2017 Yearbook (2)

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Hello everyone from
the West Coast of
Iowa! It’s been a great
honor to be inducted
as President of the
Iowa Golf Association.
I have been involved
with the IGA for about
10 years and have
enjoyed every minute
of it. The best part
of all is meeting the golfers from around the
state. The statement “If you play golf, you’re
my friend” made by Harvey Penick, definitely
applies to Iowa golf.
2017 has been another memorable year. With
over 20,000 IGA individual members and
nearly 200 member clubs, we continue to
expand as an organization. With that growth,
we are committed more than ever to growing
the game. We are so fortunate that we have
great accessibility and affordability for golf in
Iowa. Not too many states have it as well as we
do.
It is also exciting that the IGA Foundation
continues to grow. Thanks to your support
we proudly award the
The selection committees
of these awards marvel at the high level – and
sheer number - of applicants each year. The
fundraising gifts, large or small, are indeed
appreciated! It is one of the IGA’s goals to
maintain and grow these valuable scholarships.
What can you say about our IGA staff? They
go above and beyond every year! It’s hard to
imagine any other state getting better service
with such a small group than us. With a limited
staff and budget, Chad Pitts, Bill Dickens,
Katelynn Hogenson, Clint Brown and interns
Nate McCoy & Brooke Miller make every
IGA event a pleasure to participate in. Their
enthusiasm, professionalism and knowledge
help many Iowa golfers enjoy a great golfing
experience. From all the golfers in Iowa -
Thank You!
The level of play from players around the
state continues to amaze. 2017 had very
competitive championships throughout our
schedule. The leaderboards were filled with
notable longtime champions and new “up
and comers”.
Ladies, it looks like “there is a new sheriff
in town” with the amazing performance
of 15-year old, Junior Player of the Year,
She won the Iowa Women’s
Amateur by 13
shots, becoming
the 2nd youngest
champion ever! She
will be fun to follow
as she continues
her career in high
school and college.
captured the men’s
Player of the Year.
J.D. has been on the
doorsteps several
years for this noted
achievement. His
67 during the final
round of the Iowa
Mid-Am at Beaver
Hills Country Club
was one of the best of
this year. and
won the women’s open and senior Player
of the Year awards, respectively. These ladies
played great all year and showed a lot of class.
We started a new Player of the Year race in
2017, the Super Senior Men’s. It was great to
see longtime IGA supporter
win the initial award. The future looks bright
for Junior POY’s nd of
course Britta Snyder. Last, but not least, what
a historic year by Hall of Famer and Senior
Player of the Year, He excelled
in state and around the world. From Iowa to
Britain to Canada
to Florida, his
year was one for
the ages!
The entire state
showed out at
one of 2017’s
biggest golf
events, The
held in August
at Des Moines
Golf and Country
Club. The play
of the women was superb and the community
support was second to none! Kudos to Des
Moines Golf and CC for a “job well done”.
They made all Iowans proud as attendance
and excitement were at all-time highs. The
volunteers – of whom the IGA was a small
part - worked and prepared for months for this
memorable week.
The IGA held its Annual Awards Dinner
at the beautiful Elmwood Country Club in
Marshalltown. The Players of the Year and
ere both honored.
These great people and their staffs are the
backbones of Iowa golf. Please give your local
PGA Pro, Golf Course Superintendent, Club
Manager and all their staffs a big smile when
you see them in 2018! They all do a fantastic
job and we don’t thank them enough.
I would like to thank the USGA for their
continued support of the IGA. Through
some re-organization the IGA shifted regions
- from the Central to the Great Lakes –
and we are excited to work with our new
Regional Director Tyler Riggin. We were sad
to see our former
Director Mark
Passey retire, but
we know he is
having a lot of
fun playing more
golf these days.
Last, but not
least, I would
be remiss if I
didn’t mention
outgoing
President
Andy Burton.
His service and
leadership leaves the
IGA in great shape
and poised for even more growth. Thank you
Andy!
As we close the book on 2017 we can look
forward to an exciting and fun year in 2018.
It will be great to see you all. Thanks for your
continued support of the IGA!
A Message FromThe President
President Mike Pape
Mike Pape
Britta Snyder
2017 Solheim Cup
(Courtesy, LPGA)