November/December - South Florida PGA Golf

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Warren bottke named Golf
Professional of the year
Annual Awards and hall of fame night
Habitat for humanity home dedication
PGA HOPE kickoff
chip shots
New Members
SOUTH FLORIDA SECTION
186 ATLANTIS BOULEVARD
ATLANTIS, FL / 33462
The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new members to the
section:
Members
Classification
Facility
MatthewClose,PGA
A-23
Broken Sound Club-Club Course
KristineConnell,PGA
A-8
West Bay Club
RobertDiMatteo,PGA
A-8
Indian Spring Country Club
LukeDonald,PGA
A-3
PGA Tour
ElenaDuncan,PGA
A-8
Gulf Stream Golf Club
MichaelHeller,PGA
A-8
Imperial Golf Club
JeffreyKoos,PGA
A-8
Gateway Golf and Country Club
JamieLovemark,PGA
A-3
PGA Tour
NicholasMaietta,PGA
A-8
Vasari Country Club
AdamMiller,PGA
A-6
Kingsway Country Club
GeorgeMannIII,PGA
A-8
Naples National Golf Club
RushiOza,PGA
A-8
Jonathan’s Landing GC @ Old Trail
PatrickRodgers,PGA
A-3
PGA Tour
CoryTitensor,PGA
A-8
The Forest Country Club
PHONE / FAX
561-729-0544 / 561-729-0914
new apprentices
SOUTHEAST CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Jim Leary, PGA
The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new apprentices to
the section:
Member
Classification
Facility
JulianGil
B-1
Heron Bay Golf Club
RicardoHarris
B-8
Piper’s Landing Country Club
RobinJames
B-8
Esplanade Golf & Country Club
MichaelKolar
B-8
Ibis Golf & Country Club
BrentMartin
B-8
PGA National Golf Club
ChristopherSmith
B-8
Quail Ridge Country Club
LeonardTulio
B-8
Tiburon Golf Club
ChristopherTopley
B-8
Gulf Stream Golf Club
In Remembrance
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of South Florida PGA
Professional CarlRohmann.
Certification Completion
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.sfpgagolf.com
PRESIDENT
Mark VanDyck, PGA
VICE PRESIDENT
Don Meadows, PGA
SECRETARY
Karl Bublitz, PGA
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Warren Bottke, PGA
SOUTHERN CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Chris Krause, PGA
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Christian Sheehan, PGA
ISLAND CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Aaron West, PGA
SOUTHEAST CHAPTER AT-LARGE
Steve Hudson, PGA
SOUTHERN CHAPTER AT-LARGE
Scott Kirkwood, PGA
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER ATLARGE
Dan Gawronski, PGA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Geoff Lofstead
PGA Professional DavidArmitagehas successfully completed the requirements for ADVISORY BOARD
becoming certified in General Management through the PGA Certified Professional Paul Anderson
Program. Additionally JeffreyCarter,JeffFeingoldandRobertNielsenhave com- Rick Bayliss
pleted the requirements for becoming certified in Golf Operations. Congratulations Steve Sponder
Ken Kennerly
to all!
Matt Lambert
Joe Steranka
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Happy 80th Birthday, Gary Wiren!
In early October, South Florida PGA Master Professional Gary Wiren celebrated his 80th
birthday alongside countless PGA Professionals including Mike and Susan Krak, Jim and Helen Applegate, Fred and Sue Harkness, Bill and ‘Cookie’ Davis. The day included what Gary
called the “birthday drive day”. Setting up at Trump International Golf Club with both Trackman and Flight Scope shot analyzers giving data based on a normal fairway. Unfortunately
due to the soft dry fairways the best drive his first few shots were not as long as he had anticipated, but with a few more attempts he knocked on that was projected to measure 320
yards. Extremely impressive for a player of the age of 80. We wish Gary a very happy birthday
and many more to come!
If anyone else has any birthday celebrations they would like to share with us please email them to sflorida@pgahq.
com.
Quarter Century Club
Congratulations to PGA Professionals CharlesBisignano,MaryBethCorrigan,MichaelDero,MarkIwinski,BrianSymondsandSherryZimet who have been elected to the Quarter Century Club of the PGA of America, an elite group
of members who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 25 years.
Half Century Club
Congratulations to PGA Professional LawrenceClark,Jr. who has been elected to the Half Century Club of the PGA
of America, an elite group of members who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 50 years.
PROS ON THE GO
Professional
StefanBrunt,PGA
BenjaminBryantJr,PGA
GordonCarlsonJr,PGA
CaseyCox
JustinDeFont,PGA
JamesFord,PGA
LukeFrazier,PGA
KyleGailloreto,PGA
MorganJewell,PGA
JamesLeland,PGA
JosephLudeman,PGA
JonMurray,PGA
DennisRye,PGA
AlanStewart,PGA
KevinWalker,PGA
KellyWelsh,PGA
To
A-4 - Mizner Country Club
A-1 - LaPlaya Golf Club
A-1 - Highlands Ridge GC North
B-1 - Hawk’s Nest Golf Club
A-1 - Audubon Country Club
A-13 - Eastpointe Country Club
A-1 - The Tesoro Club
A-1 - Wyndemere Country Club
A-1 - Floridian
A-1 - Naples Grande Golf Club
A-4 - Riviera Country Club
A-1 - Esplanade Golf & Country Club
A-1 - Mizner Country Club
B-1 - The Evergreen Club
A-14 Impact Zone Golf
A-1 - The Club at Olde Cypress
From
North Florida Section
A-1 - Naples Grande Golf Club
Michigan Section
New England Section
Indiana Section
Unattached
A-8- Mayacoo Lakes Country Club
Wisconsin Section
Metropolitan Section
A-8 - Naples Grande Golf Club
A-8 - Riviera Country Club
A-4 - TPC @ Treviso Bay
A-8 - Mizner Country Club
B-8 - The Evergreen Club
Connecticut Section
A-8 - The Club at Olde Cypress
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Gene Fieger Named Senior
Player of the Year
Gene Fieger, PGA Teaching Professional at The Club at Pelican Bay, has been
named the 2015 Omega Senior Player of the Year. This is his third consecutive year
as the Senior Player of the year; additionally he was named the 2000 South Florida
PGA Player of the Year.
Throughout the season, Fieger had numerous impressive finishes in South Florida
PGA tournaments. His season included: South Florida Open (T4), Fort Lauderdale
Open (Senior Division T2 / Open Division T10), South Florida Senior Open (1), Florida Senior Open (T5), Senior Section Championship (T2), and Naples Beach Club
Senior Open (T6). Fieger was also a member of both the Challenge Cup and Senior
Challenge Cup teams.
Fieger competed in the 2015 Omega Senior Professional National Championship and finished T11, which earned him
a spot in the 2016 Senior PGA Championship, which will be contested at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton
Harbor, Mich. on May 24-29.
Tom Wildenhaus Appointed to
PGA Board of Control
Tom Wildenhaus, PGA Director of Golf at Olde Florida Golf Club in Naples, has been appointed to the PGA of America Board of Control. He was appointed by Derek Sprague, President
of the PGA of America and will serve a four year term.
”Tom has earned the respect of his peers through the past 25 years of serving in leadership
positions with the section and the chapter which is demonstrated through the numerous
awards he has earned including being inducted into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame in
2011. Through this time he has been able to establish a strong understanding of the PGA
of America and the PGA Professional. In addition, he has been involved in the formation
and development of the PGA University program at Florida Gulf Coast University. All of this
makes Tom an ideal candidate to serve on the Board of Control. I look forward to Tom joining this incredibly dedicated group of PGA members serving the Association,” said Derek
Sprague, President of the PGA of America.
As a member of the Board of Control, Wildenhaus will review all membership matters. The Board of Control is made up
of four PGA Members; one from each region of the United States – Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West.
“It is very exciting to receive an appointment to such a valuable part of the governance of the PGA of America. I am
looking forward to getting started with the team,” said Wildenhaus.
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Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Night
November 16, 2015
Wycliffe Golf & Country Club
On Monday, November 16th, the South Florida PGA celebrated the Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner at Wycliffe Golf & Country Club. Throughout the evening, over 180 South Florida PGA Members and friends celebrated the
Award Winners and Hall of Fame Inductees. For the fourth year, SFPGA Hall of Fame Member Tim Rosaforte served
as the Master of Ceremonies.
Award recipients include:
Player of the Year: AlanMorin,PGA
Senior Player of the Year: GeneFieger,PGA
Salesperson of the Year: MikeBudnyk
Merchandiser of the Year, Resort: EdWeber,PGA
Merchandiser of the Year, Private:BudTaylor,PGA
Merchandiser of the Year, Public:BobComan,PGA
Assistant of the Year: LeeStroever,PGA
Youth Player Development Award: JeffNixon,PGA
PGA Player Development Award:BillScott,PGA
Bill Strausbaugh Award: KarlBublitz,PGA
Deacon Palmer Award:RobertBruno,PGA
Horton Smith Award: TaraMcKenna,PGA
Tim Rosaforte, Mallory Privett, Jr. and Jeff Raimer, PGA
Teacher of the Year:DonLaw,PGA
Golf Professional of the Year: WarrenBottke,PGA
Class of 2015 Hall of Fame Inductees: MalloryPrivett,Jr.andJeffRaimer,PGA
Congratulations to the Awards Recipients and Hall of Fame Inductees. Thank you to PGA Director of Golf Darryl Jack,
PGA and the entire staff and membership at Wycliffe Golf & Country Club for hosting the event. Finally, thank you to
our supporting partner for the event, Morell Studios.
Mark VanDyck, PGA and Don Law, PGA
supported by:
Mark VanDyck, PGA and Warren Bottke, PGA
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99th PGA Annual Meeting
November 10-13, 2015
PGA National Resort & Spa
The 99th PGA Annual Meeting gathered over 250 PGA Professionals to PGA National Resort & Spa for a week of planning, learning and growing. During the week, six new members were inducted into the PGA Board of Directors. The
PGA of America also honored its National Award winners
and Hall of Fame inductees headlined by Lee Trevino, Payne
Stewart and Charlie Sifford.
Two other individuals recognized were PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman as
the PGA Distinguished Service Award Recipient and PGA Past President Jack Connelly as the Legends of the PGA
Honoree. The week wrapped up with keynote speaker Dave Ridley, former Senior Vice
President and Chief Marketing Officer for Southwest Airlines.
Six resolutions were presented during the Annual Meeting, for details on these resolutions, click here.
Throughout the week as the host Section of the meeting, section staff and officers
entertained those in attendance of the hospitality suite.
PAT PASSERS
Congratulations to all SFPGA Apprentices and aspiring Apprentices who successfully passed their Playing Ability Test.
Jonathan’sLandingGC@OldTrail
Wednesday,October5,2015
Frank Coombs
Justin Seigler
Tatiana Spallone
154
157
148
FortLauderdaleCountryClub
October26,2015
Julian Gil
Zach Sommers
Christopher Moxey
Matthew Kloppenburg
Garrett Trimas
Travis Stoelting
145
148
150
152
153
153
Derrick Payne
Adam Southworth
CJ Nogooy
Alexander Gove
Christopher Power
Jordan Howell
154
155
155
155
156
156
New partner
The South Florida PGA is excited to welcome Argolf to our family of partners! Argolf will be a supporting partner of the 2016 Pro Scratch! Please stay tuned for more details and information.
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7
foundation news
Habitat for humanity home dedication
Naples, FL
October 24th
On October 24, the South Florida PGA Foundation dedicated its fourth
home through Habitat for Humanity to the Arcas family. It was a beautiful day and an extremely moving ceremony as six other families experienced their home dedications as well.
Habitat for Humanity is just one program the SFPGA Foundation supports throughout the year with a mission of impacting lives throughout the south Florida community. At the home
dedication, that mission was carried out as more than 10 PGA Professionals gathered at the home site to show their
support to the family.
On May 2nd, this home build kicked off with the help of seven PGA Professionals who volunteered their time to ‘raise
the walls’. From May 2nd through July 13th more than 50 PGA Professionals volunteered over 500 hours to help build
this home for the Arcas family.
The Arcas family, Dohanny, Alina and their two daughters Michelle and Nicole have been waiting for this day for a long
time. They have worked extremely hard to become home owners, and as Alina stated, “we are so thankful to all who
made this possible including the South Florida PGA.”
“As always today was another very special day
for one local family, and as a representative
of the South Florida PGA Foundation I speak
on behalf of the entire membership in saying
that it is such a humbling experience to be a
part of a family’s journey to home ownership.
We look forward to staying in touch with the
Arcas family and watching them grow” states
South Florida PGA Foundation President and
PGA Professional Tom Wildenhaus.
With the dedication comes an exciting announcement, in May of 2016 the South Florida PGA Foundation will break ground on their 5th home build for Habitat
for Humanity. The project will be held in conjunction with the Martin County affiliate and the home will be located in
Stuart.
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foundation news
PGA HOPE Kicks Off in South Florida
In conjunction with PGA Reach, the South Florida PGA Foundation kicked
off their first session of PGA HOPE in West Palm Beach. PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is a program designed to introduce golf to
veterans with disabilities in order to enhance their physical, mental, social
and emotional well-being. Through PGA HOPE programming, the SFPGA
Foundation is in position to make a more meaningful impact on the lives of
America’s military veterans. As many veterans struggle with the transition
back into civilian life, the game of golf delivers a new level of enjoyment.
The program marked the first of six sessions with all PGA HOPE sessions will
last six to eight weeks. Upon completion of the program, veterans will be provided with additional golf opportunities
to keep them involved in the game.
During the program, veterans learned core fundamentals and were able to put their new skills to the test. After the
two hours of instruction from PGA Professionals Judy Alvarez, Dave McNulty and Donna White they were asked to
describe how they felt. A few words they used included: blessed, relaxed, and excited. Not only is this program extremely exciting for the veterans, but it is very rewarding for the PGA and LPGA Professional who are able to teach
the veterans.
“The South Florida PGA Foundation is extremely excited to get involved
with this program and expand our reach in the community” says Executive
Director Geoff Lofstead.
HOPE click here.
Moving forward into 2016, the South Florida PGA Foundation has plans to
conduct PGA HOPE clinics in Cape Coral, Broward, Miami and Port St. Lucie.
For PGA Professionals who are interested in helping with a PGA Hope Program, there will be a PGA HOPE training session at The Vineyards Country
Club on December 16. The training session is free and will be from 8:30-3:30
PM. PGA Professionals will receive MSR Credits. For more details on PGA
PGA HOPE TRAINING
Wednesday, December 16
8:30-3:30
FREE Training Session
Participants will earn 7 MSR Credits
Click here to register
2016 Foundation Pro-Ams
March 14th
Fort Lauderdale Country Club
May 5-6
Club at Mediterra
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best practices
the importance of the follow-up
Jared Isaacs, PGA
When I first moved back to Miami in 2004 and resumed teaching at the Jim McLean Golf School
I was in a position where I had to rebuild my clientele. Teaching for the previous six years in
other parts of the country I knew some would come to visit Miami periodically but I was basically starting from scratch. The Doral academy had tons of great teachers and I knew if I made
a conscious effort to follow-up with my new students a bit more than the norm, without being
a stalker, I knew I could differentiate myself from some of the other instructors.
A successful lesson would be the student improved, left with an improvement plan and feel
they got their money’s worth. Once that transaction is complete, anything we do as service
providers is a bonus. All I did was follow-up with an extra email with some more detailed notes
about what they should be working on, sometimes with a photo of a position attached. After
that, they’d be pretty much locked in. They felt I earned their trust and that I care about their
games so they signed up for more. From there, the relationship would build along with their golf games to a point I
consider many of my regular clients, friends. Not everyone of course, some students I’m happy just to teach, get them
better and send them on their way.
Just providing a little extra service has gone a long way for me. Within a couple of years my business grew to where I
was one of the busiest instructors at the school and thankfully still am.
What best practices do you have? Send to Tyler Wolford at [email protected].
2015 Teaching Symposium
Parkland Golf & Country Club
OCtober 19-20, 2015
Over 50 South Florida PGA Professionals visited Parkland Golf & Country for the 2015 South Florida PGA Biennial Teaching Symposium. Presenters included PGA Professionals Michael Hebron, Bill Casnter, John Webster, Mike Steinbauer
and Mike Malizia.
The seminar kicked off with PGA of America Hall of Fame member and 1991 PGA of America Teacher of the Year Mike
Hebron who shared his knowledge and insight about the game. Following Hebron was Mike Malizia, Director of
Instruction at Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club. Malizia discussed how to effectively communicate with your
students, including how body language, gestures and appearance can affect the delivery of a message.
John Webster, the 2011 SFPGA Teacher of the Year and current Director of Instruction at the John Webster Golf Academy at the Breakers Resort, discussed his personal teaching methods. PGA Professional Mark Steinbauer, the 2014 PGA
of America Horton Smith Award winner, then discussed the importance of mentoring and the successes he has had
mentoring not only other golf instructors but his students. And, lastly Billy Castner, the 2015 PGA of America Junior
Golf Leader closed out the presentations discussing the opportunities instructors have with junior golfers and how to
develop programs to train future golfers.
SFPGA Professional Bill Davis moderated a short panel discussion with the speakers. This provided all those in the
room with an opportunity to ask the speakers various questions, and learn more about their best practices.
Thank you to all of our speakers and SFPGA Education Chairperson, Kevin Compare for putting together a great event.
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player development
3rd Annual Women’s Golf Day
November 14, 2015
Miromar Lakes Golf Club
The South Florida PGA held the third annual Women’s Golf Day on Saturday, November 14th from 2:30-5:30 PM. This
event took place at Miromar Lakes Golf Club and was free to women of all ages and abilities. Over 250 women took
advantage of the opportunity to obtain free golf instruction from PGA/LPGA Professionals who volunteered their time
to teach full swing, chipping, pitching and putting clinics. Additionally, COBRA PUMA Golf was onsite for club demos.
Following the instruction from the PGA/LPGA Professionals, Kris Tamulis, current LPGA Tour Player, hosted a clinic
for all those in attendance. She talked about her practice
routines, the excitement of winning an LPGA Tour Event
and discussed how she got into the game. Following the
event, the women enjoyed a social hour and were given
raffle prizes. The event was supported by Miromar Lakes
Beach & Golf Club.
As a result of another successful Women’s Golf Day, the
South Florida PGA will be hosting a new women’s league
at Miromar Lakes Golf Club, called “Play 6 at 4”. Once a
month ladies will play 6 holes in a scramble format and it will be followed up with cocktails and appetizers. The goal
of the league is to encourage a fun, social atmosphere and keep the ladies who participated in the Women’s Golf Day
involved with the game. Click here for more details of “Play 6 at 4”.
Thank you to the following PGA and LPGA Professionals for their help with instruction during the event: Robin Albright, Jordan Ball, Blaize Baumgartner, Erica Bensch, Katie Bensch, Lindsey Bensch, Carole Clark, Kristine Connell,
Katie Detlefsen, Mike Dopslaff, Kristy Gleason, Gail Graham, Gary Gumlaw, Marty Hall, Dan Hansen, Dan Lockhart, Tara
McKenna, Duncan McNabb, Cathy Schmidt, Chris Sheehan, Jonathan Sutera, Hugh Vaughn, Terrie Weisse and Frankie
Youse. And thank you to Ken McMaster, PGA and the entire staff and membership of Miromar Lakes Golf Club for their
hospitality during the event.
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The Allianz Championship is an official PGA Champions Tour golf tournament
that is played at the Old Course at Broken Sound, in Boca Raton,
from February 1-7. All proceeds from the tournament benefit the
Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Whether you prefer being on the
grounds of a championship golf course or relaxing and entertaining clients in our hospitality tents,
you are sure to have a great time. Get your tickets today!
Good-Any-One Day Grounds Pass
allows the ticket holder access to the
tournament grounds any one day between
Friday through Sunday.
Grounds Pass
$20
Weekend Grounds Pass allows the
ticket holder access to the tournament
grounds every day from
Friday through Sunday.
Weekend Grounds Pass
$50
WIN A FREE CRUISE
Slush Lounge is good for one day
purchased Friday through Sunday. Enjoy
“cool” beverage options, including Slush
frozen drinks, Celebrity Cruises’ curated
menu of flavor-rich and fresh frozen cocktails.
Cocktails are perfectly balanced with
ingredients ranging from fresh pressed lemon
juice, raspberries, cucumbers and mint to
Persian Lime, Florida Valencia and Hamlin
orange juice with organic agave nectar.
Celebrity Cruises
Slush Lounge
One Day Pass
Club 18
Presented by
is an upgraded ticket with a VIP Parking
Pass includes unlimited upscale food and
beverage that will be served throughout
the day with a full open bar.
Club 18 One Day Pass
Club 18 Weekend Pass
$75
PURCHASE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!
One grand prize winner will receive a World Golf Village Vacation Package from the World
Golf Hall of Fame that includes a 3 day/2 night stay at the Renaissance Resort in World Golf
Village, a round of golf for 2 and a half hour lesson for two at PGA Tour golf academy!
For more information call 561.241.GOLF (4653)
or visit AllianzChampionship.com Follow Us On
Benefiting
$150
$400
junior tour
Junior Championship Tour Event #10
The Club at Emerald Hills
October 24-25, 2015
On October 24-25, the South Florida PGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Honda Classic held event #10 at The Club at Emerald Hills in Hollywood.
Newcomer to the Championship Tour Cameron Piedra of Coral Gables
opened up round one with an even-par 72 in windy conditions to take the
round one lead in the boys division heading into Sunday’s final round. Lake
Worth native Jordan Reeves found himself one shot off the lead after an
opening round 73. Reeves has been near the top of the leaderboard all season but had yet to have a break through win. That narrative was washed
away on Sunday as Reeves shot a final round 74 to capture his first victory of
Dana Williams and Jordan Reeves
the year. Boca Raton native Luke Gifford would go on to capture the boys
13-15 age division, while Port St. Lucie native Sachin Kumar would go on to capture the boys 16-18 age division.
The opening round at the Club at Emerald Hills was a mental challenge for most players. With winds holding steady
at 15 mph all day, and a course that can show it’s teeth if tempted. Boca Raton native Dana Williams seemed to not
be fazed. Williams opened up round one with a 1-under par 71 to find herself eight strokes clear of the field. Williams
would go on to fire a final round 79 to capture the girls division by six strokes. Lake Worth native Alexa Pano would
go on to capture the girls 13-15 age division, while Miami native Abigail Chai-onn would go on to capture the girls 16-18
age division.
Junior Challenge Tour Event #12
Martin County Golf Course
October 31-November 1
The South Florida PGA Junior Challenge Tour presented by The Honda Classic held
event #12 at Martin County Golf Course in Stuart. This was the first time the SFPGA
Junior Tour held an event at Martin County Golf Course. With a field of 64 juniors,
each division featured exciting finishes.
Doral native Leo Herrera opened up round one on the narrow Blue-Gold course with
an even-par 72 to take the round one lead in the boys division. Boca Raton native Jason Langer made a strong surge during Sunday’s final round, firing a one-over par 73.
Langer’s efforts weren’t enough to overcome Herrera’s lead. Herrera would go on
to fire a final round four-over par 76 and capture the Boys Title by one stroke. Langer
would go on to capture the boys 13-15 age division, while Marco Lahmar would take
home the boys 16-18 age division.
Leo Herrera and Taylor Roberts
Taylor Roberts fired back to back 79’s to capture the Overall Girls Title by nine strokes. Loxahatchee native Haylie
Turnquest would go on to capture the girls 13-15 age division, while Port St. Lucie native Gloria Vawter would take
home the girls 16-18 age division.
Loxahatchee native Chris Lee opened up round one with a one-under par 71 to take the early lead in the boys 11-12 age
division. Boynton Beach native Nick Staub came back with a strong final round three-under par 69 to capture the boys
11-12 age division by four strokes. Lee would go on to finish second. Doral native Skylee Shin would go wire to wire in
the girls 11-12 age division with round of 79-77 to capture the girls 11-12 age division.
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junior tour
NEW prep tour
The South Florida PGA is excited to announce a new junior
tour. The South Florida PGA Junior Prep Tour is a series of oneday events at some of South Florida’s premiere facilities. The
Junior Prep Tour is our entry level tour for junior golfers from
ages 9-18 who are looking to make the jump from Team Golf
and other entry level junior programs to the next level of competition. The Junior Prep Tour features competitive 18-hole
events for golfers ages 9-18 who are looking to gain tournament experience.
The South Florida PGA is committed to providing junior golfers in South Florida with a variety of options to keep everyone
involved in the game of golf at the lowest possible price. Our
various levels of play provide junior golfers with a great progression ladder during their junior careers.
For more details, click here.
New employee announcement
The South Florida PGA is excited to announce that Caitlin Huiting will be joining the
staff full time beginning in January of 2016. Caitlin has been serving as an intern with
the Section since May, and will continue to serve in this capacity until the end of the
year.
When Caitlin joins the staff officially on January 4th she will be the new Chapter Administrator/Junior Golf Coordinator.
Caitlin, born and raised in south Florida is a South Florida PGA Junior Tour alum. Earlier
this May Caitlin received her associate’s degree from Seminole State College in Sanford, FL where she also competed
on the women’s golf team for two years. Following graduation Caitlin enrolled in the PGM program and began taking
courses at FIU to obtain her bachelor’s degree.
In her role as Chapter Administrator/Junior Golf Coordinator, Caitlin will assist each chapter with their daily programming needs, including but not limited to website updates, event set-up, and tournament preparation. In addition to
her role as the Chapter Administrator, her role will also be to support various SFPGA junior golf activities including the
new Prep Tour.
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junior tour
Challenge Tour Event #13
November 14-15, 2015
Santa Lucia River Club
On November 14-15, the South Florida PGA Junior Challenge Tour presented by
The Honda Classic held event #13 at Santa Lucia River Club in Port St. Lucie. With
a full field of 84 juniors, each division featured exciting finishes.
Vero Beach native Austin Aliff opened up round one with a 1-over par 73 to hold
a three stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Doral native Leo Herrera,
Austin Aliff and Taylor Sukmana
who shot an opening round 8-over par 80, made a final round surge after firing
a 2-under par 70 to put the pressure on Aliff. Despite Herrera’s strong effort, Aliff was able to fire a final round 76 and
win the overall boys division by one stroke. Herrera would go on to capture the boys 13-15 age division, while Palm City
native Justin Burkhamer would go on to capture the boys 16-18 age division.
Miami native Alicia Cappellaro and Port St. Lucie native Taylor Sukmana each opened up round one by firing matching
78’s to find themselves tied for the lead. Cappellaro and Sukmana battled it out during Sunay’s windy final round,
ultimately leading to Sukmana capturing the overall girls division. Wellington native Madisyn Bloom would go on to
capture the girls 13-15 age division, while Cappellaro would take home the girls 16-18 division.
Miami Lakes native Luke Clanton had rounds of 73-70 to finish at 1-under par for the weekend and capture his third
victory of 2015 in the boys 11-12 age division. Doral native Skylee Shin had rounds of 74-78 to capture her 5th victory of
the season in the girls 11-12 age division.
Junior Championship Tour Event #11
Wycliffe Golf & Country Club
November 7-8
On November 7-8 the South Florida PGA Junior Championship Tour presented by The Honda Classic held event #11 at Wycliffe Golf & Country Club in Wellington. This was the final
regular season Championship Tour event of 2015. The field was composed of many of
South Florida’s top juniors.
Palm Beach native Ryan Goldfarb opened up round one with a 1-under par 71 to take a one
stroke lead over Lake Worth native Jordan Reeves, who was the winner of Championship
Ryan Goldfarb
Event #10, and a two stroke lead over Jupiter native Bryan Wiyang. Jayson Iten of Naples,
made a strong surge in Sunday’s final round by firing an even par 72, but it was not enough
to overcome Goldfarb’s lead. Goldfarb would go on to fire a final round 1-over par 73 and
capture the overall boys title. Iten would go on to capture the boys 13-15 age division, while
Boca Raton native Zach Bariso would go on to capture the boys 16-18 age division.
Boca Raton native Dana Williams continued her strong play. Williams, who was the winner
of Championship Event #10, fired an opening round even-par 72. Williams followed that
up with a final round 76 to capture the overall girls title by ten strokes. Wellington native
Isabel Herrera would go on to capture the girls 13-15 age division, while Port St. Lucie native
Taylor Sukmana would go on to capture the girls 16-18 age division.
Dana Williams
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team golf
fall championship and season review
The fall season of Team Golf concluded with the Fall Championship at Weston Hills Country Club on November 7th.
Over 100 junior golfers (ages 6-14) and 15 teams from local south Florida facilities participated on Saturday afternoon.
The winning team that took home the overall champion’s trophy came from Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club – Team
Shipwreckers. Coached by PGA Professionals Neil Lockie, Jon Arthur, Paige Golibart and Josh Miner and was represented by team members Emma Troast, Morgan Wade, Reid Korody, Sam Dulski, Talan Wilkes and Alexander Smyth.
Team Golf is held primarily during the summer months, but as the program has gained in popularity an extended fall
season was created. The Fall Championship was a culmination of a six week program that consisted of three separate
leagues – Palm Beach County, Broward County, and Naples/Fort Myers. Each league conducted five tournaments and
was invited to participate in the Fall Championship to enjoy a fun day on the links. In addition, each league crowned
an overall team champion from the fall season (teams listed below).
Palm Beach County: Bear Lakes Country Club, Team Bear Lakes Grizzlies. Coached by PGA Professional Chad Lauze
and Adam Packard
Broward County: Parkland Golf & Country Club, Team Parkland Gophers. Coached by PGA Professionals Chase Minnick and Sean Fairholm, LPGA Professional Allison Hanna
Naples/Fort Myers: Stoneybrook Golf Club, Team Stoneybrook Dawgs. Coached by PGA Professionals Jordan Ball and
Jeff Nixon
This is the third year for Team Golf in south Florida and over 45 different facilities, both public and private, helped form
teams during the summer and fall seasons in 2015. Each team is comprised of 8-12 players ages 6-14. Teams can be
coed and the tournament format is a two-person scramble, playing 9-holes of stroke play. These two-person teams
compete in their respective age divisions and play from age and gender specific yardages. Facilities also conduct
a weekly practice, which provides players a chance to work on fundamentals with their fellow team members and
friends. PGA and LPGA Professionals serve as the team coaches and help prepare the guidelines for each practice
session. Players receive a balance of instruction, knowledge of rules and tournament play and learn about etiquette.
Overall, just under 675 junior golfers participated during the
summer and fall seasons, with leagues located as far north as
Indian River County, as far south as Miami-Dade County and
as far west as Naples/Fort Myers.
Special thanks to all the PGA and LPGA Professionals that
continue to grow the game and help impact the lives of
countless junior golfers. Not only is time spent with weekly team practices and junior camps, but team coaches are
also on-site to help coach team members during tournament
play. We would also like to thank the many facilities who
have opened their doors to Team Golf and hosted the various tournaments.
For more details on how you can get involved, contact
Tyler Wolford at [email protected].
Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club - Team Shipwreckers
Coached by Neil Lockie, PGA
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tournament news
National Car Rental PGA Assistant
Championship Recap
PGA Golf Club
October 30-November 2, 2015
Seven South Florida PGA Professionals/Apprentices competed in the 39th National Car Rental PGA Assistant Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie.
The following individuals qualified by finishing in the top-6 at the South Florida
PGA National Car Rental Assistant Championship in September: Michael Valicenti, Adam Scrimenti, Greg Dobbins, Tommy Gibson, Christopher Hawley and David Guy. Alan Morin, Assistant PGA Professional at the Falls Country Club, earned
a special exemption into the event.
Three of the PGA Professionals finished in the top-10: Tommy Gibson (T5), Alan
Morin (T7) and Michael Valicenti (T7). Additionally, Adam Scrimenti and Chris
Hawley made the cut. Congratulations to all those who competed!
Michael Valicenti, PGA
Senior Professional
National Championship
Bayonet and Black Horse
October 29-November 1
Thirteen South Florida PGA Professionals competed in the 2015
Senior PGA Professional National Championship presented by
Mercedes-Benz. The event took place at Bayonet and Black
Horse in Seaside, Cali. from October 29-November 1.
In August, Lee Rinker won the South Florida PGA Senior Professional National Championship/Section Championship contested
at Tequesta Country Club. He competed alongside: John Calabria, Tom Dyer, Gene Fieger, Mike Gray, John Lee, Steve Madsen, Dennis Meyer, Pete Oakley, Mike San Fillipo, Nevin Sutcliffe,
Jerry Tucker and Jan Urso who all qualified in August as well.
Gene Figer (T11th) and Mike San Fillippo (T17th) finished in the
top-35 and have earned a spot in the 77th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid on May 24-29 at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich.
Gene Fieger, PGA
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tournament news
Naples Beach Club Senior Open
Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
October 23-25, 2015
NAPLES, Fla. – SFPGA Professional Mike San Filippo of Hobe Sound
won the fourth annual Naples Beach Club Senior Open presented
by the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club and supported by Pepsi on Sunday with steady rounds of 70-71-72 at the Naples Beach
Club. At three under par 213, he finished two shots ahead of Joe
Cioe of Homosassa, the second round leader. Cioe fired rounds of
69-70-76—215.
The 50-59 age division played the course at its full length of nearly 6,500 yards. Older age divisions played it shorter but entrants
were not eligible for the overall title.
For San Filippo it was the 16th victory since 2004 in tournaments
conducted by the South Florida PGA Section. Among those wins were four in the Florida State Senior Open, which
preceded the NBC Senior Open on the same course from 1977 through 2011. San Filippo won that event in 2004, 200708 and 2011.
MIXED TEAM
EVENT
Donate NOW for a chance
to win a 2016 Honda vehicle
Pledge $20 (or more) in the name of the South
Florida PGA Foundation and guess how many
birdies will be made during the 2016 Honda
Classic. You will be entered in to a drawing to
win a 2016 Honda Vehicle
*100% of proceeds plus a 10% matching donation courtesy
of The Honda Classic will go back to the SFPGA Foundation
Bonita Bay Club
December 14th
click to register
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tournament
Senior Challenge Cup
Vinoy Renaissance Resort
October 26-27, 2015
South Florida PGA pros returned to their winning ways
with a strong finish in singles to beat their North Florida
PGA hosts in the 10th annual Senior Challenge Cup matches at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Tied at 9-9 after three rounds of nine-hole team matches, the SFPGA won nine and halved one of the 12 singles
matches for an 18 ½ to 11 ½ victory. SFPGA won the fourball and scramble rounds, both by margins of 3 ½ to 2 ½.
But the NFPGA rallied in modified alternate shots to tie by
midday Tuesday.
Brian Peaper, Gene Fieger, Tom Cleaver, Gary Benoit, Rick Gomes, John Calabria, Jerry Impellittiere, Ed Humenik, Jerry Tucker, Bob Bilbo, Dennis Meyer,
Pete Oakley, Nevin Sutcliffe
Beginning in 2006, the SFPGA won the first seven years.
North Florida earned its first victory in 2013 at the Reunion Resort near Orlando and the two teams tied last year at the
PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie. South Florida leads the overall count by 8-1 with one halved match.
F&G Made in the USA polos,
as worn by the U.S. Team
Congratulations to the victorious U.S. Team!
FAIRWAY & GREENE was honored to be the
Preferred Apparel Provider for
The Presidents Cup 2015 U.S. Team.
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social media spotlight
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Flordia PGA happenings by
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20
rules with chris
Notable Rules Changes
From anchoring to scoring, the New Year brings with it four principle changes to the Rules of Golf which will take effect starting on January 1st of 2016. As a whole, the four changes to the three applicable rules have been developed
and implemented to help save players from disqualification upon unknowingly breaching a rule.
This thought takes form starting with the change to Rule 6-6d
in which a player would not be disqualified for returning a lower score for a hole than actually taken as a result of failing to
include penalty strokes that the player did not know were incurred. Instead, the player incurs the penalty under the Rule
that was breached and must add an additional two strokes for
the score card error. What is important to keep in mind is that
this Rule is only in effect for those players that forget to include
penalty strokes and in all other cases which a player returns a
score for any hole lower than actually taken, the penalty will
remain a disqualification.
Previously under Rule 18-2b, if a player addressed their ball
in play and that ball subsequently moved, the player was in
breach of the Rule and incurred a one-stroke penalty which
also required the ball to be replaced. Now, a one-stroke penalty will be applied only when the facts show that the
player has caused the ball to move, the ball also must be replaced but this change brings with it a more practical approach to the player who isn’t responsible for physically moving the ball but addressed it and stepped away to take a
practice stroke or something of that nature.
Rule 14 (Striking the Ball) has undergone two principle changes
moving into the 2016 Season. The first change deals with the
modification of penalty for a single impermissible use of Artificial Devices or Equipment. This means that the penalty for a
player’s first breach during the round has been reduced from
disqualification to loss of hole in match play or two strokes in
stroke play. If a player breaches this rule a second time in the
same round (subsequent breach of Rule 14-3) the player would
be subject to disqualification. A common example of a breach
of 14-3 includes using a range finder in an event where the Committee has banned its use or even using an alignment rod during
a round. This change protects a player from disqualification
upon their first offence.The second and most notable change
to Rule 14 involves 14-1b, Prohibition on Anchoring the Club while making a Stroke. This Rule prohibits anchoring the
club either directly: or by use of an “anchor point” in making a stroke. The penalty is loss of hole in match play or two
stokes in stroke play.
Send your Rules situations and questions to [email protected]
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new & upcoming
Section
December 7
Quail Valley Pro-Am
Quail Valley Golf Club
December 14
Mixed Team Event
Bonita Bay Club Naples
December 16
PGA HOPE Training
Vineyards Country Club
Junior Tour
December 5-6
Junior Tour Championship
Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club
@ Old Trail
January 9
College Seminar
PGA Center for Learning &
Performance
Southern
Chapter
December 1
Fall Meeting & Awards Dinner
Parkland Golf Country Club
Southwest
Chapter
December 4
Rules Seminar
Florida Gulf Coast University
2016 TRAVEL PRO-AM
June 12-16, 2016
4nightsand3roundsofgolf
54holecompetition–BandonDunes,Pacific Dunes,OldMacdonald
Welcomereceptionandclosingdinner
Deluxeteefavor
2016 GolfPass
The 2016 GolfPass season is in full swing and we need your
help! As always it is through your support of the GolfPass that this program is successful. If your facility would
like to generate additional revenue during the summer
months we encourage you to consider participating in
the GolfPass program. For more details and information
please contact the section office at 561-729-0544.
2016 Tournament
Schedule
The South Florida PGA is in
the process of securing sites
for 2016. To view dates and
sites of 2016 tournaments,
please click here.
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