Pinehurst, N.C. (March 16, 2023) — Chapel Hill Golf Course head professional and PGA Associate Quinn Joseph led his team of amateurs, Josh Joseph, Sam Varano, and Mike Wolf, to victory in the 2023 Philadelphia PGA Pinehurst Pro-Am at the famed Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

The group finished with a team score of 16-under-par, 416, in the 54-hole one gross and one net competition, good for a four-stroke victory over the team from Woodstone C.C.: Greg Meyer, PGA, Trevor Buss, Fayez Elias, and Shawn Hughes. Two teams tied for third place at 10-under-par: Bayside Resort G.C., Bryce Young, PGA, John Fowler, Sid Burkot, and Duke Hanson; and Maple Dale C.C.: Chris Brosius, PGA, Rich Karolczak, Sean Sullivan, and Art Giangrant.

The annual pro-am has become a staple on the Section’s tournament schedule each spring, and quickly sells out each season. This year, the field played Pinehurst’s Nos., 2, 4 courses, and Forest Creek Golf Club’s North Course, in addition to a practice round on Pinehurst’s No. 8 course. The highlight of the event each year is the round on No. 2; built in 1907 by renowned golf course architect Donald Ross, and restored in 2010 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the course has hosted several major golf competitions, including a PGA Championship, a Ryder Cup, three men’s U.S. Opens, and a U.S. Women’s Open, with several more tournaments scheduled in the future.

To view the full 2023 Philadelphia PGA Pinehurst Pro-Am leaderboard, click here. To view photos from the event, click here.

The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our host, Pinehurst Resort, its management, host PGA Professionals, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support.

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, mfrey@pgahq.com

Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (February 22, 2023) — The Philadelphia PGA Section is excited to announce the creation of the Bud Jennings PGA Golf Management Scholarship – a first of its kind for the Section. The scholarship was developed by the Jennings family to honor Bud Jennings, a lifelong golfer and longtime Chester Valley Golf Club member. Given Bud’s love for the game of golf, and his willingness to give back and help others, the Jennings family says that this award is the perfect way to remember his legacy.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to both one male and one female Philadelphia PGA Associate aspiring to be elected to PGA Membership. Scholarship recipients will possess the skills, drive, and character it takes to become a first-class PGA Member.

“On behalf of our officers, board of directors, and membership, the Philadelphia PGA Section thanks the Jennings family for helping to build the next generation of PGA Members who will help grow the game of golf,” said Section Executive Director Geoff Surrette, PGA. “Providing support for these PGA Associates will help ensure they serve the community in ways Bud Jennings would be proud of.”

“Golf is an honorable sport, and that’s why my dad was so at home on the course; he loved the camaraderie and intricacies of the game. Every day, every shot was different,” said Chris Jennings.

“He just loved being on the golf course,” said Martina Jennings. “I have so many wonderful memories of him there, with me, his kids or grandkids, or any of the many cherished friends he made on the course over the years. He would be honored to know that his love of the game is living on in this scholarship.”

The official scholarship applications will launch on phillypga.com following the Section’s 2023 Spring Membership Meeting, scheduled for Monday, March 27 at DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Del.

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section, mfrey@pgahq.com

For many years the PGA of America has searched for a way to develop some kind of retirement plan for members. As we all know, there are tax rules that prevent the Association from directly giving money to members. But the basic principle is that we can reasonably compensate a member for performing services that advance our exempt purpose; specifically for growing the game of golf. Therefore, the PGA of America created a plan whereby members that participate in programs that meet specified performance objectives can earn a contribution towards a deferred compensation fund.

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. Because of the power of compounding over time, clearly younger members will benefit most from the program, but everyone can participate.

In addition to all our programs and other benefits this is now a very real and accessible vehicle to accumulate wealth towards a more comfortable retirement.  We further hope that this can serve as a truly significant lure and recruiting tool to attract new talent to our great and growing industry.

Benefits include:

• Tax-deferred growth
• Ability to choose your investment allocation from a wide variety of funds
• Supplement your future retirement income
• Contributions come directly from the PGA

Points System: Members earn points towards the Plan after the completion of certain specified performance objectives/activities.

You must earn a minimum of 200 points in a given program year to be eligible to receive a contribution

• If a member does not reach that threshold, such points will be forfeited
• Additionally, points cannot be rolled over to future program years
• Reporting Points
  • Members can submit and keep track of their points online or through the Deferred Compensation App
  • Multi-pronged reporting model includes self-attestation, the attestation of another PGA Member, and to the extent available, the use of other readily available data sources.
• A list of eligible activities and their assigned point value can be found below. Note: Partial credit for some activities is available as well depending on the level of involvement

To view the Deferred Compensation program’s points descriptions, click here. Review the Deferred Compensation program’s eligible activities by career path by clicking here.

About the PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.

Contact: Matt Frey, PGA, Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section, mfrey@pgahq.com

This year, “Inside Golf,” the weekly local golf show that airs on NBC Sports Philadelphia, partnered with the Philadelphia PGA Section and Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board to produce golf instruction segments as part of the Make Golf Your Thing initiative, a collaborative effort across the golf industry to ensure the future of golf is open to everyone.

PGA Member Meg Donohue of Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington, Pa., provided free golf lessons to two beginners, Megan from Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, and Marisa from WMMR, introducing them to the game of golf, teaching them how to swing the club, play the game, and appreciate everything the sport has to offer. The Section also provided both Megan and Marisa with full sets of Cobra Golf clubs with Sun Mountain golf bags to get them started on their journey in golf.

To watch each segment, click here. To learn more about Make Golf Your Thing, click here.

The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour’s FUNdamental Tour is now open to all age divisions so that at no matter what age, people can grow with their golf game. This new tour is aimed at beginner golfers who are not quite at the level to compete on our junior tour and offers shorter yardages and the opportunity to have a caddie. The goal is to provide the tools necessary to aid our beginner golfers with the improvement of their games and the building of their confidence. The emphasis is on having fun and encouraging our golfers to grow their love for the game.

To learn more about the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour’s FUNdamental Tour, click here.