Wednesday, June 5, 2013

CPGA Plays Prominent Role in New Golf Book


Mike Harmon and Dana Rader among several Carolinas-based golf pros featured in Joel Zuckerman’s latest title: “Pro’s Pros”

(GREENSBORO, N.C.) — Mike Harmon, PGA, was once hired as Director of Golf at a private club in the Lowcountry of South Carolina where he was tasked with assembling a large and vibrant national membership — five full years before the golf course had even been built. Harmon’s leadership and diligent effort eventually led to what is today the internationally renowned Secession Golf Club near Beaufort.

Through the years, Charlotte’s Dana Rader, PGA, has blasted her way through the glass ceiling and now sees some 15,000 students annually at her eponymous Golf School in Charlotte, where Rader is one of the most successful golf instructors in the nation.

Harmon and Rader are two of the Carolinas-based golf professionals featured in “Pro’s Pros” award-winning golf writer Joel Zuckerman’s seventh book that profiles the historic impact of some of the country’s most accomplished and regarded club pros.

Another member of the Carolinas Section of the PGA of America (CPGA) featured is Gary Hobgood, PGA, head professional at Happy Valley Country Club in Wilson, N.C., who in 2012 earned the CPGA’s prestigious Golf Professional of the Year award. Zuckerman details how a true “Jack-of-all-Trades,” cuts fairways at dawn, takes green fees, cooks burgers —anything and everything to keep his operation running.

Also featured by Zuckerman is John McNeely, PGA, who partnered with billionaire golf nut Wayne Huizenga to build the ultra-exclusive Diamond Creek in Banner Elk, N.C., one of the most jaw-dropping golf clubs of which most people have never heard.

Zuckerman (www.vagabondgolfer.com) shines a spotlight on the beating heart of golf and the glue of the game — the club professional. Each mini-biography tells the story of their roots, their journey and the difficulties and triumphs they encountered as they rose to the top of this demanding-yet-rewarding profession.

It is stories like these and some two-dozen others that celebrate all the gifts a club professional brings to golf. In words, photographs, and exclusive chapter-ending tips designed to provide on-course guidance for fellow golfers and career advice for fellow professionals, these 30 exemplars showcase why golf remains vitally important to the lives of millions of players, both avid and casual alike.  

“Pro’s Pros” is 325 pages, full color, hardbound, published by Saron Press LTD of South Carolina and $29.95 includes shipping (US) available only at www.prosprosbook.com. Discounts available for PGA members, PGM students and bulk purchasers.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

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