My Video
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PGA Secretary Campaign Update |
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Written by Ted O'Rourke
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Tuesday, 17 November 2009 |
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I have enjoyed the opportunity to interact with PGA Professionals from across the country over the years that I have been attending National meetings.
My campaign for Secretary of the PGA of America has been driven by an intense desire to serve the Association that has served us all so well over the years. As a candidate, I have made it a point to emphasize that the backbone of the PGA of America is the PGA Professional because of the positive impact that we have on the game and our facilities.
Because of our training, we as PGA Professionals are uniquely positioned to influence the financial success of our facilities. Our knowledge and attitude towards teaching, as well as our ability to fit and play, truly make PGA Professionals the “experts in the game and business of golf.” However, despite our talent and expertise, we cannot think that we are the antidote that will cure all the ills that might befall our facilities. 2009 was a difficult year for a number of facilities, and therefore a number of PGA Professionals. Economic conditions dictated more responsibility with longer hours for smaller golf staffs. Morris County Golf Club was no exception.
As I look to the next 12 months, I see two possible paths to follow. As a candidate, I see another exciting opportunity to interact with passionate PGA Members on the campaign trail during our district meetings and candidates’ forums. As a PGA Professional, I also see a fundamental shift in the philosophy of the golf club that I have been fortunate enough to be associated with over the last twenty years. The current economic hardships that we all face have been a part of this change and have reduced my budgets and staffing levels. I have worked tirelessly to help the club and lead by example during these hard times. Ultimately, I believe that the time and dedication Morris County Golf Club requires from me in order to get through its current difficulties will affect my ability to properly serve and lead our Association into the future.
Therefore, it is with extreme disappointment and regret that I withdraw my name from consideration for the Office of Secretary of the PGA of America. I believe serving this Association takes a 100 % commitment and unfortunately that is a commitment that I cannot make at this time. I would like to thank each of you for your support and friendship and all that you do to represent the PGA of America. I look forward to continuing to stay involved in both Section and National activities.
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Candidate for PGA Secretary |
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Written by Ted O'Rourke
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Monday, 13 July 2009 |
It has been just under two months since the leaders of our association got together in Port St. Lucie for the Conference of Leaders. I have always enjoyed participating in these meetings, as they are an important piece in the governance of our association. It was great to see so many friends and I enjoyed being a part in the numerous exchanges of ideas and concerns that face each and every PGA member today. That conversation about the future of the PGA of America is what I hope to continue with all of you.
I was humbled by the outpouring of support for my campaign for Secretary in the last election. Uplifted by the many words of encouragement that I received from fellow PGA members and friends urging me to run once more, I have taken some time to consider both my future and that of the PGA of America. After spending many months analyzing the campaign, the issues that were debated over the course of it, and its eventual outcome, I came to the conclusion that I still have the passion and desire to serve this great association that has given so much to all of us. And so, it is with great pride and humility that I officially announce my candidacy for Secretary of the PGA of America.
Since I became a member over 27 years ago, I have felt commited to enhancing the lives of all PGA members. We all feel the need to show our expertise and value to our employers, especially in this time of transition and uncertainty, while also staying true to the fundamental values of the PGA member: playing, promoting and teaching the game of golf. It is these values and our education that makes each of us an expert in the game and the business of golf. However, it is the passion for the game and the commitment that we demonstrate every day that makes us truly successful.
It was my love for the game of golf that compelled me to pursue a career in the business, and it is my devotion to seeing the lives of all PGA members improved that compels me to pursue the office of Secretary of the PGA of America. These qualities along with the experiences and exchanges I had with many of you during the last campaign make me even more prepared to be a national officer and assist in preparing the association for its centennial celebration in 2016.
As I have said to many of you before, I say to all of you now: I will continue to passionately pursue the pathway of excellence that our association deserves by keeping the culture of the PGA member in the forefront. I look forward to continuing the conversation with you over the coming months, and I hope I can count on your support in 2010!!
Sincerely,
Ted O'Rourke, PGA |
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Written by Ted O'Rourke
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Tuesday, 14 April 2009 |
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Recently I spent a week playing golf in northwest England as a guest of the local tourism industry and Haversham & Baker Golfing Expeditions, a company that specializes in providing international travel arrangements to the members of American country clubs. The experience exceeded my expectations in almost every way possible. If you’ve never been on the golf trip there, you need to put one on your personal bucket list. It’s simply one of the very best destinations for links golf—every bit as good as what you find in Scotland and Ireland with a lot more convenience.
The courses are outstanding. We visited seven different championship quality courses, including three which host the British Open—Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Hillside Golf Club, adjacent to Birkdale, has one of the most attractive back nines I’ve ever seen. Southport & Ainsdale, adjacent to Hillside, hosted two Ryder Cups.
The convenience is hard to beat. In a sixty mile stretch along the Irish Sea north from Liverpool there are at least a dozen courses worth playing. If you stay in Southport in the center of the stretch, five of the championship courses are within a 15 minute drive and the other two are only about an hour. More time on the courses and in the pubs…less time on the bus.
Staying in Southport a couple of nights gave us plenty to do with our extra time. It has a casino and lots of restaurants and bars within an easy walk of the downtown hotels. We ate one night in a particularly good restaurant that specialized in seafood.
If you stay in Southport, you can choose between a funky, chic hotel on the main street and brand new Ramada on the seafront. Nearby there is a golf resort with 27 holes, covered driving bays, an indoor pool and spa. Royal Lytham has an appealing Dormy House with 16 single rooms. And our last night we stayed in one of those elegant English manor houses near Royal Liverpool. The husband and wife who own the place drove us from the golf course to their hotel in vintage Rolls Royces.
The luxury car chauffeur drive is only one example of the warm hospitality we experienced everywhere we went. Know how in some Scottish and Irish clubhouses you are confined to “visitors” rooms? Not so in England. We were greeted by members at every club we visited and the three Royals even designate you as a “temporary member” with full privileges rather than a visitor. Before this trip, I thought the English were stuffy. Boy was I wrong!
Great week! You should do it when you get a chance.
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