2018 CPGA Major Tournament Schedule

BIG WEEK Registration is NOW OPEN

Registration for our biggest event of the year is NOW OPEN! Carolinas PGA BIG WEEK is February 18-20, 2018 in Greensboro, NC. This is a great opportunity to come learn from some of the industry and Section's best, and grow your knowledge and expertise of the business and game of golf. There are going to be numerous programs such as the Section’s Annual Meeting, educational seminars, and a dinner honoring our Section Award Winners.

This is our 25th year of hosting this event and we look forward to new and exciting changes, including a $6,000 jackpot drawing and some incredible speakers such as Southwest Airlines' former Chief Operating Officer, Dave Ridley, and Westchester Country Club reitred PGA Professional, John Kennedy, PGA. We are also bringing back our informal education area and the "Old Pros Corner," our lounge-style bar and meeting area.

There are numerous opportunities to earn MSR credit, with 19 available credits throughout the entire event! If you are in need of any more MSRs before the end of this cycle, now is your chance to get them through great educational experiences at one of the largest regional golf trade shows in the country!

Registration Deadline: Friday, February 9, 2018
*Registrants submitting after the deadline will be charged a $25 late fee*
*Registration will be open until the event*
 

Career Corner - December

With my final newsletter article of 2017, I thought it would be a good idea to look back at the year (from my eyes), and more importantly, look forward to the coming year. It is difficult for me to believe that I have been in this position as your Career Consultant for almost six months, and I can honestly say that I think that I have the best job in the Carolinas.
 

In those six months, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of you both at CPGA events and your facilities. Meeting PGA Members and Apprentices has been the highlight of my year, and the relationships I have formed with many of you are what make me most proud as I reflect on 2017. It is my opinion that the Carolinas PGA is the best Section in the country, and that is due to the quality of our Members and Apprentices and the guidance provided by Section leadership and the staff at CPGA Headquarters.
 

Looking forward to 2018, I have several goals that are focused on creating relationships with PGA Members and Apprentices and providing all of you with a range of services that you perceive as valuable. 

NEW Carolinas PGA Tournament Director

The Carolinas PGA is proud to announce the promotion of Mike Whitenack to Tournament Director.  Mike is in the middle of his 8th year with the section and will now run all major section events and also serve as the staff liaison for the Tournament Committee.  Assistant Executive Director Cory Armstrong’s role will expand to take on more responsibilities with corporate partnerships, while still overseeing the Tournament Department.   Mike is in the final stages of his Level 3 apprenticeship and plans to gain his PGA Membership very soon.  2018 will be a big year for Mike, as he and his fiancé Amber Harrelson will also tie the knot.  Please join us in congratulating Mike on this notable achievement!

Tournament Program Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey about the CPGA's tournament program (even if you do NOT regularly participate). We hope your feedback can assist us in continuing to provide the best playing opportunities we possibly can for our Members.
 

All Class-A Members will receive 1 MSR (Total Category) for completing this survey.
 

We will also randomly draw a participant to win a $100 Amazon gift card!
 

The deadline to complete the survey is Monday, January 15th.
 

Belfair to host 2019 PGA Professional Championship

The PGA of America has announced that Belfair in Bluffton, SC will host the 2019 PGA Professional Championship, the world’s largest all-professional tournament.  With the 2019 PGA Championship’s move to the month of May, this will be the PGA PC’s first time taking place in the spring.  The dates will be April 28 – May 1.
 

2019 PGA Professional Championship at Belfair announced on Golf Channel's Morning Drive (Dec. 14, 2017) from PGA of America on Vimeo.

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2017 Playing Awards Announced

Congratulations to the following individuals on their outstanding performance throughout the 2017 season.  Final results for each of these awards are available here.

Bob Boyd CPGA Player of the Year Presented by & Johnny Palmer Trophy CHARLES FROST, PGA Director of Golf Old Town Club Winston Salem, NC
Tommy Card CPGA Senior Professional Player of the Year GUS ULRICH , PGA Director of Instruction Pinewild CC of Pinehurst Pinehurst, NC
CPGA Assistants' Association Player of the Year BARRY PIERCE, PGA Assistant Professional Cedarwood CC Charlotte, NC
Senior Associate POY STEVEN KIDD (a) Liberty, NC Super Senior Associate POY RON CARPENTER (a) Creedmor, NC Legends Senior Associate POY JOHN WALTERS (a) Charlotte, NC

Carolinas PGA Announces 2017 Section Award Winners

The Carolinas PGA is thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Section Awards and Honors, distributed annually by the Carolinas PGA Section, as selected by the Special Awards Committee, to the top 10 deserving Carolinas PGA Professionals. The mission of the Carolinas PGA Special Awards Committee is to ascertain the most eligible winners in each of the annually awarded categories, which is accomplished by an enthusiastic commitment from each committee member afforded the responsibility of identifying and recognizing his or her peers as exceptional. 

With over 230 nominations this year, only 10 are selected by the Committee to receive these honors. The following Carolinas PGA Professionals are this year's honorees and display excellence in their profession, assume an ongoing commitment and devotion to progressing the game of golf and to preserving the integrity of the industry:
 

Please join us in congratulating these Carolinas PGA Professionals on their much-deserved honors! 

Abrams & Skirpstas Win E-Z-GO / AHEAD CPGA Pro-Pro Championship

L-R:  E-Z-GO rep Joe Angelino, AHEAD rep Mike Binder,
Champions Holden Abrams & Peter Skirpstas, & AHEAD rep Darin Little

Holden Abrams, PGA, and Peter Skirpstas of Jacksonville Country Club in Jacksonville, NC earned victory in the 2017 E-Z-GO / AHEAD Carolinas PGA Pro-Pro Championship Presented by Global Golf Sales, Tifosi Optics, & Stitch Golf held in historic Pinehurst, NC.

Abrams, the club's PGA Head Professional, and Skirpstas, an Apprentice PGA Assistant Professional, posted impressive rounds of 67-60-60 = 187 (-28) to win by two strokes over the team of Gus Ulrich, PGA, from Pinewild CC of Pinehurst and Kelly Mitchum, PGA, from Pinehurst Resort & CC, who carded rounds of 65-59-65 = 189 (-26).

PGA Jr. League National Championship Recap

The 6th PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental showcased some amazing golf, as Georgia (Duluth) took an early 3 ½ to ½ lead through the first three holes and then held on tight, as New Jersey (Hillsborough) rallied back into serious contention.
 

Career Corner - November

I am writing this month’s article from the clubhouse of the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, where I have been meeting with PGA Members to discuss their career goals and assist them in developing a plan to achieve them. On my next “Career Road Show”, I’ll be in Asheville, NC (December 12), Columbia, SC (December 13), Charlotte, NC (December 14), and Greensboro, NC (December 15). Locations for each are being determined, but if you would like to meet with me while I am in your area, please send me an email at mmueller@pgahq.com.  I’ll be in other areas in the Carolinas in January and will also be available at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and the CPGA Big Week in February. 
 

This month’s newsletter is the final article in a three part series intended to help you measure your value to your employer, quantify your value , and finally, to use this information to increase your income. If you missed either of the last two months newsletters, you can access them HERE and HERE.

Five Professionals Representing Carolinas at the 41st National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship

The 41st National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship took place on the Wannamaker Course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  Five professionals represented the Carolinas, including CPGA Assistant Professional Champion Peter Skirpstas of Jacksonville CC, Aaron Black of Edgewater Golf Club, Ray Franz, PGA of Daniel Island Club, Tommy Gibson, PGA of Old Town Club, and Thomas Redding of Quail Hollow Club.  Congrats to Tommy Gibson, who was our highest finisher at T17.

>>> Final results

OMEGA CPGA Match Play

Ryan Tyndall, PGA, is the 2017 OMEGA CPGA Match Play Champion.  He dominated the competition, winnig 4 & 3 three times and 3 & 2 in the championship match.  Sixteen of the top playing PGA Professionals in North and South Carolina qualified for this championship through their play at CPGA major championships in 2017.  At each event, they gained points that went toward the Bob Boyd CPGA Player of the Year List Presented by OMEGA.

PGA National Day of HOPE

It is official that on Saturday, November 11th - Veterans Day - will serve as our inaugural PGA National Day of HOPE. PGA National Day of HOPE has two goals: Celebrate our nation’s heroes who protect our freedom; and raise awareness and support for the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program, so that it can continue to grow. Please take a moment to watch our Hero video, featuring PGA REACH Trustee, Jack Nicklaus, which highlights the positive impact that PGA HOPE Programming has on our Nation's Veterans. For more information, visit carolinas.pga.com/pga-hope.

Thank You and Farewell

It is bittersweet that I announced my departure from the Carolinas PGA as Media and Promotions Director. My time with the PGA has been wonderful and I've made many amazing connections that I know will last a lifetime. However, the time has come for me to embark on a new journey. 

It was truly a pleasure being able to help grow the Section in the capacity that I did since my arrival but, it's been even more of a pleasure being able to work alongside such a wonderful staff, membership, board of directors, and array of partners. 

Best of luck to you all! Keep golfing and taking advantage of all the amazing resources available to you through your Section - BIG WEEK IS COMING and, boy oh boy, are there some good surprises coming your way. 

It was an honor serving you!
 

- Liz
 

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Carolinas PGA Well Represented at 101st PGA Annual Meeting in Austin

President John Marino, Vice President Paige Cribb and Secretary Bob Byrnes joined Executive Director Jeff Abbot at the 101^st PGA Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas last week.  Delegates were treated to a first class meeting as the Southern Texas PGA rolled out the red carpet for all attendees.  In addition to attending the PGA National Awards and PGA  Hall of Fame Dinners, the delegates were treated to a fireside chat with  former Texas Ryder Cup Captains Lee Trevino, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw and Hal Sutton – as well as current 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk.  During the formal session, Resolutions 1 & 2 passed, but Resolutions 3,4 and 5 were defeated.  Other Carolinas PGA members in attendance included National Education Committee Chair Ed Ibarguen, Former District 10 Director Rick Murphy, National Junior Golf Committee Member Del Ratcliffe, 2015 Deacon Palmer Award Winner Brad Clayton and CPGA Member Keith Bach.   

PGA REACH Carolinas Receives Gracious Gift from Carolinas PGA Assistants Association

We're thrilled to announce that the Carolinas PGA Assistants Association has donated $2,500.00 to the Carolinas PGA REACH Foundation! Each year, the CPGAAA comes together to decide as a collective entity which cause they would like to show their support for. This year, with the Carolinas PGA REACH Foundation back on the radar, the Assistants Association was excited and honored to support the Foundation with a generous donation of funds acquired from its 2016/17 registration fees. Furthermore, the CPGAAA has announced that they plan to donate to the Carolinas PGA REACH Foundation each year from here on out!

We want to thank the Carolinas PGA Assistants for their support! It's generous acts like this that allow us to share the game we all know and love with those who will continue to keep it alive and thriving for many years to come.  

If you're interested in learning more about how you or your organization can help our foundation, see here.

New Discounts Announced on PGA Championship Apparel!

Carolinas PGA Intern Heads to South Florida PGA Section

It's bittersweet that we announce the departure of Carolinas PGA Tournament Intern, Michelle Goda. Goda, an aspiring PGA Professional with a Bachelors of Business Administration from the PGA Golf Management Program at Eastern Kentucky University, first joined the Section 9 months ago and has assisted the tournament team with an array of events and initiatives throughout the year. Additionally, Michelle always lent a hand to other staff members in need throughout the office whenever she could and with a  big ol' smile on her face. 

It has been a true pleasure having her as part of the team the past several months and she will be missed by all as she embarks on her new adventure to the South Florida PGA Section as Foundation Coordinator. Thursday, October 26, 2017 will be her final day here at CPGA HQ. If you wish to keep in touch, you can connect with Michelle on LinkedIn!

While it will be hard to see her go, we are wishing her the absolute best of luck in her new endeavors down south. Go get 'em, Goda!