PGA News The Professional Golfers’ Association of America 100 Avenue of the Champions Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 Tel: 561-624-8400 Fax: 561-624-8448 IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 27, 2005 Contact: Jamie Carbone 561/624-8446 jcarbone@pgahq.com SUN COUNTRY PGA’S BILL ESCHENBRENNER LEADS 2005 PGA NATIONAL AWARDS AS 52nd RECIPIENT OF PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla – Bill Eschenbrenner, PGA Master Professional at Lone Star Golf Club in El Paso, Texas, has been named the 52nd recipient of the PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award, the highest annual honor bestowed by The PGA of America on a PGA Professional A native of Fort Worth, Texas, but an El Paso resident since 1961, Eschenbrenner, 67, is the first member of the Sun Country PGA Section to be so honored He will be recognized at The PGA of America Awards, Jan 27, 2006, during the PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center’s Linda W Chapin Auditorium in Orlando, Fla The program will feature all 2005 national award winners Also winning national awards are: PGA Teacher of the Year Peter Krause, of Blaine, Minn.; Horton Smith Award winner Warren Bottke, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Bill Strausbaugh Award winner Tom Nieporte, of Bayville, N.Y.; and PGA Junior Golf Leader winner Will Reilly, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa PGA Merchandisers of the Year Award winners were also selected The winners are: Public Facilities – Fabian McIntyre, of Orlando, Fla.; Private Facilities – John Buczek, of Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Resort Facilities – Ronald Dunham, of Jackson, Wyo BILL ESCHENBRENNER PGA Golf Professional of the Year Lone Star Golf Club – El Paso, Texas A former caddie at Worth Hills Municipal Golf Course in Fort Worth, Texas, a facility made famous by author Dan Jenkins, Eschenbrenner made a career path to Professional golf through his association and friendship with many of the premier players in the Lone Star State, including legends Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson “I was fortunate to have known top Professionals, and I just wanted to be like them,” said Eschenbrenner “Had I not had golf, I’m sure I would have been in the pool halls forever I was friends with Ben Hogan, and knew him well Just as I am a friend of Byron Nelson, and individuals like Ernie Vossler (1967 PGA Golf Professional of the Year), Fred Hawkins and Orville Moody They guided me The PGA of America card meant a lot to me, and being a member, I was able to set goals and pretty high standards I am very honored to win this national award I always tried to give back, and that feeling comes from those PGA Professionals who got me started.” Eschenbrenner, a PGA member since 1965, was also the 1994 national Horton Smith Award winner for contributions to PGA education He has served as both a premier instructor and mentor to many of the game’s more Page 2\2005 PGA National Award Winners premier players He is credited by the legendary Lee Trevino for helping him gain a PGA Tour berth Eschenbrenner helped Trevino attain PGA membership in the late 1960s, during a period when PGA membership was required to compete on the PGA Tour The list of Tour professionals under Eschenbrenner’s tutelage features eight current players, including 2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem, a former PGA assistant professional at El Paso (Texas) Country Club, where Eschenbrenner served 35 years as PGA director of golf and five years as consultant The developer of a city-wide junior golf program in El Paso, Eschenbrenner also served on the board of the El Paso Sun Bowl and Sun Carnival Association In 1974, he founded the NCAA College All-American Golf Tournament, an event that has returned $546,000 in golf scholarships (prior to this fall’s tournament) to participating college programs Past tournament champions include: Tiger Woods, Jerry Pate, David Duval, Davis Love III and Scott Simpson From 1976-77, Eschenbrenner served as president of the Sun County PGA Section, was District 12 Director for the national PGA Board of Directors (1995-97), and was a past Board member of the Southwest PGA Section from 1965-74 He is one of the most respected instructors at PGA education seminars and employment workshops Eschenbrenner and his wife, Janet, are the parents of a son, Scott, of Las Cruces, N.M., and a daughter, Tami Swingler, of Austin, Texas PETER KRAUSE PGA Teacher of the Year Windsong Farm Golf Club – Independence, Minn Peter Krause, a PGA of America member since 1986, and one of the most respected PGA teaching professionals in the Midwest, is the first Minnesota PGA member to capture the PGA Teacher of the Year Award Krause, a former teaching professional at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn., is in his first season as PGA director of instruction at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minn A native of Coleman, Wis., the 51-year-old Krause is a PGA Master Certified Professional in Instruction and is a six-time Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year Award winner He also was the recipient of the 2002 Section Horton Smith Award “An honor like this is overwhelming as a teacher,” said Krause “The profession is about giving to others and improving their level of play I believe in the saying that it is more important to give than to receive.” Krause, who is single, is a 1976 graduate of Baylor University and was elected to PGA membership in 1985 He began playing golf as a 12-year-old, hitting balls back and forth at the Coleman (Wis.) High School football field and becoming a self-taught player Among those Krause credits for helping him form a teaching philosophy are a duo of famed PGA Teachers of the Year 1993 recipient Hank Haney and 2001 winner Craig Shankland more Page 3\2005 PGA National Award Winners “I had spent so much time trying to be a Tour player, that when I met Craig Shankland, he helped me channel my desire into teaching,” said Krause, who was the 2004 Minnesota PGA Senior Player of the Year “Craig convinced me that I had a gift to teach And, Hank Haney taught me the ‘Xs and Os’ of teaching I kept searching and scratching for a way to be effective Without Hank, I would not have had a chance.” In 1990, Krause established the Peter Krause Golf Academy at Bunker Hills From 1993-2000, Bunker Hills hosted the Burnet Senior Classic Among those players whom Krause met was Champions Tour veteran Graham Marsh, who sought the Minnesotan’s coaching advice prior to winning the 1997 U.S Senior Open, and then followed up by winning the 1999 Tradition “It was a very rewarding experience and also a learning experience to have a student win a major Championship,” said Krause WARREN BOTTKE Horton Smith Award Abacoa Golf Club – Jupiter, Fla A PGA member since 1981, Warren Bottke is a PGA Master Professional and has served as a PGA teaching professional for the past five years at Abacoa Golf Club in Jupiter, Fla He is a three-time winner of the South Florida PGA Horton Smith Award (1987, ’89 and 2004), and one of the original faculty members of the former Golf Professional Training Program, now PGA Golf Professional Management Program “Achieving this honor is pretty overwhelming, considering that you volunteer your time to the organization to make an impression upon aspiring Professionals,” said Bottke “To be recognized like this is very humbling, and I am very proud to be representing The PGA of America.” Bottke, a native of the Bronx, N.Y., grew up as a caddie in Mahoney, N.Y., and spent the bulk of his youth in Westchester, Pa In 1988, Bottke became the youngest PGA Master Professional, submitting a thesis on Golf Car Fleet Management “There were not many members who reached this level at the time, and I wanted to be the best of the best,” Bottke said “I continue that spirit in helping younger Professionals today.” Bottke and his wife, Lisa, live in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and are the parents of two daughters, Kaitlin and Andrea TOM NIEPORTE Bill Strausbaugh Award Winged Foot Golf Club – Mamaroneck, N.Y Tom Nieporte, a PGA member since 1962, is just the fourth PGA head professional at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., where he has served the past 27 years One of the most respected members of the Metropolitan PGA Section, he was honored in 1997 with the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association Family of the Year Award more -Page 4\2005 PGA National Award Winners A 1951 graduate of Ohio State University, Nieporte served in the U.S Navy from 1953-54 The winner of the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1967 as a club Professional, Nieporte maintained an even higher standard in governing the activities at Winged Foot Golf Club, as he patterned his management style after the club’s previous PGA head professionals, which included Mike Brady, Craig Wood and Claude Harmon The Bill Strausbaugh Award was established in 1979, and presented to a PGA Professional who, by their dayto-day efforts, has distinguished themselves in mentoring their fellow PGA Professionals in improving their employment situations and through service to the community The Award was named in honor of Bill Strausbaugh, a Middle Atlantic PGA Master Professional who died in 1999 “It means a lot to me to receive this honor, as Bill Strausbaugh and I were friends and knew one another for 45 years,” said Nieporte “I felt very close to him, and as famous as he was in the Association, he didn’t like the attention Golf is an industry that is going so fast these days, and you have to stay on your toes Bill looked at that part of the business, the people business He was concerned about the future of young Professionals I believe that I carried on the spirit of his work and am so proud to have been a guide to young Professionals who went on to be great head Professionals and contributors to golf.” Among Nieporte’s former assistants were 1998 PGA Teacher of the Year David Glenz of Hardyston, N.J., 2004 PGA Senior Club Professional Player of the Year Darrell Kestner, now a Top 50 Golf Digest instructor from Glen Cove, N.Y., and 1997 PGA Club Professional Champion Bruce Zabriski, of Jupiter, Fla Nieporte has been a longtime contributor and member of community service groups, from the United Way and Red Cross to the Special Olympics and local Boys and Girls Clubs At age 76, he reports daily for his duties at famed Winged Foot Golf Club, where he helps guide preparations for the 2006 U.S Open Championship “I still have a love and passion for the game and membership,” said Nieporte Nieporte and his wife, Joan, live in Bayville, N.Y., on Long Island, and are the parents of nine children: Joie, Joe, Tom Jr., Penne, Jay, Mollie, Pollie, John and Mimi The Nieportes also have 27 grandchildren WILL REILLY PGA Junior Golf Leader Twining Valley Golf and Fitness Club – Dresher, Pa Will Reilly, a member of a PGA of America golf family, is PGA head professional at Twining Valley Golf and Fitness Club in Dresher, Pa A 1989 graduate of Villanova University, Reilly grew up in a family that featured Hugh Reilly Sr., a PGA Life Member; and brothers Hugh Reilly Jr., a PGA assistant professional at Twining Valley and Michael, PGA Head Professional at Edgewood Country Club in Pittsburgh Will Reilly has spent the past 25 years at Twining Valley Golf Club, working up the ranks from age 14 as a “cart boy” to golf shop assistant and maintenance assistant to PGA Professional His father, Hugh Reilly Sr., was a partner in the club with former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski in the late 1980s, and later purchased sole ownership of the facility more Page 5\2005 PGA National Awards “I was brought up in the golf business and fell in love with the game and the business,” said Reilly, 41 “My mom (Sue) used to coach my junior golf team, and I would watch her help inner-city kids and saw what a great thing it was to be involved in programs like that It is amazing how much they enjoy the game, and I found that it made me stronger as a person “This Award is easily the biggest thing that has ever happened to me But, it’s just as much for my family The essence of the honor is what we The game of golf is all about teaching character more than anything I felt that about the game when I was at Bishop McDevitt High School (in Wyncote, Pa.), all the way through my college career to today.” A winner of the 2003 and 2004 Philadelphia PGA Junior Golf Leader Award, Reilly has been coordinating junior golf clinics for the past 25 years as part of a family-run operation at Twining Valley In 2004, he guided the development of the Philadelphia PGA High School Golf Coaches Summit to promote Section programs and helped encourage the development of high school golf This year, Reilly accepted the position of serving as head coach of Upper Moreland (Pa.) High School’s golf program, a township north of Philadelphia Reilly and his wife, Jodi, live in Huntingdon Valley, Pa FABIAN McINTYRE PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Public Facilties Falcon’s Fire Golf Club – Kissimmee, Fla Fabian McIntyre, a PGA member since 2002, is the PGA head professional at Falcon’s Fire Golf Club in Kissimmee, Fla This year, Falcon’s Fire was recognized by Golf World Business as one of the Top 100 Best Golf Shops in the country the only public facility in Florida to receive this honor The 1,600-square foot golf shop, which is supported by a six-person staff, also gained a berth on the Top 100 All-Time List by the magazine “This Award is a thrill for me, a great honor from The PGA of America and an honor for all our staff,” said McIntyre “They all have made great contributions to our success.” The merchandising philosophy McIntyre follows is a reflection of his diverse clientele at a club that has hosted a Champions Tour Qualifying School and been part of the Buick Scramble National Championships “We have customers in our golf shop from around the world, and for that reason, one of our primary goals is to create diversity in the products we carry,” said McIntyre “We work hard to keep a balance You have to get to know your guest, and we work hard to provide something for everybody’s budget – from the low-priced to the high-end piece.” Falcon’s Fire Golf Club’s philosophy is to give its guests “The Golf Experience that You Just Can’t Stop Talking About.” And, McIntyre and staff assure that its golf shop displays don’t follow the norm more Page 6\2005 PGA National Awards McIntyre once took one of the golf carts out of the club’s fleet and made it a centerpiece display, featuring merchandise in addition to the club’s Shortgrass Technologies GPS system for all golf carts For Father’s Day, the golf shop featured a Harley Davidson motorcycle in the center of the shop, complemented by leather logo duffle bags McIntyre, 35, a native of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, earned his U.S citizenship in 2000 In 1997, he earned an Associates Degree in Golf Complex Operations from the Golf Academy of the South in Orlando, Fla He entered into an apprenticeship at Rolling Hills Golf Club in Orlando, and remained there until 2001 He became a PGA teaching professional at Sunkist Country Club in Biloxi, Miss., from 2001-2002, and then returned to Orlando, where he became PGA head professional at Falcon’s Fire McIntyre and his wife, Julie, are the parents of a son, Matthew McIntyre is continuing his college education, enrolled as a junior in an online program at the University of Phoenix in business marketing JOHN BUCZEK PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Private Facilities Grandfather Golf and Country Club – Linville, N.C A PGA member since 1973, John Buczek (“Busic”) is in his sixth season as PGA director of golf at Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, N.C., a facility located some 4,000 feet above sea level and near the Tennessee border Buczek attended Wake Forest University and was captain of the Demon Deacons golf team in 1967 He went on to serve in the U.S Army from 1968-69 Upon discharge, he trained under famed PGA Professional Claude Harmon from 1970-71, and then became PGA head Professional at Crestmont Country Club in W Orange, N.J., from 1971-72 From 1973-83, Buczek was PGA head professional at Plainfield (N.J.) Country Club, during which time, the club hosted the U.S Amateur and the U.S Women’s Open From 1983-85, Buczek served as co-owner and director of the Golf Clinic at Pebble Beach, Calif., before returning to the Carolinas PGA Section as PGA head professional at Forsyth Country Club in Winston-Salem, N.C In 2000, he was named PGA director of golf at Grandfather Golf and Country Club, in Linville, N.C Buczek oversees a 1,000-square foot golf shop, and a staff led by his wife, Dariel, who has 30 years of merchandising experience Among the promotions Buczek guides for members are three demo days per season “This Award is a thrill and a fantastic honor I’m elated for my staff, and for my wife, who together are the ones hitting the home runs out there,” said Buczek, 61 “My wife spent many hours in the shop, while I was giving lessons She opened the boxes, trained the assistants, and did the accounting and the selling I was just kind of coaching We always had the philosophy to the best, but not because you have to If you can follow that, you can develop customer loyalty.” Buczek and his wife, Dariel, live in Winston-Salem, N.C., and are the parents of a daughter, Chase more Page 7\2005 PGA National Awards RONALD DUNHAM PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Resort Facilities Teton Pines Resort & Country Club – Jackson, Wyo A native of Owego, N.Y., and a PGA member since 1976, Ronald Dunham remembered a promise from a PGA Professional, the late Bob Klink of Binghamton (N.Y.) Country Club that opened the door to a professional golf career Dunham had attended Corning (N.Y.) Community College, and was drafted into the U.S Navy in 1969 At the time, he was working in the bag room at Binghamton Country Club “Bob Klink offered me a chance to turn Professional once I was discharged from the Service,” said Dunham “I followed him up on that in 1971, and turned Professional Bob was my mentor and a wonderful friend Every PGA Professional may have a story like that, but that was mine From there, it has been a wonderful journey “Winning this national Award is quite overwhelming It is an Award that goes to a team of people that includes my wife, Missie; Director of Retail Ann Dennis; and two PGA Assistant Professionals, Justin Scott and Randall King They have enabled us to provide customers with a unique experience every time they enter the golf shop.” Dunham’s merchandising philosophy is truly a reflection of the region he serves Customers to the 1,800 square-foot golf shop find a blend of the Old West and Wyoming’s recreational offerings (symbols of fly fishing and downhill skiing) displayed alongside golf accessories and merchandise “We find that customers enjoy finding artifacts and non-golf memorabilia, as they make their golf purchases,” said Dunham, 56 “We have decorated five Christmas trees with Western themes, and we also have made birdhouses carved out of cowboy boots that are by barbed wire We have tried a lot of ideas, and they are fun.” A former member of the PGA Board of Directors (1990-93), Dunham followed his assistant professional term at Binghamton Country Club in 1974, and served as PGA head professional at five clubs in the Central New York and New Jersey PGA Sections between 1974-2001 He accepted his current position at Teton Pines Resort & Country Club, in Jackson, Wyo., in 2002 Dunham and his wife, Missie, live in Jackson, Wyo., during the summer and spend the winter in PGA Village in Port St Lucie, Fla., where Dunham serves as PGA Rules Official in the TaylorMade-adidas Golf PGA Winter Championships The couple are the parents of a son, Michael, who is a goaltender for the NHL Atlanta Thrashers, and a daughter, Kristen Crawford, of West Palm Beach, Fla The PGA of America, founded in 1916, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf ### ... honored in 1997 with the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association Family of the Year Award more -Page 42 005 PGA National Award Winners A 1951 graduate of Ohio State University, Nieporte served in the... the Year 1993 recipient Hank Haney and 2001 winner Craig Shankland more Page 32 005 PGA National Award Winners “I had spent so much time trying to be a Tour player, that when I met Craig... more Page 22 005 PGA National Award Winners premier players He is credited by the legendary Lee Trevino for helping him