The Philadelphia PGA Section regrets to inform you of the passing of Inge Connelly, wife of PGA Past President and Section Past President Jack Connelly. The family will be scheduling a celebration of Inge’s life at a later date. Our sincere condolences go out to Jack and the entire Connelly family.
The Philadelphia PGA Section is pleased to invite you to our Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet on Sunday, March 19 at Union League Liberty Hill in Lafayette Hill, Pa., to honor our 2022 Awards Class, led by Philadelphia PGA Golf Professional of the Year Mike Wood. To learn more about our 2022 awards class, click here.
Guests are welcome to join our PGA Professionals! The banquet is $75 per person, which includes dinner and drinks. Cocktails begin at 5:30 p.m., with the program and dinner beginning at 6:00 p.m. To register, click on the below button.
RegisterAbout 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
In addition to our traditional District Roundtables, the Philadelphia PGA Section and its Women’s Committee is a virtual women’s roundtable session on Wednesday, March 1 at 9:00 a.m. The session, held via Google Meet, is free to attend, and while the content will be geared for our women PGA Professionals, our male PGA Professionals are also encouraged to join the discussion.
In addition to some great peer to peer conversation on the many different topics facing our PGA Professionals, our Section, and our industry today, PGA Past President Suzy Whaley and PGA Master Professional Alison Curdt will be joining the discussions and speaking about the women’s game and the industry. To register, click on the below button. To join, visit the URL listed below.
RegisterTo help facilitate the discussions, please take a moment to complete this short survey on what topics interest you most…click here to complete the survey.
About Suzy Whaley, PGA: The first woman ever elected to serve as an Officer of the PGA of America, PGA President and PGA Master Professional Suzy Whaley is the PGA Director of Instruction for the Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She is also the PGA Director of Instruction for Suzy Whaley Golf. After serving two years as PGA Secretary, and two years as Vice President, Whaley was elected as the PGA of America’s first female President at the PGA Annual Meeting in November 2018.Recognized in 2019 as one of GOLF’s “Top 100 Teachers in America,” Whaley’s resume includes numerous other teaching awards: Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor, LPGA Top 50 Instructor, two-time Connecticut PGA Teacher of the Year, 10-time Golf Digest State Teacher of the Year and U.S. Kids Golf Master Kids Teacher. She is a five-time PGA Jr. League Championship finals Coach and has instructed more than 300 children to collegiate golf. Previously, she enjoyed a five-year tenure at Jim Flick Golf Schools, before becoming the Head Golf Professional at Blue Fox Run in Avon, Connecticut, in 2002. From 2004-06, she worked as an LPGA golf commentator for ESPN, and began her own instruction and coaching business, Suzy Whaley Golf, after ESPN.
A dual member of the PGA of America and LPGA Teaching & Club Professional division, Whaley was a LPGA Tour member in 1990 and 1993. She famously qualified and participated in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open, becoming the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to qualify for a PGA Tour event. This occurred after Whaley became the first PGA of America woman professional to win the Connecticut PGA Championship. Whaley also is a three-time Connecticut Women’s Open Champion; National LPGA Teaching & Club Professional winner; Connecticut PGA Section Champion; Connecticut PGA Club Professional Champion; and a two-time LPGA Northeast T&CP Section Champion. She competed in both the 2002 and 2005 PGA Professional Championships. Whaley also recently competed in the USGA Senior Women’s Open, as well at the LPGA Senior Women’s Championship.
A 2016 Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Whaley also serves on both the ANNIKA Foundation Board and the PGA Tour Policy Board. In addition, she is an Honorary Director for the First Tee of Connecticut. Whaley was honored with the 2017 Betsy Rawls Award from the American Junior Golf Association for her service, dedication and contributions to women’s golf. She was also named a 2015 Sports Business Journal “Game Changer,” cited as a woman leader who has had a major impact on sports business. Whaley also received the 2015 Margo Dydek Award from the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, for her ability to engage, challenge and inspire, while serving as a role model.
A 1989 graduate of the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor’s Degree in economics, Whaley and her husband, Bill, are both PGA Members. Bill is the National Director of Golf for the PGA Tour Properties Division. They have two daughters, Jennifer and Kelly.
About Alison Curdt, PGA: Alison is a PGA Master Professional in Instruction and a LPGA Master Professional. Being one of nine women to achieve the highest PGA credential earned by an instructor and only one of two women to be a dual master professional in both organizations, Alison has over 33 years of golf competition background and played on a full scholarship as a two-time Academic All American at Florida State University while earning degrees in Psychology and Professional Golf Management. Her teaching prowess has been recognized in many ways including being selected by the LPGA in 2018, 2017, 2015 and 2012 as the Western Section Teacher of the Year. Alison was chosen as the LPGA’s National Teacher of the Year in 2015 and the PGA Northern Chapter Teacher of the Year in 2015. In 2016, Alison was selected as the Southern California PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year and Golf Digest added her as one of the Best Young Instructors in America. Her clubfitting skills were recognized in 2016 as the Northern Chapter PGA chose her as Clubfitter of the Year and the SCPGA awarded her club fitter of the year in 2018. Recently the LPGA chose Alison as a Top 50 Instructor for the second time and the SCPGA inducted her into the Teaching Hall of Fame. The SCPGA Northern Chapter selected her as Golf Professional of the Year in 2017. In 2019, the SCPGA selected her as the Golf Professional of the Year and the LPGA Western Section selected her as the 2020 Golf Professional of the Year. Alison currently teaches at Wood Ranch Golf Club in the Los Angeles area.
Alison completed her Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a practicing psychotherapist in the state of California and currently works with adolescents, couples, families, and individuals in her private practice Curdt Performance Therapy, in Woodland Hills, Calif. Alison strives to develop and coach golfers in all areas of their lives.
Alison continues to be very active playing competitively and has played in seven LPGA Majors: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championships. She is the first women from Southern California to ever qualify for the PGA Professional Championship in 2018 and made a return trip to the PPC in 2021. She helped Team USA win the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup in October 2019. Alison has been a six-time SCPGA Omega Women’s Player of the Year.
Alison’s teaching philosophy is a student-centered approach allowing her to use a vast approach of modalities to help students reach their goals. She has taught over 25,000 golf lessons and is extremely well versed in video analysis, club fitting, golf fitness, and the mental side of the game. Students can be assured all areas of their game will benefit.
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.
Get StartedBenefits include:
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
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 Face
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
Our foundation has offered scholarship opportunities since 2019 for individuals with a passion for golf from diverse backgrounds to participate on the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour circuit for kids ages 18 and under. With opportunities to learn, grow, and compete many tour members graduate to play at the college level and beyond. The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour is proud to help in developing social skills, self-esteem, and inspire youth in our community by providing scholarships to individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Who May Apply:
About PGA REACH Philadelphia
PGA REACH Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 as the charitable arm of the Philadelphia PGA Section, one of the 41 Sections within the PGA of America. PGA REACH
For more information on PGA REACH Philadelphia and its mission to positively impact lives through golf, visit PGAREACHPhiladelphia.com
Contacts:
Courtney Curcio
Director, PGA REACH Philadelphia
ccurcio@pgahq.com
Matt Frey, PGA
Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section
mfrey@pgahq.com
Frisco, Texas and Orlando, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2023) – PGA Golf Professional of the Year Jeff Kiddie, PGA; and PGA Patriot Award recipient John Carpineta, PGA; headline the Class of 2023 PGA of America National Awards honorees.
All 13 award recipients were announced at the 2023 PGA Show last week in Orlando, Florida.
“It is exciting for a PGA Section to have one of its members win one of the PGA of America’s national awards, so having two high-caliber PGA Members honored in the same class is incredibly humbling,” said Philadelphia PGA Section Executive Director Geoffrey Surrette, PGA.
Kiddie is the Section’s first-ever national PGA Golf Professional of the Year, while Carpineta, known affectionately as “Johnny C,” is the Section’s first national PGA Patriot Award recipient.
“Both Jeff and Johnny have helped grow the game at their facilities, at the Section level, and nationally, and are truly model PGA Professionals,” Surrette continued. “Our entire Section is proud of what they have accomplished, and are thrilled to celebrate with them this year.”
Jeff Kiddie, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the 2023 PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. This is the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America Professional, awarded for leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the Association and the game of golf.
A PGA Member for 23 years, Kiddie has spent the past 15 years at Aronimink following a seven-year stint at Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pennsylvania, where he served as PGA General Manager and Head Golf Professional. Kiddie was the host PGA Professional during the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink, which will also host the 2026 PGA Championship.
A longtime, dedicated leader in the Philadelphia PGA Section, Kiddie has held numerous positions including President, Vice President, Secretary, District Director, Director of Section Affairs and Member of the PGA of America Rules Committee, among others. In 2019, he was elected the 43rd President of the Philadelphia PGA; He served a two-year stint, followed by his current Honorary President role.
A decorated PGA Professional, Kiddie has received numerous awards and accolades, including being honored as the national 2011 PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Private Facilities. He also received the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 2021 Bill Strausbaugh Award; 2016 Horton Smith Award (now the PGA Professional Development Award); 2011 Philadelphia Section Golf Professional of the Year; and is a two-time recipient of the Philadelphia PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year Award – Private Facilities (2007, ‘10).
Since Kiddie became a PGA Head Professional in 2001, a total of 12 of his Assistant Professionals have advanced to become Head Professionals across the country. His passion for the Rules of Golf has led him to become an instructor for PGA and USGA Rules of Golf Workshops. Kiddie is a graduate of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he competed on the golf team.
“This award is an incredible honor and it’s a pleasure to share it with my family and with everyone at Aronimink,” said Kiddie. “I’ve always said that I’ve been incredibly fortunate throughout my career to work with and for great PGA Professionals; there are so many PGA Professionals that I respect and admire who have not been recognized with this award and it kind or it makes it difficult to feel deserving. I only know that I’ll continue to work hard to try and live up to it.
“It has also been a great fortune to spend the last 23 years in the Philadelphia PGA Section. I consider our Section to be the finest in the country. The friendships I have made within our Section have positively impacted me personally and professionally. I’m also thankful to work at an incredible club like Aronimink, where I’m afforded the resources necessary to be successful. The club’s leadership encourages me to be involved in other aspects of our industry outside of Aronimink. Finally, and most importantly, I’m incredibly thankful to have a wife and children who have supported me in all my career aspirations.”
John Carpineta, PGA, a Philadelphia PGA Section Member and Assistant Golf Professional at Bensalem Township Country Club in Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the 2023 Patriot Award. The honor goes to a PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America. An inspiration to many, Carpineta earned his PGA Membership at 63 years old. Today, at age 81, he remains a driving force in leading the growth of the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program in the Philadelphia Section. A U.S. Army Veteran, Carpineta is an advocate for golf programming to be used as a form of therapy for Veterans, and thanks to his efforts, more than 500 Veterans have been positively impacted. Additionally, Carpineta is a staunch supporter of Patriot Golf Day, hosting events annually to support the initiative. Carpineta has been the recipient of multiple awards at the Section level, including Golf Professional of the Year in 2019, the Patriot Award (2017, ‘18, ‘20) and the Player Development Award in 2015. Carpineta has also been instrumental in mentoring other PGA Professionals who have aspirations to be heavily involved in PGA HOPE programming. His commitment to service at the Section level includes being the Co-chair of PGA HOPE Bensalem since 2016, a member of the Player Development Committee since 2016, and an Education Committee member since 2011, among other Section and Chapter committees.
“I am incredibly honored to have received our PGA Patriot Award,” said Carpineta. “While my name is on the award, it should be shared with everyone who has been instrumental with PGA HOPE Philadelphia, including fellow PGA Members Rick Flagler, Gerry Davis, Dan Hoban, Adrienne Hogan, Leila Mackie, Judy Alverez, and many others.”
Our Section staffers, Geoff Surrette, PGA, Courtney Curcio, and Matt Frey, PGA, have helped our Bensalem chapter thrive and taken lessons learned here to eight of our other PGA HOPE Philadelphia chapters.”
“I would be remiss if not to thank those who helped with and supported my nomination: Jack Connelly, Dick Smith Sr., Tom Carpus, Jeff Kiddie, Jeff Hoerger, Jim Bogan, Bill Fox, and Kelly Newhouse. Having a Section full of supportive PGA Professionals has helped our military veterans far and wide.”
2023 PGA of America National Awards Recipients
For full bios of all 13 PGA of America National Awards recipients for 2023, click here.
The formal National Awards ceremony is scheduled for this November during the 2023 PGA Annual Meeting in Frisco, Texas. The Herb Graffis Award will be presented during the Annual Meeting content that week as well.
About 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
Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa. (January 3, 2023) — The Philadelphia PGA Section has announced its 2022 award winners, highlighted by PGA Golf Professional of the Year Mike Wood, the PGA director of golf at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. Over 100 award nominations were received for the 2022 Awards Class, of which the Philadelphia PGA Awards Committee chose 13 winners, including:
Mike Wood, PGA, the PGA director of golf at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., has been named the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Golf Professional of the Year. This is the highest annual honor given to a Philadelphia PGA Professional, awarded for qualities of leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the Philadelphia PGA Section and the game of golf.
A PGA Member since 2007, Wood started his Saucon Valley career as a PGA Associate in 2003, was promoted to PGA head professional a few years later, and was ultimately elevated to his current position in 2021. Wood says that one of his greatest financial impacts on the club has been increasing golf shop sales. While rounds of golf at the facility are up approximately 37 percent since 2018, when Wood assumed buying responsibilities, shop sales have increased 88 percent over the same period. He concocted a plan based on a special shop diagram he created that helped effectively use the shops’ footprints, allowing for a dramatic increase in men’s and women’s SKUs, roughly 50 percent and 30 percent, respectively.
As the host of the 2022 U.S. Senior Open Championship, the United States Golf Association (USGA) requested the club’s staff to develop programming for the USGA’s new 19th hole hospitality area concept. Utilizing the designated area located near the finishing three-hole stretch, Wood and his team prepared a festival-like daily event which included interactive activities such as golf simulators, a 9,000 square-foot putting green, live music, jumbotrons with live streams of the championship broadcasts, lawn games, food trucks, and more. Wood recruited fellow PGA Professionals from around the Section to assist in executing the experience, and secured player development equipment from the Section and PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. Their hard work was enjoyed by over 5,000 spectators throughout the championship week.
Wood’s expertise does not end with his operational prowess. He believes it is extremely important to establish a professional working relationship with all team members, serve as a role model through meeting or exceeding intensely high personal standards, and remaining dedicated to the advancement and growth of each individual employee. Saucon Valley’s founder, Eugene Grace, stated that the club should be second to none, and Wood’s team has embraced this philosophy. To assist in motivating his PGA Professionals, while also providing growth opportunities, Wood developed a unique organizational chart in which a PGA Professional could conceivably start as a seasonal assistant professional, work their way through the system to ultimately earn a PGA head professional title at either or both golf shops. This system has allowed Wood and his team to recruit more effectively to the most promising candidates available. He also developed an extensive educational calendar for his team, in which the PGA Professionals present to the facility’s PGA Golf Management interns and other staff members on various topics such as clubfitting, instruction and coaching, youth golf, merchandising, career development and enhancement, and more.
In addition to promoting Saucon Valley, Wood has worked to grow the game of golf throughout the Section and across the nation. Changes to the club’s youth golf program has prompted many parents to remain onsite to use the facility and/or work on improving their own games. Outside of the club boundaries, Wood has partnered with Coordinated Health of Bethlehem to offer golf-specific seminars, and Penn State University’s PGA Golf Management (PGM) University program to host its eighth annual PGM Intern Conference. At the national level, Wood volunteered at the 2019 and 2021 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.
Wood was named the Section’s Merchandiser of the Year in the Private Category in 2021.
Steve Sieracki, PGA, the PGA director of instruction at the Legacy Club at Woodcrest in Cherry Hill, N.J., has been named the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year for his “outstanding services as a golf teacher, innovator and coach.” Sieracki was the recipient of the Section’s Youth Player Development Award in 2016.
Sieracki’s role at his facility is to oversee all instruction and coaching programs, consisting of private lessons, clinics, youth camps and golf programs, golf schools, and staff training. As the Legacy Club at Woodcrest is planning a new golf range and a second state-of-the-art indoor studio, club ownership and management has involved him to help design the new buildings, thanks to his experience and understanding how these facilities can successfully grow the game and help their members improve their games.
Annually, Sieracki provides well over 3,000 hours of golf instruction and coaching, in addition to approximately 30 hours of virtual lessons online each week. He has worked to provide the club’s members a plethora of instruction-focused events and programs, including an elite youth golf program which led to six of his students being recognized as top players on the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour, guest clinics from Andy Plummber, AimPoint, a virtual lesson program with Eric Cogorno, and creating a private indoor golf studio in Voorhees, N.J.
In addition to his traditional coaching career, Sieracki has made a point to network with PGA Members and industry professionals from around the country, and give back by presenting at various summits, seminars, and online education events. He has spent a considerable amount of time with some of the Section’s best PGA coaches, and frequently visits renowned instructors such as David Orr, PGA, Andy Plummer, Mike Bennett, and Nick Clearwater, PGA, as well as presenting at other facilities in the Section. He also has spent time building a strong following on his social media channels, allowing him to connect with golfers around the world, and assist them with their swings. For the past year, Sieracki has been writing a program that shows other PGA coaches to easily identify patterns in the golf swing as an additional way to help their own students improve. He has also contributed to national publications, including PGA Magazine’s PGA Professionals’ Best Practices Series, Golf Digest, and Golf Tips Magazine. Sieracki has also continued to educate himself across many subjects, including biomechanics.
Jim Smith Jr., PGA, the PGA director of golf at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, Pa., is the recipient of the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award; he also received the award in 2006 and 2013. The award recognizes a PGA Professional who demonstrates exceptional character, integrity and leadership, by way of teaching and mentoring other PGA Professionals. A PGA Member for over 28 years, has served his club since 2006, having PGA head professional experience at two facilities previously. Smith, when discussing his career, says he is proudest that he helped 32 former coworkers advance in their careers to management positions, such as PGA directors of golf, PGA head professionals, directors of outdoor services, and so on. He says that helping staff members achieve their career goals via upward mobility in job / position quality is the single most important thing he does professionally, and values it more than any other facet of his job. Outside of his day-to-day work in Flourtown, Smith has served a wide variety of roles within the Section, including terms as president, vice president, and director of Section affairs, in addition to chairing the Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO), Club Relations, and Long-Range Planning committees, and helping organize and presenting at Section education events. Smith said that as his career progressed, he has always remained true to who he is – a normal person who values every interaction and the relationships he has been fortunate to be a part of. Smith previously was honored as the Section’s Golf Professional of the Year in 2005, and Merchandiser of the Year – Private Category in 2002.
Dean Kandle, PGA, is Golf Business Network’s vice president of professional development and education, and the Section’s 2022 Professional Development Award recipient, an award he previously won in 2019 and 2020. This honor goes to a PGA Member who displays commendable contributions to the education of PGA Professionals. Kandle was also named the Section’s 2020 Golf Professional of the Year and 2018 Bill Strausbaugh Award recipient. A PGA Member since 2006, Kandle spent 10 years as PGA head professional at St. Davids Golf Club, prior to taking on his current role at GBN. Kandle has also devoted time to serve the Section, recently finishing his term as District 6 director, and serving as member of the Section’s Education and Awards committees. During his time on the Education Committee, he has helped organize many events concerning management, customer service, productivity, and more. Kandle has also made time to support PGA REACH Philadelphia by creating a charity hockey game played between the Philadelphia and New Jersey PGA Sections. His support of fellow PGA Professionals does not end with his own staff or Section involvement; in 2017, Kandle created a website known as “Golf Professional Growth” to provide content focused on generating awareness on how the modern PGA Professional can better manage their time, lead their people and improve their personal lives. Kandle hosts regular podcasts, “Getting Better Now,” and “Golf Professional Growth,” helps organize professional development programs like Work Smarter, a productivity training series, virtual networking and education events, and has contributed to industry publications such as PGA Magazine. In his current role with GBN, Kandle launched GBN University to complement PGA of America education. Kandle says one of his true passions is helping young PGA Professionals find their way in the golf industry, certainly making him deserving of this honor.
Andy Signor, PGA, is the PGA head professional at Pine Meadows Golf Complex in Lebanon, Pa., and the recipient of the Section’s 2022 Patriot Award. The award bestows special recognition on a PGA Professional who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates an unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected our country. Beginning in 2017, Signor started an annual golf tournament to benefit the Folds of Honor foundation, an organization that provides scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled U.S. military personnel. The annual event also pays tribute to Seldon McIntosh, a since-passed Pine Meadows member and two-time Silver Star recipient. His original fundraising goal was $2,500, and doubled that in his first event. Since then, the annual tournament has raised over $42,000 for the Folds of Honor. Signor has also volunteered his time with the Folds of Honor’s Eastern Pennsylvania / New Jersey Chapter, helping expand its membership, reach, events, and donations. Folds of Honor named Signor as a top performer five times, while his chapter awarded him their Leadership Award. Signor was also named the Central Counties Chapter Golf Professional of the Year in 2018.
David Zimmaro, PGA, the 2021 Section Teacher & Coach of the Year, PGA assistant professional and youth golf director at Overbrook Golf Club in Villanova, Pa., is the recipient of the Section’s 2022 Player Development Award. This honor bestows special recognition to a PGA Member who has displayed extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of player development. Hailing originally from Philadelphia, Zimmaro has dedicated his career to guiding youth golfers in the Delaware Valley, via his current role at Overbrook, working as the First Tee of Philadelphia’s site director, volunteering for PGA REACH Philadelphia’s Golf in Schools initiative, the Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association, Widener Memorial School, Overbrook School for the Blind, La Salle Academy, AIM Academy, the Bridge School, Fort Dix Military Base, and the Department of Justice’s Students for Juvenile Justice. Zimmaro also learned American Sign Language to work with the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. Zimmaro has also served as a PGA Jr. League captain for years, fielding a team from Overbrook, which has been undefeated for three seasons and advanced to the Section Championship in 2021 and 2022. Two of Zimmaro’s students also advanced to the Drive, Chip & Putt Regionals at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina in 2017 and 2021. Zimmaro has also been featured in PGA Magazine’s PGA Professionals’ Best Practice Series and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and has appeared on Golf Channel’s “Golf Fix with Michael Breed” television show. Zimmaro previously won the Section’s Youth Player Development Award in 2017 and 2020.
Steve Chalmers, PGA, the PGA director of instruction at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., is the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Youth Player Development Award recipient. The award is given annually to a PGA Professional who has made extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of youth player development. In addition to his day-to-day duties, Chalmers also serves on the Junior Golf Committee, and works as the junior coordinator to cater to all youth golf activities at his facility. Since joining the Saucon Valley staff in 2020, Chalmers has created one of the best youth golf programs in the state, with participation increasing each season. Taking feedback from the committee, he worked to create popular events such as a Halloween Parent / Child Glow Golf Night, and started offering two junior championships for club members: one for 13 years of age and younger, and one for 14 and above. Chalmers continues to promote youth golf outside of Saucon Valley’s property, volunteering at a YMCA in Bethlehem, Pa., for their LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of the Lehigh Valley program, participating in the Colonial League team event, the Tri-State Championship for highschoolers looking to play competitive college golf, coaching the Lehigh women’s golf team, and working with Blairs High School. He also captains a PGA Jr. League team, offers weekend youth clinics, parent-child clinics, a youth summer coaching program, summer camps, a player development program for competitive golfers, and mixed sports winter coaching. Chalmers also runs a college golf night at Saucon Valley, hosting college coaches to share their experiences with college recruitment.
Todd Love, PGA, the PGA head professional at West Shore Country Club in Camp Hill, Pa., has been named the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Merchandiser of Year for the Private Category. The award recognizes PGA Professionals working at a private golf facility who have excelled in business and merchandising in the promotion of golf. Love has worked at West Shore in various roles since 1996, and took over as PGA head professional in 2017. He spends about half his time in the club’s merchandising area, allowing him to gather feedback from their over 800 members. He says his philosophy is to provide plenty of options to the members, where tastes may vary widely. Love is not shy about changing displays (he does so on a weekly basis), and works closely with his team to present the merchandise in the best way possible. His shop has increased sales, including by double digits in 2022 compared to the previous year.
Ian Madinger, PGA, the PGA head professional at Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club in Millsboro, Del., has been named the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Merchandiser of Year for the Public Category. The award recognizes PGA Professionals working at a public golf facility who have excelled in business and merchandising in the promotion of golf. Madinger started in his current position in 2020, following four years as a PGA assistant professional at the same facility. He spends approximately 30 percent of his time merchandising, and tries to avoid marking items above the suggested retail price. He explains that he wants his customers to get the same price in his shop compared to what they may pay at a big box retailer. Madinger also works to ensure his shop is stocked with anything a golfer may need; from snacks to tees, rangefinder batteries, hand warmers, sunscreen, and so on, Plantation Lakes stocks it. He even goes to the trouble to bring in new items should a customer request something that is not in stock. Madinger’s shop is expected to finish with a double-digit percentage increase over last year’s sales figures.
Alex McGann, PGA, is the PGA director of golf at Seaview in Galloway, N.J., and the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Merchandiser of Year for the Resort Category, an award he previously won in 2019. The award recognizes PGA Professionals working at a resort golf facility who have excelled in business and merchandising in the promotion of golf. McGann spends 20 percent of his time working on the facility’s merchandise operation. His primary retail focus is the establishment and execution of purchasing goods and developing a solid golf shop sales strategy. McGann and his team rolls out a retail promotional calendar each offseason based on expected product deliveries, and finalizes monthly sales targets with his team, including Area Retail Manager Katie Werner, and PGA Head Professional Jeff Carswell, PGA. This season, McGann introduced a retail incentive plan to Seaview’s PGA assistant professionals and hourly shop employees, offering bonus commissions once the shop hit monthly targets. The Seaview golf shop experienced double-digit percentage growth in sales year-over-year in 2022.
Kevin Duffy, PGA, the PGA head professional at Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson, N.J., is the first-ever recipient of the Philadelphia PGA Deacon Palmer Award. The award bestows special recognition on a PGA Professional who personally displays outstanding integrity, character and leadership, in the effort to overcome a major obstacle in their life. This individual is an unsung hero/heroine at their facility and in their community, who serves to inspire, empower and assist others, both inside and outside of the game. After Duffy’s first child, Molly Rose, was born in 2013, she was diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraplegia type 47 (SPG47), a disease so rare that Molly was the first in the United States to be diagnosed, and only the seventh in the world. While helping his daughter through therapies, Duffy continued his work at Riverton, in his first year as PGA head professional, and remained committed to making sure he exceeded his members’ expectations. Duffy’s son, Owen Patrick, was born in 2021, and unfortunately was also diagnosed with SPG47. To help support those affected by SPG47, the Duffys teamed with another family impacted by the disease to create the non-profit Cure SPG47, with a mission to develop a treatment for the disease. He started a golf outing named “Golf for a Cure,” which has grown into an impressive community event. The event hosts over 220 golfers annually, and has raised over $1.4 million in just six years. Additionally, a gene therapy is in its final stages of development and hopes to go through the FDA approval process in the coming months. Outside his work for SPG47 and career at Riverton, Duffy has also found the time to volunteer for the Philadelphia PGA Section, serving as the District 2 Director, and as a member of a number of committees.
Keith Clawson, PGA, is a PGA assistant professional at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., and the Sections’ 2022 Justin Riegel Assistant Golf Professional of the Year. The award recognizes PGA Professionals who have excelled in business and merchandising in the promotion of golf, and is named for the late Justin Riegel, a past Section Assistant Golf Professional of the Year. Clawson believes that to be a successful PGA assistant professional, you must have a strong passion for the game of golf and the golf business, in addition to a strong work ethic. As the chair of the Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO), he knows successful PGA assistant professionals such as himself need to have a willingness to learn and grow, which is why he has worked with the PAO to offer numerous education opportunities for their members. Under Clawson’s tutelage, he estimates that the PAO has experienced a 25 percent increase in participation. At Merion, Clawson is responsible for their youth golf program, merchandising and inventory management, men’s golf tournaments, team building, while also providing private lessons for club members. Clawson tries to inspire his fellow PGA assistant professionals through leading by example, such as volunteering at the local PGA HOPE Philadelphia chapter at Union League Liberty Hill, providing free instruction during the 2022 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship Youth Day, or by simply supporting his coworkers. Clawson says that reflecting on his career reminds him of PGA Professionals like the namesake of this award, Justin Riegel, PGA, or Brian Kienke, PGA, as he always looked up to them, and emulated their working styles.
John Rutecki, PGA, an account executive for Greyson Clothiers out of Howell, N.J., is the Section’s 2022 Salesperson of the Year. This award recognizes a sales representative who contributes to the Section and is involved with sponsoring Section events. They are also respected among their fellow Section clubs and have implemented new ideas to assist growing the game of golf. Rutecki, an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience, says he learns from every interaction he has, and always tries to treat his partners with the same respect, integrity, and service that he would expect if the roles were reversed. Rutecki knows what it is like working as a PGA Professional, which has helped both his operation, as well as his clients’. Over the years, Rutecki has supported PGA Sections, including Philadelphia, through partnerships for Pro-Scratch, Pro-Official, and Pro-Assistant tournaments, allowing him to give back to those who supported him and his company. While at Greyson, Rutecki helped launch an ambassador program to ensure they get the best feedback from PGA Professionals who sell their products on a daily basis, and is working to create a similar program for PGA assistant professionals.
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
PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, is hosting its inaugural cornhole tournament on Friday, February 10 at Blue Bell Country Club. Proceeds will help support PGA REACH Philadelphia’s mission to positively impact lives through the game of golf. The winning team will be crowned PGA REACH Philadelphia’s 2023 Cornhole Champions and will receive custom-made cornhole boards, courtesy of Signs by the Sea.
Teams will consist of two individuals, one of whom must be a Philadelphia PGA Professional. Entry fees are $120 per two-person team, and includes prizes, a drink ticket, hors d’oeuvres, Travis Mathew t-shirt and cap, and a donation to our foundation. Each team is guaranteed to play at least two matches in this 32-team double elimination format.
If you would like to attend to spectate rather than play, entries will be $45 to be paid onsite.
To register, click here.
PGA REACH Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 as the charitable arm of the Philadelphia PGA Section, one of the 41 Sections within the PGA of America. PGA REACH Philadelphia is committed to serving our communities and growing the game of golf through our three pillars: Youth, Military, and Inclusion.
For more information on PGA REACH Philadelphia and its mission to positively impact lives through golf, visit PGAREACHPhiladelphia.com. To donate to PGA REACH Philadelphia, please click here.
Contacts:
Courtney Curcio
Director, PGA REACH Philadelphia
ccurcio@pgahq.com
Matt Frey, PGA
Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section
mfrey@pgahq.com