2018 Award Recipients
Ken McMaster, PGA General Manager at Miromar Lakes Golf Club has been named the 2018 South Florida PGA Golf Professional of the Year. Bill Scott, PGA Director of Instruction at Don Law at Osprey Pointe has been named 2018 South Florida PGA Teacher of the Year. McMaster and Scott lead an impressive group of 2018 South Florida PGA Annual Award Recipients.
McMaster and Scott, in addition to the other 2018 Award Recipients and two Hall of Fame Inductees, Warren Bottke, PGA and Brendan Cunningham will be recognized at the South Florida PGA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner supported by Discover Global Network on November 13th at Parkland Golf and Country Club.
This year’s award recipients include:
- Horton Smith – Judy Alvarez, Monarch Country Club
- Bill Strausbaugh – Dan Gawronski, Pelican’s Nest Golf Club
- Player Development – Susan Vail, Abacoa Golf Club
- Youth Player Development – Neil Lockie, Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club
- Deacon Palmer – James Muir, Pointe West Country Club
- Assistant Golf Professional of the Year – Rick Sutton, Broken Sound Club- Old Course
- Merchandiser Private – Morgan Jewell, Floridian National Golf Club
- Merchandiser Public – John Miller, Greynolds Park Golf Course
- Merchandiser Resort – Jeff Willenberg, Dorado Beach Resort and Club
- Salesperson of the Year – Scott VanDame, FootJoy
- Player of the Year – Andrew Filbert, Royal Poinciana Golf Club
KEN MCMASTER, PGA – GOLF PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Miromar Lakes Golf Club – Estero, Fla.
Ken McMaster, PGA General Manager at Miromar Lakes Golf Club has been named the 2018 Golf Professional of the Year. This award is the highest honor a PGA Professional can receive, as they are recognized for overall performance, level of service to the Association, leadership, image and the ability to inspire fellow professionals and promote the game of golf.
“First, it’s an incredible honor to be identified by your peers as a professional worthy of such an award. Additionally, it means increased responsibility to uphold the traditions of our game and to be a positive role model for others. As I consider the names of the professionals who have won this award before me and those who will win it after me, it is very humbling and somewhat overwhelming,” says McMaster.
McMaster has shown his commitment to upholding the values of the PGA of America and mentoring younger members and associates throughout his career. He is committed to building relationships and helping other PGA Professionals grow and learn from his experiences. McMasters approach to mentorship is to “serve others and help them achieve their goals.” Ultimately his overall goal is to teach those he mentors so that one day they will be able to mentor others themselves. McMaster currently serves as the Section Membership Outreach Chairperson and is a Master Professional. He won Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2017.
“Becoming a positive influence on other people’s lives through mentoring is critical to me. Such opportunities are plentiful in our industry and it is incredibly rewarding,” says McMaster. While at Miromar Lakes, he has mentored numerous FGCU students, including his current Head Golf Professional, Kyle Mills. McMaster hired Mills when he was a freshman at FGCU and has mentored him to become the PGA Professional he is today. In addition to Mills, Ken works closely with the rest of his staff to help them obtain their professional goals and develop them as golf professionals.
BILL SCOTT, PGA – TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Don Law Golf Academy at Osprey Point Golf Course – Boca Raton, Fla.
Bill Scott, PGA Director of Instruction at the Don Law Golf Academy at Osprey Point, has been named the 2018 Teacher of the Year. This award recognizes the professional who provides outstanding service as a golf instructor. The recipient is selected based on his/her efforts in promoting golf, use of teachings, involvement in junior golf activities and teaching techniques.
“To win this award is an honor and to join the list great list of previous winners is surreal. To be the recipient of an award for something I love to do and am passionate about is very special. Being a PGA Professional, in particular an instructor and coach, to me is an opportunity to grow the game of golf. Ultimately sharing my passion for the game and getting others to love the game as much as I do,” says Scott.
Scott has been very involved with junior golf at the Don Law Golf Academy where he runs junior golf camps throughout the spring, summer and fall. He also hosts unique junior programs including a Parent/Junior Scramble Tournament and the Little “BIG” Break which copies the skills competitions from the Golf Channel’s “Big Break” for juniors ages 5-14.
In addition to his junior golf development at the Don Law Golf Academy, Scott is also very involved with the South Florida PGA Southeast Chapter. He created the Junior Camp Scholarship program in 2005 which has since turned into the Southeast Chapter’s Elementary Program which brings PGA Professionals into local schools to teach golf. Scott was the Southeast Chapter Junior Golf Chairperson from 2004-2009 and has been on the awards committee since 2008. He won the Southeast Chapter’s Teacher of the Year Award in 2012. He received the Youth Player Development Award in 2011, 2013 and 2017 and the Player Development Award in 2015 and 2017.
JUDY ALVAREZ, PGA – HORTON SMITH AWARD
Monarch Country Club – Palm City, Fla.
Judy Alvarez, PGA Director of Instruction at Monarch Country Club is the recipient of the 2018 Horton Smith Award. The award recognizes a PGA Member who exhibits exemplary contributions toward the education of PGA Professionals.
Alvarez has spent her career as a PGA Professional continuing to learn and become the best that she can be. Her outstanding and continuing contribution to developing and improving education for the game is evident. Alvarez was the key initiator for starting PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) between the Section office and the local VA Hospital in West Palm Beach. She has provided instructor training to Professionals nationwide, assisting 150 individuals learn how to teach adaptive golf. With Alvarez’s help, PGA Hope grew from one to seven sites in three years.
lvarez has been a part of the PGA of America’s Education Department as an Adjunct Facility member for their Professional Golf Management Program since 1997. She represented the Education Department for many years at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando as a speaker. She sat on two national committees for two years, the PGA of America Accessible Golf as well as Diversity and Inclusion.
“I couldn’t have done what I did without the support of my SFPGA Section office. They back up our membership and give us the tools to do what we do best. It is an honor to be recognized for this award and it is one of the highlights of my year,” says Alvarez.
JAMES MUIR, PGA – DEACON PALMER AWARD
Pointe West Country Club – Vero Beach, Fla.
James Muir, PGA has been awarded the 2018 Deacon Palmer Award. This award bestows special recognition on a PGA Golf 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 her/heroine at their facility and in their community, who serve to inspire, empower and assist others, both inside and outside of the game. In May of 2016, PGA Director of Instruction at Pointe West Country Club James Muir was diagnosed as having a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, after beating Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he was 21. Unfortunately, this type of diagnoses is terminal.
Muir has lost function of his right arm. He speaks in a raspy voice because the cancer is attacking his vocal cords. Simple tasks as typing or writing his name have become very difficult. He can no longer pick up his two young daughters, Shelby, 10, and Riley, 6. After all of that, Muir continues to live his life, goes to work every day and spends time with his wife and daughters determined to leave a legacy for his children of being happy, cheerful and enriching their lives.
“Unless you’ve been told you’re going to die, you can’t gain a full appreciation of the simple things in
life,” Muir said. “It’s nice to wake up every day and see my kids and my family.”
DAN GAWRONSKI, PGA – BILL STRAUSBAGH AWARD
Pelican’s Nest Golf Club – Bonita Springs, Fla.
Dan Gawronski, PGA Director of Golf at Pelican’s Nest Golf Club, is the winner of the 2018 Bill Strausbaugh Award, which acknowledges a PGA Professional’s outstanding display of integrity, character and leadership in their commitment towards mentoring others within the Association. Gawronski has shown his commitment to upholding the values of the PGA of America and mentoring younger members and Associates throughout his career. He is committed to being an active participant in the Association and encourages his colleagues to do the same. Gawronski is an advocate of getting involved in some capacity, giving back without looking for the reward. He has been certified as a PGA HOPE instructor, volunteers on the Habitat for Humanity projects, mentors FGCU GMU students and is an active member of the Advisory Board of the GMU Program at FGCU, influencing the next generation of golf professionals.
“I am a proud member of the PGA of America. I love playing the game and teaching the game to bring more enjoyment for those who play (or want to learn the game) as any golf professional should. I enjoy managing a team of professionals and associates to fulfill my duties as a Director of Golf and all the duties and responsibilities required of running the business. But I get the greatest satisfaction in nurturing young professionals as they develop into the next generation of professionals. I try to instill my passion for the game and business as well as my passion for the PGA of America. Motivating, developing, and mentoring young professionals for them to grow into their own successful careers as balance in life is what continues to motivate me,” says Gawronski.
SUSAN VAIL, PGA – PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Abacoa Golf Club – Jupiter, Fla.
Susan Vail, PGA Teaching Professional at Abacoa Golf Club, has been named the 2018 Player Development Award Recipient. Vail has been very involved with ladies golf at Abacoa Golf Club where she runs “Chip-N-Sip”, individual and group lessons and the development of the Pink Peg – a training application for ladies. Her goal is to introduce ladies to the game of golf- which she has shown success in over her career.
“My favorite part of being a PGA Professional is simply the right to call myself a PGA Professional. As a female in the world of golf, the title “PGA Professional” delivers instant credibility with clients, employers and the general public. I love what I do and there is no doubt that golf, on many levels, will be one of my life long pursuits,” says Vail.
Vail was selected as a women’s leader in the industry in 2015, since then she has shared her passion of the game through numerous speaking engagements designed specifically for women. During the off season, June through October, Vail created The Pink Peg Tour. Traveling across the border to Canada and across the United States, she has golf clinics, meet and greets and play days. The tour kicked off in Los Angeles, CA at The 1st Women’s Summit where Suzy Whaley, Vice President of PGA of America was in attendance.
NEIL LOCKIE, PGA – YOUTH PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club – Jupiter, Fla.
Neil Lockie, PGA Director of Golf at Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club, has been named the 2018 Youth Player Development Award Recipient. Lockie has been very involved with junior golf at Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club through the Jonathan’s Landing Shipwrecker Program, a group of golfers that participate in Team Golf through the Section. Lockie currently serves on the SFPGA Board of Directors as the Junior Golf Chairperson. This position allows him to exercise his enthusiasm and passion for the game among the next generation of golfers.
Lockie believes that junior golf development in not a role solely for those outside of management positions or only for facilities that are traditional junior golf hubs. He believes that every level of PGA Member has a responsibility to help develop the game among juniors.
“Winning any award in this Section is special given the caliber of Professionals working in the South Florida Section. The Junior Golf Award is special to me as I take great pride in growing the game and introducing kids to all the wonderful benefits golf brings. My motivation is very simple; my junior golf experiences as a kid have shaped me as a person and played a large part of where I am in life today. I hope to share that with all the kids I have the pleasure of working with,” says Lockie.
RICK SUTTON, PGA – ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Broken Sound Club- Old Course – Boca Raton, Fla.
Rick Sutton, PGA Assistant Professional at Broken Sound Club – Old Course in Boca Raton has been named the 2018 Assistant of the Year Award Recipient. Sutton is now in his 4th year at Broken Sound Club – Old Course.
Sutton has numerous roles at Broken Sound Club – Old Course from assisting the Director of Golf and Head Professional to providing world class service to the membership with his motto being, “lead by example”. His main focus is on member satisfaction along with growth and enjoyment of the game. He balances his time between providing golf instruction, promoting club events, assisting with merchandising and golf shop operations and the support of staff supervision.
“Involvement in the Section’s Growth of the Game initiative is a major component in ensuring the game of golf not only grows but thrives in the many years to come,” says Sutton.
Sutton believes it is important to participate in Chapter and Section Tournaments as often as possible, naming it as one of his top priorities. He remains engaged on a Chapter level attending Chapter University events along with meetings and seminars. Sutton is continuously developing his knowledge of the golf industry through certification courses offered by PGA of America.
JOHN MILLER, PGA – MERCHANDISER OF THE YEAR, PUBLIC
Greynolds Park Golf Course – North Miami Beach, Fla.
John Miller, PGA Head Professional at Greynolds Park Golf Club in North Miami Beach, has been named the 2018 Merchandiser of the Year in the Public Category. Miller keeps his merchandising philosophy simple, give the customer options. He is of the belief that just because something may be the best seller does not mean that everyone will want it. Miller believes that giving the customer options is an opportunity to create more sales.
“Know your customer, talk to your customer, watch what your customers purchase and listen to your customer,” says Miller. In his role as Head Professional, Miller spends fifty percent of his time directly involved with the merchandise program. He is responsible for developing buying plans, ordering merchandise and ensuring that the merchandise received is priced and displayed properly.
Miller also manages the merchandise at four other Miami / Dade County owned facilities; Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne, Country Club of Miami and Palmetto Golf Course. The one technique that is practiced in all the facilities is keeping the shop fresh. Weekly changes are made to display mannequins and merchandise is moved around the floor bi-weekly. Their biggest revenue day is “The Black Friday Event” where they sell older merchandise at an extremely discounted rate in order to make room for the new.
MORGAN JEWELL, PGA – MERCHANDISER OF THE YEAR, PRIVATE
Floridian National Golf Club – Palm City, Fla.
Morgan Jewell, PGA Head Professional at Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, has been named the 2018 Merchandiser of the Year in the Private Category. Jewell believes that being a well-rounded Golf Professional is essential which includes business management and development. Gross Merchandise Sales have risen year after year at Floridian National Golf Club which is a key indicator of the talent Jewell possesses along with the success of his merchandising philosophy.
“This is a very exciting award for me and my Professional Staff. We are a very unconventional club where we do not have a titled merchandiser. My three assistants along with myself have complete control over every aspect that is merchandise related. I am very excited that our hard work and attention to detail has been noticed in such a great Section,” says Jewell.
Jewell feels fortunate to have worked for two Golf Professionals that did not hire merchandisers when he was an Assistant for them. He was taught ways to manage time with lessons, events and merchandising while developing a passion for it.
JEFF WILLENBERG, PGA – MERCHANDISER OF THE YEAR, RESORT
Dorado Beach Resort and Club – Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico
Jeff Willenberg, PGA Director of Golf at Dorado Beach Resort and Club in Puerto Rico, has been named the 2018 Merchandiser of the Year in the Resort Category. Willenberg’s first priority is to create a unique and constantly changing merchandise experience that attracts member and guests to make a purchase. Their shop is stocked with the highest in quality brand names along with the newest industry trends. Willenberg prides himself on their team creating relationships that allow them to better understand member/guest needs and desires.
“We have a dedicated team that consistently up-sells, merchandises, manages the Open to Buy program and executes pricing strategies. We have three key grouping locations within the store that are always being updated and refreshed,” says Willenberg.
SCOTT VANDAME – SALESPERSON OF THE YEAR
FootJoy
Scott VanDame of FootJoy has been named the 2018 South Florida PGA Salesperson of the Year. VanDame has been in the golf industry for 42 years with the last 22 years in the South Florida Section and has represented numerous companies throughout his tenure. He has sponsored both Chapter and Section Championships locally and nationally. FootJoy currently serves as the uniform sponsor for the Challenge Cup players and Section staff.
“My success is due to an unsurpassed passion for the game of golf, my profession and brand. My philosophy is to have a trusted genuine partnership with our customers emphasizing consultative selling, leadership and guidance,” says VanDame.
ANDREW FILBERT, PGA – PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Royal Poinciana Golf Club – Naples, Fla.
Andrew Filbert, PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples, has been named the 2018 South Florida PGA Omega Player of the Year. He accumulated 758.50 points in the Omega Player of the Year Race. This will be Filbert’s second year in a row being named South Florida PGA Player of the Year.
“Coming into the season, I put a lot of pressure on myself – I felt like I had to win or finish in the top three every week,” Filbert said. “It meant a lot to me to win Player of the Year again. It validated I can play and compete against these guys.”
With an impressive finish to his season, Filbert was victorious at one of the South Florida PGA’s major championships, The Discover Global Network Fort Lauderdale Open. Filbert competed in the 2018 PGA Professional Championship at Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses in Seaside, CA, where he finished in the top 100. He also participated in the 2018 South Florida PGA National Car Rental PGA Assistant Championship at Wyndemere Country Club in Naples, where he finished tied for 5th. As a result of winning the Omega Player of the Year points race, he has earned a spot in the 2019 Honda Classic.
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