revision of 2019. These changes continue the trend of making the Rules easier to understand and apply. You can find more information here.

Join the large group of PGA Members who have completed the PGA Compensation Profile Survey. The PGA Services Team help PGA Professionals advance into higher level employment opportunities. Contact your PGA Career Consultant for assistance today.

Despite The Open Championship being a sold out event we are pleased to advise that a daily allocation of tickets has been reserved by The R&A for PGA Members. The number of available tickets per day is limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Learn more here.

Applications are available now through Dec 23 to join PGA LEAD Cohort VIII and this specialized leadership development program. Participants have a unique opportunity to engage in leadership and networking activities, and to develop their leadership acumen. Learn more here.

During the 106th PGA annual meeting at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort where about 450 members gathered to also vote Southwest PGA Section Member Don Rea, Jr. as vice president and Gateway PGA Section Member Nathan Charnes as secretary.

Lindert, elevated after two years serving as vice president, succeeds Jim Richerson, whose twoyear term has ended. Richerson is now PGA Honorary President. He was named general manager of Riviera Country Club in March.

Lindert has been a PGA Member for more than 35 years. In 2019, he was inducted into the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame. He has served on four national committees and has collected numerous accolades, including Michigan PGA Section Golf Professional of the Year in 2009 and Michigan Section PGA Professional Development Award in 2021 and 2015.

As a competitor, Lindert, who played his college golf at the University of Arizona, is a past Toledo Chapter Stroke Play Champion and played in the PGA Professional Championship five times.

“This is a remarkable time for our Association, and I truly believe that we have the right people in place with the passion and desire to elevate our profession and our Association over the coming

John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at The Country Club of Lansing and Michigan PGA Section member, was elected president of the PGA of America.

Photo: Sam Greenwood/PGA of America

years,” said Lindert. “We have an opportunity to strengthen our position as an Association in the sport of golf and, most importantly, use that position to improve the lives of our PGA Members.”

Rea lives in Gilbert, Arizona, and is the owner and general manager of Augusta Ranch Golf Club, a public golf course in Mesa, Arizona. He previously served as secretary and is a member of the Southwest PGA Section. Off the golf course, Rea was an umpire for nine years in the minor leagues and has worked several MLB spring training games.

Charnes is the general manager and director of golf of WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Evansville in 2001, where he played on the golf team.

In addition, five people were named to the PGA Board of Directors: Larry Kelley, PGA Five Star Golf Cars & Utility Vehicles,Ludlow, Vermont

Steve Parker, PGA – Portage Country Club, Akron, Ohio

Paige Cribb, PGA Coastal Carolina PGA Golf Management University Program, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Russ Libby, PGA – Hidden Hills Golf Club, Jacksonville, Florida

Jeff Lessig, PGA Verde River Golf & Social Club, Fountain Hills, Arizona

The 106th annual meeting for the PGA of America at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix on Nov. 2, 2022. (Photo & Article: Todd Kelly/Golfweek)

Click below to fill out the PGA HOPE adaptive training interest form. We will use this form to identify strategic locations for the 2023 training. Our goal is to get every Member and Associate trained. Even if you do not plan to help with PGA HOPE programming in 2023, you can still get trained so when you are ready to get involved, you will be certified!

For more information about PGA HOPE, please contact Seth Scollard, PGA at sscollard@pgahq.com or by calling the Nebraska PGA office at 402 489 7760

The degree of potential benefit to the golf community

Programs that target youth ages 18 and under, military personnel, people with disabilities, or minorities

The span of communities the project will reach Whether the program targets the new golfer, lapse golfer, and core golfer

Some of these items are a good refresher for those who have been involved with PGA Jr. League and great for those who haven't started a program yet to help you get a good feel for what it's about. Here is the PGA Jr. League website to get a good understanding of what PGA Jr. League is. Here are helpful Q&A videos to answer some key questions about PGA Jr. League. Here is a link to the Value Tracking Form to help showcase the impact you've made through PGA Jr. League at your facility.

Attendee

Registration Opens

for 2023 PGA Show at PGAShow.com

FRISCO, Texas (Oct. 10, 2022) – Complimentary registration for the 2023 PGA Show, Jan. 24-27, in Orlando, Fla., is now open for PGA and LPGA Professionals, golf buyers and industry executives at PGAShow.com

The PGA Show, organized in partnership by the PGA of America and PGA Golf Exhibitions, will reunite the golf industry for the 70th edition of golf’s longest running and largest global business gathering. Thousands of PGA Professionals, golf leaders, industry executives and retailers from around the world will come together at the PGA Show to source new products from some 800 golf and golf lifestyle brands, attend high level industry presentations, participate in education and career workshops, and connect in person with peers and golf leaders to drive continued growth of the sport and the business of golf.

PGA Show Week will include multiple allied industry events, including the PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit (Jan. 22 23), the AGM Retail Conference (Jan. 24) and the PGA Show Education Conference (Jan. 24-27) at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and the NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference (Jan. 23 25) at both the Rosen Centre Hotel and the Convention Center. The 20th PGA Show Demo & Fitting Day will be held Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Orange County National Golf Center. PGA Show exhibits, demonstrations, presentations and special events will fill out the industry calendar Wednesday Friday, Jan. 25 27, at the Convention Center.

Attendance at the 70th PGA Show is restricted to PGA Professionals and golf industry personnel. Attendance and registration guidelines are available at PGAShow.com. There is no event registration fee for qualified golf industry professionals through Dec. 1, 2022. Beginning Dec. 2, 2022, PGA, LPGA and International PGA Professionals can continue to register at no charge, while other industry personnel will incur a $75 event registration processing fee through Jan. 23, 2023, and a $195 fee at the PGA Show through Jan. 27, 2023.

Registration for the PGA Education Conference is also now open at PGAShow.com PGA Education Conference early registration savings are available through Dec. 1, 2022, with additional savings available for PGA Members, PGA Associates, LPGA Professionals, International PGA Members and PGM Students.

About PGA Golf Exhibitions

The PGA Show, PGA Buying & Education Summit and PGA Show Connects are organized by PGA Golf Exhibitions (part of RX) and the PGA of America. Since its inception in 1954, the PGA Show has grown into the largest annual business event for the global golf industry. Regional PGA Show Buying & Education Summits and the PGA Show Connects digital platform connect the industry year round and drive business leading up to the annual PGA Show. Learn more at PGAShow.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

On behalf of the PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit Committee, we would like to invite all members of the Nebraska Section to attend our 2023 event which will be held January 22 and 23, 2023 at the Chapin Theater in Orlando. You can sign up and reserve your spot today by clicking here.

The PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit is a great opportunity for PGA Professionals to learn from some of the brightest minds in coaching and to network with the leaders in the profession.

With a mix of keynotes and panels along with shorter TED-talk style presentations, this year’s event will be an experience not to be missed.

There’s truly something for everyone, with all of these great presenters, and you will surely leave with numerous ideas that you can take back to your facilities and athletes.

We can’t wait for the 2023 PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit and hope to see you in Orlando.

Larry Wheeler, PGA 12/1

Russell Jensen, PGA 12/1

Cody Herald, PGA 12/2

Kendall Palu, PGA 12/3

Aidan Gist 12/3

Blake Busch, PGA 12/4

Dave Malone, PGA 12/5

Casey Fitzgibbons 12/8

Sherman Adkins Jr., PGA 12/9

Alex Carper, PGA 12/9

Mike Fiddelke, PGA 12/10

David Schneider, PGA 12/12

Jared Frost, PGA 12/13

Ricky Reynoldson, PGA 12/15

Jacob York 12/16

Jason Shock, PGA 12/17

Trevor Svec, PGA 12/20

Keith Mergenthal 12/21

Gerald Fisher, PGA 12/22

Mark Baumann, PGA 12/24

Jack Christensen 12/27

Paul Swirzinski, PGA 12/28

Adam Speck, PGA 12/29

Kelley Welton, PGA 12/29

Dawn Neujahr, PGA 12/30