MINNESOTA
Anew year means a new Board of Directors for the MNPGA. Thanks to Phil Anderson, PGA, of Hazeltine National G.C. as he stepped down as Section President but remains our District 8 Director on the national Board of Directors.
Scott McDonald, PGA, of RYP Stick takes on the Presidential role with Kellie Hoiness, PGA, of Oak Ridge C.C. as the Vice President. Tim Vernon, PGA, of Yamaha Golf & Utility is the Section’s new Secretary. Other new board members include Adam Hauge, PGA, and Jason Crisp, PGA. Thanks to Tom Blank, PGA, and Greg Snow, PGA, as they completed their terms. Thank you all for your support and guidance.
Congratulations to our 2024 MNPGA Award winners who were celebrated in December.
Golf Professional of the Year – Kellie Hoiness, Oak Ridge C.C.
Executive of the Year – Phil Anderson, Hazeltine National G.C.
Teacher and Coach of the Year – Nick Pelle, GOLFTEC Minnetonka
Professional Development Award – Luke Benoit, Interlachen C.C.
Bill Strausbaugh Award – Brett Heisler, Olympic Hills G.C.
Youth Development Award – Brent Synder, Brent Synder Golf
Player Development Award – Ty Armstrong, GOLFTEC Eden Prairie
Assistant Professional of the Year – Ross Winters, Minneapolis G.C.
Facility Promoters of the Year:
Private – Kyle Brandt, Hazeltine National G.C.
Resort – John Kendall, Giants Ridge
Public – Adam Erickson, Majestic Oaks G.C.
Patriot Award – Jim Deutsch, Yamaha Golf & Utility
Steve Weidner Award – Mark Foley, Keller G.C.
Women’s Player of the Year – Savannah Nelson, Crosswoods G.C.
Player of the Year – Thomas Campbell, University of Minnesota Les Bolstad G.C.
Assistant Player of the Year – Wes Buntenbach, Medina G. & C.C.
Senior Player of the Year – Don Berry, Edinburgh USA
All the best!
—JD Drimel, PGA
The New Jersey PGA held its annual Fall Meeting and Celebration of Golf event. These events brought together PGA of America Professionals, industry leaders, and supporters of the game to celebrate the achievements of the past year. The highlight of both evenings was the recognition of the Section’s Special Award winners, individuals who have demonstrated excellence and dedication to the game of golf in New Jersey.
The 2024 award winners are:
• Assistant Player of the Year: Tyler McArdell
• Senior Player of the Year: Jim McGovern
• Player of the Year: Grant Sturgeon
• Public Merchandiser of the Year: Rylee Plitz
• Private Merchandiser of the Year: Kelly LaDow
• Salesperson of the Year: Tom Gleason
• Club of the Year: North Jersey Country Club
• Professional Development Award: Mike Attara
• Bill Strausbaugh Award: Kevin Beirne
• Deacon Palmer Award: Scott Higgins (posthumously)
• Patriot Award: Rylee Plitz
• Youth Player Development Award: Brian Mackey
• Player Development Award: Mike Andrusin
• Teacher & Coach of the Year: Vince Ramagli
• Assistant Golf Professional of the Year: Kyle Costanzo
• Golf Professional of the Year: Bill Hook
• Distinguished Service Award: Rich Mosel
This year’s Fall Meeting was attended by then-PGA of America President John Lindert and Chief Marketing Officer John Easterbrook, PGA, who both participated in a fireside chat about all things PGA of America. The Fall Meeting also marked the election of Kevin Beirne as the new NJPGA President, with Reed Lansinger named Vice President and Leah Nowicki Secretary.
—Ethan Shea
A
s the calendar turned to 2025, one of the highlights of 2024 in the North Florida PGA was the PGA HOPE program. The Section was able to create lasting relationships and positive impacts on the lives of Veterans and give back to those who served!
PGA HOPE North Florida had an incredible year, serving nearly 600 Veterans across our 17 program sites by operating around 40 PGA HOPE Programs. We added 60 trained PGA HOPE Instructors to our team for a total of 134. We’re excited to expand even further in 2025, reaching more Veterans with new program locations and enhanced support from our PGA HOPE Instructors. Our instructors play a vital role in giving their time and expertise to help create a great experience for the Veterans.
Along with the programs, the Section was a part of the HOPE 4 Heroes fundraiser and held the North Florida PGA HOPE Cup. HOPE 4 Heroes is a nationwide initiative designed to raise vital funds in support of PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) programs. With a goal of $10,000, every dollar raised was dedicated to directly supporting PGA HOPE North Florida and its mission. The North Florida PGA HOPE Cup was held on Dec. 12 and teams gathered at St. Johns Golf Club in Elkton, Florida. This historic event was the first to bring together all our PGA HOPE program sites and instructors for a day filled with friendly competition and camaraderie. A heartfelt thank you to Wes Tucker and Tommy Aycock for hosting such an incredible event!
—Brandon Roll, PGA, and Alivia Mattiace