(Acton, ON) February 28, 2008 -
The Canadian PGA has announced the 2007 winners of
its prestigious National awards for exceptional and dedicated service as
Canadian golf professionals.
The 2007 winners are:
• Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year –
Ted Stonehouse, Atlantic
• Club Professional of the Year – Patty Howard, Ontario
• Teacher of the Year – Derek Ingram, Manitoba
• Merchandiser of the Year – Eric Thorsteinson, Alberta
Each year, a National Selection committee
evaluates nominations from over 3,500 Canadian PGA Members coast-to-coast
and recognizes winners in each of the four categories. The winners will
receive their award at the 2008 Club Professional Championship in Port St.
Lucie, Florida, November 16, 2008.
“Our 2007 National award winners are symbols
of the passion and dedication to excellence that Canadian PGA Members bring
to their profession in making the game of golf better for Canadian golfers,”
said Warren Crosbie, President of the Canadian PGA. “This year’s winners
have set standards of excellence that all Canadian golf professionals can
aim to achieve. On behalf of the Canadian PGA, the Zones, and the
membership, I congratulate them all for receiving this recognition.”
Jack McLaughlin Junior
Leader of the Year Award – Mr. Ted Stonehouse
Ted Stonehouse, Head Professional and General
Manager at the Bell Bay Golf Club in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, is back in the
winner’s circle as the Canadian PGA Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the
Year.
Stonehouse is no stranger to Canadian PGA
National honors - he was named the 2002 Canadian PGA Club Professional of
the Year and 2003 Merchandiser of the Year.
“I am a little embarrassed to tell you the
truth,” says Stonehouse, “it is pretty unbelievable to think that I have
received a Canadian PGA National award three times, so I am actually a
little embarrassed, but am truly honored!”
Based from the RCGA/Canadian PGA Future Links
Program, the Bell Bay Junior program has flourished on the island of Cape
Breton. Traditionally Stonehouse has approximately 130 juniors enrolled in
the program, but in 2007 there were 160 applicants and a waiting list. Part
of the success of the program is the commitment that Stonehouse himself
dedicates to it. He ensures that each class has no more than 15 juniors and
that he has three Canadian PGA professionals instructing each cluster. The
program runs for 10 weeks and consists of seven weeks of instruction, the
eighth week is comprised of the RCGA Future Links skill competition
conducted by Bell Bay professional staff, the ninth week is an on-course
session with the Bell Bay members mentoring the 160 juniors over two days
and the tenth week is the junior banquet. In fact, his junior program
banquet has become such a success that Bell Bay is no longer able to host
the event due to its size.
Stonehouse’s Bell Bay junior program is
comprised of children aged three to 18 years. The program has grown
tremendously over the past nine years since he has been at the club.
Stonehouse believes that his performance has inspired fellow golf
professionals in the area of junior golf and development. He is one of the
most recognized Canadian PGA Members in the Atlantic zone and continues to
introduce juniors to grow the game of golf.
“I am so proud of our associates and
assistants for all of their work on the junior program. I could not be where
I am right now if it wasn’t for their hard work,” says Stonehouse. “This
award is a testament to the tireless effort that they have put into our
junior program here at Bell Bay.”
Club Professional of
the Year Award – Ms. Patty Howard
Patty Howard, Executive Professional and
Director of Golf at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in London, Ontario, is
the 2007 recipient of the Canadian PGA Club Professional of the Year award.
Patty Howard has been a Class “A” Member of
the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association for 26 years and a Head
Professional for 23 years. In a male dominated profession, she has excelled,
regardless of gender, at a very high level on all fronts. She has managed
her own successful Patty Howard Golf School for 11 years, played and won on
the Futures Tour, managed the Golf Operation as Director of Golf / Head
Professional at two private clubs and above all, has exuded professional
character throughout. In 1985 and 1986 Patty Howard became the first female
Member to sit on the Ontario PGA Board of Directors and is the second female
in Canadian PGA history to win this award.
“I am so shocked that I received this award
from the Canadian PGA,” says Howard, also winner of the 2007 Ontario PGA
Club Professional of the year award. “It truly is an amazing award to
receive. I thought it was incredible to win the provincial award, so to win
the National award in addition is very humbling to say the least.”
Howard has been the Director of Golf at
Sunningdale Golf & Country Club for the past six years. Her career has come
full circle, as she grew up playing golf and was first introduced to the
game at Sunningdale when she was young. “It is so nice to be able to say
that I have returned to the place where I was first mentored in the game of
golf by Fred Kern and Bruce Atkins to name a few,” says Howard, “you don’t
work throughout the year at the club thinking that this award is your final
goal, so to receive it is such an honor.” Howard’s management style and
professionalism is one of thorough detail and focus towards excellence in
all areas including staff training, administration, merchandising and
service atmosphere.
In her capacity, she is responsible for 47
staff including the Head Professional, 11 Front Shop Staff, 10 Starters /
Rangers, 25 Back Shop Staff and one Membership Coordinator. To manage this
large team, Howard employs a balance of structured administration along with
an ‘open door’ policy for all staff members to ensure healthy communication.
Frequent team meetings ensure continuity in such subjects as day-to-day
service, tournaments, merchandising and sales.
Howard’s labor philosophy is that the
industry has been slow to adjust to reasonable work expectations. She
instituted the sixth day each week for Professionals as a free day from Pro
Shop hours and a focus on playing with a different group each week. With
that in mind, a focus is always maintained in the areas most important to
members.
Teacher of the Year
Award – Mr. Derek Ingram
Derek Ingram, Head Teaching Professional at
Elmhurst Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the 2007 Canadian
PGA Teaching Professional of the Year, his third Canadian PGA National
award. Teaching Professional nominees are judged on a wide array of criteria
ranging from innovative teaching techniques to instructional articles,
videos or promotions.
Ingram grew up in Winnipeg and attended the
University of Manitoba. He has authored two books “New Mental Skills for
Better Golf – Test your Self Talk” and “Play Golf in the Zone” a 2001-2002
best seller. This is the second time that Derek has received the award for
Teacher of the Year, the last time he won this prestigious award was in 2003
along with the Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year award. He is the
first and only recipient to ever win both awards. In 2005, Ingram was also
named Top 50 Teachers in America by Golf Range Magazine. He is also a four
time winner of the Manitoba PGA Teacher of the Year and two time winner of
the Manitoba PGA Junior Leader of the Year.
“When I received the call from our Executive
Director, Steve Carroll, I thought he was going to ask me to sit on a
teaching or coaching committee,” states Ingram, “but I was shocked when he
told me that I was the recipient of the 2007 Teacher of the Year award. I
mean it’s great to win a National award once in your life, but to win three
is an honour.”
Ingram is the Royal Canadian Golf
Association's (RCGA) National Team Assistant Coach and has been on the
national coaching staff since 2000. He has coached teams competing in
Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rico, Canada, and the United States. He has also
coached Canada's National Junior Team in the World Championships in Japan
since 2000. Ingram is also the co-coach and founder of the University of
Manitoba Men's and Ladies Golf Program established in 1999.
“I think I am pretty blessed with what I am
doing right now, there are so many great coaches and teachers in Manitoba
and Canada so to say what separates me from the others is difficult, but I
believe that I have an ability to connect with others in a different
manner,” says Ingram. “I think my ability to connect stems from my passion
for teaching and the drive to grow the game across Canada.”
Merchandiser of the
Year Award – Mr. Eric Thorsteinson
Eric Thorsteinson, Head Professional at Royal
Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton Alberta, is this year’s recipient of the 2007
Canadian PGA Merchandiser of the Year award.
“It’s an amazing award to win personally, but
no question reflects the efforts of my team. Last year was trying, but very
rewarding with the Women’s Open at our facility, so I dedicate this award to
my outstanding team and their devotion to have the best shop in the
industry.”
Thorsteinson’s professional merchandising
philosophy is to develop and deliver the ultimate private club member and
guest experience in his shop. He evokes all five senses into his customer’s
golf shop experience. Visually, he ensures that the front entrance to the
shop has a decompression zone where the customer may gaze over the entire
golf shop layout. Thorsteinson has the Golf Channel playing on the 46 inch
flat screen TV above the enticing crackling fireplace. One powerful feature
that most overlook is the scent of the shop. He lights Yankee candles and
displays fresh cut flowers from the local green house on their feature
table. The shop is open to having customers pick up and feel the garments as
the sense of touch is appealing to the buyers. He also plays soft easy
listening music in the background while providing an open house and year end
wine and cheese member appreciation sales event.
It is with small touches like personalized
thank you notes to members that spend over $100 at the shop and discount
pricing for repeat buyers that he has seen success. Thorsteinson’s shop is a
1350 square foot golfer’s paradise. The shop received a “Prestige Award” for
being in the top 25 golf shops recognized in Pro Shop Magazine for the most
outstanding golf shops in Canada. The Royal Mayfair hosted the 2007 CN
Canadian Women’s Open and received numerous accolades for its tremendous
success doubling and even tripling the sales of previous events.
Thorsteinson has managed the golf shop at Royal Mayfair since 2002, and has
seen over $500,000 increase in his yearly sales since he began.
“When it comes to the pro shop set up, I have
been mentored by some great golf professionals and have read up on the
latest trends in both the golf industry and general retail,” says
Thorsteinson. “I try to look at other industry trends and follow their lead,
although in most cases they have access to more dollars, it is still great
to use their guidance.”
For more information on all of the Award
Winners please go to
www.cpga.com .
