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Volume 5, Issue 7 August 2013
Growth of the Game P 2
Player Development P 3
Assistants Corner P 5
Rules Corner P 5
Patriot Golf Day-Are you Participating? P 7
Tournament News P 9-12
Upcoming Tournaments P 13
PGA Championship—Digital Spectator Program P 13
Upcoming Events P 14
Fitness—Finish Summer Strong with a New Approach P 15
Member Updates & Birthdays P 16
Member Benefits P 17-20
PGA Championship week is upon us and we have two of our own
who will be part of the 20 PGA Professionals playing for the
Wanamaker Trophy. Bob Gaus, Tower Tee, and JC Anderson,
Missouri Bluffs, will represent the Gateway PGA at Oak Hill on
August 8-11. Please tune-in to our associations Championship
as the PGA of America has not only invested in a great event
but there will be a considerable effort to promote you. There is
a continued push to promote player development programs and especially Get Golf
Ready. If you have not started a program and/or promoted it through Active.com or
playgolfamerica.com please consider doing so. Also, for your convenience, we will
have a live leaderboard displayed on our homepage that isolates the play of Bob and
JC during the PGA Championship.
The Junior Golf Program has wrapped up a tremendous summer. It was really neat
to see the work of Alex, Ali and their team. This season was a little different than
years past. We made a concerted effort to create separation amongst the divisions.
The mini and novice 9 divisions were pulled under the Foundation and treated as a
true development program. The other divisions were set-up to create a competitive
step ladder that culminates with the Tour Division. The parent feedback was
tremendous and I am excited for the continued growth. In addition, the program has
grown the interest and support of sponsors and will continue to do so in the years
ahead. A special thank you to all of our PGA Professionals and facilities for the
continued support of the Gateway PGA Junior Program.
Another quick reminder - the 2013 Gateway PGA Awards process is here. You
should have received an email asking you to nominate a deserving PGA
Professional. If you have not and you are a class A Gateway PGA Member, please
contact the section office. In the coming days, an email notification will be coming
out about the dates for the Awards Dinner and the Fall Meeting. I look forward to
seeing many of you at the upcoming Gateway PGA Pro-Am’s and events over the
month of August.
Section Officers
Joe Schwent, PGA President
Nathan Charnes, PGA Vice-President
Benjiman Kent, PGA Secretary
Gateway PGA Staff
Josh Riley, PGA Executive Director
Steve Finn, PGA Assistant Executive Director
Alex Anderson Director or Junior Golf
Ali Wells, PGA Growth of the Game and
Program Director
Lindsay Riley Foundation Admin Assistant
Susan Bender Membership
All the best,
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GROWTH OF THE GAME
Old Hickory Golf Club, Golf Discount of St. Louis, 34 Gateway Junior PGA members, 5 local
College golfers, and 6 PGA Professionals – A great recipe for the 2nd Annual College Skills
Combine! Thank you to Golf Discount of St. Louis for sponsoring this unique experience and
to some outstanding golf professionals for their commitment to helping young
competitive juniors advance in their game: Dennis Biedenstein, Barbara Blanchar, Michael
Brown, Don Gorin, Helen Kurtin, and Rob Sedorcek. Check out the pictures from this year’s
event.
Announcing the rescheduled dates for both Family Golf Night and Women’s Golf Day 2013:
Family Golf Night—Now at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville, IL on Saturday, August 17th, invite
your friends and bring your family for an evening of golf, games, food, and fun. Join us from 4-7pm.
Women’s Golf Day—This afternoon of golf instruction, networking, shopping, and socializing for the ladies is
rescheduled for Saturday, September 21st at the Quarry at Crystal Springs. We welcome all golf professionals
who would like to participate and teach. If you are not available to help, please consider signing up as a Get Golf
Ready host facility and posting programs. Over 120 golfing ladies will leave the Quarry educated on Get Golf
Ready and excited to continue with the sport. Make sure your facility is “on the list”! Please contact Ali Wells to
sign up to attend Family Golf Night or teach at Women’s Golf Day [email protected]
This past week marked the end of the Gateway Junior PGA summer season. The introduction of a new format for
the Mini and Novice 9 Divisions (now the Junior Development Tour) was received well and considered a great
success. The staff and junior members are looking forward to the fall season, but check out the pictures from
some of the events this year!
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The number of programs posted so far in July is up 35% overall compared to the same period last year!
At the same time, a good percentage of our GGR facilities do not have programs posted, thus are not
fully prepared to take advantage of our promotions. Currently Gateway is ranked 10th among the PGA
Sections. Don’t forget that an extensive Get Golf Ready promotional campaign will be
conducted in conjunction with the PGA Championship. With a potential reach of more than 4 million
households in the US, we are sure to see a huge spike in traffic to GetGolfReady.com. You want to
take full advantage of this by having your player development programs posted to the website. Click
here for an easy to follow marketing plan leading up to the PGA Championship.
Barbara Blanchar, PGA teaching professional at WingHaven Country Club in O'Fallon, Mo., recently
took advantage of the increased promotion of Get Golf Ready. "I posted Get Golf Ready for women
following the Senior PGA Championship and had six people register for the program without reaching
out to them. They must have seen the Get Golf Ready advertisements during the Senior PGA
Championship. It really works!"
Over 4 million U.S. households will be watching the PGA Championship next
week—and we’re helping you reach them by airing 35 PSAs to promote
program registration on PGA.com and GetGolfReady.com.
All you need to do to get in on the exposure is post your events on Program
Manager. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide to show you how.
For other ways to increase exposure and improve your marketing tactics, check out these tools below:
PGA Expo: Seminars and 1-on-1 assistance
Weekly live training sessions: Program Setup & Marketing 101
eMarketing Center: Free Templates, How-To Guides, Marketing Tips, and More
Sincerely,
Ron Stepanek, PGA
Director, Player Development
The PGA of America
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ASSISTANTS CORNER
There are a lot of good things coming around the corner as we enter into August for the
Assistants of the Gateway Section.
The Assistants 2-Man Tournament is now into the semifinal round. These matches should be
completed by the end of August. This will set up our championship match in September.
We are getting closer and closer to our Assistants Championship at Greenbriar Hills
Country Club on Tuesday, September 3. The national deadline for signing up has passed but
you can still play in this event. Sign up through the section opens up on August 12. We are really excited about
this year’s event and the excellent promotions that Cobra-Puma Golf has included to those playing in the event this
year. Mark your calendars and get signed up on August 12!
As always feel free to contact any one of your committee members with any questions or concerns you might
have. Your committee members are: Illini Country Club Forest Hills Country Club Quincy Country Club Quincy Country Club Westwood Country Club Winghaven Country Club Meadowbrook Country Club The Club at Old Hawthrone The Club at Old Hawthrone
Michael Leotta, PGA Chairman Brandon Coffey, PGA Vice-Chairman George Schrage, Secretary Gideon Smith, PGA Board Liaison Ty Zimmerman, PGA Past-Chairman Andrew Jury RJ Villafuerte, PGA Richard Niedergerke, PGA Austin Waibel
RULES CORNER During the AJGA Rolex Girls Invitational at Dalhousie an alert intern kept one of the
competitors from making a mistake.
On the 15th hole a competitor hit her second shot into an area of tall fescue. She walked
forward about twenty yards when the scorer for the group told her she might want to hit a
provisional. The intern, Bill Hebron from St. Louis and former caddie at Algonquin, knew
this was not the proper procedure.
He correctly informed the competitor that if she went back and played from where the previous stroke was made
the ball would not be a provisional ball but would become her ball in play. This was fortunate because she then
went forward and found the original ball and was able to play it.
Rule 27-2a tells a player that they must play the provisional ball before he or she goes forward to search. The rule
says "If he fails to do so and plays another ball, that ball is not a provisional ball and becomes the ball in play
under penalty of stroke and distance".
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Gateway PGA Section Award Nomination Reminder An email went out on Monday, August 5, 2013 with an embedded nomination form to all Gateway PGA
Members. Please take a moment to nominate a deserving Gateway PGA Professional. Please use the emailed
form you received on August 5th or contact the Gateway PGA Section office if you did not receive the
communication. For your reference, the nomination process, judging groups, 2012 award winners, and criteria is
described in the link and attachment below. Please make a note that all nominations must be made by
Wednesday, August 14th by 11:59 pm.
2012 Gateway PGA Award Winners
2013 Awards Process
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The seventh annual Patriot Golf Day® takes place
August 30-September 2, 2013. Golfers nationwide are
asked to donate a minimum of $1 to benefit the Folds of
Honor Foundation® to provide educational scholarships for
children and spouses of military service men and women
killed or disabled while serving our great nation. During the
past six years, Patriot Golf Day has raised more than $17
million dollars and the Folds of Honor Foundation has
awarded more than 3,500 scholarships.
PGA Professional Dan Rooney, a former F-16 fighter
pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, is the
founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation. Major
Rooney has served three tours in Iraq. 'We have lost so many soldiers who have given the
ultimate sacrifice. America can come together in the spirit of golf and have a dramatic impact. We
have an opportunity to make a difference for the families who have made the ultimate sacrifice.'
OFFICIAL PATRIOT GOLF DAY HOST FACILITIES!
A.L. Gustin Golf Course Gateway Section Paradise Valley Golf Course
Algonquin Golf Club Glen Echo Country Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club
Annbriar Golf Course The Golf Club at Deer Chase Pevely Farm Golf Club
Ballwin Golf Club Golf Galaxy - Chesterfield Pomme Creek Golf Course
Barbara Blanchar Golf Golf Galaxy - Fairview Heights Quail Creek Country Club
Bellerive Country Club Heritage Hills Golf Course The Quarry at Crystal Springs
Berry Hill Golf Course Illini Country Club Quincy Country Club
Bogey Hills Golf & CC Indian Rock Driving Range The Rail Golf Club
Boone Valley Golf Club Innsbrook Resort G C Red Hawk Country Club
Cape Girardeau Country Club Jacksonville Country Club Riverside Golf Club
The Club at Old Hawthorne Jefferson City Country Club Rolling Hills Country Club
The Club at Old Kinderhook Kirksville Country Club Sedorcek's Swing Solutions
The Club at Porto Cima Lake Forest CC Shambolee Golf Course
Columbia Country Club Lake Shore Golf Course St. Louis Country Club
Country Club at the Legends Lake Valley Golf & CC Sunset Country Club
Country Club of St. Albans The Landings at Spirit GC Sunset Hills Country Club
Crab Orchard Golf Course The Legacy Golf Course Tamarack Golf Club
Cruisin' USA Lodge of the Four Seasons Westborough Country Club
Dick's Sporting Goods Meadow Lake Acres Country Club Westview Golf Course
Dogwood Hills Golf Resort Meadowbrook Country Club Whitmoor Country Club
Edgewood Golf Club Meramec Lakes G.C. WingHaven Country Club
Eldon Country Club Normandie Golf Club Wolf Hollow Golf Club
Falls Golf Club Oak Brook Golf Club Woodlands Golf Club
Four Seasons Country Club Orchards Golf Course
Fox Run Golf Club Osage National Golf Club
Gateway National Golf Links Panther Creek Country Club
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When GPGA Hall of Famer Steve Heckel decided to make
the trip from Crab Orchard to Illini CC in Springfield, IL,
with his partner Larry Emery, it proved to be a great move
as the duo captured the lucrative Team Championship
Title. After 36 holes on the beautiful 6600 yard layout,
Heckel & Emery ended with a 2 shot victory coming in with
rounds of 64-67, 11-under par for the day. Tying for second
was Nash Haxel & Dave Levine, and the young gun team of
Sam Jonell & Eric Ratzlaff of Persimmon Woods GC. Rounding out the top 5 were the teams of
Steve Lotz & Bob Gaus and defending champions Gideon Smith & Jeff Escott.
Shane Blankenship got his first win of 2013 at Forest Hills
CC by firing a 5-under par round of 67. Shane, who works in
the summers at Franklin County CC in Washington, made 7
birdies and 2 bogeys on the way to a 2-shot victory. Coming
home tied for runner-up honors was Bob Gaus & St. Albans
teaching pro Rob Sedorcek, who both shot 3-under par
69's. Brian Schmersahl (The Falls GC), Jason Woods
(Birdies & Tees), and Brian Fogt (Bellerive CC), rounded out the top five with 2 -under par 70's.
Bob Gaus won his 2nd Sr. Stroke Play Title for 2013 with a
3-under par 69. His round was good enough for a 1-stroke
victory over Brian Fogt (70) while Mike Brengard was 1-shot
back at 71. Steve Heckel of Crab Orchard finished 4th at even
par while JC Anderson & Garth Bayer (Old Warson CC) tied for
5th at 73.
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Going into the week, Brian Fogt knew his chances were good at the
Gateway PGA Professional Championship at Persimmon Woods
GC. Brian has been playing well of late and coming off nearly
qualifying for his second consecutive US Sr. Open, was looking to
move on to bigger things by having a great event at Persimmon. The
top 3 finishers in this Championship are guaranteed a spot in the 2014
PGA Professional National Championship in Myrtyle Beach, SC, next
June and could eventually earn their way into the 2014 PGA
Championship.
At the end of Day 1, Craig Liddle of Meadowbrook CC, was alone atop
the leaderboard after carding a 4-under par 67. Liddle would be paired
in the final group with Dave Levine of Berry Hill GC (68) and Gideon
Smith of Quincy CC (69) for the final round. As the day unfolded it
was Fogt and Larry Emery of Crab Orchard GC, who were putting on the charge after first round
72's. At the end of 36 holes, 3 players were tied at 2-under par and would have a playoff to deter-
mine the champion. Fogt, Liddle, & Emery, headed out to #18 to begin the playoff and after Fogt &
Liddle made birdie 4's, Emery was eliminated with his par 5. Onto the tough par 4 10th, Liddle's par
putt just missed after he missed the green, and Fogt 2 putted for par to win the title. Fogt earned
$2700 for the victory.
Gideon Smith defeated Bryan McMurray on their first playoff hole to earn the 1st Alternate spot,
while Host Head Professional Jeff Escott, will be the 3rd Alternate. The final player to move on to
the 2014 National Championship will be determined at the Gateway Section Championship at
Panther Creek CC in Springfield, IL, on September 23-24th.
Lake Forest CC & St. Louis CC won the Gross & Net Divisions at
the Annual Gateway PGA Pro-Jr Pro-Am at Innsbrook Golf
Resort.
The Lake Forest team of Tim Curran (p), Zach Franklin, Charles
Wray, & Dylan Clay, finished the day at 18-under par 122. The
format for the day was a Shamble Format and counted the best 2
scores for the team.
The Net Division was won by the St. Louis CC team of Grant
Masson (p), Mac Rouse, Sam Hanser, & Drew Bolster.
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Just a note to let you know that the
2013 Gateway PGA Foundation
Pro-Am will be held on Monday,
October 14th, at Boone Valley Golf
Club in Augusta, MO.
More details will be coming soon,
but we are excited to repeat the
great Foundation Pro-Ams we have
had in past years at Bellerive CC
and Fox Run GC.
St. Albans CC hosted the Gateway PGA UnderArmour Scratch Pro-Am on Monday, July 29th. The
Annual event features some of the best Amateur players
in the area competing as 4-person teams with their PGA
Professionals. At the end of the day, the Norwood Hills
CC team of Ryan Roy (p), Brian Craig, David Johnson,
& Scott Holdridge, fired a 16-under par round of 128 on
the Lewis & Clark course. That was good enough for a
1-stroke victory over the teams of St. Albans CC,
Bellerive CC, and St. Louis CC. The team from A.L. Gustin GC in Columbia, MO, came home 5th at
11-under par. The competition was scored with the 2 best scores on each hole over the round. John
Sheridan of Under Armour was on hand and provided each player with an Under Armour Cold Black
Performance golf shirt. Bill Bourgeois of Mizuno Golf was also on hand allowing players to demo the
new Mizuno equipment.
Brian Fogt of Bellerive CC was low pro for the day with a 2-under par round of 70. Ryan Roy &
Gideon Smith of Quincy CC tied for second with 71 and Adam Betz of Meadowbrook CC came home
4th at even par 72. Rob Sedorcek (St. Albans), Grant Masson (St. Louis CC), and Dave Levine (Berry
Hill GC), rounded out the top 5 with 73's.
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2013 Playing Ability Test Schedule The following Playing Ability Tests are scheduled within the Gateway PGA on the following dates: Thursday, August 29th Eagle Springs GC Thursday, September 19th Arlington Greens GC Thursday, October 10th Arlington Greens GC Registration is available at www.pgalinks.com
Click the image on the
right to view the
Digital Spectator
Program for the 2013
PGA Championship at
Oak Hill Country Club
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Optimal Lifestyles, Inc is a health and fitness consulting company and fitness education sponsor for the Gateway PGA. Optimal Lifestyles, Inc. provides personal training, golf fitness and yoga for golfers. The information provided by Optimal Lifestyles is for educational purposes and should not replace care or advice of a physician. Please check with a physician if you are starting an exercise program or suspect you are ill.
Brought To You by Optimal Lifestyles, Inc.
Finish Summer Strong with New Approach
As we move toward the downward slope of midsummer, our enthusiasm for the same outdoor
workout activities we first enjoyed may be waning along with the season. Golf, however, runs
late into fall, so we need to refresh our fitness routines with something fun and interesting – in
the interest of staying fit and keeping our golf game strong. In other words, let’s try something
new to keep motivated.
For a new exercise booster, I’d like to suggest an activity that is
becoming increasingly popular in the Midwest. Have you ever tried
paddle boarding in a local lake? Paddle boarding is wonderful
exercise because it builds focus, core strength and balance. The
activity offers potential for a full body workout, as well. As you
know, focus, strength, balance and a workout are important and good
for golf.
Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) was created when Waikiki surfers stood on boards and
navigated their way through the waves with a long paddle.
I jumped on the bandwagon because I have a friend who took a boarding class and really
enjoyed the challenge, and the excitement of adding a new, fun activity to her fitness routine. I
plan to try this activity to build my core. Paddleboarders stand on a board in the water that is
typically 10 to 12 feet long, and use a long paddle to move through
the water at their own pace—all the time using the core of their body.
In addition to core strengthening, paddleboarding builds balance and
focus, two practices which are required—otherwise the board tips
over!
About the same time my friend talked about SUP, I ran across an
article in June 2013 Yoga Journal magazine that talked about doing
yoga on paddleboard. Yoga, too, involves strength, focus and balance. Add a paddleboard and
voila! You’ve automatically added more challenge. Yoga is great for improving your golf
game and overall fitness. Next time, we’ll talk more about yoga as an alternative golf fitness
activity. Good news: you can practice yoga outside, too!
Bottom line: Don’t let the end-of-summer blues stall your fitness plans. Paddleboarding is just
one option; make it a point to discover some new, fun and challenging ways to stay fit. In the
meantime, if you want to change up your fitness routine, Optimal Lifestyles can help. We offer
yoga classes and a variety of group fitness classes in several locations. Contact Barb at
314-984-0592 for more details.
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Jeff Whitfield, PGA 8/2 Jim Knoesel, PGA 8/16
Shawn A. Deaver, PGA 8/5 Kevin Collins, PGA 8/17
Thomas DeGrand, PGA 8/5 Travis R Kennedy 8/17
Chuck Rowland, PGA 8/6 Michael Murphy, PGA 8/17
Al Chandler, PGA 8/7 Larry W. Suhre, PGA 8/21
Kirk Porter, PGA 8/7 Kevin Dunn, PGA 8/22
Perry R. Wergin, PGA 8/7 Stephen L. Lotz, PGA 8/23
David Furlong, PGA 8/9 Frank W. Hodgdon IV, PGA 8/27
Donald C. Gorin, PGA 8/10 Wayne Morris, PGA 8/27
Jonathan H. Tips, PGA 8/10 Trey A. Strong, PGA 8/28
Garth Bayer, PGA 8/12 William F. Hall, PGA 8/29
Dave A. Garren, PGA 8/12 Thomas E Beavers 8/30
Stephen W. Augustine, PGA 8/14 Rusty A. Cummings, PGA 8/30
Dale M. David, PGA 8/14 Brian A. Maine, PGA 8/31
Kenneth D. Mason II, PGA 8/14 Ashley V Nicks 8/31
Neel Andy Crowe, PGA 8/16
August Birthdays
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