Carolinas PGA Section To Present Awards

By: Staff Writers

February 3, 2010 1

By Kate Anderson

Free instruction from PGA Professionals, a ceremony of recognition and an amazing trick shot show will be among the many highlights of the first Carolinas PGA Play Golf America Day of the season being hosted by the Resort Club at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 1 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While always a great place to receive free instruction from Carolinas PGA Professionals, win prizes and demo equipment from the likes of Titleist and TaylorMade – adidas among others, this year’s event will be highlighted by the Dennis Walters Golf Show, a special Patriot Golf Day recognition ceremony by Ryan Munson of the Folds of Honor Foundation, and the opportunity for attendees to donate to the families of our injured and fallen military heroes through Products for Good.

The event kicks off at 11 a.m. with free lessons from Carolinas PGA Professionals. There will be more than enough of our experts in the game and business of golf to go around, so we encourage everyone to get ready for the golf season with ten minute tune-ups! Alongside our PGA Professionals, many of the golf industry’s leading equipment manufacturers, including Titleist, Cobra, Nike, Mizuno USA, Callaway Golf, Aldila, Adams Golf, and more, will be providing hands-on testing of the hottest products on the market today. Attendees will be able to test drivers on the range, wedges at the chipping area and putters on the practice green. Representatives from each participating manufacturer will also be on hand to provide club fitting and product insight.

At noon, Ryan Munson of the Folds of Honor Foundation will recognize Tom Ducey, PGA, of Old North State Club in New London, N.C., Carolinas PGA board of directors president Kelly Childs, PGA, of the Country Club of Sapphire Valley (Cashiers, N.C.), the Burroughs & Chapin family of golf courses along the Grand Strand, and the thousands of PGA Professionals who have contributed more than $400,000 to Patriot Golf Day since 2008. Ducey, Childs and the B & C courses have combined to donate more than $64,000 this year alone – more than a third of total donations Section-wide. Over 400 facilities throughout North and South Carolina participated this year raising upwards of $180,000 for the families of our injured and fallen military heroes.

In honor of our military heroes, and as a tie in to the Patriot Golf Day recognition, Products for Good, a company based in Charlotte, NC will be on-site to raise money for the families of our military servicemen and women who have been injured or killed in the line of military duty. With an overall goal of thanking one million veterans in 2010, and raising $20 million to assist charities that support the families of our fallen and injured heroes, Products for Good will ask for donations of $20 to present a thank you gift to a Veteran on behalf of the donor. The donor can fill out a personal card for the Veteran and Folds of Honor will deliver that gift to the Veteran recipient. For more information on Products for Good, head to www.ProductsforGood.com.

Following the ceremony, Dennis Walters and his dog Bucky will wow our audience with The Dennis Walters Golf Show, an hour-long trick shot performance that features incredible feats in ball-striking alongside an inspirational message. Injured and paralyzed from the waist down in 1974, Walters has been performing his show and telling his story from the side of a golf cart since 1977. He is one of eleven honorary life members of The PGA of America and has appeared at PGA TOUR, CHAMPIONS TOUR, LPGA and Nationwide Tour events nationwide. His show will start at approximately 12:15 p.m. and you won’t want to miss a minute of the action!

Additionally, throughout the day attendees will have the opportunity to gather information on some of today’s most exciting golf participation programs that are part of the Play Golf America initiative, including Get Golf Ready, Link Up 2 Golf, PGA Free Lesson Month, Women’s Golf Week, July is Family Golf Month, Take Your Daughter to the Course and Bring Your Kids to the Range.

“This year’s event is especially close to our hearts as we honor and support our military and the efforts of our Section to that end,” said CPGA Executive Director Ron Schmid. He and CPGA Vice President Karl Kimball recently contributed nearly $17,000 through their fundraising efforts and completion of the Marine Corps Marathon, a race that saw a team from Folds of Honor, including Major Dan Rooney, the foundation’s founder and a PGA Professional, raise more than $70,000 for Patriot Golf Day.

“This event is always a huge success in growing the game and to be able to give our attendees the opportunity to see Dennis Walters perform and contribute to a most-worthy cause will make for an incredible celebration of the game of golf at Grande Dunes.”

The Resort Club at Grande Dunes is located at 8700 Golf Village Ln., Myrtle Beach. For more information on the PGA Play Golf America Day at the Resort Club at Grande Dunes on February 16, log on to , or call the club at 843-315–0333. Pre-registration is available at www.playgolfamericaday.com!

The Carolinas PGA would like to thank PGA General Manager Frank Coughlin, Vice President of Clubs & Amenities, Mike Buccerone, PGA, and the staff and members of Grande Dunes for their unwavering support of this event. We’d also like to thank presenting sponsors of this event, Mercedes - Benz and American Express as well as the Carolinas Golf Foundation administered by the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA), which contributes annually to all Play Golf America Days in the Carolinas. Without the CGA’s local contributions, none of our events would be possible. For a full schedule of events, head to www.carolinas.pga.com or www.playgolfamericaday.com.