September’s Ryder Cup at New York’s Bethpage Black is getting ever closer, and the PGA of America’s surprise ticket giveaway is adding the excitement for golfers in the New York metropolitan area. As the website Bunkered reported, “The People’s Perk” is a new initiative from the Association to surprise 3,000 golfers at New York-area public courses with tickets to this year’s Ryder Cup. With help from the Metropolitan PGA Section, random visits to public courses on Long Island and around New York City will result in the distribution of the free tickets, which can be used for a day at the Ryder Cup between Tuesday and Sunday. According to the story, the idea was first proposed in 2023, and the result is another infusion of excitement to what was already shaping up to be the golf event of the year.
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The iconic Teeth of the Dog Course at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic recently turned 50. For all but five years of its existence, PGA of America Golf Professional Gilles Gagnon has been on the job at the resort. Global Golf Post recently ran a story on Gagnon, tracing the 76-year-old’s career journey from playing hockey in Montreal and at Michigan State University to finding his way into an illustrious career in the golf business. The story recounts how Gagnon found his way from junior hockey to helping build Casa de Campo into one of the world’s best-known resorts, including his friendship with the late Pete Dye, who designed the resort’s courses. While Teeth of the Dog is currently closed for a major renovation, it is set to reopen later this year to continue delighting golfers – just the way Gagnon intends to do for the foreseeable future.
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Speaking of world-class golf destinations, the Fields Ranch West Course at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort in Texas was designed by Beau Welling, who was re cently profiled in Golfweek. In addition to discussing his ongoing design work, including projects with Tiger Woods, Welling goes into detail about his work at Fields Ranch West. His inspiration for the course came from his youth, where he played at Greenville (South Carolina) Country Club. The club had multiple courses that appealed to different skill levels of players, and Welling approached Fields Ranch West as a “ladder” that could help players move on to even more challenging courses – like the adjacent Fields Ranch East Course designed by Gil Hanse. The story is a fascinating read, with plenty of insights into the new wave of golf courses being built around the country.
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The impact of PGA HOPE around the country is undeniable, and one of the latest local stories to highlight the program for Veterans ran in the St. Louis Call. PGA of America Golf Professionals Tyler Bealke and Zane Roberts are quoted in the piece, which explains how the program works and the benefits that are seen by the Veterans who participate. One is quoted as saying that golf helps with his PTSD, along with the relaxation of spending time on the golf course with his fellow Veterans. Roberts also shares that both his father and grandfather served in the military, which makes PGA HOPE even more personal to him. “The older I get and the more experience I’ve had, I realize how impactful this can be and how important it is for these Veterans to have an opportunity to express themselves. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
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