R&A Golf Development Consultant, Germany-based Ian Peek, received his Advanced Fellow of the PGA (of GB&I) award last week.

The highly-respected PGA professional, who has carved out a rewarding 20-year career in the industry – and all of it overseas, was back at PGA headquarters at The Belfry to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of PGA professionals in his capacity as a swing tutor.

However, the Scots-born pro, pictured left receiving his award from Dave Robinson, found time in his schedule to collect the second highest honour awarded under the PGA’s APAL (Accreditation of Prior Achievement and Learning) system.

Peek, inventor of the worldwide selling NMS fault fixer and PSP Perfect Swing Plane, reflected on his elevation and encouraged his fellow PGA professionals to be part of the APAL programme.

“I’m always motivated and I like learning and improving myself. So I asked the Association about this about 10 years ago and was told this programme was ongoing.

“In 2005 the criteria was launched and I was given Fellow status. Having got that I wanted to be an Advanced Fellow and consequently I have worked the last four years towards that.

“I have enjoyed what I’ve had to do but always at the back of my mind it was to achieve Advanced Fellow status, which is what has driven me. I think the fact the PGA is promoting these awards is also driving other colleagues. Most golfers are competitive and other PGA professionals have asked me, ‘How did you get it? What did you do?’ I just tell them to go to the PGA, where they can find the criteria, and to put their case forward because these are significant achievements.”

Enter Now for New Turkish Pro-Am & Teaching Workshop

The PGAs of Europe is to endorse a third international pro-am in Turkey on April 21/23, the latest being the inaugural VITA PARK OPEN, at the attractive tourist resort of Bodrum, a tournament that will be run alongside a two-day Teaching Workshop for PGA professionals.

The introduction of new 54-hole tournament, for a maximum of 30 teams with a 30,000 euros prize fund, follows the success in Turkey of the Beko Classic and The Kempinski ‘The Dome’ pro-ams, which have become well established and popular annual events.

In an innovative move by the PGA of Turkey, the two-day teaching workshop will be staged by Mike Adams ahead of the pro-am on April 18-19 at the Vita Park Academy, followed by professional coaching for the amateurs players by himself and colleagues.

Mike Adams (left) is described as ‘being among golf’s most elite teachers in the world by the American Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. Golf Magazine has ranked him among the top 100 instructors and Golf Digest has ranked him in its top 50. He has written 11 golf books including Golf Magazine’s top rated The Laws of the Golf Swing, Total Golf, and Play Better Golf.

For the superb new learn-and-play occasion the professional and amateur players will be accommodated at the 5-Star Kempinski Barboros Bay Hotel, Bodrum.

For further information please contact Andrew McNabola at andrewmmcnabola@gmail.com

Plan Your Great Escape....at the Aegean Airlines Pro-Am

The 5th Aegean Airlines Pro-Am, staged in a glorious new home and with a revised format, is set to become a huge attraction for PGA professionals and their amateur partners following the almost unprecedented restrictions of a long, frozen winter across much of Europe and beyond.

Starved of competition and, in some cases even the opportunity to practice, for six months or more, the magnet of playing at the exciting Grecian location of Costa Navarino, Messinia, in the southwest Peloponnese, one of the most unspoiled and breathtaking seaside landscapes in the Mediterranean, will be irresistible to many intending contestants.

Having grown in prestige and popularity during its previous four years, first on the island of Crete for two years, and last year on the Greek mainland at Porto Carras, the Aegean Airlines Pro-Am of 2010, has amassed a whole army of devotees who will wish to join in the tournament on June 3-5.

This year the format will comprise of 36 holes as a pro-am on the challenging Dunes Course, June3/4, followed by a third round of professionals only on June 5, thereby enabling them to make an eighteen-hole bid for the highest place possible on the individual leaderboard. The winner will take home a cheque for €7,000.

Extending over 130 hectares of gently sloping hillside, Navarino Dunes is a stunningly beautiful location, richly endowed by nature, the site overlooks a magnificent sandy beach that stretches for over 1 km, washed by the warm clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea.

World-class amenities include a full-service conference centre, a large spa centre, a wide choice of dining venues, plus a range of leisure facilities and limitless opportunities for indoor and outdoor pursuits.

It sounds too good to miss after, for many, one of the worst winters in living memory!

Entry details available from www.aegeanproam.com

The World PGA Alliance’s first formal meeting of representatives from ten of the most established Professional Golfers’ Associations resulted in the adoption of professional standards for PGA membership that may serve as a model for developing golf territories.

The ‘professional standards’ include:

• a leading practice for youth development
• the endorsement of efforts to improve golf’s positive impact and sustainability
• support of Olympic golf and environmental research and
• the continued study of the physical and mental health benefits of the sport.

The World PGA Alliance gathered following the 57th PGA Merchandise Show, with representatives from the Canadian PGA, PGA of America, PGA of Australia, PGA of Germany, PGA of Great Britain & Ireland; PGA of Japan, PGA of New Zealand, PGA of South Africa, PGA of Sweden and PGAs of Europe.

“The Alliance members are united in recognising our sport’s positive impact in the areas of job creation, tourism development, and the health and well being of adults and youth in emerging golf territories,” said PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Joe Steranka.

“The global reach of the professional game combined with the economic expansion of the golf industry heightens the need for quality golf professionals and their ability to play the sport, teach the sport and promote the sport.”

Sandy Jones, chief executive of The PGA (of GB&I), said that the timing of the Alliance’s efforts accelerate the membership becoming an invaluable resource for the game’s growth. “For decades PGA Professionals have been a leading influence in the growth and development of the game of golf,” he said.

“By the formation of the PGA World Alliance it will now be possible to bring together the best practices in the areas of education, game development and commercialisation of the PGA brand which is the most recognisable brand in golf.

“With golf now becoming part of the Olympics this will be vital, indeed every golfing athlete who participates in Rio de Janeiro will have been influenced and mentored by PGA Professionals at some time or perhaps totally throughout their career.”

PGA of Australia chief executive, Max Garske, praised the Alliance’s goals “The World PGA Alliance summit was extremely productive with the core areas for minimum training and education standards for PGA Professionals worldwide being agreed,” he said. “This means the Alliance is now in a strong position to assist emerging golfing nations with coach and player development programmes to facilitate the growth of our game globally.”

At The PGAs of Europe Annual Congress last November it was pointed out that, while the Alliance concept went back 30 years, it was the formation of the PGAs of Europe in 1990 and its subsequent success with so many strong European national PGAs joining forces, that served to ‘give the idea fresh impetus and proved a blueprint for the World Alliance’.

Best practice was shared, which resulted in the raising of standards by education, the improvement of coaches and the way players are prepared, and the protection of the PGA brand...all of which raised the question: “Why can’t this be done across the world?”

‘Standards Must Reflect PGA Pros’ Expertise...’

Among other areas covered in the Alliance’s inaugural meeting, members recommended standards for PGA membership to serve as a model for developing golf territories.

The standards included establishing a playing ability measurement which reflects the position of PGA Professionals as expert golfers within their territory; and an educational and training programme–to prepare individuals for entry to the profession and lifelong learning and continuing education to meet the challenging needs of the golf industry within a territory.

Also:
The Alliance and its respective Professional Golfers’ Associations will leverage their membership and external relations to communicate the positive human, economic and environmental impact of golf.

A leading practice for youth development was adopted, based upon principles that included an understanding of the levels of sportsmanship, rules and etiquette; and the development and assessment of golf skills.

PGA Professionals should be considered leaders in golf instruction/coaching, with this expertise based upon principles that an instructor/coach demonstrates a firm understanding of the different physical, mental, tactical, motivational, developmental and ability levels of players.

PGA Professionals be recognised for guiding the business of golf based upon an understanding of finances; and an appreciation of market forces and how to market products and services.

The Alliance endorses efforts to improve golf’s sustainability and recognises the work of the Environmental Institute for Golf, the Australian Golf Environmental Initiative, and the Golf Environment Organisation.

The Alliance endorses Olympic golf, Junior Olympics and the Paralympics, and commits to working with National Golf Federations and to provide its teaching and coaching expertise for athlete development.

The Alliance recognises the continued scientific and medical study of golf which identifies the physical and mental health benefits of the sport.

PGAs of Europe Corporate Partners GOLFSMITH EUROPE are inviting PGA professionals with the necessary expertise to take advantage of the benefits of joining Golf Clubmakers Association Europe.

Two years ago Golfsmith launched the ‘trade only’ European version of the Association that began in 1980 in America, and that now has more than 6,000 members.

Now Golfsmith are urging clubmakers to ‘enhance their credentials’ through five levels of accreditation, covering an Accreditation Exam, Professional, Advanced and Master Craftsman qualifications, experience and facilities.

Benefits of membership include:

• Access exclusively for GCAE members, features the latest in golf industry developments, technical advancements, trends and the most important issues facing clubmakers. Articles by our staff experts and the industry’s leading fellow GCAE members.
  
  
• One day Continual Professional Development seminars are held twice a year to enable the clubmaker to keep abreast of the latest trends in Clubmaking, clubfitting and club repair. Points count towards clubmaker accreditation levels.
  Certified courses costing £45.00 or €51.75 + Vat
  
  
• Special weekly discounts for members only and free monthly prize draw.
  Every member receives a special 10% discount on all purchases of workshop tools and schools.
  Each GCAE member is issued with their own unique loyalty card. Earn points for Snake Eyes purchases, these points can be redeemed for FREE Snake Eyes products, the more you buy the more you earn! When you’re ready to cash in points just call the sales staff.
  
  
• Qualify for the Clubmaker Locator section of the website and sign up for the GCAE Referral Programme which will help promote your business and direct customers to your shop.
  
  
• GCAE Clubmakers Forum

For more information contact: Tracy Gridley - GCAE Co-Ordinator, Tel: 01480 308800.
E-mail: tracey@golfsmitheurope.co.uk

AVC Media Enterprises has been awarded the contract to develop a new website forThe PGAs of Europe following a competitive round of credential presentations.

The existing site is currently being redesigned to provide a host of interactive features for PGAs, PGA professionals and amateur golfers wishing to improve themselves and their games. The site will be an interactive tool for PGA professionals across Europe and beyond in the sharing of knowledge and information about teaching and other professional initiatives throughout member countries.

Stewart Buchanan, Creative Director for AVC explained: “This contract is in line with our recent push towards online marketing techniques, as clients look to switch from more traditional, paper-based media. We have done exceptionally well to win this PGAs of Europe contract in competition with other leading agencies.”

The new www.pgae.com site is due to be launched in the next two months or so and advertising and partnership opportunities are still available.

Contact: Spencer Buchan: e-mail: sbuchan@avcmedia.com, web: www.avcmedia.com

Eaton Golf Pride and The PGAs of Europe have demonstrated the utmost confidence in each other’s brand and business philosophy by committing their Corporate Partnership arrangement to complete a minimum of a remarkable 15 years of unbroken collaboration.

The manufacturers and suppliers of golf’s most popular and recognisable grips have extended an agreement first reached as long ago as 1998, by its fifth three-year term, to continue at least until 2013.

Eaton Golf Pride’s range of grips can be found enhancing a high percentage of the best-known makes of golf clubs used by every conceivable category of golfer on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world.

This has been the case for five decades and more, both for the original setting up of new clubs and for replacement purposes by PGA professionals and other clubfitters globally. This position as brand leaders has been extended by their marketing strategy of combining good looks and frequent design innovations to the range of practical preferences.

During their lengthy period at the forefront of their craft Eaton Golf Pride has taken into account every possible requirement of both the elite golfer and all those amateurs of all ages and both genders throughout the handicap range.

“The fact that Eaton Golf Pride and ourselves wish to preserve and nurture our partnership for a further 3 years to a total of 15 is, in itself, evidence enough of the regard we have for each other’s brand and pursuit of excellence,” said Ian Randell, chief executive of The PGAs of Europe.

“They embody exactly the kind of high quality company with whom we aspire to co-operate with on a long-term basis and it is a pleasure to announce that our corporate partnership is to continue in this manner.”

Commenting on the deal Conor Dillon (right), Regional Manager for Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) stated: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the PGAs of Europe for the next 3 years”.

“Many of the PGAs of Europe’s members are major customers of ours and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Ian Poulter’s success in rising to the summit of world golf can be an inspiration to all young PGA professionals, and educationalists, across The PGA of Europe membership and beyond.

Poulter’s background as a former PGA trainee and assistant club professional has shown current and future generations that it is not only the privileged ‘full-time’ amateurs who can reach the very top as tournament players.

Dramatic confirmation of this came when a player from each of these routes, in Poulter and Paul Casey, contested the Accenture World Golf Match Play Championship in Arizona and the winner, after a week of brilliant golf, was the former club pro who had made his way through professional regional tournaments.

Dr Kyle Phillpots, a member of The PGAs of Europe Education Committee and Education Director of The PGA of GB&I, was one of many among the national PGAs who watched the enthralling final unfold and were left with a feeling of satisfaction that it was a player who had progressed through professional channels who lifted the coveted prize.

Victory propelled Poulter to fifth in the world rankings and capped a remarkable story for the English golfer who turned professional as a teenager. After PGA training with Lee Scarbrow at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club, Poulter went on to cut his teeth in tournament golf by winning a regional Assistants’ Championship. He was elected to PGA membership in 2000 but by then had already secured his European Tour card and was named European Tour Rookie of the Year.

Four years later he played in the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills and was Europe’s best player with four points out of five at Valhalla two years ago. “Ian had talent and, like another PGA graduate, Paul Lawrie, turned pro at the age of 19 with a 4 handicap,” said Phillpots.

“Ian didn’t really play much amateur golf and did not figure on the English Golg Union radar.” As Poulter himself has put it ‘I didn’t have the time to play full time amateur golf like some other kids because my parents couldn’t afford it’

Kyle added: “At that time Paul Casey (18 months younger) was embarking on a very successful amateur career breaking records set by Woods and Mickelson during his scholarship years at Arizona State, culminating with four victories in the 1999 Walker Cup. Yet here they both were, sharing the world stage having got there by separate routes.”

He added: “Going on the PGA Training Programme should not be the end of playing ambitions and it could be argued that the fact that young assistants get access to a large professional circuit, where they can test themselves against seasoned professionals is a good breeding ground for the future.

“Ian shot six under in his first round as a tournament professional and his first winner’s purse was £1,200 for a £25 entry fee. He understood then that winning money from playing golf could be ‘a nice little business’. Going on then to work for Lee Scarbrow at Leighton Buzzard, gave him the opportunity to further his playing ambitions.

“I’m sure that experience in regional golf was important. The other factor is that as with most sports, talent at 18 is not always a true indication of future success, some develop later and staying amateur, while being expected to devote a similar amount of time as a professional to playing, does not suit everyone.”

He’s no eco warrior but Phil Weaver (right) is definitely leading a fight when it comes to environmental awareness in golf.

The Coventry Golf Club head professional and course manager has combined his passion for nature with a pioneering approach to managing his golf club.

Weaver (below), PGA (of GB&I) chairman of some 21 years standing, is leading an innovative scheme aimed at increasing sustainability at the club and benefiting the environment in the process.

The club was one of the first to sign up to the Golf Environment Organisation’s Certification programme, which offers an internationally recognised award. The new accreditation programme, launched at the BMW PGA Championship last year, aims to become the hallmark for sustainable golf and measures all aspects of a golf venue’s operations from the courses to clubhouses and greenkeeping facilities.

Among others to have signed up to the programme are Gleneagles and Celtic Manor Resort.

Weaver is part of a four man steering group set up to drive through the initiative, which has already embarked on a radical assessment of its operations, looking at all aspects from water, gas and electricity usage, recycling and the agronomic maintenance of the golf course.

While the project, set to be completed in 2012, will certainly boost the club’s green credentials it will also help to make valuable savings, too. One of the early ideas is to fit solar panels to reduce electricity cost in the clubhouse.

To date just 16 clubs have signed up to the GEO Certification programme but that number is set to grow. To that end, Weaver hopes PGA pros will be at the heart of it, seeing it as an opportunity for members to take an active lead amid an era of increasing environmental awareness where carbon footprints may become a bigger concern than spike marks.

“We are increasingly aware of these critical issues such as chemical usage on the golf course and our own club’s carbon foot-print,” he explained. “With the aid of GEO we are progressively taking these factors on board in terms of the golf club’s whole operation and how best we can efficiently manage it.

“We’ve set up a three year programme called Project 2012 specifically to review this and are hoping to demonstrate to the club and members that we can reduce our dependencies on consumable usage and chemicals such as fungicides and pesticides.

“It will involve looking at on course irrigation, how much we can recycle water, the potential for solar and wind energy – we’re examining all of these things to see if we can economise on our current usage.

“And there has been a great interest from club members because when you play golf you are surrounded by nature. If we can improve the general environment of the golf course which we co-habit with nature it’s good for all.

“From an ecology perspective I think it’s important to take a more pro-active role because I’m sure that, at some stage, bureaucrats in Europe are going to look at golf clubs and say why do you need so much land to play your sport and what are you doing with it?

“And when they do pose the question we’ve got to come up with a pretty solid answer. However, I for one am confident we can because we are a responsible sport and we do look after our land conscientiously.”

Weaver has long matched his passion for golf, which saw him make two appearances for Great Britain & Irelands PGA Cup team, with a love of the surroundings in which he so expertly manoeuvred a golf ball.

“As a pro you’re surrounded by nature all the time,” he added. “Whether a course is on heath land, moorland or park land, either way there is always an abundance of wildlife that particular tract of land sustains.

“I’ve always taken an environmental interest at the club, particularly in trees and have helped with the rolling tree planting programme over the years, so this Getting On Course initiative was a natural extension.

“As golf clubs face up to the challenges of the 21st century, Weaver believes the GEO scheme offers an ideal opportunity for PGA members to cement their role at the heart of the club and also to engage the members.

“Pros are such an important cog within the workings of a golf club so by getting involved with the environmental and ecological management they can add another string to their bow and have a real influence in the decision making process.

“My club members have embraced the whole concept. If we can do our best for the environment and be more efficient in the way we run our club operation and at the same time save money – I can’t see any negatives. It’s a win-win situation.”

PGA members interested in finding out more can log onto www.golfenvironment.org

 

The name ‘Andy Nemiroff ‘ was not well known to many in the large multi-national field before the start in Antalya... but it was the one on top of the leaderboard at the end of a 54 tough holes when the Turkish weatherman turned down the temperature control.

Nemiroff was, in fact, the first member of the small PGA of Israel, where he is one of fewer than twelve playing members, to claim the limelight in a PGAs of Europe-endorsed event but one, whom it transpired, was not new to experiencing that winning feeling.

Having moved from Canada to the Middle East in 2001 to concentrate more on teaching than playing his CV revealed that in his career, first as an outstanding junior amateur and then as a pro with playing success as his aim, he has played in excess of a hundred tournaments including representing both Canada and Israel internationally and the winning of three Maccabiah Games Gold Medals.

Those contestants from Central and Northern Europe who headed South to escape the cold and to seek some sunshine succeeded with the latter but found that an icy blast from the frozen, snow-covered mountains in the background discovered that the anticipated warmth had been replaced by a teeth-chattering chill.

With scoring tough on The Pasha, and tougher still on the PGA-branded Sultan course, birdies were few and far between as were subpar, or even level-par, rounds. This meant that the only score of below 70, Nemiroff’s second round 69, saw him home despite a final round 73 for a three-round, three-over par total of 217.

The head professional at the Savyon Academy in Israel dropped two strokes on the front nine but held fast with seven pars, a bogey and a birdie along the finishing straight for a three-shot lead over runner-up Fabian Hahn of Germany. Italy’s Giorgio Grillo was third, one shot further back.

After the opening two rounds a Turkish challenge promised to materialise as Bulent Karatas shared the lead with him but, like the packed field behind him, he was unable to find find the necessary birdies while stemming the flow of dropped shots.

Individual Scores - Click Here
Pro-Am Results - Click Here

GARY BERNARD has been introduced as the Canadian PGA’s new Executive Director after a careful search to ensure that the right man was making progressive steps for its members within the Canadian Golf Industry and as a member of The PGAs of Europe and the PGA World Alliance.

Among his many career achievements, Bernard has been interim Executive Director since October 2009 and Director of Education since 2004 and was a leader in the development of the Teaching and Coaching Certification Programme, and has been involved in education with the Canadian PGA since 1995 when he began facilitating all workshops to Canadian PGA Professionals across the country.

Bernard was also a key member of the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s National Player Development Programme coaching staff from 1999 to 2001.

As a PGA member he has worked at a number of different facilities, both in Atlantic Canada and Ontario, and has a full understanding of what a Canadian PGA Member must do to succeed in the golf business.

A graduate of the University of New Brunswick (B.Ed ’79) and currently nearing completion of his Masters degree (M.Ed) from UNB, Bernard participated in his first official meeting when he represented the Canadian PGA at the World PGA Alliance conference in Orlando.

More information can be found at www.cpga.com

Ryder Cup Europe has announced that Emirates, the international carrier of the UAE, will be the Official Airline of The 2010 Ryder Cup to be played at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales in October.

Colin Montgomerie, the European Captain, was in Dubai with Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills to seal the partnership with Gary Chapman, President Emirates Group Services and Dnata, at Emirates Golf Club recently. Afterwards Montgomerie commented: “I would like to thank Emirates Airline for supporting The Ryder Cup, and in particular Team Europe. In just nine short months we will be at the magnificent Celtic Manor Resort, and I am delighted that Emirates will be part of that occasion with us.”

Additionally, it was announced that Emirates airline will also be an Official Partner of the European Team in 2012 when they travel to Medinah Country Club in Illinois, USA.

Gary Chapman said: “To be part of such a prestigious tournament is a great honour for Emirates and with millions of TV viewers across the globe watching, it is a marvellous opportunity to consolidate our position as a global force in sports sponsorship.”

More information from www.rydercup.com