NICK SIDORAKIS
A major legacy in Tulsa over $10 million since the program’s inception in 2002 to provide free golf lessons and he 2022 PGA Championship is life skills to more than 120,000 children in likely the last major golf champi- the Tulsa area, all free of charge. (Full disonship for 64-year-old Nick Sidor- closure, this writer is on the city golf adviakis, as general manager at Southern Hills sory committee, is executive director of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame and is on the Country Club, a job he's held for 27 years. He hasn’t officially announced his re- First Tee Board.) Nothing is nearer to his heart in his protirement, and members and club officials would surely love him to stay through the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. As far as majors go, however, Sidorakis has no plans to be around if and when either the PGA Championship or U.S. Open returns. The next unassigned U.S. Open date is 2029 and Southern Hills officials have been wooing the USGA for a fourth Open to go with those in 1958, 1977 and 2001. The next PGA Championship open date is 2030, the date Southern Hills was slotted for before PGA officials moved it from former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster course following the riot at the U.S. Capitol followed by his second impeachment. So this will likely conclude a run that has seen Sidorakis oversee the 1995 and 1996 Tour Championships, the 2001 U.S. Open, the 2007 PGA Championship, the 2009 U.S. Amateur and the 2022 PGA Championship, the fifth PGA Championship in the Southern Hills GM Nick Sidorakis club’s illustrious history, two more than fessional life than the First Tee program, any other club has held. The run of championships is just the recognized as the only First Tee chapter to beginning of his impact. With a full and provide all of its services at no cost. “To go back to the first days when John thriving membership enjoying the fruits of a massive 2018 course restoration by Gil Johnson and I thought of developing the Hanse and Jim Wagner along with tremen- program back in 1999 to see what it’s bedous improvements to the practice facilities, come and the impact that it has made on clubhouse and other infrastructure, com- all of these children that would not have bined with personnel he considers “absolute had the opportunity to be involved in golf, superstars” led by Director of Golf Cary it’s beyond any expectation we could have Cozby and superintendent Russ Myers, he had,” Sidorakis said. “When you see some will leave the club perfectly positioned to of the outstanding young men and women continue its role as one of the nation’s lead- that have come back to work at the First Tee, or gone on to be successful in business ers when he does decide to step down. Yet all of that doesn’t begin to capture and life, it’s truly rewarding. Janice (Gibthe impact Sidorakis has had on the game son, the executive director since the outset) has been truly amazing with the time and and the community. Sidorakis is one of the prime movers and effort she has put into this program.” Gibson says the same about Sidorakis, past chairman of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame board. He is a leader on a citizen’s marveling at how someone with his busy advisory committee dedicated to helping day job has managed to pour so much time restore the rundown city of Tulsa-owned and effort into building the First Tee. “Nick finds time to not only spearhead municipal courses at Page Belcher and Mohawk Park. And above all, he is the co- fundraising efforts, but to provide leaderfounder, leader and ongoing chairman of ship, direction and guidance on a regular the First Tee of Tulsa, having helped raise basis,” Gibson said. “Nick and John’s hard
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GOLF OKL AHOMA • 2022 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
work and dedication built the First Tee of Tulsa from the ground up.” Though he may turn the reins at Southern Hills over in time, Sidorakis has no intention of relinquishing his role with the First Tee and intends for the program to continue to evolve and grow. “We’re getting into now where Janice and her managers are helping coach high schools in Tulsa Public Schools and we want that role to grow,” Sidorakis said. “We would like to eventually have a satellite program at Page Belcher which would open the doors and touch other parts of Tulsa. That’s just one of my visions for it. “We want to continue to expand the educational aspect. We’re helping second graders improve their reading and writing skills. We’re helping older kids prepare for their ACT tests and doing STEM work. There’s just so much good the program does and can do.” A native of Westfield, N.J., Sidorakis was an accomplished golfer, twice winning the club championship at Shackamaxon G&CC. He came to Southern Hills with a deep background in food service and hospitality, owning and running his own restaurant, the Sleepy Hollow Inn in Scotch Plains, N.J., but his most recent stint was seven years of corporate hospitality work for Marriott in Phoenix. He was hired at Southern Hills to replace previous GM Bill Dorman on April 1, 1995, with the first of back-to-back Tour Championships looming just eight months away in October. He plunged right in and money the club made from the Tour Championships eventually became the seed money that former club president Johnson persuaded the Southern Hills board to use to start the First Tee program. The club has supported the endeavor ever since, holding an annual fundraising tournament on site each fall and supporting it in myriad other ways. For now, Sidorakis is locked in on the PGA Championship. Hundreds of planning and operations meetings go into hosting, and his staff in the clubhouse and club hospitality tent will swell to more than 450 for tournament week. His days will begin by rising at 3 a.m. and he loves the 4:30 a.m. meetings with Myers and PGA of America Championships Director Kerry Haigh to outline the day’s setup and strategy. Will he get to watch any golf live in his final go-round? “I tape it,” Sidorakis said. “There’s just W W W.GOLFOKL AHOMA.ORG
