Setting the course for the future
23.04.2019
Greeting Messages from Partners
It is a tradition in the Swiss PGA to hold the Annual General Assembly each April as part of the Team Championship. The day after the US Masters, 101 Swiss PGA members and numerous guests followed the invitation and joined the General Assembly at Golfpark Waldkirch.
Swiss PGA President Keith Marriott opened the official section saying, "We had a historic moment yesterday - I'm sure everyone here in the room will remember all of his life where he was when Tiger Woods won his fifth Masters title."
Keith Marriott, President Swiss PGA
2019 is also a significant year for golf in Switzerland, which was also evident at this Swiss PGA General Assembly. The representatives of the public golf organizations (all long-time partners of the Swiss PGA) spoke directly after the president. Sandra Mazzetti delivered the words of welcome from ASGI General Secretary Pascal Germanier and recalled the historic day in Swiss golf, when on 16 March 2019 the Swiss Golf Association changed its name and anchored the involvement of the Public Golf organizations in the statutes.
Hans-Peter Schild, Leiter Migros GolfCard
Hans-Peter Schild, head of the Migros GolfCard, encouraged Swiss-PGA members to use the SNAG equipment during beginner courses with children. «Through SNAG, we bring children in schools into contact with golf for the first time. If they enjoy it - which is usually the case - they are invited to a beginner course at a nearby golf course with their family. And then the pros are in demand to ignite the golf spark", says Schild. The Migros GolfCard is available to anyone interested in questions about SNAG golf in the context of individual sport promotion and also offer a hand when it comes to «golf in schools» events and the right equipment.
The new Swiss PGA Premium Partner Alfa Romeo delivered a greeting message. Diego Battiston comments: "With our partnership we are supporting the Swiss PGA in the further development of golf in Switzerland, based on our pan-European sponsoring strategy to establish the Alfa Romeo brand in the golf world and to position it as a "lifestyle brand" opening up new target groups."
Diego Battiston, Fleet & Business Sales Director Alfa Romeo
Strategy Review
In the past financial year, the Swiss PGA, with the support of external experts, began reviewing its strategy. This process should be completed by mid-2019. "As an association, we need to find a strategy that will allow us and our members to be successful over the next 75 years," said Keith Marriott. It is all about gaining visibility, income and influence: "We have to work together as a team and go together in the same direction. In the future it will not be enough to know the right backswing technique, it also needs 'soft skills' in dealing with people and dealing with our customers. "
Tournament plan 2019 - New Members
Swiss PGA vice-captain Gianluca Patuzzo introduced the tournament calendar 2019; it includes three major events - the Swiss PGA Team Championship in April at the Golfpark Waldkirch, the Swiss PGA Championship in October at the GC de Genève and the Alfa Romeo Swiss PGA Matchplay Championship at the end of September at the Golfpark Zürichsee. The Swiss PGA Tour 2019 also consists of three events (GC Leuk, GC Markgräflerland, GC Lugano). In these three Swiss PGA Tour events, no entry fees will be charged. The Swiss Golf Regional Championnats (Romande, Orientale, Central) will have 20 starting slots reserved for Swiss PGA members in 2019. Furthermore, there is a prize money of 10,000 francs in each of these Regional Championnats, sponsored by Swiss Golf.
Gianluca Patuzzo, Board Member and Vize-Captain
Admissions to the Swiss PGA and a changes in membership status must be approved by the General Assembly. On April 15, 2019, five new Temporary Teaching Members and six Temporary Playing Members were accepted. The General Assembly also approved the admission of six new first-year apprentices.
Diplomas for golf instructors and golf directors
The Swiss PGA also has a tradition of honoring the "Apprentice of the Year" as well as handing over diplomas and passes to the successful graduates of Swiss PGA courses. Swiss PGA trainer, Andrea Mantoan, honored Sébastien Lussi as "Apprentice of the Year" and awarded him, as well as Linda Roos, Roxane Scharl, Stefan Zuber and Valentin Pache, the diplomas for successfully completing a three-year Swiss PGA Teaching Professional training.
Successful Apprentices: Stefan Zuber, Roxane Scharl, Valentin Pache, Linda Roos, Sébastien Lussi
Head of FED Russell Warner awarded the diplomas for the Advanced Professionals: Christian Bauer, Christophe Bovet, Marc Chatelain, Carlos Duran, Brian Kampwirth, Jill Kinloch and Keith Marriott.
Christopher Braun, Morgan Brossa, Nicky Rombaldi and Laszlo Streit have successfully completed their training as "Swiss Golf Trainer A"
Swiss PGA Advanced Pros: Christian Bauer, Brian Kampwirth, Carlos Duran and Keith Marriott
Swiss Golf Trainer A: Morgan Brossa, Marcel Meier (BASPO) und Nicky Rombaldi
A premiere was the handing over of the diplomas to the graduates of the Swiss PGA Golf Director course. Dr. Angelo Amonini, who has been supporting the Swiss PGA for years in education and training and created this new course, not only presented the diplomas to the seven graduates - Mirjam Fassold, Sandra Mazzetti, Sébastien Paratte, Tom Schurter, Andrew Gossage, Edwin van Westing and Pablo Della Santa - but gave a dedicated speech on the importance of this training.
«The core competence of the Swiss PGA is training. 380 members of this association deal daily with the topic. The Swiss PGA has always been a golf teacher - training as a golf manager has not been offered in Switzerland so far. The Swiss PGA Golf Director course meets the latest training standards. Instead of completing an exam, he completes his diploma thesis. Instead of taking intermediate examinations, the students develop a transfer project."
Amonini enthusiastically referred to the work delivered by the first course:" The transfer project with non-gender tees has already been implemented at the GC Heidental. I'm convinced that non-gender tees are the future of golf. Or the diploma theses - Sandra Mazzetti spoke about fitness for her diploma thesis with Rory McIlroy and other tour professionals. Impressive. In her diploma thesis, Mirjam Fassold examined the significance of the 'green' image in golf. By the way, Switzerland is ahead of Austria when it comes to sustainability in golf!
"Amonini promised that graduates of this course have the skills to run a golf club and, moreover," that a golf teacher is one of the most important resources of a golf club. Accordingly, these new managers will also involve the teaching pros in decision-making processes."
Golf-Directors: Sandra Mazzetti, Sébastien Paratte, Andrew Gossage, Pablo Della Santa, Tom Schurter and Mirjam Fassold with Keith Marriott (President) and Dr. Angelo Amonini (Program Manager)