Nick Raffaele named Executive Director of CareerBuilder Challenge

(LA QUINTA, Calif.) – Golf industry veteran Nick Raffaele has been named the Executive Director of the CareerBuilder Challenge and the CEO of Desert Classic Charities.

Raffaele’s appointment begins immediately. He will be responsible for all aspects of the non-profit entity and the PGA TOUR tournament that it runs.

“We’re excited to bring Nick into this role, and we expect that under his leadership the CareerBuilder Challenge and Desert Classic Charities will continue to grow and thrive as integral parts of the Coachella Valley community,” said John Foster, the President of the Board of Directors of Desert Classic Charities. “I commend Bill Tait for the work he did to help us during this transition and look forward to his continued contributions as a member of our board.”

Raffaele comes to Desert Classic Charities and the CareerBuilder Challenge from golf equipment manufacturing giant Callaway Golf, where he was Vice President of Global Sports Marketing. He managed relationships with professional players on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and LPGA for the Carlsbad-based company, and helped grow Callaway’s brand through event management and charitable endeavors.

Prior to his time with Callaway, Raffaele managed PGA TOUR development for Spalding Sports.

“I appreciate the trust that John Foster and the rest of the DCC board have placed in me to carry the CareerBuilder Challenge and Desert Classic Charities into the future,” Raffaele said. “Desert Classic Charities is a tremendous organization with a long history of positively impacting this area. The CareerBuilder Challenge is a wonderful tournament with a rich history on the PGA TOUR, and is in a community that is passionate about golf. I look forward to moving my family to the Coachella Valley and helping the event become even better.”

The CareerBuilder Challenge – the Coachella Valley’s longest-running charitable event, organized and operated by Desert Classic Charities – has raised more than $57 million for Eisenhower Medical Center and other local charities since its inception as the Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960.

The 2017 tournament is scheduled for Jan. 16-22 and will be played at the TPC Stadium and Jack Nicklaus Tournament Courses at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club. More information is available at www.CareerBuilderChallenge.com.

Jason Dufner won his fourth PGA TOUR title – his first since claiming the 2013 PGA Championship – at the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge by shooting 25-under-par 263 through the regulation 72 holes (four rounds) and besting David Lingmerth on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.