Volume 4, Issue 3
March 2016
The Demo Memo
P1
President’s Letter
P2
Vice President’s Letter
P3
Secretary Letter
P4
Membership Notes
P5
Apprentice Assistant
Associatoin Committee
P6
Notes from the Districts
P7
What’s New for Junior League
Golf
P8
Mens Golf Shirt Trade-In
Discount
P8
Random Rules
P9
Tournament Committee Notes
P 10
Las Vegas Pro Am Photos
P 11
Member Updates & Birthdays
P 12
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Midwest Section PGA Members and Apprentices, the spring is off to a great start. Added revenue to start the year
is a big bonus for all of us. I recently returned from the Midwest PGA Las Vegas Pro-Am in which 26 teams played
three tremendous golf courses. A big thank you to Scott Burnett of Nike for his support of this event along with
Brad, Shannon and Joan for all their hard work at the tournament sites. I highly recommend getting a team
together for 2017 if you have never been.
The Board of Directors will be meeting on March 21st and the Executive Committee will be headed to Chicago
March 29-31st to meet with the Secretary Candidates for the PGA of America.
The PGA of America has just extended the contract of Pete Bevacqua through 2021. His contract was due to end in
2018. This is well deserved in my opinion. Pete has done nothing short of a great job, since he was hired in 2012.
Best wishes to a continued good spring,
Chad Myers, PGA
President Midwest Section PGA
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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VICE PRESIDENT LETTER
BEST PRACTICE: Social Media
What a whirlwind winter it has been! For many members the trips to the PGA Show in Orlando and the section’s
Pro-Am in Vegas came and went, then the weather presented us a very early spring and short timeline for staffing
and other pressing matters. We can certainly be happy about one thing, we have captured revenue and renewed
interest in golf at a much earlier time this season.
So Marketing, Marketing, Marketing is our mantra as we must take advantage because who knows what Mother Nature will bring next…floods, heat waves, twisters, who knows? The time to strike is now while things are mellow, of
course it will vary from one facility to the next, but I take a queue from my favorite restaurants and try to post daily
to Minor Park’s FB Fan page. So far I see the best received posts typically involve photos or videos, consider using
the early spring to begin a FB Fan page ‘blitz’ and start engaging your community in what you do, and better yet
WHY you do it! We may serve our golf communities better if we take a moment to provide daily insights to what
golfers and people are missing out on at their club that day. Ask your staff for help (good luck with that) in providing interesting photos or other ideas for posts.
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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SECRETARY LETTER
Grow your brand, make more money, make more friends, enhance the PGA or you can watch four hours of reruns
of the antique road show.
If someone walked up to you and said here’s $2,000 dollars and people will like you more, that would be a pretty
good deal, wouldn’t it? Well here you go. Call your most influential customers and invite them out to a free 2 hour
clinic. With help from your staff you can help them get better at golf as only we can do. Tell them about all the
cool new things in your shop, a few new rule changes, some special events and how they can help recruit their
friends. Let them know that you can order shirts and balls for their businesses and then play 9 holes with
them. That will increase revenue. My next piece of advice is to read your PGA magazine, it is full of great money
making ideas. I have stolen thousands of dollars from other member’s successes. Call if we can help.
Being a golf pro is a big deal, take advantage of it.
Randy Towner, PGA
Secretary
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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MEMBERSHIP NOTES
PGA COMPENSATION SURVEY
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Assistant Golf Professional
Milburn Country Club
Contact: Charlie Johnson
charlie@milburn.org
Player Service Attendant
Loch Lloyd Country Club
Contact: Matthew Wood
mattw@lochlloyd.com
816-322-2117
First Assistant Golf Professional
Manhattan Country Club
Contact: Scott Wempe
scott@themanhattancountryclub.com
PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL COMPENSATION SURVEY
DEADLINE is March 31, 2016. This is a reminder
that participation in the survey helps to ensure that
one of the Association's most powerful employment
tools remains effective for PGA Professionals. By
completing the 2016 PGA Golf Professional
Compensation Survey by March 31, 2016, Members
may receive up to two (2) Member Service
Requirement (MSR) credits (to a maximum of eight
(8) credits per cycle year). MSR credit is now
automatically applied upon completion of the survey
with a summary of responses available for reference.
Assistant Golf Professional
Falcon Lakes Golf Club
Contact: Mike Langstraat
mlangstraat@falconlakesgolf.com
Assistant Golf Professional
The National Golf Club of KC
Contact: Nicholas Ingram
nicholasi@thenationalgolfclub.com
How to Add Course Tours to Your
Facility Profile in BlueGolf
Assistant Golf Professional
Deer Creek Golf Club
Contact: Miles Tucker
mtucker@pga.com
Player Development & Foundation Activities
Coordinator
Middle Atlantic PGA Section
Contact: Jon Guhl, Executive Director
jguhl@pgahq.com
Assistant Professional Position (Full Time)
Indian Hills Country Club.
Interested candidates can contact
Mike Ricket:
mricket@ihcckc.com
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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Apprentice Assistant Association Committee
Michael Giangregorio President
Michael Giangregorio is from Lexington, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University, where he graduated
with a business degree and a PGA member. Michael has worked at The Kansas City Country Club for the past four golf seasons.
Prior to KCCC his employment was at The Country Club in Brookline, MA and Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, MA. Michael
has been apart of the committee for two years and is excited to continue to enhance the experience for all apprentices and
assistants.
Chris Bussell Vice President
Chris Bussell is a native of Dublin, Ohio and a graduate of the University of Findlay where he played collegiately for 4 years. He
has worked in the golf business for 9 years in the Southern Ohio Section where he was named Assistant of the Year in 2014.
Chris was a member of the Apprentice Committee in the Southern Ohio Section and currently a member of the Tournament
Committee along with the Apprentice Assistants Association in the Midwest Section. He moved to Kansas City in March of 2015
and will begin his second season at The Kansas City Country Club.
Gabe Beronja Treasurer
Gabe Beronja has been a PGA member since 2007 and originally from Battle Creek, Michigan. He has been in Colorado for the
past two years and Arizona the eight years prior to that. Gabe is married to his wife Cindy and the proud parent of three children. Outside of golf Gabe’s interests include Detroit Red Wings hockey, university of Michigan and Florida State football and
Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers baseball. He looks forward to being a productive part of this committee and assisting in any
way possible.
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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NOTES FROM THE DISTRICTS
Fellow PGA Professionals,
Hello KCK District Members:
In just a few days, we will be celebrating the 100th
Anniversary of the PGA of America. There has been a lot of
Thank you to all who were able to attend the KCK/KCMO Spring
history in those 100 years. From the first 35 members who
District meeting at Indian Hills Country Club. A big thank you to
signed the Constitution and the By-Laws of the PGA, the Ryder
both of our speakers, Leah Swartz on her topic about Millennial
Cup, PGA Junior Golf League, and now to the 28,000 + members
Marketing and Janine Young from TPI on warmup stretches for
of the PGA.
golf. We also had a great day for golf afterwards!
Please encourage you junior golfers at your facilities to signup for
the Midwest Junior Championship at Shawnee Golf and Country
Club. The event dates are Tuesday, July 12th and Wednesday, July
13th. Registration is currently open on the Midwest Section Website. Deadline for signup is July 5th.
There are three divisions:
12 and Under - 9 Holes on July 12th
Ages 13-15 - 36 Holes, 18 holes on July 12th & 13th
Ages 16-18 - 36 holes, 18 holes on July 12th & 13th
The winners from each division will qualify for the National Junior
We have started wearing more and more hats, year
after year, whether it be Head Golf Professional, to General
Manager, Financial Manager, Chief Entertainment Officer, Player, Rules Official, Mentor, Friend, Parent, Spouse, etc.…..the list
goes on and on.
In my short time as a PGA Member, I have run into
several members who span several backgrounds, and different
levels of interest in their careers. I have met several PGA Professionals worldwide, nationwide, and section wide. And that, I
am grateful for. I have learned so much from other PGA Professional over the years from within the section and from my fellow
Military Golf Members.
I want to thank you all for what you do to promote the
game of golf, and the business of golf. You all have had mentors
in one form or another, and that is how it will be over the next
PGA Championship!
100 years, as we are mentors to apprentices, and future appren-
We will need volunteers to assist with this prestigious junior event,
great organization that we currently have.
so please let me know if you are available to assist one or both days.
Hope to see everyone at our Midwest Section events very soon!
Mike Ricket, PGA
KCK District Director
tices. Without what you have done, we would not have such a
So in closing, Happy Birthday PGA, and here is to the
next 100 + years. #THXPGAPRO
David E. Crawley, PGA
Flint Hills District Director
KCMO District Members,
Thanks to everyone who attended the District Meeting at Indian
Hills CC. The event included quality education, great golf and an
opportunity to meet the new Employment Consultant Cory Fletcher.
The Section Board of Directors meet this month so please bring
any ideas comments or concerns my direction. Lastly, you will see
a Section Survey heading you direction very soon, please respond
when your time allows. This is just another means for the BOD
and Section Staff to determine how best to allocate time, energy
and funding.
Have a great month.
Best Regards,
Brian Flax
KCMO District Director
B_Flax@yahoo.com
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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RANDOM RULES
RULES
and distance by playing a ball from as near as possible to
Our Experts Explain: Phil Stays In Bounds
the spot of his previous stroke (Rule 27-1).
Feb. 8, 2016 I FAR HILLS, NJ I By Jamie Wallace, USGA
Since the ball was in bounds, Mickelson had a few options:
1)
Play the ball as it lies.
2)
Proceed under penalty of stroke and distance.
3)
Declare the ball unplayable and drop a ball within two
club lengths of where it lay, not closer to the hole.
4) Declare the ball unplayable and drop a ball behind the
point where the ball lay at any spot on a straight line from
Phil Mickelson is a fan favorite, and his knowledge of the
Rules of Golf has led to memorable moments for those
who have watched him play. (USGA/Michael Cohen)
Phil Mickelson has a knack for making things interesting on
the golf course, and the second round of the PGA Tour’s
Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Jan. 29 was no
exception. After two strokes on the par-5 18th hole of the
the hole through the position of the ball. This was not an
option for Mickelson, as this would have placed him out of
bounds.
Never one to shy away from a challenging shot, Mickelson
opted to play the ball as it lay under the fence. To do so,
he needed to stand on the sidewalk that was on the out-of
-bounds side of the fence. This is allowed within the Rules
(see the Definition of Out of Bounds), as it is the position
North Course, Mickelson found his ball underneath a metal
of the ball that is important rather than the position of the
boundary fence on the left side of the hole. Because the
player’s feet or body. Additionally, due to the position of
fence defined out of bounds, the object was not an obthe ball, Mickelson decided to hit the ball with the toe end
struction and free relief was not available. Mickelson called
of a hybrid, allowing the clubhead to make contact with
upon his knowledge of the Rules of Golf to successfully,
the ball before the club made contact with the metal fence.
and without penalty, extricate himself from the situation.
This is also allowed, per Rule 14-1a, because he struck the
It first needed to be determined whether Mickelson’s ball
ball with the head of the club. Striking a ball with the grip
end of the club is not allowed, but striking it with any part
was in or out of bounds. When the boundary of a golf
course is indicated by a fence or by white stakes, the out-of of the clubhead (including the back of the club) is perfectly
fine.
-bounds line is measured using the nearest course-side
points of the fence (or stakes) at ground level (see
the Definition of Out of Bounds). In this case, a referee was
on the scene to help and ran a string from fence post to
fence post to draw the out-of-bounds line.
Before he could effectively use this line to determine
whether the ball was in or out of bounds, Mickelson also
needed to know that a ball is not out of bounds unless the
Unfortunately for Mickelson, he ended up making a double
bogey on the hole and missed the cut by two strokes.
However, had he not known how the Rules of Golf applied
to this situation, he may have recorded a higher score.
Jamie Wallace is a manager of Rules education and digital
content for the USGA. Email him at jwallace@usga.org.
entire ball is no longer on the golf course. This means that
if any piece of the ball is on the course side of the out-ofbounds line, the ball is in bounds and can be played. In this
case, it was determined that the ball was in bounds by
about “a dimple,” according to Mickelson. If it had been
determined that the ball was out of bounds, his only option would have been to proceed under penalty of stroke
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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Tournament Committee Notes
Having been involved with the Tournament Committee for the last 5 years, I can honestly say this year’s tournament schedule is one of the best we have ever offered. Aside from the formats and amount of money we’ll
be playing for, the reason why the schedule for 2016 is so strong is due in large part to the facilities that
agreed to host an event. On behalf of the tournament committee and entire MPGA membership, we thank
you greatly.
It seems crazy that our first event is less than 3 weeks away (Prairie Cup - $7000 purse!). Obviously I
hope everyone can play in each event, but if you can’t, you may want to mark your calendar for the below
dates. Each of these events has money added to the purse courtesy of the PGA Tour or OMEGA.
April 18th – Stableford @ Oakwood CC - $1000 added
April 25th – Eagle’s Landing Pro-Pro - $1000 added
YL 4-Ball - $1000 added
May 9th – YL Match Play @ Creekmoor (1st 2 rounds w/consolation bracket) - $1000 added
May 23rd – Tiffany Greens Pro-Pro - $900 added
June 13th – 36H 4-Ball @ Ironhorse GC - $1000 added
June 20th – Pro-Scratch @ Sycamore Ridge - $1000 added
July 11th – Senior/Junior @ Shoal Creek GC - $900 added
August 29th – St. Joe CC Pro-Pro - $900 added
September 6th (Tuesday) – The Kansas City Country Club Pro-Pro - $900 added
September 26th – OMEGA Section Championship - $3000 added
There are more great events on the calendar as well. Just be sure to check the section website for those dates
and details.
Another incentive to play more is to give yourself an opportunity to win one of the OMEGA POY cash bonuses. Each category (Reg. POY, APOY, and SPOY) will pay first and second at the conclusion of the season.
Please visit the section’s tournament awards page to see which events count towards the OMEGA POY categories. The payouts are as follows:
OMEGA Player of the Year – 1st - $2000 / 2nd - $1000
OMEGA Assistant Player of the Year – 1st - $1500 / 2nd - $500
OMEGA Senior Player of the Year – 1st - $1500 / 2nd - $500
See you all at the Stableford!!!
Tyler Dunn, PGA
MPGA Tournament Committee Chairman
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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MEMBER UPDATES
Name
Sean M Cleary
New Apprentices
Employer
Class
Lake Quivira Country Club
B-8
Newly Elected
Employer
Name
Alexander L. Totusek, PGA
Prairie Dunes Country Club
Class
A-8
Employment Changes
Name
Benjamin C Lippold
Employer
Prairie Dunes Country Club
Class
Date
B-8
3/15/2016
Jeffrey W. Miller, PGA
Falcon Ridge Golf Course
A-4
3/1/2016
Robert D. Mlynar
Milburn Country Club
B-8
3/2/2016
Troy L. Newport, PGA
Shannon D. O'Neil, PGA
Ironhorse Golf Club
A-13
Woodland Hills Golf Course A-1
3/1/2016
3/21/2016
April Birthdays
Jaron C Lucchesi
4/2
Jeffrey W. Sedorcek, PGA 4/3
Steven C. Specht, PGA 4/3
Eugene T. Maiwald, PGA 4/4
Jacob A. Mann, PGA
4/5
Tim Mervosh, PGA
4/5
Mark R. Meacham, PGA 4/8
Brian D. Bennett, PGA
4/9
Jay Lispi, PGA
4/9
Noah T. Henson, PGA
4/10
Jay D. Muller, PGA
4/10
Maureen A. Farrell, PGA 4/12
Wayne Montgomery, PGA 4/12
Charles D. Craig Jr., PGA
Justin L. Slater, PGA
Andrew J. Kinney, PGA
John W. Owens, PGA
Rodney J. Wray, PGA
John W. Bonella, PGA
Michael M. Giangregorio, PGA
Cory C. Proehl, PGA
Kristopher L. Johnson
Charles D. Buholt, PGA
Michael D. Langstraat, PGA
Steven D Shumate II
Brett T Myers
4/13
4/13
4/14
4/14
4/15
4/17
4/17
4/18
4/23
4/25
4/25
4/25
4/26
Midwest Section PGA | 1960 Copper Oaks Circle | Blue Springs, MO 64015 | 816.229.6565 | www.midwest.pga.com | midwest@pgahq.com
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