Nov/Dec 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—TBD
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 Community Relations Coord.—Margie Smith
PAGE 2 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
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Each year the Nebraska Section PGA is pleased to reward distinction and honor to PGA Professionals for their contributions to the game of golf and their communities at the Section and National level. These awards recognize extraordinary accomplishments, expertise, distinction and service. It is with great pride that the below PGA Professionals have been nominated by the Nebraska Section PGA Nominating Committee for the following prestigious awards. The Nebraska Section PGA Selection Committee will announce the winners of each of these awards on January 12, 2024. Golf Professional of the Year – The highest award our Section presents. This award is based on overall performance as a PGA golf professional, including leadership, service and promotion of the game. Nominees: Todd Anderson, PGA; Justin Arlt, PGA; Chris Cover, PGA; Max Hadenfeldt, PGA; David Honnens, PGA; Tom Johnson, PGA; Nathan Kalin, PGA; Dominick Mitchum, PGA; Ky Molholm, PGA; Nick Muller, PGA; Greg Neujahr, PGA; Mark Nygaard, PGA; Bobby O’Keefe, PGA; Tony Pesavento, PGA; James Rolls, PGA; Seth Scollard, PGA; Rodd Slater, PGA and Karrie Van Ravenswaay, PGA. Teacher of the Year – Awarded for excellence in golf instruction along with overall performance as a golf professional. Nominees: Jonathan Beaver, PGA; Adam Bradfield, PGA; Mike Brown, PGA; Alex Carper, PGA; Mike Cornell, PGA; Ted DiGiacomo, PGA; Bryan Flanagan, PGA; Cory Fletcher, PGA; Steve Friesen, PGA; Alex Janssen, PGA; James Kinney, PGA; Nic Latcham, PGA; Drake Lundeen, PGA; Mark Nygaard, PGA; Jon Petersen, PGA; Andrew Storm, PGA; Paul Swirzinski, PGA; Carly Ulrich, PGA and Ryan Vermeer, PGA. Bill Strausbaugh Award – Awarded to an individual who by their day-to-day efforts have distinguished themselves in the areas that truly reflect the characteristics and qualities that Bill Strausbaugh possessed during his lifetime – service to his Association, service to his fellow PGA professionals in helping them improve their employment situations and service to the community. Nominees: Joe Canny, PGA; Chris Cover, PGA; Kevin Drew, PGA; Brad Goetsch, PGA; David Honnens, PGA; Kurt Karcher, PGA; Devon Kastler, PGA; Tony Pesavento, PGA; Seth Scollard, PGA and Nick St. Onge, PGA. PGA Professional Development Award – Bestows special recognition for outstanding service and contributions to developing and improving educational opportunities for the PGA golf professional. Nominees: Joe Canny, PGA; Kevin Drew, PGA and Connor Farrell, PGA. Youth Player Development – Awarded to the PGA golf professional who is a leader in junior golf, reflects the image and qualities that juniors can emulate, and provides opportunities for juniors to learn and play golf. Nominees: Jonathan Beaver, PGA; Scott Bruha, PGA; Tony Collins, PGA; Alex Janssen, PGA; Kurt Karcher, PGA; Eric Kovarik, PGA; Mardi Kvidera, PGA; Drake Lundeen, PGA; Dave Malone, PGA; Zac Morley, PGA; Carly Ulrich, PGA; Karrie Van Ravenswaay, PGA and Wono Yoo, PGA.
PAGE 4 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Merchandiser of the Year/Private Facility – Recognizes the PGA golf professional that has demonstrated superior skills as a merchandiser in the promotion of golf. Nominees: JD Brake, PGA; Derek Carlson, PGA; Sonya Freese, PGA; Don Graham, PGA; Tom Johnson, PGA; Dominick Mitchum, PGA; Ky Molholm, PGA; Nick Shanahan, PGA; Kyle Schellpeper, PGA and Brandon Wedding, PGA. Merchandiser of the Year/Public Facility – Recognizes the PGA golf professional that has demonstrated superior skills as a merchandiser in the promotion of golf. Nominees: Jon Benson, PGA; Troy Harder, PGA; Scott Harmelink, PGA; Justin Henry, PGA; Bill Jacobsen, PGA; Phil Palmer, PGA; James Rolls, PGA; Matt Shaner, PGA and Mallory Simmelink, PGA. Facility of the Year – Recognizes the golf facility that has played an important role in Section activities, as well as promotion of the game of the golf for men, ladies and juniors. Nominees: ArborLinks Golf Course, Nebraska City, NE; Benson Golf Course, Omaha, NE; CapRock Ranch, Valentine, NE; Champions Run, Omaha, NE; Eagle Hills Golf Course, Papillion, NE; Field Club of Omaha, Omaha, NE; Happy Hollow Club, Omaha, NE; Highlands Golf Course, Lincoln, NE; Hillcrest Country Club, Lincoln, NE; Holmes Golf Course, Lincoln, NE; Indian Trails Country Club, Beemer, NE; Lost Rail Golf Club, Gretna, NE; Meadowlark Hills Golf Course, Kearney, NE; The Prairie Club, Valentine, NE; Scotts Bluff Country Club, Scottsbluff, NE; The Ridge Golf Club, Sioux Center, IA; Tiburon Golf Club, Omaha, NE and Wild Horse Golf Club, Gothenburg, NE. Sales Representative of the Year– Based on overall performance as a sales representative including product knowledge, service, professionalism, and involvement in Section activities. Nominees: David Durham, Titleist; Matt Geschke, PING; Stan Sheffield, FootJoy; John Sheridan, Under Armour; Andy Soper, XXIO; Brain Winge, PGA, Callaway. Assistant Professional of the Year – This award is based on overall performance as an assistant professional, including leadership, service and promotion of the game. Nominees: Brad Bailey, PGA; Jay Cottam, PGA; Ryan Douglas, PGA; Chad Manes, PGA; Sam Martin, PGA; Sarah Pravecek, PGA; Jesse Schellen, PGA; Drew Seubert, PGA and Jacob Wright, PGA. Player Development – Based on the PGA golf professional’s growth of the game leadership commitment at the Section and National levels and the impact made at the facility. Nominees: Ted DiGiacomo, PGA; Alex Janssen, PGA; Kurt Karcher, PGA; Nic Latcham, PGA; Drake Lundeen, PGA; Zac Morley, PGA; Seth Scollard, PGA; Carly Ulrich, PGA and Karrie Van Ravenswaay, PGA. Patriot Award – Recognizes the PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America. Nominees: Mike Brown, PGA; Tony Collins, PGA; Jay Cottam, PGA; John Craw, PGA; Turner Ham, PGA; David James, PGA; Greg Johannesen, PGA; Joel Johnson, PGA; Nic Latcham, PGA; Jonathan Mielke, PGA; Mark Mooberry, PGA; Zac Morley, PGA; Mark Nygaard, PGA; Phil Palmer, PGA; Terry Riordan, PGA; Seth Scollard, PGA; Matt Shaner, PGA; Cody Steuter, PGA; Paul Swirzinski, PGA and Joe Wiegand, PGA.
PAGE 5 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
DATE
GOLF COURSE
EVENT TYPE
2/26 - 2/28
VEGAS CLASSIC
Pro-4Am
4/8 4/15
Tiburon G.C.
Pro-3Am (27 holes)
The Players Club
Pro-Pro-Pro (27 holes)
4/22
Fremont G.C.
Pro-3Am
4/29
Oak Hills C.C.
Pro-3Am
5/6
Iron Horse G.C.
Pro-Pro (Legends of Golf)
5/13
Country Club of Lincoln
Pro-3Am (Pro+Ladies)
5/20
Omaha C.C.
Senior /Junior Championship
5/28
Oak Hills C.C.
Pro-Assistant Championship
6/3
Wild Horse G.C.
Pro 3-Am (308 Cup)
6/10
Bent Tree G.C.
Pro-3Am
6/17
Happy Hollow Club
Pro-4Am (Foundation ProAm)
6/24
Wilderness Ridge C.C.
Pro-3Am (Golf FORE The Troops)
7/1
Beatrice C.C.
Nebraska Qualifier - PBC
7/15
Landmand G.C.
Pro-3Am
7/22 - 7/23
Champions Run
Section Championship
7/29
Happy Hollow Club
Assistant Championship
7/29 - 7/30
Happy Hollow Club
Senior Championship
8/5
Monday Qualifier - Pinnacle Bank Championship
8/19
Shadow Ridge C.C.
Team Championship
8/26
Hillcrest C.C.
Pro-3Am
9/3
Firethorn G.C.
Pro-3Am
9/9
Benson G.C. - Birdie Bonanza - All Day for PGA REACH Nebraska
9/13 - 9/15
Elks CC
Wells Fargo Nebraska Open
9/23
Wild Horse G.C.
Pro-Pro-Scratch-Scratch
9/30
The Players Club
Pro-3Am (27 holes)
10/3
Highlands G.C.
Cup Series Championshp
10/7
The Club at Indian Creek
Pro-3Am
10/8 - 10/11
Wilderness Ridge C.C. - Stage 1 Q-School **All Match Plays - Assist/Senior/Regular will go live on 4/15 **Women's Professional Championship - TBD
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PAGE 7 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
The Tito’s Handmade Vodka ‘Cocktail of the Season’ award is headed to The Club at Indian Creek! Their staff chose Project Harmony as their charity of choice to receive a $500 donation from Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits! Congratulations! PAGE 8 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Josh Hegy and his sidekick Ellie of Fremont Golf Club was selected as the Superintendent of the Season. Josh has chosen FurEver Home, Inc. to receive a $500 donation provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits! PAGE 9 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
On November 5, a team of dedicated PGA Professionals once again hit the streets of New York City to run the TCS New York City Marathon while raising awareness and support for PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. Two Nebraska Section PGA Professionals were part of the mass that ran for a cause.
Pictured left: Joe Sutter, PGA of Quarry Oaks Golf Club
Pictured below: Nathan Kalin, PGA of Fremont Golf Club
PAGE 10 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Register for the PGA Show Join us January 23-26th in Orlando, FL for the largest global gathering in the golf industry. The 2024 PGA Show will feature products from nearly 1,000 golf and golf lifestyle brands and a series of high-level industry presentations and educational workshops.
PGA Financial Assistance Fund Scholarship Program Are you a PGA of America Member with a child or grandchild who is applying for or attending college? The PGA Financial Assistance Fund Scholarship provides scholarships based on evidence of academic achievement during high school or college. The application for the 2024-2025 school year is officially open and will be available until April 10, 2024. All funding comes from contributions made by PGA of America Members.
LEARN MORE NEW PGA of America Member Logo During the 107th PGA of America Annual Meeting, an updated PGA of America Member and Master Professional logos were unveiled as approved by the Board of Directors. Please visit pga.org to download the file types and for more information.
DOWNLOAD HERE #WeLovethisGame We encourage you to share your photos, videos and stories to celebrate why you love this game and help promote who we are as the over 29,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who drive this industry. Check out how by visiting PGA.org for a social media toolkit.
VIEW THE TOOLKIT PAGE 11 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Dear Nebraska Section PGA,
My name is Joel Burger and I'm very excited to be the new National Board Member for the PGA of America representing District 8 - MN, ND, SD, IA, NE and western WI and IL. I am based in Minnesota, but will have multiple meetings both in person and virtually with the leadership of your section. They are recognized as some of the very best in the business and you should be very proud to have them represent golf in your state. PGA of America members get millions to play the game, we don't play for millions. We are the operators and instructors at your local golf facilities. We have recently engaged Payton Manning's Omaha Productions to help us better tell the story of the 29,000 member golf professionals who wake up every day to ensure you have a great day at the golf course. Our new brand campaign is We Love This Game which has been coupled with a modernized logo that hasn't been refreshed in 15+ years. We are proud to be associated with the PGA Tour, but we also need to do a better job of telling the story of our member professionals. They are among the most hard-working and dedicated professionals in the business and good human beings. We have seen a resurgence of the game of golf these past few years but that does not come without it's challenges. Our operators are forced to contend with tight labor markets and inflationary pressures on all aspects of their business. On a global scale we have continued discussions surrounding the USGA's proposed roll-back of the golf ball and the PGA Tour PIF merger. I look forward to providing updates in the future on both of these topics and how they will impact the future of golf. I look forward to meeting you in the days ahead!
Joel Burger, PGA District 8 Director PAGE 12 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
How to Track Work Accomplishments
Our PGA professionals are working harder than ever. So hard, in fact, that we are losing sight of our achievements and accomplishments. Performing our tasks on a daily basis can be all we can manage in a given week. Our workloads fill the days and in many instances spill over into the next day and the next week and the next month. The pressure to complete these tasks is higher than ever. We are driven to produce work and results for our employer, our staff, and ourselves. All of the work we are doing gives us little time to reflect on what we are accomplishing in our careers. In a world where the average person is changing jobs every 2-4 years, and where we may have upwards of seven careers in our working lifetime, chronicling your accomplishments should be a more important activity than it currently is. But, in light of all of the work we are doing, organizing our accomplishments is not something that we are actively doing and we need to begin to change habits. Create a new habit: Change is never easy. But in our day and age, we need to change. We need to be more active in managing our careers. We need to be sure that when we are doing rock star work that we take the time to store this work so we can reflect on it later in our annual review or use it when we want to find a new role. Since change is NOT easy, I recommend that whenever you finish a project that you enjoyed working on, you create a way for saving. I also recommend that you do it as soon as possible. You can always delete it later if it becomes less important to you, but it is hard to find it later. I recommend that you should be creating an employer communication report either weekly or monthly to your employer highlighting accomplishments that you and your staff have performed. It would be easy to keep these reports on file that you could refer to easily. PAGE 13 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Worst case scenario, take an hour out of each quarter and reflect on what you accomplished for your Club or employer, your team or yourself. If there is not a file or a deliverable that you produced, that’s okay – just make a note about what you did and why it was awesome. Focus on results and your contribution. These are tangible accomplishments. At bare minimum, you need to be documenting your accomplishments once per quarter. Pick a Safe Haven for your work: There are a myriad of solutions for storing your work. First there’s the cloud. You should check out DropBox or Google Drive for example. If the cloud makes you squeamish, use your own hard drive. If that also isn’t a good solution, you can always do what most of us do and keep a drawer full of flash drives. The point is: have somewhere where you are going to keep your work. Make it consistent and stick with it. After creating a place to house your work, try to keep it organized in some way. Some suggestions: organize the work by Club, department, or skills, consider by project, or by year. With a good house and some organization, you can quickly access those accomplishments when it’s annual review time or time to start looking for something else. Keep it neat and focused: When you’re taking that time to reflect quarterly on your accomplishments, take the time to tidy up the house. Look at your old files to make sure they are still relevant for you and where you are going in your career. You can delete files that are no longer representative of your best work, or archive those files to review later to see your personal and professional growth. At any given time, you should be able to point to 5-10 examples of your awesome-ness. Benefits: When you are taking the time to organize, track and manage your accomplishments, you will find it easier to identify the work that really satisfies you and helps you hone in on your successes. It is also way easier to make a case for yourself at review time when you can tell a tangible story of what you’ve delivered to the Club and the team based on your accomplishments. And when it comes time to find a new role, you will be constructing your resume from a place of accomplishments and results vs. responsibilities. And we all know that results and accomplishments stand out to employers and hiring managers alike. Changing habits is a very difficult thing but the key is to start. Kevin Drew- Career Consultant Website Kevin Drew, PGA,ARWC PGA Career Consultant Iowa & Nebraska 402-670-2973 kdrew@pgahq.com Book a Meeting: Kevin Drew's Meeting Calendar
PAGE 14 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
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PAGE 16 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
DONATE HERE
PAGE 17 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Nebraska PGA Professionals, PGA REACH Nebraska representatives and PGA HOPE graduates gathered at the Nebraska State Capitol for a monumental day. Governor Jim Pillen declared today, December 4th, 2023 as the official ‘PGA HOPE Day’ in Nebraska. “I, Jim Pillen, Governor of the State of Nebraska, do hereby proclaim the 4th day of December, 2023, as PGA HOPE Day in Nebraska, and I do hereby urge all citizens to take due note of the observance”, Pillen announced. Veteran Amber Bogle, a PGA HOPE Nebraska graduate, submitted a proposal for the proclamation of the date to recognize a program that she describes as “life saving”. Bogle served 12 years for both the U.S. Army and Air National Guard. Since graduating from the 2023 PGA HOPE program this Spring, Bogle was chosen to represent the newly formed ‘PGA HOPE Nebraska Squadron’ with a mission and vision of growing the program to impact as many local veterans as possible. In just the short time of becoming a leader for the program, Bogle has made a positive difference to many and that continued with today’s news out of The Capitol. Click the link below to watch a snippet from the proclamation! Since the inception of PGA HOPE in Nebraska, the program has graduated more than 350 local veterans including a record number in 2023. More than 175 veterans graduated from the seven sessions of PGA HOPE across the Nebraska Section PGA this year. PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) introduces golf to veterans and active duty military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. “I was struggling more and more each year after getting out of the military. When you’re serving, you feel a sense of community with a shared mission and that’s what I was missing. After starting and graduating the program (PGA HOPE), I saw how impactful it can be and it gave me a purpose. A purpose to find more veterans like myself and to help them belong to something again”, said Bogle. “When I heard the Governor say “PGA HOPE”, I was filled with pride. I was excited for the opportunity to celebrate PGA HOPE and all of the hard work the PGA Professionals and staff have put in for our veteran community”, said Bogle. It was a surreal moment for everyone involved to watch and listen to Nebraska’s Governor reflect on the good that PGA HOPE is doing in our communities. PGA HOPE has been the vehicle for PGA Professionals across the country to give back to our Nation’s heroes and all that they’ve done for our freedom and liberty. Learning and playing the game of golf is a proven activity that has positively impacted thousands of veterans nationwide. PGA HOPE is a program that is truly making a difference, as golf has become a therapeutic part of the rehabilitation process for many veterans with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
PAGE 18 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
PAGE 19 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Coach Sign-Up Create a Location Publish a Program
This webinar will be a chance to learn from Mike Aldrich, PGA, our Player Engagement Consultant, about how to maximize PGA Jr. League at your facility. It is intended for new and existing coaches and will cover the below items and more: - What to include in your program(s) - How to price your program(s) - How to market your program(s) - Info on forming leagues -Q&A
January 10, 2024 5:00 PM-6:00 PM January 11, 2024 4:00 PM-5:00 PM
PAGE 20 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
The accolades have all been deserved for Jim Nantz, one of the best broadcasters ever. But, being inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame? Well, this one is highly personal, as you will hear in this riveting interview that concludes with a heartwarming story about the man with whom he shared CBS golf telecasts for 17 years.
Listen to the interview PAGE 21 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023
Justin Arlt, PGA
1/1
Matthew Shaner, PGA
1/21
Alex Janssen, PGA
1/1
Scott Brunzell Sr., PGA
1/21
Ryan Norman, PGA
1/6
Steve Ritz-Woller, PGA
1/21
Ryan Atchley
1/6
Bill Thomas, PGA
1/22
Samuel Martin, PGA
1/8
Scott Carlson, PGA
1/23
Kurt Karcher, PGA
1/9
Keegan Lyon, PGA
1/24
Ryan Vermeer, PGA
1/11
Derek Jensen, PGA
1/25
Tony Pesavento, PGA
1/12
Jordan Hart
1/27
Dennis Fruchtl, PGA
1/14
Scott Larson, PGA
1/29
Stuart Moore
1/17
Ryan Douglas, PGA
1/29
Shane Hess
1/18
Terry Heskett, PGA
1/30
Craig Marsh, PGA
1/19
Jeffrey Brake, PGA
1/31
PAGE 22 Nebraska PGA News Nov/Dec 2023