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COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 UPDATES

Follow PGA Professional Jamie Mulligan around Virginia Country Club and learn about eliminating risk at your facility. As golf reopens post-COVID-19, these best practices and preventative measures are imperative to ensure a healthy environment for all.

Safe Golf with Jamie Mulligan, PGA

The PGA of America has released the Back2Golf guidelines, which are available in the two linked PDF documents below. Per the guidance of the CDC, be advised that this information is changing daily and has very localized impacts, guidelines and restrictions. Utilize this as a resource, but stay connected to your local government officials and county health departments.
PGA.org Back2Golf Website (This link is password protected for PGA Members Only)

2020 SCPGA Special Awards Nominations are now available online.
All active Class A members of the Association will have the opportunity to nominate a person(s) from the Section for any or all of the awards. This is an opportunity for PGA Members to honor one of their fellow professionals. Please take the time to give acknowledgment to someone who has put forth the extra time and dedication to make our association the strong organization it is. Submit your nominations.

Watch the Youth Teaching & Coaching Summit Presentation: The Junior Golfer Journey featuring Nikki Gatch, Dr. Alison Curdt, & Andrea Lee. 

Watch the SCPGA Foundation College Golf Webinar featuring Andrew Larkin, Leslie Splading & Sahith Theegala.

Register for the SCPGA Catalyst Webinar, every Thursday at 8am.

Register for the next California PGA Chat, held every Monday & Friday at 10am

Watch the Coach Chat from 4/22/20.

Watch Monday’s CA Chat

 

As part of the federal CARES Act, the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program helps unemployed Californians who are business owners, self-employed, independent contractors, have limited work history, and others not usually eligible for regular state UI benefits who are out of business or services are significantly reduced as a direct result of the pandemic. The EDD will begin accepting online applications for this program on Tuesday, April 28. Learn More.

SCPGA Member webinar opportunities available this week:

Coach Chat (1 MSR Available) 
Wednesday, April 1st at 11am (Join Webinar In Progress)
Hosted on Google Hangouts, join the webinar link during the time above.

Youth Teaching & Coaching Summit with Rick Sessinghaus, PGA & Collin Morikawa (1 MSR Available) 
Thursday, April 2nd at 10am (Register)

California PGA Chat (1 MSR Available) 
Friday, April 3rd at 10am (Register)

Facility Survey #2 results have been posted, read here what fellow PGA Professionals are doing at their facilities during the COVID-19 situation.

Two more Member Chats have for Section Members have been scheduled, see below for schedule. Not only is each Member Chat worth 1 MSR Credit, but it provides members the opportunity to share best practices, challenges, and precautions that operators and Golf Professionals are facing as a result of our ever-changing environment. These Chats will be offered through Google Hangouts, and although calling in is an option, utilizing the video option is recommended.

SCPGA Introduces Member Chat:

The SCPGA will be offering two Membership Chats for Section Members to have an opportunity to share best practices, challenges, and precautions that operators and Golf Professionals are facing as a result of our ever-changing environment. These Chats will be offered through Google Hangouts, and although calling in is an option, utilizing the video option is recommended.

SCPGA COVID-19 SURVEY RESULTS (3/18/20 – 4pm)

PGA PROFESSIONALS, THEIR FACILITIES AND THE GOLF INDUSTRY
PGA HQ staff will be operating remotely effective Monday; while Valhalla and PGA Golf Club remain open to the public.  We also provided a set of common-sense recommendations for consideration by operators.  We have committed to keeping PGA Professionals up-to-date through “Five Things to Know” and PGA.org on a regular basis. From an MSR and education perspective, please note the following:

  • MSR Cycle – Extend the MSR cycle deadline from June 15, 2021 to June 15, 2022, for all Members.  This is due to a number of MSR activity opportunities – meetings, education, tournaments, player development – that could be postponed or canceled. Additionally, this relieves pressure on Sections and Members to conduct or take part in these activities during this unprecedented time of uncertainty.
  • Acceptable Progress – Extend the Acceptable Progress deadlines of all PGA Associates by one year.  As travel to the PGA Education Center is currently curtailed, PGA Education staff is exploring online opportunities.  With uncertainty of testing sites remaining open, this provides flexibility with regard to Associates meeting their deadlines.
  • PGA Golf Management University Students – 14 of our 18 GMU’s have currently cancelled classes and have moved to online delivery.  PGA Education Staff will work with the universities directly in regard to needed accommodations within the Criteria and Standards.
  • PGA Associates – We have cancelled pending seminars at Port St. Lucie through April.  81 individuals were impacted and we are refunding everyone’s registration fee and charging them back at a discounted rate.  The team is looking into online options that could be adopted in the future. Teaching & coaching and Executive Management is offered on a quarterly basis and therefore have not been impacted.

 

CHAMPIONSHIPS & EVENTS
At this time, we are working closely with state and local public health and government officials in Texas, California and Michigan regarding the playing of our three upcoming events:  The PPC, PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.  With the PGA Tour canceling The Players Championship and its next three events; the LPGA cancelling four events; and Augusta National postponing the Masters, we will be asked many questions about the status of our events.

We will continue to evaluate the status of each event every two weeks and provide further updates when available.  Our hope is that the situation will improve, and once cleared by public health authorities, our events could be a welcome “return to normal.”  That said, the health and well-being of all involved is our first priority and mandates from public health authorities will guide our decisions.

 

ASSOCIATION/SECTION BUSINESS
As noted above, we have asked all PGA HQ staff to work remotely for the foreseeable future in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our team.  We would recommend that all PGA Sections follow our lead in this area. The SCPGA has begun providing the option for staff to work remotely.  We have stressed to our staff how important it is that we continue to operate at an extremely high level to serve our Members and Sections during this period. The SCPGA will remain in daily contact with the PGA of America and Section Business Operations for any updates and changes.

In addition, we have put a travel ban in effect both internationally and domestically. As has the SCPGA.  For at least the next four weeks, we also recommend that you postpone any group gatherings you are planning to host. At this time we have cancelled, or postponed, Section activities through April 17th. We will review on a daily basis if a change is needed.

And most importantly, stay close to what your state and local officials advise for your area.  In addition, with the PGA Tour event cancelations, the corresponding qualifying events are also cancelled.

 

PGA Member Assistance Program
People are understandably concerned about their health, jobs and future. During these unprecedented times, the PGA Member Assistance Program provides confidential, professional counseling and online services for a wide array of personal and well-being concerns.  We encourage you to remind your fellow Members they can seek help at resources.pga.org. In addition, online guidance on preventive health and safety measures we can all take are available from the CDC.

This situation is evolving in real-time and we all  need to help be a part of the solution and then a big part of the recovery.  Our sport is incredibly well positioned to do that as we have in our society in many other times of need.  Let’s keep very open lines of communication as this situation continues to evolve.

Don’t hesitate to contact any one of us at the Section. Our direct phone line numbers are posted with our staff photo on scpga.com/team. If we are not in the office at the time of your call, leave a voice message and that message will be transferred through our email system.

Dear PGA Colleagues:

Due to the recent guidance announcement issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to avoid gatherings for the next eight weeks, the Section will be extending the suspension of all Section, Chapter, and Junior Golf events through May 10th, 2020.

Section Staff will continue to work remotely during this time. If you should need to get into contact, please click HERE to find each Staff Member’s direct line and email address.

Please click HERE to visit our dedicated COVID-19 website page for updates,  best practices, and important information on the ever-changing COVID-19 situation. The SCPGA COVID-19 Facility Survey results are available HERE.
You will find valuable information and insight into the precautions and best practices your fellow Section Professionals and facilities have taken. The survey link is still open, so please feel free to complete.

As this situation continues to evolve, we will update you with any additional changes.

On behalf of your Chapter Presidents, Section Officers, Tom, Jeff, Nikki