2022 IOWA GOLF SUMMIT
"What have we learned the past two years?"
presented by Miller & Sons Golf Cars & Standard Golf Company
TUESDAY, MARCH 8 - Des Moines Golf & Country Club, West Des Moines
For the fifth time, the Iowa Golf Association, Iowa PGA, the Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association, and the Tall Corn Chapter of the CMAA will bring industry leaders together to network and educate on working together. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 8th and will be hosted at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in West Des Moines. The general theme of the event will be centered around what we have learned from navigating the pandemic the past two years.
The keynote speaker will be Paul Long. Long is a motivational speaker and consultant that has challenged the corporate landscape for over a decade while engaging audiences around the globe. Through his concept of “Fundamism,” infectious spirit and unique take on F.U.N. in the workplace, Paul has provided memorable experiences for countless engagements including but not limited to workshops, trade shows, keynotes and more. As the Kansas City Royals’ 2016 Fan of the Year as selected by Major League Baseball, his shenanigans have been featured in media outlets like ESPN, the Washington Post and even the Wall Street Journal!
In addition to Long, there will be featured speakers from the USGA, PGA of America, GCSAA and Youth on Course on hand to discuss what they have seen on the national landscape.
Education credits are available for PGA Professionals, Club Managers, and Superintendents.
Don’t miss out – the deadline to sign up is Tuesday, March 1st.
"What Have we Learned the Past Two Years?"
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FEATURED SPEAKERS
Keynote Speaker
Paul Long - FUNdamism
Connecting to Life Through F.U.N.
What’s GOOD?! How do today’s best companies accelerate business results? By engaging their employees, celebrating all that’s GOOD and creating a culture of experience that empowers their workforce to create joy, FUN and fulfillment.
Paul Long is a speaker, author, podcaster and master of shenanigans. He has developed a concept called Fundamism, simply defined as the FUNdamentals of a F.U.N. and optimistic lifestyle. When implemented, Paul’s philosophy has been proven to reduce attrition, attract great talent, improve customer experience and drive employee engagement. Paul is not only great in discussing operational growth theory, but in his corporate leadership experience he’s also seen success putting his FUNdamentals into practice.
As the author of Fundamism: Connecting to Life Through F.U.N. Paul guides you on how to live your whole life—at work and at home—with joy, FUN and fulfillment as the driving force. The book does so through Paul’s entertaining real-life stories, researched-based recommendations, and practical exercises.
He travels the world delivering high-content keynotes and training to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and trade associations. His engaging, inspirational and unbridled energetic style is unlike any speaker you’ve experienced before. Paul’s thought-provoking content, tactical solutions for growth and humor that rivals that of a stand-up comedian consistently generates outstanding feedback from participants.
Paul challenges audiences to move beyond the traditional avenues of achieving happiness — money, title, status — and develop their own core values that create fulfillment both at work and home.
Visit Fundamism.com
Steve Tanner
Sr. Director of Player Engagement, PGA of America
Steve Tanner is the Sr. Director of Player Engagement for the PGA of America. In this role, Steve is committed to enriching the lives of PGA Professionals, golfers, families, and communities through the sport of golf.
Steve’s team is responsible for leading and developing the PGA of America’s growth-of-the-game initiatives including PGA Jr. League, Drive, Chip & Putt, PGA Family Cup, PGA Junior Golf Camps, National High School Golf Association, National Collegiate Club Golf Association, and City Tour. Prior to the PGA, Steve started multiple companies in the youth sports space, one of which grew into a multi-national franchise organization.
Steve has a B.A. and MBA from the University of Southern California, lives in Frisco, TX with his wife Alexis, and is the lucky dad of three daughters.
Hugh Smith
Director, Regional Affairs - Youth on Course
Hugh joined the Youth on Course team in 2018. He has nearly 20 years of golf administration and foundation experience working for the USGA, Met Golf Association in NY, served as ED of The First Tee of Phoenix and most recently Director of Regional Affairs of the Pacific Region for The First Tee.
Hugh is a Monterey Peninsula native growing up in Seaside. He was introduced to the game by his father who picked it up while on active duty at Ft Ord. Hugh achieved the rank of Eagle Scout like many in his family and was also fortunate to serve as a caddie at Pebble Beach while on the Monterey High Golf Team.
Hugh attended Jackson State University in Mississippi where he graduated with degrees in Finance and Management, the highest GPA of any student-athlete, won the National Minority College Golf Championship and was part of the team which was the first HBCU to ever make it to NCAAs.
Hugh is most excited about being part of the YOC Team and truly making the game more affordable and accessible.
Paul Jacobs
South-Central Region Agronomist - USGA
Paul has been an agronomist with the USGA for 6 years and currently covers the south-central part of the country and was in the northeast for the last 5 years before his move to the southwest last November. In addition to consulting work, responsibilities include agronomic support at USGA championships, developing educational material and speaking at local and national conferences.
Paul is originally from southeast Michigan and began playing golf at a very young age. His passion for playing golf led him to a career in turf management, which began in Michigan where he worked on a grounds crew for 5 years. After graduation from Michigan State, he took on management positions in the desert southwest at Tucson Country Club in Tucson, Ariz., Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., and Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif. Since joining the Green Section, he has consulted with several hundred courses and delivered over a hundred educational presentations in a dozen states and internationally.
Randy Robinson
Field Staff, Central Plains Region - GCSAA
Randy is not stranger to the Iowa golf scene. He started working on Lincoln Valley golf course at the age of 13 and later became the Assistant Superintendent there.
Following a brief 15-month vacation in the scenic territory near Mosul, Iraq serving as a Combat Medic attached to the 101st Airborne Division, he became the Superintendent at Lakeshore Golf & Country Club in Afton, IA for a year before moving to Huxley, IA to become the Superintendent at Ballard Golf & Country Club, where he spent 10 years.
After that, he took the position of Executive Director of the Iowa Turfgrass Institute and also serving as the Director of the Iowa GCSA, Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association, and Iowa Professional Lawn Care Association for 6 years. Now with the GCSAA, he’s back where he belongs concentrating on the game of golf and assisting golf course superintendents and GCSAA chapters in a seven state Midwest region.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. – Hot Breakfast
9:00 – 9:45 a.m. – Steve Tanner, PGA of America
9:45 – 10:30 a.m – Hugh Smith, Youth on Course
10:30 – 10:45 – Break/Network
10:45 – 11:30 – Paul Jacobs, USGA
11:30 – 12:30 – Lunch & Networking
12:30 – 1:00 – Presenting Sponsors Showcase (Miller & Sons Golf Cars & Standard Golf)
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. – KEYNOTE SPEAKER – Paul Long, FUNdamism
2:00 – 2:15 – Break/Network
2:15 – 3:00 – Randy Robinson, GCSAA
3:00 – 3:15 – IGA, Iowa PGA, Iowa GCSA Updates