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Education Opportunities

The current PDR cycle began June 16, 2025 and will run through June 15, 2028.

The Minnesota Section PGA has various opportunities to attend seminars and educations virtually and in-person throughout the year.

Upcoming Opportunities:

Developing Competitive Junior Golfers

Monday, February 9, 2026
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 AM
Location: Hazeltine National Golf Club
1900 Hazeltine Blvd. Chaska, MN 55318

What to expect:

Facility Tour
We’ll walk through Hazeltine’s new building and coaching spaces. This is a rare opportunity to see how one of the country’s premier clubs supports player development and coaching operations.

Roundtable Discussion: Developing Competitive Junior Golfers
We’ll discuss practical approaches to building skills, decision-making, and mental resilience in junior players. Topics include:

  • Structuring practice for skill transfer and competition readiness
  • Teaching course management and strategic thinking
  • Balancing technical development with scoring performance
  • Building routines and mindset systems that hold under pressure

This is a working session—bring your questions, challenges, and insights. We’ll leave with actionable ideas we can implement immediately.

Space is limited to first 24 members to ensure meaningful discussion.

RSVP or Questions: Call/text Brad Pluth: 952-401-4653

Earn 2 (Two) Education PDRs for attendance.


Pro’s In The Snow

“BOKKLUBB”

A SERIES OF WINTER MEET UPS CONNECTING THROUGH BOOK REVIEWS

GOAL: To foster and enrich the PGA Community of Professionals during the offseason while growing personally and professionally together.

WHO IS INVITED: Anyone associated with the Minnesota PGA who wants to connect with others and grow through reading and discussion. Limited to the first 12 participants for each meeting.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

WHERE: HACKAMORE BREWING – CHANHASSEN

COST: Free!

HOW IT WORKS

  1. A book is selected at least a month in advance of the meeting.
  2. Register to attend the meeting on Eventbrite. (Even if you run out of time to read the book, notes will be provided and your discussion is still valuable!)
  3. Read the book and take notes for discussion.
  4. Come to the meeting to socialize and discuss!

*Attending the meeting counts for 1 PDR Meeting Point through the PGA.

THE JANUARY BOOK SELECTION IS:

Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life―A Revolutionary Approach to Maximizing Life Experiences Over Accumulating Wealth

By: Bill Perkins

Pick up a copy at your library or on Amazon or listen on Audible.

REGISTER


2026 AGM Retail Conference

Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Orlando, FL
9 AM – 5 PM
Register and More Information

*PGA Members are eligible for 6 “Required” PDRs.


Titleist Fitting Walkthrough

Monday, February 9 | 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Olympic Hills Golf Club – Hitting Bays

This session will focus on practical fitting techniques that assistants and PGA Professionals can immediately apply at their facilities. Local Titleist fitting representatives Trevor and Noah will walk through Titleist’s fitting process and cover topics such as:

  • Technology used during a Titleist fitting
  • Key data points to prioritize when fitting
  • How to determine the next clubhead or shaft to test
  • Best practices for guiding players toward proper equipment

Our goal with this event is to help professionals feel more confident and prepared when conducting fittings at their own clubs. Better fittings not only lead to stronger equipment sales—benefiting both facilities and manufacturers—but more importantly, they ensure members receive accurate recommendations from someone they trust, without needing to wait for a fitting day or visit a third-party location.

Earn 2 (Two) Education PDRs for attendance.

REGISTER


PING Fitting Training – Factory Expert Experience

Tuesday, February 24
The Club at Golden Valley

Take advantage of a rare opportunity to learn directly from PING factory experts during this full-day fitting education experience at The Club at Golden Valley.

Led by Chris Broadie, PING Fitting Science Manager, and James Lee, Master Fitter at the PING Proving Grounds, this immersive training will dive deep into PING’s fitting science, data interpretation, and tour-level fitting methodology. Attendees will rotate between instructors in small groups for both morning and afternoon sessions, allowing for personalized instruction and in-depth discussion.

Additional PING staff will be on site to support learning throughout the day.

Schedule:

  • Session 1: 9:30 a.m. – Noon
  • Lunch: Noon – 1:00 p.m. (provided by our friends at PING)
  • Session 2: 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. (approx.)

Earn 4 (Four) Education PDRs for attendance.

REGISTER


TaylorMade Fitting Training

Monday, March 2 | 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
The Minikahda Club – Simulators

This session will focus on practical fitting techniques that assistants and PGA Professionals can immediately apply at their facilities. Joe Abdo, local TaylorMade fitting representative, will cover TaylorMade’s fitting ecosystem and discuss topics such as:

  • Technology used during TaylorMade fittings
  • Key data points to focus on in simulator-based fittings
  • How to determine the next clubhead or shaft to test
  • Best practices for efficiently guiding players to proper equipment

Our goal with this event is to help professionals feel more confident and prepared when conducting fittings at their own clubs. Better fittings create better outcomes for players while strengthening trust between members and their golf professional.

Earn 2 (Two) Education PDRs for attendance.

REGISTER


Teaching Roundtable Discussion – Mike Barge & Chris Foley

Thursday, March 12 | 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Minneapolis Golf Club

This session will focus on practical teaching strategies and coaching concepts that assistants and PGA Professionals can immediately apply in lessons and player development programs. Mike Barge and Chris Foley will lead an open-format roundtable discussion covering topics such as:

  • Teaching philosophies and lesson structure
  • Player development at all skill levels
  • Common challenges faced by instructors and effective solutions
  • Best practices for long-term improvement and engagement

Our goal with this event is to provide a collaborative learning environment where professionals can learn from two of Minnesota’s most respected instructors while sharing ideas and experiences with peers.

A quick background on the panel:

Chris Foley, PGA Master Professional – Teaching & Coaching

Awards & Honors:

  • PGA Master Professional – Teaching & Coaching
  • Quarter Century Member (2017)
  • Section Player Development Award (2020)
  • Section Teacher of the Year (2002, 2003)
  • Merchandiser of the Year – Resort (2008)

Mike Barge, PGA

Awards & Honors:

  • Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year (1989, 1991)
  • Ranked #1 Best Teacher in Minnesota by Golf Digest (five times)
  • Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame Inductee (2019)
  • Quarter Century Member (2008)

Professional Highlights:

  • Director of Instruction at Hazeltine National Golf Club since 1986
  • Past Champion: Minnesota State Open & Minnesota State Senior Open
  • Past Champion: Minnesota PGA Championship & Minnesota Senior PGA Championship

Earn 2 (Two) Education PDRs for attendance.

REGISTER