Association’s awards to be presented Feb. 29 at annual conference
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 17, 2012) – Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, Calif., which has one of golf’s most storied and colorful pedigrees, will receive the NGCOA’s 2012 Jemsek Award for Golf Course Excellence at the NGCOA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Officials from Monterey Peninsula and the association’s other 2012 award winners will be recognized at the conference’s Celebration Dinner & Awards event on Feb. 29.
Monterey Peninsula Country Club opened in 1925 on 450 acres of spectacular property along the Monterey Peninsula. The club has attracted the game’s best players and many of America’s most popular celebrities to its two fabled courses, the Dunes and the Shore, while playing host to the Crosby Pro-Am and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In addition to renovations and tweaks to the two courses over the years, the club recently completed a $20 million 34,000-square-foot Golf House and plans this year include a 2,000-square-foot teaching center.
“In the 20 years I’ve been here, I don’t think there’s been a second when we weren’t doing something to improve the club and raise the bar to the next level,” General Manager Michael Bowhay said.
Other 2012 award winners include Jeff Hoag, co-owner of Scott Lake Country Club in Grand Rapids, Mich., who will receive the Don Rossi Award for significant and long-lasting contributions to the NGCOA; Terry Sedalik, executive director of the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association and the Charleston Golf Course Owners Association, who will receive the Champion Award in recognition of service to course owners at the state level; the Michigan Golf League Championship Committee, which will receive the Player Development Award; Del Ratcliffe, president of the North Carolina Golf Course Owners Association and owner of Ratcliffe Golf Services, who will receive the Paul Porter Award, which honors an owner who has established a legacy of commitment, service and leadership; and Ron Schiavone, the late owner of Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster Township, N.J., who will receive the Award of Merit, which recognizes long-term and significant contributions to the game of golf.
Finalists for the NGCOA’s Course of the Year Award, which is chosen from course-of-the-year winners at the chapter level, are The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Ind.; Renaissance Golf Club in Haverhill, Mass.; and Scott Lake Country Club in Grand Rapids, Mich. The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony.
The NGCOA Annual Conference begins Feb. 27 with a day of interactive education at Angel Park Golf Club where attendees will participate in sessions that focus on successful food-and-beverage operations, social media’s role in special events, sustainable maintenance practices, winning merchandise displays, innovative range programs and alternative golf formats.
The conference’s second full day of education includes sessions dedicated to the power of online marketing and strategies to appeal to a new generation of players. The conference will include general sessions featuring Don Peppers, founding partner of Peppers & Rogers Group; James Chung, president of Reach Advisors; and Dan Danner, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
The NGCOA’s Annual Conference is the golf industry’s largest gathering of owners and operators of daily fee, private, resort and municipal courses. NGCOA members and non-members can register for the conference at www.ngcoa.org/conference.
The conference occurs in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show, Feb. 29 – March 1. The show, which is presented by the NGCOA and GCSAA, showcases the golf industry’s latest products and services throughout an expansive exhibit area and offers a wide range of educational opportunities for attendees. Popular television personality David Feherty will deliver the show’s keynote address on March 1.
About the NGCOA
The National Golf Course Owners Association is the leading authority on the business of golf course ownership and management. The Association represents the key decision makers with ultimate responsibility for golf courses throughout the world. Through advocacy, information resources, purchasing programs and networking opportunities, the NGCOA helps golf course owners and operators run more successful businesses. For more information, visit www.ngcoa.org or call 1-800-933-4262.
Contact:
Sarah Gurley Masche, NGCOA
800.933.4262 Ext.208
smasche@ngcoa.org
Bill Bryant, Bryant Marketing Communications
678.366.3232
bbryant@bryantmarcomm.com
