Sebastian resident to be recognized at annual awards night on November 11
ATLANTIS, Fla. -Bela Nagy, PGA Head Golf Professional at Sandridge Golf Club in Vero Beach has been named the 2014 South Florida PGA Youth Player Development and Merchandiser of the Year, Public Award Recipient. The Youth Player Development Award is designed to pay recognition to a PGA golf professional who is a leader in junior golf, reflects the qualities and ideals of those who work with our nation’s youth, and provides opportunities and experiences for juniors to learn and play golf. The Merchandiser of the Year Award is presented to the PGA Member that has demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf with a focus on the individual’s inventory, shop display, staff and merchandising techniques at a public facility.
A PGA Member since 1996, Nagy was recognized as the Southeast Chapter Junior Golf Leader in 1999 and he was honored as a US Kids Top 50 Teacher in 2005 and 2009.
“I take the responsibility of being a role model to kids. While playing the game and learning how to score are important, growing as individuals takes precedence,” said Nagy. “Honesty and integrity are critical attributes that every leader must teach.”
Nagy hosts a year round junior program at Sandridge which includes a summer tour, camps and after school clinics. In addition to these programs, Sandridge also offers a junior rate year round of $1.00 after 2PM in addition to having have Family Tees to encourage junior participation. Outside of his facility, Nagy has made great efforts to promote the game of golf throughout Indian River County. He has introduced golf in 8 of the 12 elementary schools and all four middle schools in the county over the past two years.
Nagy also helped found the Indian River Golf Foundation with fellow PGA Professional Roger Van Dyke in 2008 to promote interest and awareness of golf and encourage participation through clinics, tournaments and education programs. He is very involved with SFPGA Team Golf in Vero Beach, along with ten other PGA Professionals, Nagy has helped establish four teams with a total of 52 participants in the Vero Beach area.
Sandridge has hosted numerous junior events in the past year, thanks to Nagy’s dedication to supporting junior golf. It has hosted events for Treasure Coast Junior Golf Tour, Florida Junior Tour and South Florida PGA throughout the year.
Winner of the 2013 SFPGA Merchandiser of the Year, Public award winner, Nagy has demonstrated that dedication to customer service and continuous change have created a top-of-the-line buying experience at Sandridge Golf Club. He believes in being open to new ideas to gain new perspectives and give customers something they have never experienced before.
Nagy’s merchandising objective is to provide a wide variety of golf equipment and accessories at a competitive price with the advantage of being able to fit them at the golf course. Nagy makes an effort to constantly change the appearance of the golf shop to give it a fresh look throughout the year. He also places great emphasis on customer service and believes it is the key to success.
Due to space constraints, Nagy has found innovative ways to utilize the size of the golf shop. The shop is divided into five different areas to ensure organization and consistency. Also, he does not stock a lot of sets of clubs due to space. He uses fitting carts that include hundreds of combinations of drivers and irons from a variety of companies to provide customers with a customized buying experience.
“To win two awards in one year is such an honor,” said Nagy. “It is great to be recognized back-to-back years as Merchandiser of the Year. I have such a passion for junior golf, so it is very exciting to receive the Youth Player Development Award.”
Bela Nagy, along with the nine (9) other South Florida PGA Annual Award winners, will be recognized at the SFPGA Awards Night on November 11 at the Country Club at Mirasol.
About the South Florida PGA
The South Florida PGA, one of 41 PGA Section offices throughout the United States, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The South Florida Section is one link in the grass-roots network used to facilitate communication amongst the nation’s 25 million amateur golfers and the PGA’s 28,000 members. The South Florida Section PGA is comprised of over 1,7 00 men and women PGA Professionals dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.
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