Stafford, Va. – The 2016 Middle Atlantic PGA Horton Smith Education Award Winner is Adam Smith, PGA from Salisbury Country Club in Midlothian, Va. This award bestows special recognition on a PGA Professional for outstanding service and contributions to developing and improving educational opportunities for fellow PGA Professionals. Contributions to PGA and MAPGA education programs and inclination for continuing contributions and assistance are some of the criteria considered for this award.
Adam was born on July 20, 1970 in Wilmington, Delaware. He is the son of Jeanne and Bill Smith. He
has three brothers and two sisters. His father, Bill, is a Life Member of The PGA and is retired from the
Country Club of Virginia (CCV). Adam began playing golf at the age of six when his father introduced
him to the game at the James River Golf Course at CCV. His father encouraged him to play golf because
it was a great way for the two of them to spend time together. Other major influences have been PGA
Professionals Freddie Christian, Leo Steinbrecher and Paul Michaelian.
Adam’s first golf?related job was as a bag boy and range picker at the Country Club of Virginia. In high
school, Adam played golf and ran winter track. He attended Radford University where he received his
undergraduate degree in English and was also a member of the golf team.
Adam became a golf professional and began teaching in 1994. Adam worked at Bogeys Sports Park
from 1994 – 1995, Richmond Country Club from 1995 – 1997, The Dominion Club from 1997 – 1998,
and the Salisbury Country Club from 1998 to present. He was elected to PGA Membership in 2004 and
has been a member of the PGA President’s Council since 2006.
Adam currently serves as a member of the MAPGA Education Committee and in 2013, was chairman of
the Section’s Coaching and Teaching Committee where he hosted the Middle Atlantic PGA Teaching
Summit at Salisbury Country Club. Adam is a tremendous resource for creating topic ideas, finding
guest instructors and helping to find sponsors for Section Teaching Summits. Adam has hosted MAPGA
Section Town Hall Meetings as well as PING Regional Club Fitting Education seminars at Salisbury, in
order to help educate fellow PGA professionals.
For the past five years, Adam has written a bi?monthly golf instruction article for Virginia Golf Report
Magazine. This publication helps grow the game of golf in the state of Virginia. He has been featured in
PGA Magazine multiple times for Pro to Pro and Teaching Teachers golf instruction articles and In 2015,
had five PGA Best Practices published. Adam has been featured in Golf Range Association of America’s
Golf Range Magazine several times for golf instruction tips, fitness ideas and recommended teaching
aids to use. All of these articles were geared towards sharing ideas for the purpose of assisting fellow
professionals in their golf instruction programs. In June 2015, Adam was published in a Golf Digest
online article called, “How’d She Hit That,” about LPGA champion, Inbee Park’s golf swing.
Adam is a member of the PGA Ambassador Program where he shares his knowledge of the golf industry
with fellow professionals and golf business executives from all over the country and even the world.
Through his involvement with the program, Adam has influenced many golf professionals during
meetings and workshops that he has facilitated, designed to help grow the game of golf in today’s ever
changing business climate.
Adam was named MAPGA Teacher of The Year in 2008 and was a Top 100 Mizino Club Fitter in 2010.
Adam was the PING Regional Fitter of The Year in 2011. Adam has been named Top 50 Growth of the
Game Teaching Professional by Golf Range Association of America every year since 2013 and has been
on the Golf Digest “Best in State” list since 2010.
Adam has been married to his wife, Kristen T. Smith, since August 2, 1997. They have three children:
son Logan (16), son Carter (14), and daughter Ellie (12). All of the children began learning how to play
golf from Adam, starting at age two. Adam and his wife are raising their children in Glen Allen, Virginia.
Contact:
Eric Southard
esouthard@pgahq.com
(540) 720-7420 ext. 115
