MAPGA Professional November 2014

The Middle Atlantic Professional

Newsletter Date: November 2014

The e-newsletter of the Middle Atlantic PGA Inside this issue: President’s Perspective: PGA Annual Meeting Recap Section Direction: Wrapping Up a Great 2014 Season

The 2014 golf season is wrapping up and the MAPGA Section Staff would like to thank everyone for an outstanding season. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season and are looking forward to another great year in 2015!

2015 Award Winners and Hall of Fame Inductee Eyes on Employment: Keeping Your Resume Up-to-Date Player Development Discussion: Stake Your Claim & Upcoming Town Hall Meetings A Word from Our Allies—VGCSA: House Passes Bill to Halt EPA Water Rule

President’s Perspective:

Chapter Chat

Important Dates: November 2727-28 Section Office Closed December 88-9 Board Planning Session December 2424-January 2 Section Office Closed January 5— 5—MSR Monday Woodholme CC (9am-5pm) January 2020-23 PGA Demo Day & Merchandise Show—0rlando, FL February 2— 2—MSR Monday Springfield G&CC (8am-4pm) February 66-8 DC Golf Show—Chantilly, VA February 22– 22– MSR Monday Salisbury CC (9am-5pm)

Dear MAPGA Members and by the National Officers and Apprentices, top management team. CEO Pete Bevacqua introduced the It’s hard to believe I have new strategic plan for our already served association. No doubt we are one year as in good hands with Pete at the your president. helm at Headquarters. We It is my goal also heard presentations for with this message to update the candidates for PGA you on the happenings at the Secretary. The first day ended 98th PGA Annual Meeting with the annual national which just took place in awards dinner for all our Indianapolis, Indiana. Your national winners. It was a Officers, Executive Director, night filled with emotion and Assistant of the Year and inspiration. This special Central Chapter Secretary all evening concluded with the made the trip. This year’s Professional of the Year award meeting was an outstanding being presented to Ray event. The theme was Cutright, PGA. “Driving the Game Forward”.

The second day of the The three day meeting meeting, we celebrated PGA started off with a PGA update

member Dr. Charles L. "Charlie" Sifford, who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the nation's highest civilian honor. Secretary JP Lunn and I joined in this celebration on Monday night at the Capitol for this pioneer of golf. We also heard from our Keynote Speaker, Donald Trump, who enlightened us all with his stories and knowledge on the golf industry. The Middle Atlantic PGA is proud to be hosting the 2017 PGA Senior Championship at Donald’s course, Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC. (Cont. on page 2…)

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President’s Perspective cont.

The formal session of the meeting started on Saturday with the delegation approving all 27 resolutions that were up for a vote (22 were “housekeeping” resolutions to rectify outdated language in the Constitution). Of the 27 resolutions, Resolution 1 had the most discussion.

The passing of this resolution now allows an Apprentice to get all his/her membership requirements without working at a green grass facility. It will be interesting to see what impact this will have going forward.

MAPGA Board of Directors OFFICERS President John Madden, PGA River Bend Golf & CC

The next part of the meeting will always be one of those great moments of my life. It was the introduction of a new national award named in honor of PGA member Deacon Palmer, awarded to a PGA member who overcomes adversity in his/her life. Deacon is the late father of Arnold Palmer, PGA. Arnold accepted the inaugural award bestowed upon his father in an emotional ceremony. Please take a moment to watch this great event on PGA.com.

Vice President Matthew Schulze, PGA LPGA Kingsmill Championship

The day ended with the delegation electing its new officers. Each position is a two year term.

Our new officers are Derek Sprague President; Paul Levy, Vice President; and Suzy Whaley, Secretary. Suzy, who won on the first ballot, is the first female national officer of The PGA of America. We had three great candidates that ran for Secretary, so I hope the others will run again. I am also pleased that the Board of Directors extended the role of PGA Honorary President to Allen Wronowski for two additional years.

Secretary J.P. Lunn, PGA Sabre Golf

What a great three days we all had at the 98th PGA Annual Meeting Your MAPGA delegation looks forward to sharing all the energy, and the strategic plan with each of you. We are here to serve you and grow this game.

Honorary President John Malinowski, PGA Ocean Pines Golf & CC

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe holiday season, John Madden, PGA Growing this great game

DIRECTORS Mark Beran, PGA Brice Busse, PGA Butch Butler, PGA Peter Gardner, PGA Lynne Hunter, PGA John Lyberger, PGA Jeff Maynor, PGA Mike Thomas, PGA Josh Tremblay, PGA Andy Weissinger, PGA

President, Middle Atlantic PGA jmrbgcc@aol.com ; 703-759-2640

Thank You to Our Partners Don't forget to say thank you to all our 2014 partners. Their contributions are very important to helping make our events successful. A list of partners and their contact information can be found by CLICKING HERE. HERE

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Section Direction: Wrapping Up a Great 2014 Season I am writing this just after meeting after the events in late WHAT’S NEXT? returning from the 2014 Nike Golf Teaching Summit at Congressional CC. What a great opportunity to sit and listen to some of the greatest minds in golf discuss Teaching (and tell some great stories, too). I was so pleased with the turnout of interested MAPGA professionals (160 on day 1, 140 on day 2) who were seeking to improve their craft and advance their knowledge base. I have often said that one very easy way to stand out in a job search is to detail how much selfimprovement you have pursued.

The Section Meeting on November 3rd was a great chance to convene and catch up with old friends as well as thank the many partners who were present for the Sponsor Fair. We also had the opportunity to have PGA Secretary/VP Paul Levy fill us in on the unprecedented events related to former President Ted Bishop in late October. Afterwards, there was also a well-received seminar by noted teacher Jim McLean.

Our MAPGA Delegation was in Indianapolis, IN for the Annual Meeting this past week. It was an interesting

October. There were over 30 resolutions to be voted on • The Board of Directors will be convening for their (many are “housekeeping” resolutions to correct wording annual Planning Session in in the Constitution) and an early December. This is a two day meeting where your election for PGA Secretary. ) leaders discuss what direction the Section should SHOUT OUTS • Thanks to Don Frost, PGA for take and allocates budget recruiting speakers and dollars towards programs chairing the 2014 Nike Golf that will take us there.

Teaching Summit. Also, Please contact your Chapter thanks to Kelly Lawson on or Section officers if you the MAPG A staff for would like to provide input o r g a n i z i n g a n d J o h n on what programs you would Lyberger, PGA for hosting the like to see implemented.

• D on’ t l et y ou r M SR event.

• Congrats to Rick Schuller completion get away from (T2), John Francisco (T7) and you! Only about 40% of you Jim Estes (T18) for their fine have completed your MSR (CLICK performances at the Senior requirements.

HERE for the education PGA Professional National Championship at PGA Village. schedule). We have MSR Schuller had a 7-hole stretch Mondays planned for with 6 birdies! Not only did January & February. Section, they play well in this event, Chapter and Town Hall but they qualified for the meetings are also great 2015 Senior P G A opportunities for earning Championship. The 76th those PGA required hours.

Senior PGA Championship • We would love to have your will be May 21-24, 2015 at help raising funds for the French Lick Resort in French MAPGA Foundations in 2015. We will be contacting Lick, Indiana.

• Congratulations also to the you with opportunities, so 2015 Award Winners (CLICK please be aware and openHERE). We have a great minded about helping your group, led by Hall of Fame Section in the charitable Inductee Allen Wronowski, arena!

PGA and Professional of the Year John Lyberger, PGA, who Very respectfully, will be honored at the Spring Meeting on March 2, 2015 Jon Guhl and at the Hall of Fame/ Executive Director Awards Banquet at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor on March 14, 2015. I hope to see you there!

MAPGA Staff (540) 720-7420

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jon Guhl, ext. 125 DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Stacey Smith, ext. 121 TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Jeremy Greiner, PGA, ext. 124 PLAYER DEVELOPMENT Stephanie Jennings, PGA, ext 116 JUNIOR GOLF DIRECTOR Bob Heintz, ext. 128 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Kelly Lawson, ext. 126 COMMUNICATIONS Eric Southard, ext 115

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A Chance to Give Back Through Patriot Golf Day Mike Waugh has been the PGA Director of Golf at Battlefield Golf Club in Chesapeake, VA since 2006 and throughout his career, he has found ways to integrate golf and his golf facilities into the community through charitable work. He lives in a military town and many of his golf course patrons are affiliated with the military. So when The PGA of America showed their support for Patriot Golf Day and the Folds of Honor Foundation, Mike felt compelled to create an event that would support these efforts and, more importantly, show his support for the great military community of Chesapeake.

The Battlefield Patriot Golf Day event started in 2010 and to date has raised over $100,000 for the Folds of Honor Foundation. Since 2011, at least one child in the Hampton Roads area has benefited from these fundraising efforts and this year, three young people received scholarship funds – Jasmine Freiwald (Norfolk, VA), Jackson Sanderlin (Chesapeake, VA), and Jaina Houston (Virginia Beach, VA).

How does Mike create such a successful event, you might ask? It’s done through a great team effort. He has a committee of 12 who combine for a total of 200 years of military service. This committee works with local and regional businesses that support the event as major, in-kind, or hole sponsors. This year, the committee was able to secure 77 sponsors and nearly 140 participants.

To promote the event, Mike and the committee create fliers and have an over-sized check sitting in the golf shop that sparks interest and questions from anyone who enters the shop.

They also produce a wonderful program for the day of the event that includes a procession of activities, special acknowledgements, a listing of all the sponsors, and the story about the Folds of Honor Foundation.

In attendance this year was Folds of Honor Ambassador and PGA Honorary President Allen Wronowski who shared his thoughts on Mike’s event at Battlefield: “I am blessed to attend many Patriot Golf Days working for the Folds of Honor, and what a treat to be able to attend Mike Waugh’s at Battlefield GC. Even though Mother Nature provided a dreary day, nothing could dampen the spirits and goodwill done that day. It’s always a great day to be an American and Battlefield provided an amazing venue to celebrate it and change lives.”

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2015 Award Winners and Hall of Fame Inductee The MAPGA Board of Directors and Awards Committee are proud to announce the 2015 Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame inductee and award winners. All the nominees are recognized by their peers as being exceptional role models. Each recipient will be honored on March 2, 2015 at the Section Spring Meeting and on March 14th at The Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor for the annual Hall of Fame and awards banquet. Congratulations to the following honorees:

Hall of Fame Class of 2015 - Allen Wronowski, Folds of Honor Foundation From November 2010-12, Allen Wronowski served as the 37th President of The PGA of America, following two years of service each as PGA Vice President and PGA Secretary. He is currently serving as the PGA Honorary President. In 1999, the Middle Atlantic PGA named Wronowski its Section Golf Professional of the Year; and in 2002, he earned the MAPGA Bill Strausbaugh Award for his behind-the-scenes work on employment efforts for the members of the Section. Wronowski was also named the 1984 MAPGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year.

2015 Award Recipients Professional of the Year

John Lyberger, PGA

Congressional CC - Bethesda, Md.

Teacher of the Year

Pat Coyner, PGA

Baltimore CC - Timonium, Md.

Assistant of the Year

Geoff Montross, PGA

International CC - Fairfax, Va.

Bill Strausbaugh Award

Mark Beran, PGA

Woodholme CC - Pikesville, Md.

Horton Smith Award (education)

Don Frost, PGA

Clustered Spires GC - Frederick, Md.

Player Development

Mike Kenny, PGA

Falls Road GC - Potomac, Md.

Youth Player Development

Adam Fishman, PGA

Needwood GC - Derwood, Md.

Merchandiser of the Year (Private)

Bob Wampler, PGA

Cattail Creek CC - Glenwood, Md.

Merchandiser of the Year (Public)

Billy Fritz, PGA

Renditions GC - Davidsonville, Md.

Merchandiser of the Year (Resort)

John Mlynarski, PGA

Harbourtowne Resort - St. Michaels, Md.

David Wortman Citizen of the Year

Mike Lauler

Fort Belvoir Wounded Warriors - Fort Belvoir, Va.

Earle Hellen Sportsmedia Award

Tim Koelble

The Herald-Mail - Hagerstown, Md.

Salesperson of the Year

Jim Percherke

FootJoy

(club relations & community service)

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Eyes on Employment: Keep Your Resume Up-to-Date If you are like many PGA addition, I am available to review

Don Sweeting is an Employment Consultant for the PGA of America.

He can be contacted at dsweeting@pgahq.com (704) 440-8025

EMPLOYMENT CHANGES

Simplify your life and submit your employment changes electronically through the PGA's ONLINE CHANGE FORM in PGALinks. Electronic submission is fast and helps you avoid any applicable fines by reporting changes within ten days of your new status.

Professionals, you may not and provide suggestions on your have a strong desire to seek resume. another job and most likely haven’t updated or even looked When you write your resume, at your resume for quite some always keep in mind that you are time. However, if your “dream creating a marketing tool to sell job” unexpectedly became yourself to a potential employer. available tomorrow, would you There is an old sales adage, be able get your resume ready which can also be applied to in a timely manner and put your resume writing – “Sell the best foot forward in the job customer what they want to buy.”

In other words, you should search? research the position you are I often speak with PGA seeking and find out as much as Professionals who have received possible about the employer’s a CareerLinks notice about a job primary issues and what they are they want to pursue, but it’s looking for in job candidates. been a few years since they last You c an t hen use this updated their resume, and they information as the focus for your are suddenly scrambling to cover letter and resume, which quickly put something together. should be targeted to the specific It’s a good idea to update your needs of that employer. resume every year by adding any new skills, experience, and Employers are more interested in accomplishments. Make sure seeing specific accomplishments your resume is presented in a and information that clearly contemporary format and style – demonstrates what you have what worked ten years ago may done to produce results. For not be applicable in today’s example, it’s not hard to imagine market.

By keeping your which of the following sets of resume as current, you’ll be bullet points would have the better prepared when an most impact: opportunity arises.

• Coordinated tournaments and outings • Gave lessons and clinics • Responsible for merchandising • Managed the golf budget

OR

As a start, you can find resume • D e v e l o p e d i n n o v a t i v e and cover letter tips, as well as t o u r n a m e n t f o r m a t s , a variety of sample resume increasing participation by formats and styles, on the PGA 15% and revenues by $18,000 Employment Center on • www.pgalinks.com – just look in C r e a t e d a n d e x p a n d e d the “Job Hunter’s Tool Kit.” women’s and junior golf clinic There is also a wealth of resume p r o g r a m s , i n c r e a s i n g participating by 10% information readily available in • Managed new merchandising books and on the Internet. In program which increased

annual sales by 20% to $300,000 • Exceeded budgeted golf operations revenue projections by 10%

To help you develop your content, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and ask yourself the following questions: • How have you improved the operation?

• How have you enhanced the customer experience?

• What have you done to increase rounds, revenues, memberships, participation, sales, profits, etc.?

• What problems arose and how did you fix them?

• How is your employer better off because you were there?

D e s c r i b e t h e s e accomplishments and accolades using concise bullet points that begin with a strong action verb, and include statistics where applicable to quantify the results. According to a recent Career Builder study, action verbs that rank high on the list of what employers like to see include: achieved, improved, managed, trained/mentored, created, resolved, volunteered, influenced, increased/ decreased, and negotiated.

(Cont on page 7….)

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Eyes on Employment cont.

Conversely, employers said the following words and phrases were viewed as overused clichés and meaningless filler and were considered resume turn-offs: go-getter, outside the box thinker, go-to person, results-driven, team player, bottom line oriented, hard worker, strategic thinker, self-motivated, and detail-oriented. So opening your resume by saying you are “an enthusiastic, hard-working team player who thinks outside the box” may sound nice but may not have a great deal of impact with the reader.

Know Your MSR’s The current MSR cycle will come to a close on June 15, 2015. All PGA Members (except A-3, A-5, Retired, and Life Member) are required to satisfy the following MSR’s in order to remain in good standing with The PGA of America: • 54 Total MSR’s • 36 of 54 must be PGA Required MSR’s **PGA Members who have attained 25 years of active membership and are at least 65 years of age before the start of the Professional Development Program shall be required to earn only 12 credits from the PGA Required category.** You may check your MSR status through the home page of PGALinks.com.

Since employers typically read resumes quickly, you don’t have a lot of time or space to capture their attention and convince them that you are worth considering for a position. Focus on your achievements and make sure every word and phrase in your resume counts.

Good luck, and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like assistance with your resume or any PGA employment services.

Don Sweeting is an Employment Consultant for the PGA of America. He can be contacted at (704) 440440-8025 or by ee-mail at dsweeting@pgahq.com

PGA’s Program Manager supported

by Active Networks is your one-stop marketing source for successful player development programs.

SIGN UP TODAY!!

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Player Development Discussion: Stake Your Claim “There’s gold in them thar hills” — the famous quote, originally penned in Mark Twain’s narratives of the gold rush — still rings true today.

Except, today, the hills filled with opportunity are the buildings that house companies.

Companies are looking for ways to retain talent. There is a trend for employees to work their way up the corporate ladder by jumping from Mike Aldrich, PGA is the Player company to company. At the Development Regional same time, companies would Manager for D.C., MD, & VA. like to create a community that means more to its He can be contacted at employees than just a (703) 728-9033 paycheck.

Many firms add maldrich@pgahq.com. health clubs, coffee bars and other benefits that are outside “Many companies are the old norm of medical and looking for employee dental to increase employee retention programs and golf satisfaction and retention.

This is where PGA can be the perfect fit.”

Professionals can step in to help.

Golf has so many benefits that the corporate world is seeking. From team building opportunities, to making business deals on the course, to the long-term health benefits of golf, the perks attract business leaders and human resource managers.

From a player development perspective, one of the greatest opportunities that exists is in teaching the game to people who are curious

about golf but don’t know where to start. Offering Get Golf Ready to their employees, particularly with a discount or added value, will be viewed by management as another employee benefit that the company offers.

Gaining access to a local small business or corporation is easier than you may think. The most effective way to network is through your current relationships — existing students, companies that host outings at your facility, neighbors, etc. Discussing the pot ent ial for c orporate instruction is an easier pitch when your contact is already a golfer and someone you may know well.

Onc e you’ ve id ent ifi ed potential individuals and organizations to approach, there are two proven models to market and deliver instruction to these groups: 1. Events – Use existing company events or help them create a new event When talking to your friend at the company, ask if they have any health fairs, employee outing days, or opportunities to address specific groups.

Attend the event and create an activity to present golf and your instruction in a fun way.

Consider bringing a roll-up putting green and a

scoreboard with prizes for making two out of three putts. Be ready with: • Putting green, balls, putters and a dry erase board • Table to display informational flyers including lesson offerings and class schedule • A sign with your brand • Small prizes (logoed water bottles, towels, hats, shirts) • A way to collect emails and names 2. Company offerings – Have a “champion” at the company deliver information to their employees for you In this marketing model, you engage a champion at the company who will assist with the delivery of marketing your classes to their employees.

Multiple emails that only list your classes are usually more effective than listings in employee newsletters. Let the champion decide the most effective way to communicate with their employees.

This method takes more organizational skills than attending a health fair, but should provide dozens of students. Historically, up to 40 percent of employees say that they would like to leran the game of golf, with about 20 percent actually registering (cont. on page 9…..)

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Player Development cont.

So a company as small as 40 people could provide you with a full class of eight. Recently, this exact model was offered to an accounting firm in Dallas, and resulted in the sale of four memberships at the conclusion of one series of Get Golf Ready classes. Another similar effort, near Washington D.C., reaped 68 new students.

When you create a relationship with the employees of a local company through instruction, the door is opened for so many opportunities. Ask them questions about golf outings, golf leagues, merchandise or whatever opportunities may fit. You will be pleasantly surprised to find out how much “gold is in the hills” within miles of your facility’s parking lot.

Corporate Outreach Plan 12 weeks before first class

Identify and contact your company “friend” & send information about GGR/ETD

10 weeks before first class

Secure commitment & identify company “champion”, who will be your proponent

9 weeks before first class

Deliver survey through champion to determine interest

8 weeks before first class

Set up class times/on-line registration (Active.com)

4-8 weeks before first class Have champion email class listing to employees at least 2-3 times 1 week before first class

Coach Teaching Professionals on nuances of delivering a warm, welcoming experience

First Class

Commence delivery of classes

Last Class

Provide next steps to students (playing lessons or level 2 classes)

1 week after last class

Deliver post-event survey to assess students experience & remind of next step opportunities

Youth Golf Leaders Exchange Ideas The 2014 East Coast Junior Golf Summit was held at the Country Club of Fairfax on November 11-12 and over the course of two days, amazing ideas were shared, connections were made, and challenges were set for the future of youth golf. The overlying theme of the summit was set by PGA Director of Youth Golf Development (and past MAPGA President) Bob Baldassari, PGA who asked for all attendees to be FEARLESS. Take your great idea for a youth golf program and run with it.

Thanks to the fearless vision of Player Development Regional Manager Mike Aldrich, PGA, this East Coast Junior Golf Summit has become an annual event. This year, featured presenters included top youth coaches like Kate Tempesta, LPGA; Harry Hammond, PGA; and John Dunigan, PGA. Mike also welcomed some familiar faces who are stars in the youth development arena like Adam Harrell, PGA; Trillium Rose, PGA; Steve Loesher, PGA; Erika Larkin, PGA; and Linda Gaudi, PGA/LPGA. With a mission to “inspire the next generation through golf”, the East Coast Junior Golf Summit along with partners BirdieBall, Kwik Golf, and the Middle Atlantic PGA made waves within the player development community. Those in attendance not only absorbed knowledge from the presenters, but also engaged in active discussions and are now better equipped to plan, promote, and prosper their youth golf programs.

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Town Hall Meeting—Growing Rounds & Revenue for You and Your Facility 2014 led off with a wet, cold spring in the Middle Atlantic. Many facilities made a comeback with the cool summer, but there is still a gap in activity between the top 10% and the rest. Find out what the secret to more rounds and revenue and come willing to share your secret sauce with your peers.

Join Mike Aldrich, Player Development Manager and your fellow MAPGA Professionals in a round table discussion about to create fun, rounds and revenue at your home facility.

Come to the Complimentary Town Hall Meeting prepared to share your best ideas on the following subjects with your fellow MAPGA professionals. You are encouraged to bring any materials that will help you explain your best practices. 4 PGA Required MSR Credits for attendees.

Date

Location

Host Professional Please RSVP with the PGA Professional listed below

12/3/2014

VA Beach - Princess Anne CC

Paul Michaelian, PGA (757) 422-3360

12/5/2014

Richmond – Country Club of Virginia (James River Course)

Summer Lee, PGA (804) 287-1301

12/9/2014

Eastern MD –University of MD – Eastern Shore

Billy Dillon, PGA wcdillon@umes.edu (410) 621-1359

12/11/2014

Roanoke –Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech

John Norton, PGA Norton@vt.edu; (540) 633-6732

12/16/2014

Northern VA – River Bend Club (10:00am start)

John Madden, PGA (703) 759-2640

12/17/2014

Baltimore – Woodholme CC

Mark Beran, PGA (410) 486-3849

Schedule of Events 8:30 to 9:00 am

Coffee & Arrivals

9 to 10 am

Junior Golf – Playing, competition and improvement What is working? What is going away?

10 to 11 am

Retaining & engaging golfers How do you take a casual golfer and turn them into an avid golfer? How do you keep members from leaving?

11 am 12 pm

Technology & Instruction How do you balance the science & art of instruction? Do you use technology to connect with your students?

12 pm to 1 pm

Problem Solving – No holds barred!

Bring your head-scratcher to the group and we’ll all put our heads together to offer possible solutions.

1:00pm

Boxed Lunch & Golf (Weather permitting -- estimated cost $45)

You may register in advance by contacting the host professional.

If you have any questions, please contact Mike Aldrich, PGA Player Development Manager at maldrich@pgahq.com or 703703-728728-9033

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VGCSA: House Passes Bill to Halt EPA Water Rule As our allied partners from the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association noted, the House passed legislation that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing a proposed rule to define its jurisdiction over bodies of water.

Passed 262-152, the bill would prohibit the EPA from using the proposal for any rulemaking regarding the Clean Water Act. The rule, proposed in March, sought to clarify which bodies of water, such as wetlands and streams, are subject to agencies' authority under the act. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has said the rule does not significantly expand the agency's existing authority.

DeFazio said that halting implementation of the proposed rule would prevent the EPA from simply clarifying which bodies of water are subject to federal regulation.

"Where do we end up if this cockamamie thing passes the House and becomes law, which it won't?" DeFazio said. "Well, where we end up is back in the earlier era of the 2003 and 2008 guidance." But some Democrats, particularly those in tough reelection races, broke with their party and said the rule could result in federal overreach.

regulation in consultation with local officials. A final report would be due to Congress within two years.

Before final passage, the House rejected, 170-240, an amendment offered by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) that would prevent enactment of the bill if implementation would harm water quality.

The White House issued a veto threat<http://thehill.com/policy/ energy-environment/217009white-house-threatens-to-vetobill-to-kill-epa-water-rule> against the legislation, saying it â&#x20AC;&#x153;would derail current efforts to clarify the scope of the CWA, hamstring future regulatory efforts, and create significant ambiguity regarding existing regulations and guidance.â&#x20AC;?

Republicans said the rule would go too far and subject trivial bodies of water to federal regulation. "I have heard from many of my constituents that this rule would force them to prove that large mud puddles and ditches on their property are not federally regulated waters," Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) said. "I support this bill because sometimes, a mud puddle is just a mud puddle."

"The only certainty that these regulations provide is the sure knowledge that under them, anyone undertaking any activity so much as a ditch in the United States will have to deal with the bureaucracy known as the EPA," said Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), By: Cristina Marcos the top Democrat on the House -Timothy Cama contributed Transportation Committee and Democrats largely dismissed the one of the most vulnerable concerns as hyperbole. incumbents this cycle.

"We have departed from reality," said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee.

The legislation includes a provision requiring the EPA administrator and Army Corps of Engineers to develop recommendations for a proposed

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Central Chapter Update by President Josh Tremblay, PGA The 2014 golf season is in the books and as we all catch our collective breath, don't lose sight of the opportunities ahead. For all professionals, now is the perfect time to do a full self-assessment of your performance and look for ways to improve. Especially for assistants, there will undoubtedly be some shuffling of jobs and you may find yourself preparing for an interview. Make sure your resume is up to date and talk to your boss about ways to prepare and any potential job openings. If you are looking for another perspective, feel free to reach out to me or another professional in your area that you look up to. Practice makes perfect when it comes to interviewing and you need to remember that you need to match up your skills with what the facility/employer is looking for and/or needs. One other thought, utilize our Player Development Regional Manager, Mike Aldrich, to help you brainstorm for beneficial programming and prove your value to your employer. He can show you how to track and quantify the great things you do that will come in handy as you update your resumes. Finally, congrats to all of the award winners for 2015 including four from the Central Chapter: the Professional of the Year, John Lyberger; the Assistant Professional of the Year, Geoff Montross; Youth Player Development Leader, Adam Fishman and Player Development Leader, Mike Kenny.

Northern Chapter Update by President Mark Beran, PGA Woodholme Country Club in Baltimore, Md., will be hosting a complimentary Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, December 17, 2014. This is a great way to earn PGA Required MSR Credits. The meeting will begin at 9:00 am and feature discussions about junior golf, retaining golfers, and technology. Weather permitting, lunch and golf will follow the meeting at approximately 1:00 pm. Woodholme Country Club will also be hosting a MSR Monday Education Seminar on Monday, January 5, 2015 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Please contact the MAPGA Section Office at 540-720-7420 for more information on these events, or CLICK HERE to view the upcoming Education Schedule

Southern Chapter Update by President Andy Weissinger, PGA Recently, Southern Chapter President Sean Taylor informed the Section that due to an increase in his business workload, he would be unable to continue in his role as Southern Chapter President. His company, Up to Par Management, has picked up a hotel in addition to its stable of golf courses. Thus, Sean has resigned as Southern Chapter President. According to our MAPGA Bylaws, Andy Weissinger, PGA (Pines GC @ Ft. Eustis) will take over as President for the remainder of the term (until September 2015). Peter Gardner, PGA (Ashley Plantation) will serve a dual role as Vice President/Secretary. The Southern Chapter will continue to be represented at Section Board Meetings by those two and Southern Chapter Director-at-Large Dan Capozzi, PGA (Williamsburg Club).

CENTRAL

NORTHERN

SOUTHERN

The Middle Atlantic Professional窶年ovember 2014

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MISSION: The mission of the Middle Atlantic PGA is to promote growth in the game of golf, to provide ongoing education and professional development for our members, and to actively improve employment opportunities for PGA Professionals across the region.

VISION:

1 PGA Dr. Stafford, VA 22554 Phone: (540) 720-7420 Fax: (540) 720-7076 E-mail: midatl@pgahq.com

The Middle Atlantic PGA窶ｦ a member-driven association providing leadership across the golf industry.

PGA Professionals: Experts in the Game and Business of Golf

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THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS DIAMOND LEVEL

Club Car PLATINUM LEVEL

AAA Mid-Atlantic ALSCO Delta Dental National Car Rental TaylorMade-adidas/Ashworth GOLD LEVEL

Bridgestone Golf Lindsay Automotive Group

E-Z-GO GolfMDs HITT Contracting McCrea Heating & A/C NIKE Golf Sunice SILVER LEVEL

2UNDR Antigua Bushnell Callaway Chase54 COBRA PUMA Cutter & Buck EP Pro FlightScope Gear/Under Armour GolfStix Great Shot Golf Haas-Jordan Hole-in-One U.S.A. Jani-King Mizuno North Coast Golf Shows Oakley Page & Tuttle PiMac Sales PING POLO Sterling Cut Glass Sun Mountain Tournament Solutions United Rentals WeatherBug BRONZE LEVEL

AHEAD Headgear

Bose Cleveland GolfMax Origins of Golf SkyGolf

Heritage Creations