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With virtually no off-season this year, Spring has sprung and the season is upon us. Ready or not here it is. This year we will be faced with many of the same challenges that we see year after year. I hope you had the opportunity to attend some of the great education and networking that was offered in the past few months. No matter if it was a virtual seminar, online education, the MAPGA Super Meeting, or an in-person offering I am sure the chance to apply what you learned with come sooner rather than later.
Andy Weissinger, PGA Section PresidentDon’t forget about taking care of each other in the business of your season. We have friends and colleagues facing many of the same challenges. So when you have one of those days join me in taking that as a reminder to reach out to another PGA Member to see how they are doing. A small gesture of a phone call to touch base, share an experience, or ask a question can show you care and really can make a difference in someone’s day. Sometimes all we need is to know we are not alone. Don’t let isolation get you down. This business is hard, but you are trained, you are educated, you are experienced and you are networked. Use all of that to make the most of a tough situation. You have, you can and you will in 2023.
Together we are stronger. You can make a difference.
The Professional Volume VIII, Issue I
Editor: Ben Smith
Contributing Writers:
Ben Smith
Mastro Communications
Jon Guhl
Please continue to do all you can to make yourself better. Better at your craft, better at your job, better with your family, better with your self-talk…it will all make you a stronger person…and that is a good thing. Keep up the hard work and please let us know if you need help with anything. Each and every one of our board members serve with you. If you have an idea for a good success story or just want to provide some feedback please reach out to a member of the board.
Thank you for all you do for the great game and business of golf!
Proudly,
Andy Weissinger, PGA President, Middle Atlantic PGAHappy New Year! Although it is almost the end of March, the timing of this first newsletter and the start of our Chapter Meetings always feels like the true start of the year for me. Of course, with the mild weather, you all have been operating at close to full capacity for a while now! I hope you were able to attend the MAPGA Super Meeting in February. Again, it is our attempt to reduce your travel time by putting a bunch of events together (HOF/Awards, Section meeting, Teaching Summit, and this year a Vendor Showcase). Regardless of whether you attended or not, we would like to get your input on the meeting (or why you didn’t attend). Please CLICK HERE for the survey.
One big change this year is in our Foundation space, with PGA HOPE. The Veteran’s Administration put out an article about the wonderful things PGA HOPE can do for our veterans, and there was an immediate onslaught of interest through phone calls and emails. EVERY ONE of our 20 HOPE chapters Spring sessions is 100% full. We are trying to create more HOPE sessions, as we have almost 200 veterans on a waitlist. Thus, we need more trained instructors! Please get trained to be a PGA HOPE instructor! You don’t need to commit to every session of the chapter, we just need the help. Not only will you feel great about doing it, but you will get compensated as well.
Speaking of which, I am looking forward to our 2nd Annual PGA REACH Pro-Am at TPC Potomac! This is a perfect event to raise needed monies for our Foundation and PGA HOPE. We have an amazing site at TPC Potomac. We want you, our PGA professionals, to bring three amateurs who love golf and want to support the cause. They will get plenty of tee gifts and food. It will be a 10 am shotgun. CLICK HERE to register.
Have you signed up for deferred compensation? PGA Members can potentially earn up to $1,500 a year to a deferred compensation fund by participating in a combination of 16 activities. I know that the younger you are, the more beneficial this program will be. But even if you are on the back nine like me, I wouldn’t mind having $15-$30,000 waiting for me at age 65, just to help to grow the game, which has always been our mission! Go to p.ga/dc to sign up, the program starts April 1st!
On the employment front, I hope you have been able to have some good, honest discussions at your facility about the hiring market. The workforce has changed, possibly permanently. Just because we used to work from sunup to sundown 6 days a week, doesn’t mean that it is the correct way to do it now. Just because we paid an entry-level assistant $30K a while back, doesn’t mean we can get that person now for the same price. If you ask your leaders at the club how they are treating their employees at their businesses, I guarantee it is much different than it used to be, and in the employees’ favor. We need to ensure that the same thought process is applied to our golf facility employees. Weekend days off should not be off the table. Quality of life is important. Now, not every facility can snap their fingers and make changes overnight. But those conversations need to happen at your facilities. It is our intent to keep having those discussions at Section and Chapter meetings. If we can’t ask for more resources now, when the golf industry is thriving, when will we ever be able to ask for them?
I hope you have a wonderful season and that you make more time to play golf! I would love to see you at our tournaments, but even just playing more recreational golf with your members/patrons will fill your cups and help you remember why you love this game!
Warm regards,
Jon Guhl MAPGA Executive DirectorThe Middle Atlantic PGA is proud to announce the late Paul Michaelian and Rick Schuller as its newest honorees for the MAPGA Hall of Fame. They will become the 59th and 60th members of the MAPGA Hall of Fame in the Spring of 2024.
Paul was born in Plainfield, New Jersey to Charlie and Joan Michaelian. His father introduced him to golf at Williamsburg CC. He was allowed to pull his dad’s cart and occasionally attempt a shot or two, but it was more exciting for Paul to get a cheeseburger from Lois (clubhouse cook), or a soft vanilla cone from the “Ice Cream Hut” on the way home, which hooked him on golf.
Paul’s first work experience in golf was at Williamsburg Country Club as the cart boy for Pete Britton, Jr. making $2/hour and all the range balls he wanted to hit, as long as he picked them up. Fourteen-year-old Paul loved it from the start. After graduating from Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, NC with a BS in Business Administration in 1984, Paul began his professional career in golf back at Williamsburg CC as an Assistant Professional. He relocated to Richmond in 1987 to
be an Assistant Professional at The Country Club of Virginia. In 1989, Paul was elected to membership in The PGA and promoted to Head PGA Professional at CCV’s Westhampton Course. In 1996, Paul was again promoted, this time to be the Head PGA Professional at CCV’s James River and Tuckahoe Creek Golf Courses. In 2000, he moved on to become the Head PGA Professional at Meadowbrook Country Club in Richmond, and three years later was selected to be the Head PGA Professional at The Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach. Paul stayed at PACC for 13 years.
PAUL MICHAELIAN , PGA Princess Anne Country ClubPaul first served the MAPGA and the Southern Chapter in late 1995, when he was elected Secretary of the Southern Chapter. After two years, he was elected to be their President and in 1999, Paul was elected Section Secretary. On November 3, 2003, Paul was elected as MAPGA President. He served as the chair and as a member of numerous committees during his time with the Section. Paul was honored as the MAPGA Professional of the Year in 2003, the Section’s highest annual honor for the consummate PGA Professional. He also received the 1994 MAPGA Professional Development Award, honoring him for outstanding service and contributions in the areas of education and professional development for fellow PGA Professionals.
Paul served the National PGA as a delegate for many Annual Meetings and on the PGA Board of Control from 2011-2015. In that role, Paul was one of 4 PGA Members to study, learn and help adjudicate issues with specific PGA Professionals. In total, Paul reviewed hundreds of cases each year, always trying to help his fellow PGA Professionals.
Paul Michaelian passed away on February 14, 2023 and leaves behind a lasting legacy in the Middle Atlantic PGA Section.
Schuller, 60, has been an outstanding player in the Section for many years. Rick won the Section Championship 4 times (’03, ’04, ’09, ’13) and was Section Player of the Year 5 times (’98, ’04, ’07, ’09, ’14) and Senior Player of the Year 7 times (’13, ’15, ’17, ’20, ’21, ’22, ’23). In 2009, Rick won both the National Match Play and the National Stroke Play on the way to winning National Player of the Year honors. He also won the National Match Play in 2006, and 2011. He played in the National Club Pro Championship 15 times, and the PGA Championship 3 times (2001, 2003, 2016). He also played in 3 Senior PGA Championships, a US Amateur (1984) and two US Opens.
Rick’s list of playing accomplishments extensive, with over 100 wins in MAPGA Section events and qualifiers.
Rick’s career started in northern Virginia as an assistant professional at a few locations, before moving to Richmond in 2001. He spent a few years as the Head Professional at CC of Petersburg and River’s Bend G&CC, before moving into a teaching role, where he currently teaches at Meadowbrook CC.
The Section is incredibly honored and proud to select these two gentlemen for induction to the MAPGA Hall of Fame in early 2024. Please share our congratulations to these two fine examples of MAPGA Professionals!
Rick Schuller watches his tee-shot in the 2022 Players Cup at Springfield G&CCThe Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America (MAPGA) inducted PGA Professionals Glenn Brown and Bob Dolan into the MAPGA Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2023. The honor recognizes their respective lifetime dedication to the game and business golf, while showcasing the ideals of sportsmanship, ethical behavior, and the mission of the MAPGA.
Brown, a resident of Vienna, Va., and Dolan. a resident of Poolesville, Md., became the 57th and 58th members of the MAPGA Hall of Fame on February, 19th during the Association’s annual awards banquet at Lansdowne Resort & Spa, in Leesburg, Va.
“On behalf of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section, we are proud to induct Glenn Brown and Bob Dolan into the MAPGA Hall of Fame as the Class of 2023,” said Jon Guhl, Executive Director, Middle Atlantic PGA. “Both gentlemen are legends in their profession and boast a track record of excellence in representing the Middle Atlantic PGA, their respective clubs and the game of golf for decades.”
Brown, who is 73 years old, was the long-time PGA Head Professional at Westwood CC in Vienna, Va. He retired in 2018 after 36 years as the head professional and 40 years overall at Westwood. He served in Section governance for many years, serving all of the Chapter offices, 6 years as the Section Director-at-Large, and
chaired the Employment Committee for almost 20 years.
He was also responsible for the creation of a Section Compensation survey, which was later taken on by PGAHQ. Among his many honors, Brown was awarded the National Bill Strausbaugh Award for employment efforts in 2000.
Dolan, 60, recently retired after 27 years of service as the PGA Head Professional at Columbia Country Club, in Chevy Chase, Md. He served in all the Chapter and Section offices, culminating in his Presidency of the Section in 2002-2003. A decorated PGA Professional, Dolan was selected as the recipient of the PGA’s National Youth Player Development Award in 2000 and the National Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2011. In fact, he is one of only 68 PGA Professionals to win more than one National Award. In Junior Golf, Dolan was the Chair
when the MAPGA started its successful Junior Tour in 1998. On the employment side, he started the first MAPGA Employment Summit, which has been highly successful and branched out to Section chapters.
Guhl adds, “Glenn Brown and Bob Dolan have joined an acclaimed group of MAPGA Hall of Fame members whose commitment and contributions to the game of golf and fellow PGA Professionals are unparalleled. We congratulate them and thank them for a lifetime of service.”
Each year the MAPGA recognizes its most outstanding PGA Professionals and amateurs in the Middle Atlantic region for exemplary contributions to the PGA and the game of golf
The 2022 Special Award Winners were headlined by PGA Golf Professional the Year, Andy Weissinger, and PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year, Bernie Najar. In addition, Scott Van Pelt, popular American Sportscaster and Host of ESPN’s “SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt,” was named the recipient of the MAPGA’s Earle Hellen Sports Media Award for 2022.
“Each year the MAPGA recognizes its most outstanding PGA Professionals and amateurs in the Middle Atlantic region for their exemplary contributions toward the game of golf and making both the PGA and the MAPGA better Associations,” said Jon Guhl, Executive Director, Middle Atlantic PGA. “In all 14 categories, our award recipients boast track records of excellence in growing the game and inspiring individuals using the great sport of golf.”
Highlighting the 2022 MAPGA Award Winners is Andy Weissinger, PGA, General Manager at Eaglewood Golf Course located at Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Va., who is the PGA Professional Of The Year. This is the highest honor paid to a PGA Professional, and it is based on overall performance, level of service to the MAPGA, leadership ability, promotion of the game of golf, image as a PGA Professional and ability to inspire fellow professionals, among other criteria.
A native of Norfolk, Va., and a graduate of Liberty University, Weissinger is a dedicated PGA Member who currently serves as MAPGA President and has held numerous leadership positions within the section. Throughout his career, he has held various high-profile Head PGA Golf Professional positions at facilities throughout the Middle Atlantic region and has served in his current position as General Manager at Eaglewood Golf Course for the past nine years.
Elected to PGA Membership in 2001, Weissinger has become an accomplished teacher and business leader, and has earned many awards and accolades, including the PGA of America’s 2009 PGA Patriot Award, which honors a PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf, and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America.
Weissinger has also won many section awards, including 2020 MAPGA Merchandiser of the Year – Public Category, 2016 MAPGA Bill Strausbaugh Award, 2011 MAPGA Junior Golf Leader Award, and the 2009 MAPGA Player Development Award, among other distinctions.
Andy Weissinger, PGA Bernie Najar, PGAJoining Weissinger in headlining the 2022 Class of MAPGA Award Winners is Bernie Najar, PGA, the Director of Instruction at Caves Valley Golf Club, in Owings Mills, Md., who is the PGA Teacher & Coach Of The Year, which is presented for excellence in golf instruction along with overall performance as a PGA Professional. It recognizes an individual’s impact on teaching and golf instruction, involvement in junior golf activities, innovative contributions to golf instruction and articles published, among other criteria.
A native of Bethesda, Md., and a graduate of American University, Najar is recognized as one of the top instructors in both the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area and the nation. In fact, he is ranked as one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers, and the No. 1 Teacher in Maryland, as well as Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers. A decorated PGA Professional, he is a two-time winner of both of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section’s top teaching honors, including Teacher of the Year in 2004 and 2014, and the Player Development Award in 2011 and 2012.
Elected to PGA Membership in 1998, Najar has taught students at every level of the game, from beginners to aspiring tour players. His students have gone on to earn dozens of Division I golf scholarships and have won numerous club championships across the Middle Atlantic. In 2021 Najar became a PGA Master Professional, which is the highest educational designation a PGA Member can obtain and recognizes individuals who have made a significant effort to improve as golf professionals and maintain the highest degree of excellence for themselves and their operations.
The Silvercrest Cup Tournament Series Includes Four Qualifying Events For MAPGA Professionals and will Culminate in a $30,000 Silvercrest Cup Final at Hermitage Country Club
The Middle Atlantic PGA Section (MAPGA), one of the PGA of America’s forty-one geographical managing entities, and Silvercrest Asset Management Group, an investment advisor providing asset management and family office services to high net-worth individuals and select institutional investors, have partnered to create the Silvercrest Cup, a new tournament series for Middle Atlantic PGA Professionals.
Beginning this season, the series will include four qualifying events for Middle Atlantic PGA Professionals and will culminate in a Silvercrest Cup final hosted at the prestigious Hermitage Country Club in Richmond, VA. The Silvercrest Cup champion is set to receive $15,000, one of the most lucrative winner’s checks on the Section’s tournament calendar. In addition to the final purse, each qualifying event will include a bonus pool of $5,000, to be shared between each qualifier’s champion and runner-up.
While the Silvercrest Cup rewards the playing excellence of Middle Atlantic PGA Professionals and top amateurs, the series will also provide significant donations to local foundations, including the Middle Atlantic PGA Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, PGA REACH Middle Atlantic.
“We’re thrilled to add the Silvercrest Cup tournament series to the Middle Atlantic PGA Section lineup. We are grateful to partner with Silvercrest Asset Management Group for the opportunities they provide to our PGA Professionals and Foundations,” said Section Executive Director Jon Guhl. “Silvercrest values and appreciates the dedication and hard work of our PGA Members, shown through their investment in them and the industry’s future, beginning at the local level.”
Silvercrest Chairman and CEO Richard R. Hough III said, “Silvercrest Asset Management Group believes in giving back to the communities we live and work in. It is extremely rewarding to recognize and assist those who share our beliefs. PGA Professionals share the same attributes for success and giving back that Silvercrest believes in,” he continued. “Their dedication to the game of golf and the members of the clubs they unselfishly serve is unmatched in any other sport.”
The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America (MAPGA) has announced that five junior golfers from the region have qualified to participate in the national Drive, Chip & Putt competition, held at famed Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta, Ga., on Sunday, April 2nd, prior to the start of The Masters Tournament.
A joint initiative founded in 2013 by The Masters Tournament, United States Golf Association and The PGA of America, Drive, Chip & Putt is a free nationwide junior golf development competition aimed at growing the game by focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf.
By tapping the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys ages 7-15, Drive, Chip & Putt provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country. In addition to the National Finals, which is broadcast live by Golf Channel, the 80 participants also get to take in Monday’s Masters practice round.
The five Middle Atlantic-based youth golfers became national finalists after capturing a series of qualifying events that were hosted by Middle Atlantic PGA Professionals at facilities across the region. They include (click their name to read a bio): Ada Inderlied, Julianna
“Each year our MAPGA Professionals are proud to host qualifying tournaments for the Drive, Chip & Putt Competition, and we are thrilled that five junior golfers from across the region are among the 80 participants who will get the experience of a lifetime when they compete at Augusta National on April 2nd,” said Jon Guhl, Executive Director, Middle Atlantic PGA. “This competition exemplifies the spirit of the game and helps reinforce the importance of junior golf, and our programs throughout the MAPGA continue to serve as a breeding ground for young players to hone their skills and become lifelong golfers.”
Today, the Middle Atlantic PGA reaches more than 2,500 junior golfers annually through programming that promotes the values and skills learned through the game and which positively impact a child for the rest of their life. Each year, MAPGA offers six different tournament programs that not only help grow this great game but teach kids the value of integrity and sportsmanship.
Watch live on Golf Channel and Peacock on Sunday starting at 8 am.
Ishii, Joseph Morinelli, Macie Rasmussen, Adelyn Rosado.The 2023 tournament season got underway last week with the Southern Chapter Spring Pro-Pro at Royal New Kent Golf Club. It was a blustery day with strong winds making the course even harder than normal. Bowling (The Country Club of Virgina) and Kyle Fuller (The Country Club of Virgina) didn’t let that stop them, firing a 7-under 65 in the four-ball format. They made 8 birdies amongst them to only one bogey to win by two shots over six other teams.
Each Year For The Past 10 Years, The Middle Atlantic PGA Has Given Out Up To $25,000 Annually To Deserving Member Golf Facilities To Help Grow The Game
This year, the MAPGA has designated $25,000 in grants across 16 golf facilities throughout the region, which will be used by MAPGA Professionals to purchase equipment and resources to utilize in youth training and developmental golf programs for newcomers to the game.
“Each year the MAPGA recognizes outstanding PGA Member golf facilities throughout the Middle Atlantic region for their unmatched dedication toward growing the game of golf among youth, diverse populations and newcomers to the sport,” said Jon Guhl, Executive Director, Middle Atlantic PGA. “In total we’ve identified 16 facilities in 2023 and allocated $25,000 in player development grants that will be used by PGA Professionals to continue driving their great golf programming forward.” This brings the total for the 13 years of the program to over $250,000 in grants to help grow the game of golf.
The MAPGA facilities have been awarded Player Development Grants in 2023 include the following:
• Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville, Va.
• Colonial Heritage Club in Williamsburg, Va.
• First Tee of DC in Washington, D.C.
• First Tee Roanoke Valley in Roanoke, Va.
• First Tee Virginia Blue Ridge in Charlottesville, Va.
• Fox Hollow Training Center in Timonium, Md.
• Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg, Va.
• Lexington Golf and Country Club in Lexington, Va.
• Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville, Md.
• Newport News Golf Club in Newport News, Va.
• Pine Ridge Golf Course in Timonium, Md.
• Prince William Golf Course in Nokesville, Va.
• Spring Creek Golf Club in Zion Crossroads, Va.
• Steve Bosdosh Golf Academy in Ijamsville, Md.
• The Federal Club in Glen Allen, Va.
• TPC Potomac in Potomac, Md.
Adds Guhl, “The grants provided to these PGA Member facilities will be used to buy equipment, expand programming, and provide the necessary expert instruction needed to develop players at every level and make them lifelong golfers.”
The Compensation Survey must be completed to play in any MAPGA tournament this season. Please log in right now to enter your current information. It will take less than 5 minutes.
Our Section has historically been #1 in survey completion percentage. Please keep the tradition alive by filling out the quick survey for the benefit of your peers!
Women’s The Women’s and Men’s PGA National Club Championships were played earlier this year their amatuers this amazing opportunity
MORE CARBON MORE FARGIVENESS
INTRODUCING STEALTH 2, MADE WITH MORE CARBON THAN ANY TAYLORMADE DRIVER EVER. WHY? BECAUSE CARBON IS THE ELEMENT OF FARGIVENESS.
WE AIMED BIG, SO YOU MISS SMALL.
• PGA Members can potentially earn up to $1,500 a year to a Deferred Compensation fund by participating in a combination of 16 PGA approved activities across all three career tracks
• Activities and points matrix were developed with input from a cross-section of PGA Membership
• The aim is that over the years these investments will grow and provide a supplemental income for the member upon reaching the age of 65