Two Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club pros wrapped a banner 2018 season with accolades from the Professional Golf Association of British Columbia.
Head professional and golf operations manager Padraic O'Rourke and assistant golf professional Jordan Rourke both cracked the list released by the organization on Jan. 8. The rundown is determined by the group's Professional Development Program's Order of Merit, which is "designed to recognize PGA of BC members who make outstanding contributions to the Association, their communities, the province's golf industry and, mostly importantly, themselves," according to a release.
Activities ranging from playing in competitions and continuing one's education to participating in the PGA of BC annual buying show and volunteering help participants earn points.
Over 400 pros earned points in 2018 and with nearly 700 registered professionals in the province, they're not easy to earn. Rourke said it was an achievement just to crack the upper echelon.
"It's always a yearly goal for me personally to crack the top 100 because it's an accomplishment and it shows that you are involved with the association throughout the year, looking to grow professionally and to network," he said.
Added O'Rourke: "It looks good on resumes. It's good for your club members if your golf professionals are involved in education and events in order to crack in there and get enough points."
Professionals from Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club and Big Sky Golf Club also earned points, and O'Rourke said Whistler is spoiled to have a plethora of talent in the resort.
"There are very good professionals at all the golf clubs here in Whistler. I don't know, honestly, if it gives us a one-up, to be straight," O'Rourke said. "It probably gives us a little bit of boasting on the first tee in April when we tee it up."
While Rourke wasn't overly satisfied with his competitive season in 2018, he was pleased with what he and O'Rourke accomplished at their home club.
"We grew the membership. Overall, it was a good season. Obviously, we had a lot of members as well as transient guests that came through," he said. "Being a golf professional is not just golfing and teaching, it's managing and running the business. Overall, it was a successful year financially and for me personally, I think I developed more as a golf professional."
Both also placed an emphasis on continuing to learn more about the game and how to play as, like with most things these days, it is constantly changing with updates and developments.
"It's evolving every year with technology, so whether it's education seminars or learning about the new teaching radars (for swings)," Rourke said. "New equipment comes out every year and it's changing all the time, so it's just staying current."
