Stafford, VA – Bernie Najar, the PGA Director of Instruction at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md., has been selected as the MAPGA’s 2014 Teacher of the Year. This award recognizes excellence in golf instruction along with overall performance as a PGA Professional. Najar will be recognized in front of his peers at the MAPGA Hall of Fame and Awards banquet to be held on March 8, 2014 at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va.
A dedication to instruction and to supporting the Middle Atlantic PGA is the trait that stands out for Bernie as the 2014 Teacher of the Year. Whether it’s instructing an educational seminar in the Section or on a national scale, hosting an educational seminar at Caves Valley, or simply continuing his education, Bernie has truly set an example for other instructors to follow.
Najar was born in Bethesda, Md. and grew up in a family of nine. His father, Andre, was a stand-out tennis player; playing on the Egyptian Davis Cup Team in 1946 and at Wimbledon in 1948, so naturally, Najar took to tennis at first. It wasn’t until he was 13 that he decided to skip out on tennis camp and attend his first junior golf clinic at Kenwood Country Club with PGA Professional Rod Thompson. This clinic made learning golf fun for Najar and inspired him to improve his game. He earned a golf scholarship to The American University and successfully graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance.
Following graduation, Najar began his golf professional career at The Suburban Club in Pikesville, Md. and spent one year there before accepting a private instruction position with The Staples Corporation to teach PGA Professional Charlie Staples’ son, Whit Staples, full-time in Florida. When he wasn’t teaching Staples, Najar returned to the Middle Atlantic to teach at Montclair Country Club in Montclair, Va. In 1996, he joined the staff at Woodholme Country Club in Pikesville, Md. where he stayed for 16 years before accepting his current position with Caves Valley.
The 2014 Teacher of the Year award is Najar’s fourth award received from the Middle Atlantic PGA and his second Teacher of the Year award (first was in 2004). He was a back-to-back Horton Smith Award winner in 2011 and 2012 and was only the second person in MAPGA history to achieve this honor. Since 2000, he has been recognized by Golf Digest in their “Best Teachers in State” listing, and since 2007, listed in Golf Magazine as “Top Teacher in the Region.” He has been a speaker at the MAPGA Teaching Summit on Advanced Teaching Techniques and also launched his own website, www.parsavers.com.
Over his 20 years as a golf professional, Najar has invested in a great deal of continuing education and has several specialty certifications that include: Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Junior Coaching (Level 2), Jim Hardy’s Plane Truth Instructor Program (Level 3), AimPoint (Level 2), Mike Adams and E.A. Tischler’s BioSwing Dynamics; and the Certified Golf Coaches program with Dr. Rick Jenson and Henry Brunton. From the many events he has attended to improve his skills as a PGA Professional, he has developed a passion to help his peers by presenting and chairing 18 events in the MAPGA since 2003.
Najar’s success as a PGA Professional is a result of loving his job and being self-motivated to develop and improve his skills as a teacher and as a player. He loves learning new skills and implementing the latest technology into his teaching. He has been very fortunate to learn from some of the best players, teachers, fitness experts, and business owners in the golf industry. In addition, Najar credits his wife Susan, and the members at Caves Valley for their support of his work as a PGA Professional.
About the Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America
The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA (MAPGA), located in Stafford, Virginia, is one of 41 Sections of The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. As a part of The PGA since 1925, the MAPGA consists of over 1,100 members and apprentices in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and small portions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Together, the MAPGA golf professionals, volunteers and staff support the mission of The PGA to promote enjoyment and involvement in the game of golf and to contribute to the game’s growth by providing services to PGA Professionals and the golf industry.
Contact:
Stephanie Jennings, PGA
sjennings@pgahq.com
(540) 720-7420 ext. 116
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