CONGRATULATIONS DON GRAHAM, PGA See full list of Award Winners on pages 14-15 Officers President Gil Russell, PGA Happy Hollow Club [email protected] Vice President Don Graham, PGA Press Release Pg. 3 Dawn Neujahr, PGA Champions Run [email protected] Hole-in-One Club & In Memory Pg. 4-5 Secretary Mike Schuchart, PGA Save the Date & World Handicap Registration Pg. 6-7 Wilderness Ridge Golf Club [email protected] Honorary President World Handicap Resources Pg. 8-9 Nathan Kalin, PGA Fremont Golf Club [email protected] Membership Matters Pg. 10-11 Staff District 8 & Career Consultant Updates Pg. 12-13 Executive Director/CEO David Honnens, PGA [email protected] 2019 Special Award Winners Pg. 14-15 Managing Director—Nebraska PGA PGA REACH Nebraska A Life in Pictures & Top 100 Golf Businesses Pg. 16-17 Seth Scollard, PGA [email protected] Member Updates Pg. 18-19 Tournament Director Sean O’Neill, PGA [email protected] Director of Nebraska Junior Golf & PGA REACH Programming Assistant Kurt Karcher, PGA [email protected] Operations Manager Renee Tyson [email protected] Development Officer Bob Danenhauer [email protected] Digital Sports Media Director Brett Renner [email protected] 2 LINCOLN, Neb.— Don Graham, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Wild Horse G.C. in Gothenburg, NE was selected for the Sec- tion’s highest honor bestowed on a PGA Member as the 2019 Nebraska Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year. Graham was elected to membership into the PGA of America in May of 1995. A native of Coleridge, Nebraska, Graham was a 1991 graduate from Wayne State College with a degree in business manage- ment and a minor in economics. Graham’s PGA journey began at a 9-hole hidden gem in Northeast, NE called Summerland G.C. In 1993, Graham went to work for then Director of Golf at Norfolk C.C. in Norfolk, NE, Mike Antonio, PGA. After a short stint at Eldorado Hills G.C. in Norfolk and Elkhorn Acres in Stan- ton, NE, Graham took the PGA Head Professional job at Wild Horse G.C. in Gothen- burg, NE in 1999. Under Graham’s leadership, Wild Horse G.C. is consistently ranked in the top 100 of Golf Digest’s List of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. In 2016, Graham championed a half million-dollar on-site lodging project to make Wild Horse G.C. a true destination course. Life-long learning has been instrumental in Graham’s professional development as he is on track to become a Certified Profes- sional in the Spring. This year will mark another key milestone professionally as he will join the Quarter-Century Club as a PGA Member. Growing the game and giving back to his community is another trait that has played a key role in Graham’s 25-year PGA Career. In the fall of 2019, the Wild Horse Foun- dation was formed to help further the game of golf by providing members and guests the opportunity to give back to the game that has made a difference in their lives. These goals will come to life in 2020, as this foundation will sponsor supplies for a Family Fun Day, help defray some of the student costs for the junior golf program and establishment of a scholarship for one male and one female local golf scholar-athlete. Graham takes great pride in serving the community and his service in many areas. Graham is a Board Member on the Gothenburg Health Foundation which helped bring a $5 million YMCA project to fruition in the Gothenburg community. Hosting na- tional, regional and local events has played a vital role in Wild Horse being recog- nized across the country. Events such as the Adrian Fiala Memorial Tournament which has raised over $150,000 for at risk children in the Gothenburg community is near and dear to Graham. One of his largest passions is coaching area scholar- athletes from Gothenburg High School. Graham and the other special award winners and players of the year from 2019 will be recognized on Monday, March 9, 2020 at Hillcrest Country Club during the special awards portion of this meeting. 3 The 2018 PGA Professional Champion, Vermeer, the PGA Director of Instruction at Happy Hollow Club in Omaha, Nebraska, won his second consecutive national award during a season that includ- ed winning a third Nebraska PGA Section Championship, an event at Arbor Links in Nebraska City, where he blazed to a 54-hole scoring record. Vermeer also finished tied for eighth in the PGA Pro- fessional Championship and tied for 80th in the PGA Championship. Vermeer’s 2019 season included winning a third straight Nebraska PGA Player of the Year award and finishing T-69 in the PGA Tour’s Puntacana Corales Championship in the Dominican Republic. He collected 962.975 total points, while Marty Jertson of Phoenix, Arizona, was runner-up with 816. Danny Balin of Irvington, New York, (800) was third and Rod Perry of Port Orange, Florida, (786.25) fourth. Vermeer, 41, said his 2019 season had special “bookends” – events that bolstered his confidence and where he didn’t score a Player of the Year point - win- ning the TaylorMade Golf National Championship in March at Pebble Beach and helping the United States recapture the PGA Cup in September in Austin, Tex- as. “It’s been another awesome year on the golf course. My game held up pretty well considering I was playing in some high-level competition,” said Vermeer. ”To be able to come back and win an award like this – once is incredible – but to win a second year in a row is something that not many have been able to do. I am extremely proud and honored to be able to do it.” By Bob Denney, PGA of America 4 John Frillman, PGA 1936-2020 It is with heavy hearts that the family of John L. Frillman, PGA announce his passing onto greener fairways on Thursday, January 7, 2020 at the age of 83. Survived by wife, Judy Frillman; sons, Mark J. Frillman (Gina), Michael Frillman (Carrie), daughter, Karen Frillman; five grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; brothers, Tom Frillman (Marna) and Steve Frillman; other relatives and friends. Mr. Frillman loved three things in his life… his family, Happy Hollow Club and the game of golf. Mr. Frillman took over as the Head Golf Professional at Happy Hollow Club in February of 1965. Over the course of the next 36 years, Mr. Frillman would change the very landscape of the club and create a culture of excellence amongst pri- vate clubs in the region. Mr. Frillman was an exceptional player capturing the Nebraska Sec- tion PGA Professional Championship six-times in four different decades (60’s-70’s-80’s and 90’s); Pro-Assistant Championship seven-times in three different decades (70’s, 80’ and 90’s). Mr. Frillman stated that he would’ve won more Section Championships if it weren’t for some guy named Jim White, PGA MP. Mr. Frillman’s lone Section Player of the Year title came in 1986. Upon turning 50, Mr. Frillman continued his stellar playing resume by capturing the Nebraska Section Senior PGA Professional Championship seven-times from 1986-1999. Mr. Frillman had a short stint on the PGA TOUR Champions but home came calling where he finished his career at Happy Hollow Club where he retired in 2001. Mr. Frillman loved giving back to the game that gave him so much as he served as the Nebras- ka Section PGA President from 1971-1973. During his time at Happy Hollow Club he inspired and mentored numerous PGA Professionals who went on to own or operate their own facili- ties. Mr. Frillman said he was a blessed man as during his time at Happy Hollow Club he worked alongside the love his life, Judy who was responsible for not only keeping him in line but merchandising at the club. Mr. Frillman loved life and always had a smile on his face like he knew something you didn’t. His personality was larger than life but he always took time for his fellow PGA Professionals. 5 6 World Handicap System & New GHIN Products Training Seminars - Conducted by the Nebraska Golf Association You are invited to attend an informative and interactive seminar focused on the World Handicap SystemTM and new GHIN Golfer Products. Come enhance your knowledge of both topics to better assist your club’s membership with any questions they might have. Curriculum The seminar will focus on content within the World Handicap System 2020 manual and new GHIN Golfer Products. There will be discussion on common situations that may arise within your club and a review of the roles that your club Handicap Committee will take on. Following the World Handicap System content, an open-book, open-note quiz will be administered. Each club will need to have a representative score 80% or higher on the quiz for WHS certification. ALL MEMBER CLUBS MUST COMPLETE WHS CERTIFICA- TION BY JUNE 30, 2020. Below, you will find the dates for the upcoming WHS & GHIN Product Seminars. Seminars have a FIRM deadline 10 days prior to the date identified for each seminar. February 12, 2020 - Happy Hollow Club, Omaha—DEADLINE APPROACHING February 24, 2020 - Scotts Bluff Country Club February 25, 2020 - Lake Maloney Golf Club, North Platte February 26, 2020 - Kearney Country Club February 27, 2020 - Riverside Golf Club, Grand Island March 10, 2020 - Norfolk Country Club Registration Policy Attendees must register ten (10) days prior to the date identified for each seminar. Walk-ins are discour- aged and may not be accepted.