All of us at the USGTF National Office wish each of you a Happy New Year, and sincerely hope that 2020 brings you a clear vision of all things, both professional and personal. Our team works hard to provide you with all the benefits that your USGTF membership entails. If you need to contact any member of our national staff, you can find their contact info at www.usgtf.com/contact. We look forward to serving you and your organization in the coming year!
The USGTF Southeast Region Championship will be held Thursday and Friday, January 23-24, at Rio Pinar Golf Course in Orlando, Florida. The tournament coincides with the PGA Merchandise show, so USGTF members looking to get in some golf and meet their fellow members will find this a perfect opportunity to do so. Tee assignments will be by age and gender.
The entry fee is $195, and entries can be sent to the USGTF National Office at 200 S. Indian River Dr., Suite 206, Fort Pierce, FL 34950. You may also call the office at (888) 346-3290 to enter by phone. Southeast Region director Mike Stevens is the host. If you have any questions, you may contact him at ams1127@msn.com.
Shane Bertsch, along with four other players, succeeded at one of the most difficult tasks in professional golf – earning a fully-exempt card on the PGA Tour Champions. Of all the 50-and-over players worldwide, only five earned full privileges for the 2020 season. Bertsch was the medalist, shooting 17-under-par. The final qualifier, Stephen Leaney, shot 12-under, meaning if you shot 11-under, you are relegated to partial status.
Bertsch played on and off the PGA Tour for years, highlighting how difficult it is for fringe players to eke out a living in the game. An excellent athlete, he started out as a top junior tennis player, but a 6-0-6-1 loss to Andre Agassi caused him to turn to golf full time. He also has three victories on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour.
Men’s USGTF Logoed V-Neck Cotton Vest –
Available in Blue or Olive. – $25.00 (limited stock). To order, please call (888) 346-3290 between 8am-5pm ETD.
I started playing golf in 1959 and became pretty good at it. I won a few junior tournaments and was the medalist in the 1968 Massachusetts Junior Championship. I grew to love the game and everything about it. In college, I played for the school team, but good is not enough for a pro career. Also, the Army and Vietnam had other plans for me. After my honorable discharge, I went to work in the pharmaceutical industry. Golf was still a love and something I still played a reasonably high level.
Twenty years at Big Pharma was becoming a grind. One day in November 1995, I was thumbing through a golf magazine. In the classified section an ad stood out – “Learn to teach golf,” United States Golf Teachers Federation. I registered for a certification course the next month. Turns out it was the best decision I ever made.
So many good things have happened since. Little did I know there would be world travel, three U.S. Cup teams, Top 100 teacher status, Senior championship and election to the Teachers Hall of Fame. The USGTF offered an opportunity and it changed my life. That day was my good fortune and I’ll forever be grateful.
Mike Stevens – USGTF member, Tampa, Florida
USGTF members have the opportunity to receive FREE On-Range equipment for
their Ranges as well as special USGTF pricing for their Award-Winning ELIXR Golf Balls
OnCore Golf is excited to partner with the USGTF in 2020. OnCore has established a reputation as true innovators in golf ball technology, developing proprietary core, mantle, and cover architectures along with novel perimeter-weighting approaches that deliver outstanding performance.
Their premium cast urethane ELIXR tour ball won a Golf Digest Gold award and the low compression, super soft AVANT 55 won Silver. Both balls consistently receive rave reviews from customers of all skill levels and OnCore’s website offers a ball-fitting program that new customers can use to find the ball that’s best for them.
To sell OnCore products and receive a special USGTF offer email steve@oncoregolf.com and find out more about their 2020 products by clicking here.
OnCore Golf is also excited to introduce a launch monitor and in-bay software app that is available to driving ranges across the country called The OnRange Experience! The OnRange launch monitors track and store valuable golf data such as ball distance, ball speed, ball spin, clubhead speed, launch angle, and smash factor – making practice sessions much more productive and informative and allowing users to access session data on a secure website afterwards. OnRange also provides its users with fun games like the Long Drive Challenge or Closest to the Pin to hone their skills while practicing!
Each OnRange session is 30 minutes at a cost of $9.99. Also offered is an unlimited weekly option for $19.99 along with an unlimited monthly option for $49.99. There is NO COST to bring the equipment to the range and OnCore offers a revenue share model for the range owner or golf professional. Email Ian.Repka@oncoregolf.com for more details on OnRange.
