VACAVILLE, Calif. – The Northern California Section of the PGA is pleased to announce that Ward Sutton, PGA Director of Club Operations at Hidden Valley Country Club in Reno, Nevada, has garnered the 2014 NCPGA Horton Smith Award. Sutton is being recognized for his contributions to professional education for PGA Professionals.
“Throughout my career in golf, my motivation has been to gain education and experience to be able to be in the position to promote my staff, my employers, my members and my fellow PGA Professionals,” said Sutton.
In the Northern California PGA Section, Sutton is currently the Education Chairman and Secretary for the Sierra Nevada Chapter Board of Directors, and a member of the NCPGA Education Committee and the Apprentice Committee. In this capacity, he has led seminars on merchandising, player development, junior golf, communications and business management.
Previously in the Southern California PGA Section, Sutton held the positions of Education Chairman on the Northern Chapter Board of Directors as well as Section Education Committee member. During his tenure, he led education initiatives as well as organized numerous Northern and Southern Chapter education events.
In 2007, Sutton was part of a voluntary PGA Education Task Force focused on determining the successful passing scores for both the PGA Certified Professional Program 2.0 and PGA Professional Golf Management 2.0.
Between 2007 and 2010, Sutton was selected by the PGA Education Department to be the PGA Certified Professional Program Ambassador to the NCPGA. Over the years, PGA Employment consultants have referred PGA Professionals for guidance with the PGA Certified Professional Program to Sutton.
Sutton either was the focus or authored articles in the Los Angeles Times, PGA Magazine, or the Reno Gazette Journal. This past year he organized a Sierra Nevada Chapter event entitled, “Tour of Clubs” that became a best practice for PGA Magazine. In 2013-14, he contributed a bi-weekly article highlighting the golf community in the Reno/Tahoe region for the Northern Nevada Business Weekly.
“Ward has been a champion for education at the Chapter, Section and national level to educate PGA professionals and the public about the golf industry,” said NCPGA Awards Chairman Mark Naylor, PGA. “We are grateful for his service to our Section throughout the years.”
Sutton is among 19 recipients of the NCPGA’s 2014 Annual Section Awards. Section awards are given to PGA Professionals and industry leaders who have excelled in the game and business of golf. The NCPGA will recognize its 2014 Annual Section Award winners on Sunday, December 7 at the NCPGA Special Awards Ceremony & President’s Dinner at Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose, California. This event, a highlight for the year, will be held the evening prior to the NCPGA Annual Meeting. There are more than 200 golf professionals and industry leaders expected to attend. E-Z-Go Textron is a presenting partner and PGA Resort & Spa and Bluebird Wines are supporting partners of the Awards Ceremony.
About the Northern California Section of the PGA of America (NCPGA)
Organized in 1920 to promote interest in the game of golf, the birth of this association was heralded as an important step to the advancement of the game in this district. The Northern California Section is one of the forty-one designated Sections of the PGA of America, the world’s largest working sports organization. With over 1,100 dedicated PGA Professionals and apprentices at over 500 golf facilities in Northern California and Northwestern Nevada, the association continues to have a positive impact on the game of golf and communities both regionally and nationally. For more information, please visit www.ncpga.com.
Contact:
Jennifer Noel – jnoel@pgahq.com
Nancy Maul – nmaul@pgahq.com
(707) 449-4742