2024 Indiana PGA Special Awards
By Santana Shipley
Last month Indiana Golf acknowledged the recipients of the Indiana Section PGA Special Awards during its Annual Business Meeting in Muncie, Indiana. Heartfelt congratulations to each winner for this well-deserved honor. The esteemed awardees include:
Robert Koontz
Merchandiser of the Year – Resort Award
French Lick Resort – The Pete Dye Course
Jeffrey Williams
Merchandiser of the Year – Public Award
Brickyard Crossing
Nate Holm
Merchandiser of the Year – Private Award
The Woodstock Club
Merchandisers of the Year – Established 1988
The Merchandiser of the Year Awards recognizes those PGA professionals who have demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf. The award is given for excellence in golf shop operations in three categories: Private, Resort and Public/Municipal/Military/Semi-Private.
Scott Barla
PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year Award
Barla Golf Academy
Teacher of the Year – Established 1986
The Teacher of the Year Award bestows special recognition on a PGA golf professional that has performed outstanding service as a golf instructor. Criteria to be considered are: overall performance as a golf professional at his/her facility, service to his/her Section and the Association, leadership ability, image and ability to inspire fellow professionals, use of teaching aids and the ability to illustrate their effectiveness, involvement in junior golf activities at the facility and in the community, techniques for teaching small and large groups, articles written for publication in books and magazines.
Mark Nance
PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award
Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG)
PGA Professional Development Award – Established 1976
The Professional Development Award is designed to recognize individual golf professionals for their outstanding and continuing contributions to developing and improving education opportunities for the PGA golf professional.
Crystal Morse
PGA Player Development Award
The Legends Golf Club
Player Development Award – Established 2014
The Player Development Award is designed to recognize a PGA Professional for extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of player development. This award considers the PGA Professional’s growth of the game leadership commitment at the Section and National levels and the impact made at the facility.
Roger Lundy
PGA Youth Player Development Award
Indiana Golf
Youth Player Development Award – Established 1989
The Youth Player Development Award (formerly the Junior Golf Leader Award) is designed to pay recognition to a PGA Golf Professional who is a leader in junior golf, reflects the qualities and ideals of those who work with our nation’s youth, and provides opportunities and experiences for juniors to learn and play golf.
Catherine Benson
Bill Strausbaugh Award
Trine University
Bill Strausbaugh Award – Established 1979
The Bill Strausbaugh Award is presented to those PGA members who by their day-to-day efforts have distinguished themselves in the field of club relations, causing dramatic improvements in employment conditions in their local Section and/or the PGA of America..
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Jim Poole
Deacon Palmer Award
Prestwick Country Club
Deacon Palmer Award – Established 2014
The “Deacon Palmer Award” bestows special recognition on a PGA Golf Professional who personally displays outstanding integrity, character and leadership, in the effort to overcome a major obstacle in their life. This individual is an unsung hero/heroine at their facility and in their community, who serve to inspire, empower and assist others, both inside and outside of the game. This award was first given in 2014 to Arnold Palmer in honor of his Father who the Award is named after.
Pete Makarov
Assistant of the Year Award
Crooked Stick Golf Club
Assistant of the Year Award – Established 2001
The Assistant of the Year Award, established in 2001, is designed to recognize an individual assistant golf professional for his or her dedication to the game and commitment to the profession. Criteria that are considered are: commitment to customer service, leadership ability and academic history.
