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 NEWSLETTER - MAY 2008 |
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
May 2008
Dear Minnesota, North and South Dakota Professionals,
COME ON SUMMER, WE ARE PATIENTLY, PATIENTLY, WAITING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!
A big thank you to all the PGA Professionals and golf courses that took the time to register on the Play Golf Minnesota website for our second annual Play Golf Minnesota/Dakotas Week.
It was a big success! Hopefully, throughout the summer, everyone that participated will see an increase in participation at his or her own clubs. This year we
had a 26% increase of courses involved in the week. Next year we would like to see everyone get on board and promote his or her club with Play Golf Minnesota/Dakotas Week.
Thanks to Lori Money (Chair), the Growth of the Game Committee and Ed Heil of StoryTeller Media & Communication, for all the hard work and many hours put into Play Golf Minnesota/Dakotas Week.
How about Media Day on April 23 that was hosted by Somerset CC, I do believe the bragging rights go to the team captained by Dan Cole (The Common Man) from KFAN. They beat the
Television team by one point 5-4. Thank you to everyone that took time to play in the event:
| Television/Retired/Allied Association | Print/Radio |
| Ed Heil – StoryTeller | Dan Cole – KFAN Radio |
| Scott Seroka – KARE 11 TV | Jeff Dubay – KFAN Radio |
| Tom Hauser – KSTP TV | Tad Reeve – Pioneer Press |
| Michael Hsu – TeeMaster TV Show | Chad Hartman – KFAN Radio |
| Jeff Passolt – FOX 9 TV | Joe Anderson – KFAN Radio |
| Janel Klein – KARE 11 TV | Stu Groskreutz – Stillwater Gazette |
| Warren Ryan - MGA | Jerry Zgoda – Star Tribune |
| Gregg Wong – Retired writer | Mark Craig – Star Tribune |
| Jon Roe – Retired writer | Jeff Shelman – Star Tribune |
Minnesota Section PGA Professionals |
| Kathy Swanson – Minneapolis GC | Jeff Drimel – Medina G & CC |
| Paul Kelley – Bent Creek GC | John Shimpach – Highland National GC |
| Don Berry – Edinburgh USA | Michael Turnbull - TeeMaster |
| Joel Burger – Wexford Golf | Ben Meyers – Medina G & CC |
| Lori Money – Rush Creek GC | Dan Simpson – Minneapolis GC |
| Peter Kurvers – Dacotah Ridge GC | Steve Fessler – Pheasant Acres GC |
| Joe O'Brien – Minneapolis GC | Steve Whillock – Oak Marsh GC |
| Patrick Cairns – Somerset CC | Michael Zinni – Mankato GC |
| Bill Folkes – Majestic Oaks GC |
The tournament season is off and running and I would like to congratulate Mr. John Harris for his stellar play in the Minnesota Golf Champions. It's wonderful
that the players from Minnesota that make it in the big times still have the desire to come home and support Minnesota Golf. Thank you to all that played and a
HUGE thank you to our sponsors, Stanton Group, Taylor Made/addidas, and Bushnell. Also thanks to Kevin Cashman and all the wonderful staff at Bearpath G & CC for
their time and effort hosting the Minnesota Golf Champions. A special thank you to Parker who caddied for me during the tournament, you ROCK! On Saturday night
after the completion of the second round the Board of Directors were finally able to award Mr. Larry Nelson the Steve Weidner Award from 2007. Larry you have
impacted so many people, young and old, with all you have given in the name of golf. Your unselfishness, kindness and dedicated work as a PGA Professional,
husband and father have moved people emotionally and spiritually. On behalf of all your friends, PGA and non-PGA we thank you for your leadership and loyalty
to the game of golf. May God bless you and your family, our thoughts and prayers are with you. We love you Larry, Lisa, Natalie and Spencer. View Photos
Before I close, I would like to thank the Minnesota Women's Golf Association, Minnesota Women's Public Golf Association, the Bunker Hills Women's group and all
the Rush Creek Staff for an outstanding job again this year with the free MWGA Girls Golf Clinic that was held at Rush Creek on Saturday, May 3rd. We had almost
250 girls there in the 40-degree weather. It was great to have KARE-11 TV there live with Lee Valsvik to showcase this event. We also had staff from PGA of
America here to document the clinic and take some photos. Thanks to Le Ann Finger and Montana Pritchard and his staff from the National Office for putting up
with our unpredictable weather here in Minnesota. Getting an event of that magnitude off the ground takes many months of planning. If anyone would like to
take this model and start a clinic for boys, you are most welcome and encouraged to do so, we had a blast. Thank you to Kevin Morris with Midwest Coca-Cola
for sponsoring the PGA Teaching Professionals, we had ten of the top female teaching professionals in the state helping out on Saturday.
I do quite a bit of thinking during my daily drive of an hour to work and I truly believe that our Minnesota Section has the BEST PGA Professionals around.
It's because of this, that we have the most golfers per capita here in the Midwest. And all of that with four unique changing seasons, PLAY GOLF MINNESOTA,
and we can help. As the summer begins and children are getting out of school, please check out our nationally recognized Junior Tour Programs, they are the best.
In closing, I hope everyone has a great first part of summer, be safe and stay healthy.
Warmest Regards,
Kathy Swanson, PGA/LPGA
President - Minnesota Section PGA
Minneapolis Golf Club
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