Special Awards Feature
“An Emotionally Special Award”
The Warren Smith Goes to
Joe Assell
T
he Warren Smith Award is given to a PGA professional for special contributions to the game of golf, the Colorado Section, junior golf and to the facility and their community. This year’s recipient is someone who knew Warren Smith personally and is humbled to receive the award named in his honor. Congratulations to Joe Assell, PGA, President and CEO of GOLFTEC. Assell grew up in Oswego, Illinois, and lived across the street from a public golf course. He played at this course daily and when he was 12 years old, he began to work for a man who became very important to him, Leon McNair, PGA, Head Professional at Fox Bend Golf Course. McNair put him to work vacuuming, dusting and straightening shelves, etc. By the time he could drive, he was working outside services, and as a 17-year-old, he
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worked behind the counter. Assell loved working with the professionals in the golf shop and being a part of the team. After high school, Assell participated in the PGM Program at Mississippi State. Like others, he did three internships as part of the program. The first was at Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora, Illinois. The second was at the Golf Club of Tennessee, near Nashville; and the third internship was at Cherry Hills Country Club in 1993. That internship is what brought him to Colorado, where he met Clayton Cole, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Cherry Hills. Warren Smith had recently retired in 1990 but was a member at the Country Club. Assell returned to school and graduated in December of 1994. In choosing his next steps, he
The SUMMIT
