December 14, 2010; Phoenix, Arizona — Club-fitting pioneer and leader PING announced today that Fred VanSteen and Dale Briggs at Knollwood Fairways in Southern Pines, N.C., have been named the 2010 PING National Fitter of the Year.
First given in 1997, the award recognizes the Authorized PING Fitter that has demonstrated the highest commitment to custom fitting and the promotion of its benefits to golfers of all abilities.
“Fred and Dale have done a remarkable job expanding a teaching and practice facility into a full-service fitting operation that has helped hundreds of golfers benefit from PING fitting technology,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “They effectively deliver on the PING promise of technological innovation combined with exceptional customer service. Given the busy Pinehurst market where Knollwood does business, we’re especially proud to recognize their efforts and honor them as PING’s National Fitter of the Year.”
Built in 1969, Knollwood features a nine-hole, semi-private golf course with 300 members and a 10-acre public driving range. Its pro shop offers 1,000 square feet of PING-dedicated retail space along with four PING fitting systems, giving Knollwood a competitive edge in the golf-rich Sandhills/Pinehurst area, home to more than 40 courses.
The effort to become the area’s fitting experts began in earnest in 2007, when Knollwood Fairways became an Authorized PING Fitting Account. Shortly after his first iron-fitting bag arrived, VanSteen said the association with PING spiked sales. As his fitting business grew by word-of-mouth and referrals from nearby courses, VanSteen added fitting tools to meet demand. Customers, he said, respond to PING’s personal approach to fitting. “Golfers know that PING clubs are custom-built just for them. Something as seemingly small as the correct grip size or a heel grind on a wedge make a big difference.”
VanSteen, who’s been fitting since 1997, is a graduate of the Professional Golf Management program at Methodist University. He custom-fits the entire PING product line, including putters, to help ensure tee-to-green performance for his customers. “It’s really gratifying to take someone who’s been slicing the ball all his life and all of a sudden he’s turning it over with a little draw,” he says. “Or maybe we help someone discover more yards off the tee. And when you hit the ball straighter and farther, golf is a lot more fun.”
He relies on PING’s full inventory of fitting technology: a 40-club iron-fitting cart, the Advanced Fitting System inter-changeable driver bag and iron bag, and his newest addition, nFlight Custom Fitting software with a launch monitor. VanSteen estimates that he has personally fit well over 200 customers the past two years.
He said winning PING National Fitter of the Year reaffirms his belief that no matter your facility’s size, if you offer a valuable service and treat your customers well, success will follow. “It means a lot to have this accolade from PING. It gives us added credibility that even here at Knollwood, an everyman’s kind of place, we’re pretty good at what we do.”
In addition to VanSteen and fellow PGM graduate Briggs, the Director of Golf & Instruction, Knollwood’s staff includes PGA teaching professionals Bob Flynt and Kevin Taylor, and Laurie Rider, a teaching professional.
Nearly 2,000 authorized PING Club Fitters were eligible for the award. Among the criteria considered by the selection committee are length of time in the program, commitment to on-going training, sustained sales growth, and support of the entire PING product line.
Nominating VanSteen and Briggs for the honor was Ron Venters, PING Field Representative for Central and Eastern North Carolina.
The company also announced 59 regional Fitters of the Year. See next page for a complete listing.
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For more information, contact Pete Samuels, (602) 687-5487.
2010 PING Regional Fitters of the Year
PING Regional Fitter of the Year
Name
City
State
CENTRAL REGION
Odessa Country Club
Jake McCullough
Odessa
TX
Perche Creek
John Lohe & Dustin Lane
Columbia
MO
Man O’ War Golf Center
Brad Bachand & Staff
Lexington
KY
Quail Creek Golf and Country Club
Kyle Flinton & Mike Hanson
Oklahoma City
OK
Houston Country Club
The Staff
Houston
TX
Brookhaven Country Club
Mike Keisling & Charlie Prince
Dallas
TX
Manito Golf & Country Club
Steve Prugh
Spokane
WA
Joe Caruso Golf Academy
The Staff
San Antonio
TX
Northwood Country Club
Jimmy Gamblin, Clifton McDonald
Meridian
MS
Windyke Country Club
Greg Hynes, Brent Ratliff and The Staff
Memphis
TN
Wichita Country Club
Cary Cozby & Josh Cook
Wichita
KS
Collindale Golf Course
Dale Smigelski, Brian Lindstrom and Vince Buelk
Fort Collins
CO
Scottsbluff Country Club
Chris Nowlen
Scottsbluff
NE
NORTH CENTRAL
Southview Country Club
Phil Anderson
West St. Paul
MN
Clor’s Outpost
Adrianne Clor
Osseo
MI
The Golf Center
Brian Leach
Mount Pleasant
MI
Ultimate Golf
Mark Fern
Willowbrook
IL
Sweetbriar Golf Club
Brian Butchko
Avon Lake
OH
Cascades Golf Course
Jason Calhoun
Bloomington
IN
Nick’s Golf Center
Nick Marucci, Chris Booth and Neal Byrum
Elkhart
IN
Top Golf
Matt Wood & Mike Gomez
Wood Dale
IL
Shelby Oaks Golf Club
Rob Fridley
Sidney
OH
Vitense Golfland
The Staff
Madison
WI
Golf Headquarters Waterloo
Mike Schuchmann
Waterloo
IA
SOUTHEAST REGION
Alabama Discount Golf
Luke Cox and Staff
Tuscaloosa
AL
The Ridges Golf and Country Club
Darren Howard
Jonesborough
TN
The Eagle Zone
The Staff
Greenville
SC
Golf Etc.
Jason Beery
Suffolk
VA
Jupiter Island Club
Jim Corrigan and Staff
Hobe Sound
FL
Candler Hills Golf Club
Sally Collins
Ocala
FL
Colonial Country Club
Mike O’Briant
Thomasville
NC
Tampa Golf
Snap Smith
Tampa
FL
Alpharetta Athletic Club
Todd Gilgrist
Alpharetta
GA
Golf Advantage Inc
Jeff Boudrie & David LeBlanc
Bradenton
FL
Glen Arven Country Club
Bill Connally
Thomasville
GA
Forest Lake Country Club
John Winterhalter
Columbia
SC
VanSteen Wins National Fitter of the Year
December 14, 2010
Page 4
WEST REGION
River Park Golf Center
Chris Doos
Fresno
CA
Kepler’s Golf
Bill Kepler
Walnut Creek
CA
Reno-Tahoe Golf Headquarters
The Staff
Reno
NV
Fiddler’s Green Golf Course
The Staff
Eugene
OR
Desert Willow Golf Course
Paul Bucy
Palm Desert
CA
Uinta Golf
Sean Smith & The Staff
Sandy
UT
Stadium Golf Center
Coleman Mullin
San Diego
CA
Alta Mesa Country Club
The Staff
Mesa
AZ
Blaisdell Performance Systems
Gary Blaisdell & Ben Blaisdell
Scottsdale
AZ
Puetz Golf
Ryan Christensen
Seattle
WA
Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course
The Staff
M C B H
Kaneohe Bay
HI
Tucson Country Club
Michael Haywood
Tucson
AZ
NORTHEAST REGION
Glen Oaks Country Club
Tim Shifflett
Old Westbury
NY
Montclair Golf Club
The Staff
West Orange
NJ
Penn Fair Golf
Steve Allen
Penfield
NY
Cyprian Keyes Golf Club
The Staff
Boylston
MA
Fort Belvoir Golf Club
Joe Mejia & Steve Greiner
Fort Belvoir
VA
Hopewell Valley Golf Club
Duke Kimball & PJ Ulanich
Hopewell
NJ
Wykagyl Country Club
Ben Hoffhine
New Rochelle
NY
Martindale Country Club
Nick Glicos
Auburn
ME
Dukes Golf
Tom Kirby & Kevin Mullen
Annapolis
MD
Pagoda Golf
David Rupp, Scott Remley and Andy Miller
Sinking Spring
PA
Tippecanoe Country Club
Michael Spiech
Canfield
OH
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