Ontario PGA Honours its Best

The Ontario PGA announced its 2008 award winners at the Ontario PGA Merchandise Show in Toronto as the association’s Club Professional, Teacher, Teacher for Juniors, Merchandiser and Assistant Professional of the Year were named.

Bill Wogden
Club Professional of the Year Bill Wogden has been the head professional at the Barrie Country Club for the last 17 seasons. Prior to Barrie, Wogden served as the first head professional at Royal Woodbine and, before that, apprenticed under the late Ben Kern at The National Golf Club of Canada in Woodbridge for 10 years.

Club Professional of the Year nominees are judged on acriteria including Canadian PGA involvement, business operations, teaching and coaching, playing ability and playing accomplishments, merchandising and entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
“It’s a great honour and wonderful feeling to be chosen for this award by my peers,” said Wogden, who lists Kern as his main guiding influence in the golf industry. “I really learned a lot from Ben from my time at The National and I’ve tried to take those experiences and apply them to Barrie Country Club.”

Tim Moore
Tim Moore, the head professional at Thornhill Golf and Country Club, was named Ontario PGA Merchandiser of the Year. Part of Moore’s merchandising philosophy consists of providing each member and guest with an individualized and personal golfing experience and carrying a wide assortment of products to meet the individual needs of the club’s diverse membership.
Merchandiser of the Year nominees are judged on criteria such as merchandising philosophy, pro shop layout, display techniques, support staff and overall promotion. This is the first win for Moore, who was also nominated in 2007.

“To win this award after coming up short in 2007 feels fantastic,” said Moore. “I am very lucky to have great people working for me and I couldn’t have won without them.”

Dan Poort
Dan Poort of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club is the recipient of the Assistant of the Year Award.

Nominees are judged on criteria such as staff management, teaching, member interaction and playing ability. Poort has spent the last seven seasons at Hamilton and this season was his first as the No. 1 associate and that brought new and interesting challenges

“I am truly honoured to win this award,” said Poort. “I owe a lot to my family and close mentors who have guided me throughout my career.”

Sean Foley
Sean Foley of Piper's Heath is this year's recipient of the Ontario PGA Teacher of the Year. Foley made a name for himself in 2008, adding a number of high profile PGA Tour players to his growing roster of students.

Teacher of the Year nominees are judged on criteria such as innovative teaching techniques to instructional articles, videos or promotions.

This is the first nomination and first win for Foley, who has become a renowned teacher over the last several years. Foley currently works out of Piper’s Heath in Milton during the summer and runs the Core Junior Golf Academy in Orlando during the winter.

“It’s an honour to win this award,” said Foley. “I love doing what I’m doing and everyday I get to see people smile and play the game they love whether they shoot 68 or 110,”

Mike Kelly
Mike Kelly, director of player development for the Golf Association of Ontario, is this year’s recipient of the Teacher of the Year for Juniors. Kelly has been a Canadian PGA Class A Member since 2006 and worked in various capacities within the ClubLink Corporation before joining the GAO.

Nominees in the Teacher of the Year for Juniors category are judged on contributions to the development of junior golf to leadership, inspiration and promotion of the game.

Kelly is responsible for growing the game in Ontario and has spearheaded the Callaway Golf in Schools program that included 15,000 students this year. “We’ve worked extremely hard to bring golf to the children over the last few years,” said Kelly. “This award feels fantastic to win knowing that my peers in the industry nominated me.”

All Ontario PGA award winners will now be put forward as national nominees.