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OGA Honors Its Volunteers for 2009
WOODBURN, ORE. (November 4, 2009) – Each year the Oregon Golf Association (OGA) recognizes the contributions made by its volunteers for their contributions to the organization and the game of golf. “Volunteers are the life blood of the game, and giving back to the sport is simply what it’s all about,” noted OGA CEO Barb Trammell. “We are blessed to have a large group of devoted volunteers caring enough about the game of golf to give countless hours of their time to help us ensure that the services we provide, whether it’s a championship or golf course rating, are conducted at the highest level,” she added.
Awards are presented to honorees representing volunteers in championships, junior golf and course rating with one named overall volunteer of the Year. In 2006, the OGA renamed the Volunteer of the Year Award in honor of Bill Worden, an OGA volunteer who was the tragic victim of a traffic accident while on a course rating trip.
This year marked the first full season with Gretchen Yoder taking over responsibilities as the Manager of Course Rating and Handicapping. "It was a year of learning and many lessons were learned the hard way," said Yoder. "There are so many people who have helped me to be able to accurately and efficiently perform the duties of Course Rating. I could not have done it them, especailly those who stepped up to grow our program."
The first volunteer honoree was awarded to Gail Phillips of Eugene, Ore. "Gail has been there to help, sometimes on very short notice, for most of this year’s rating events," noted Yoder. "She started volunteering for the OGA several years ago, now serving as one of our Team Leaders. She has been integral to teaching our new course rating volunteers as well as me." Phillips is a member of Eugene Country Club.
Gene Chambers of Aloha, Ore., who plays at Meriwhether National, was named an honoree for his efforts with the Tournament Assisting Group (TAG) Team. Previously a basketball referee and bringing a great knowledge and background of sports to the TAG team, in his second full year on the team, he worked more than 10 days in 2009. Gene is always eager to do more and learn more even showing up at a tournament that he wasn’t scheduled at just so he could ride around with a rules official to learn more about becoming a rules official. He is the type of person who volunteers because he enjoys it, and not for any personal gain.
"Every year we seem to have a new volunteer who is a real go-getter, trying to do as much as possible to assist the association," said Brent Whittaker, OGA Director of Tournament Operations. "It seems appropriate that we recognize a Rookie of the Year, and this inaugural award goes to Jesse Castillo of Crewsell, Ore." Castillo retired from Qwest last year allowing him time to be one of the most active volunteers. He's volunteered at both adult and junior tournaments but also is a member of the OGA Course Rating team as well. He also volunteered his time assisting the Pacific Northwest Golf Association at their championships, as well as any other place or time his services could be put to use. After playing in the Oregon Senior Men's Stroke Play Championship and missing the cut, the underterred Castillo came back to volunteer on the final day of the competition. At Emerald Valley Golf Club where he plays, he marshals, helps with their Junior Golf program, and is a resident handyman fixing carts and broken plumbing and any odd jobs that need to get done there!
Finally, Owen Osborne of Black Butte Ranch, Ore. was named the overall Volunteer of the Year. Osborne has worked on the OGA Course Rating team for seven years and this year was one of the Team Leaders who attended the annual USGA Course Rating Calibration Seminar along with Yoder.
“This is the fourth one I’ve been to, and there’s no doubt about it, you learn something every time you come,” said Osborne. “[The USGA staff and Course Rating Committee members] try to make it so there’s something unusual that you have to think about.”
Owen Osborne (pictured on the right) leads a Course Rating Team.
He is shown here filling out a Form 1.
The purpose of a Calibration Seminar is to get consistency. Consistency in course rating helps ensure that everyone’s USGA Handicap Index translates to any golf course, regardless of the association was responsible for rating or where the course is located. Based on the USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating of a particular set of tees at a golf course, a golfer’s Handicap Index converts to a Course Handicap, representing the number of strokes needed to play to the level of a scratch player – or the Course Rating of a particular set of tees. The purpose of having a Handicap Index is to make the game fair and equitable for everyone who plays.
"I can’t say enough about how much Owen has helped me this year," said Yoder. "From attending the Calibration seminar to helping me with the nuts and bolts of scheduling teams for course rating, he has been there, just a call or email away. He has taken new volunteers under his wing and helped me to teach local Course Rating seminars."
About the OGA
The Oregon Golf Association (OGA) was formed in 1924 to conduct the Oregon Amateur golf championship which included both men and women. The OGA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit amateur golf association licensed by the United States Golf Association as a regional governing body for Oregon and SW Washington with responsibilities including the rating and measuring of all golf courses as well as administering and overseeing the USGA Handicap System®. We have relationships with nearly 100% of the regulation-length courses in the region – both public and private. OGA member clubs are comprised of nearly 50,000 avid golfers responsible for more than 2 million rounds of golf in the region amounting to more than 75% of all rounds played. Not including the money spent on equipment and apparel, our members have a direct annual economic impact exceeding $250 million.
In addition to its core business, the OGA also has subsidiary businesses including the OGA Golf Course, one of the premiere public daily fee courses in the region and a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary as well as Oregon Junior Golf Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation which is renowned for administering one of the best competitive junior golf developmental programs in the nation.
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