Golf 2.0 encourages you to increase the number of golfers and rounds played at your facility. The following program is designed to invite new and existing golfers to have fun and increase participation in the game.
• Get Golf Ready – All facilities (new and previously approved) will be required to complete a Get Golf Ready application after viewing a short video from PGA Vice President Ted Bishop. The video highlights keys to success including marketing, retention, engaging your staff and more! If you haven’t already, Click Here to complete the new Get Golf Ready application.
The PGA developed the Get Golf Ready program to teach new golfers in five short lessons and prepare them to get onto the golf course with confidence. Offering "play" experiences is what makes this program unique and helps transition students to structured Get Golf Ready Outings as ongoing retention opportunities.
With more than 1,700 certified facilities offering a consistent experience under the branded Get Golf Ready name, The PGA and the entire golf industry are better able to promote the sport to millions of adults nationwide who have never played golf or who have minimal experience in the game.
This initiative is flexible in both price and curriculum, and designed to enhance your existing player development programs. Use the success of this program to promote your efforts and expertise as a PGA Professional. You'll attract new customers and increase your business.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me and I would be glad to help get you started!
Brian Bain, PGA
bbain@pgahq.com
617-820-4411
More Facilities are Needed for NEPGA Golf Pass!
The Section is still hoping to hear from more clubs regarding the availability of their course to be listed on the Golf Pass with special pricing for greens fees, golf lessons, and/or pro shop merchandise. Thank you to the courses who have signed up in the past week and also to their PGA Head Professionals for their support of this Growth of the Game Program.
MAINE Ken Raynor, PGA: Cape Arundel Golf Club
Bob Darling, PGA: Fox Ridge Golf Club
Mike Dugas, PGA: J. W. Parks Golf Course
Keenan Flanagan, PGA: Rockland Golf Club
Gary Soule, PGA: Samoset Resort Golf Club
MASSACHUSETTS Joe Carr, PGA: Bedrock Golf Course
Mark O’Brien, PGA: Captains Golf Club
Bob Giusti, PGA: Country Club of Halifax
Joe McNulty, PGA: Cranberry Valley Golf Course
Peter Vlahos, PGA: Crystal Lake Golf Club
Rod VanGuilder, PGA: Groton GC
Chris Carter, PGA: Hillview Golf Course
Jeff Bailey, PGA: Holden Hills Country Club
Merry Holway, PGA: Hyannis Golf Club
Merry Holway, PGA: Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds GC
Lawrence P. Kelley, PGA: Pembroke Country Club
Bob Chase, PGA: Quashnet Valley Country Club
Donnie Lyons, PGA: Reedy Meadow Golf Course
Pete Meagher, PGA: Sassamon Trace GC
Tom Borden, PGA: Winchendon School GC
NEW HAMPSHIRE David Krumenacker, PGA: Country Club of New Hampshire
Michael Ryan, PGA: Derryfield Country Club
Ronald Rosko, PGA: Hooper Golf Club
Gordon Swennes, PGA: Wentworth By The Sea Country Club, Only special pricing for pro shop merchandise and first golf lesson
VERMONT Roger King, PGA: Country Club of Barre
Craig Luckey, PGA: The Golf Club at Equinox and 10% off regularly priced merchandise
Bill Ross, PGA: Lake Morey CC
Jim Dayton, PGA: Ralph Myhre Golf Course at Middlebury College
Paul Politano, PGA: Montague Golf Club
Rodney Bicknell, PGA: Neshobe Golf Club and 10% off lessons
R. J. Austin, PGA: Sugarbush Resort Golf Club
Zack Wyman, PGA: Vermont National Country Club
Jim Gunnare, PGA: Woodstock Inn & Resort Golf Club
RHODE ISLAND Keith Niles, PGA: Louisquisset Golf Club
John Rainone, PGA: North Kingstown Municipal Golf Course
Available Scholarships
PGA Financial Assistance Fund Scholarship Program: Children and grandchildren of PGA members who are planning to attend college in the fall of 2012 are encouraged to apply for financial assistance through the PGA Financial Assistance Fund Scholarship Program. Applications can only be submitted online. The deadline to submit an application is 5:00 p.m. (EDT), March 15, 2012. Click here for more information and to complete the application.
LPGA Scholarships: For female high school seniors.The Dinah Shore Scholarship will be given to a female high school senior who played golf during high school, but will not be playing collegiate golf. The Marilynn Smith Scholarship will be awarded to ten high school seniors who will be playing golf at the collegiate level; and The Phyllis G. Meekins Scholarship will be a need-based award to a high school senior from a recognized minority background wo will be playing golf at the collegiate level. Qualifications for all scholarships include strong academic programs, community service and recommendations. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is May 11, 2012. Click here for more information and to download the applications.
Save the Date! NEPGA 2011 Awards Dinner, March 31st
Awards Dinner is five weeks away! Please contact the section office, 508-869-000, if you would like to attend. The date is March 31st at Black Rock Country Club in Hingham, MA with registration and a cash bar from 5 pm to 6 pm and the Awards Dinner and Presentation immediately following.
Volunteers Needed for Free Golf Clinic for Veterans and Veterans with Disabilities
Where: Cedar Hill Golf Course, Stoughton, MA When: March 1st 4 pm to 8 pm Activity: Volunteers needed to give 15 minutes lessons to Veterans MSR Hours: PGA members will earn 4 growth of the game MSR hours for 4 hours of lessons Contact: Bob Beach, PGA 781.843.6513 x2 or email bbeach@braintreema.gov
Volunteers Needed for Instruction & Junior Activities at Golf Expo - Boston!
The Golf Expo - Boston is going to be held at The Seaport Convention Center on March 2nd-4th. Volunteers are needed for both for Junior Activities and Tuneup Lessons. The Expo begins three weeks from today! We are looking for more volunteers for the following shifts: Tuneup lessons on Saturday 2 pm to 6 pm and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm; and Junior Activities we need more volunteers for Saturday shifts 10 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm and Sunday shifts 10 am to 1 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm.
To register to volunteer for the Tuneup Lessons, please click here.
To reigister to volunteer for the Junior Activities, please click here.
There is still time to register for the third Cracker Barrel being held at Harmon Golf & Fitness Club. This cracker barrel is on Monday, February 27th from 10am-1pm. PGA members in attendance will earn 3 MSR credits in the Education category. The registration fee is $30. Please click here to register.
Click here for directions to the Harmon Golf & Fitness Club.
NEPGA/MGA Rules of Golf Seminar- March 24th
Big changes were made to the Rules of Golf this year. In hopes of educating the golf community about these changes that will be in effect from 2012 through 2015, representatives from the New England PGA and Massachusetts Golf Association will come together to host the 2012 NEPGA/MGA Rules of Golf Seminar on Saturday, March 24 at the Country Club of Halifax from 9am-4pm. For more event details and to register, click here.
2012 Section Short Game Challenge
Thank you to all NEPGA members who participated in the 2012 Section Short Game Challenge at this year's PGA Merchandise Show. The New England PGA placed third in Thursday's event at 66"! I have attached the results of the contest below. Click here to view the list of winners from each day of the Challenge.
Offer Free Lessons to Veterans: PGA Best Practice Submitted by Bob Beach, PGA
Bob Beach on the importance of offering free lessons to veterans:
Braintree Municipal Golf Course recently held its first Veterans Appreciation Day. Six New England PGA Professionals gave free golf lessons to 23 veterans, including some disabled veterans who were able to participate because of the course's adaptive golf cart. A free round of golf was enjoyed by 59 veterans, despite the cold weather. The PGA Professionals also collected a huge supply of golf balls and golf clubs to send to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan through CarePacks. Having a chance to thank veterans for their service and giving them some help with their golf games made for my best Veterans Day ever, and we decided to have Veteran Appreciation Days throughout the year. NEPGA Professionals once again gave free golf lessons to veterans and disabled veterans and we had more success with the warmer weather. We also invited family members of veterans to come for free golf lessons to help grow the game. We hope to add a putting contest and long drive contest at future Veteran Appreciation Days. This year we will repeat last year's events. We are hoping that other golf courses in New England and across the country plan a similar event for our veterans. It was fun and easy to do.
Bob Beach on the business impact of offering free lessons to veterans:
There has been a lot of positive feedback and support from all of our golfers. Some of the 59 golfers that received a free round of golf last year had never played our golf course before, and it brought us some food & beverage revenue. We've also had veterans return to the course for lessons and rounds. As a result of our free lessons for disabled veterans, our adaptive cart is getting more use on the golf course as well.
Donations for Devon Quigley, Son of NEPGA Hall of Fame Member, Dana Quigley
On November 30, 2011 Devon was in a car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury and in a coma at St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL. Over the past three months, Devon has made slow but steady progress that is impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, at the time of his accident, he did not have health insurance coverage. Moving forward Devon will have many uninsured injury-related expenses such as: hospital and doctor fees, medical equipment and long-tern rehab which will hopefully help advance his return to health. To assist with Devon's uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his honor has been established with HelpHOPELive (formerly FTAF), a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for nearly 30 years. All contributions are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Traumatic Brain Injury Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for injury-related expenses only. Click here to find out how you can donate.
PGA Executive Has Big Vision for Golf
In his seventh year as chief executive officer of PGA of America and his 25th year on staff, Joe Steranka is focused on leading the world's largest sports organization and its 27,000 PGA and LPGA members as it moves toward its centennial in 2016.
Steranka joined PGA of America as director of communications in 1988 and is one of just 11 PGA honorary members in the golf association's history, joining a prestigious list that includes former presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.
In 2009, Steranka was honored with the March of Dimes Sports Leadership Award. Steranka serves as a board member for the Children's Healthcare Charity, which operates the Honda Classic. He also is a board member for the Florida Sports Foundation and serves on the selection committee for the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Click here to read more of the article from the Palm Beach Post on PGA of America President Joe Steranka.
Did You Know?
February is Jobs in Golf Month! As the national job market shows signs of recovery in 2012, The PGA of America's 11th Annual Jobs in Golf Month—which highlights online employment resource tools and a breadth of jobs within the industry—kicked off in conjunction with the 59th PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 26-28, and continues to promote employment in golf throughout the month of February.
PGA.com/employment, home to PGA Employment Services, is the centerpiece of the Jobs In Golf Month initiative, and serves as the golf industry's online resource for jobs. In support of Jobs in Golf Month, PGA Employment Services is ramping up its available resources to ensure that PGA members continue to find and maximize their career opportunities.
"The PGA of America is delighted to present Jobs in Golf Month for the 11th consecutive year," said PGA President Allen Wronowski. "In 2012, the emphasis on job placement is central to the growth of our field and the overall economy. The exciting positions offered during Jobs in Golf Month provide an opportunity to achieve a dream career within the golf industry, which employs more than 2 million people nationwide."
Click here to learn more about Jobs in Golf Month.
Golf 2.0 encourages you to increase the number of golfers and rounds played at your facility. The following program is designed to invite new and existing golfers to have fun and increase participation in the game. 
Awards Dinner is five weeks away! Please contact the section office, 508-869-000, if you would like to attend. The date is March 31st at Black Rock Country Club in Hingham, MA with registration and a cash bar from 5 pm to 6 pm and the Awards Dinner and Presentation immediately following. 
The Golf Expo - Boston is going to be held at The Seaport Convention Center on March 2nd-4th. Volunteers are needed for both for Junior Activities and Tuneup Lessons. The Expo begins three weeks from today! We are looking for more volunteers for the following shifts: Tuneup lessons on Saturday 2 pm to 6 pm and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm; and Junior Activities we need more volunteers for Saturday shifts 10 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm and Sunday shifts 10 am to 1 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm. 
There is still time to register for the third Cracker Barrel being held at Harmon Golf & Fitness Club. This cracker barrel is on Monday, February 27th from 10am-1pm. PGA members in attendance will earn 3 MSR credits in the Education category. The registration fee is $30. Please 
Big changes were made to the Rules of Golf this year. In hopes of educating the golf community about these changes that will be in effect from 2012 through 2015, representatives from the New England PGA and Massachusetts Golf Association will come together to host the 2012 NEPGA/MGA Rules of Golf Seminar on Saturday, March 24 at the Country Club of Halifax from 9am-4pm. For more event details and to register, click 
On November 30, 2011 Devon was in a car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury and in a coma at St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL. Over the past three months, Devon has made slow but steady progress that is impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, at the time of his accident, he did not have health insurance coverage. Moving forward Devon will have many uninsured injury-related expenses such as: hospital and doctor fees, medical equipment and long-tern rehab which will hopefully help advance his return to health. To assist with Devon's uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his honor has been established with HelpHOPELive (formerly FTAF), a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for nearly 30 years. All contributions are tax-deductible, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Traumatic Brain Injury Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for injury-related expenses only. Click