13 PGA of America National Award Recipients Recognized at 72nd PGA Show
Editors:
For bios of all award recipients, click here.
For photos, click here.
FRISCO, TX AND ORLANDO, FL / ACCESS Newswire / January 23, 2025 / PGA of America Golf Professionals Scott Paris, Jason Baile and Tony LaFrenere headline the 2025 PGA of America Awards Class.
The Association annually recognizes 13 award recipients for their extraordinary accomplishments and efforts within the golf industry, standing out among more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals.
"Our 2025 PGA of America Award honorees embody the transformative influence of our Association on the golf industry," said PGA of America President Don Rea Jr., PGA Master Professional and Owner/Operator of Augusta Ranch Golf Club (Arizona). "These 13 remarkable recipients have devoted their careers to advancing this game we all love and have each made an incredible impact on their local communities. It's an honor to shine a light on their careers and accomplishments this year."
The award recipients were recognized at the 72nd PGA Show being held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, on the PGA of America Industry Stage presented by CapTech.
Also honored were the recently announced 2025 PGA of America Professional Players of the Year presented by Rolex: Men's PGA Professional Player of the Year Ben Polland of Jackson, Wyoming; Women's PGA Professional Player of the Year Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth of Jacksonville, Florida; and Senior PGA Professional Player of the year Jason Caron of Oyster Bay, New York.
2025 PGA of America National Award Recipients
PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year
Scott Paris, PGA - Plainfield Country Club - Edison, New JerseyPGA of America Teacher & Coach of the Year
Jason Baile, PGA - Jupiter Hills Club - Tequesta, FloridaPGA of America Golf Executive of the Year
Tony LaFrenere, PGA - Schaumburg Park District - Schaumburg, IllinoisBill Strausbaugh Award
Jason Epstein, PGA - Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, MarylandPGA of America Professional Development Award
Michael Jacobs, PGA - Rock Hill Golf & Country Club - Manorville, New YorkDeacon Palmer Award
Kammy Maxfeldt, PGA (Posthumous) - Metropolitan PGA SectionPatriot Award
Adam Relan, PGA - Bide-A-Wee Golf Course - Portsmouth, VirginiaPGA of America Player Development Award
Pam Elders, PGA - Boca West Country Club - Boca Raton, FloridaPGA of America Youth Player Development Award
Mike Suhre, PGA - Oak Brook Golf Club - Edwardsville, IllinoisHerb Graffis Award
Northern Texas PGA SectionPGA of America Merchandiser of the Year - Resort Category
Danny Rainbow, PGA - SentryWorld Golf Club - Stevens Point, WisconsinPGA of America Merchandiser of the Year - Private Category
James Ondo, PGA - The Apawamis Club - Rye, New YorkPGA of America Merchandiser of the Year - Public Category
Matt Adamski, PGA - Sweetens Cove Golf Club - South Pittsburg, Tennessee
Scott Paris, PGA, the Director of Golf at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey, is the recipient of the 2025 PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year Award. This is the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America Golf Professional, which is awarded for leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the Association and the game of golf.
A PGA of America Golf Professional since 1994, Paris has played an integral role in the success of the historic Plainfield Country Club, both locally and nationally, since 1997 when he was hired as PGA Head Golf Professional. He has served as Director of Golf since 2006 and also served as the Chief Operating Officer from 2018-2024.
Paris was instrumental in Plainfield Country Club hosting two PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoff events (2011, 2015) and in the awarding of three future USGA Championships (2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, 2031 U.S. Senior Women's Open, 2037 U.S. Senior Open).
His passion for mentorship has led to over 20 former Assistant Golf Professionals becoming either PGA Directors of Golf or Head Golf Professionals at facilities throughout the country. Paris has strived to inspire career advancement for his staff by providing interview training, objective goal setting and career seminars.
Paris helped establish the First Tee of Plainfield in 2009, the first First Tee program located at a private club. Additionally, ??he serves as an Evans Caddie Scholarship PGA Ambassador and helped implement the Evans Program at Plainfield CC. The first Evans Scholar from the facility was named in 2023.
A native of Avon, Connecticut, Paris graduated from Bucknell University in 1989, where he competed on the golf team and earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration. Following graduation, he moved to Florida to play mini tour events while working for DeLand Country Club. Prior to Plainfield, he worked for Aronimink Golf Club (1993-97) in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and spent winters at Bonita Bay Club (1993) and the Simon Holmes Academy (1994-96).
An accomplished player, Paris qualified for the 2019 U.S. Senior Open, Senior PGA Professional Championship (2024, 2021, 2019) and 2015 PGA Professional Championship.
Jason Baile, PGA, the Director of Instruction at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Florida, has been named the 2025 PGA of America Teacher & Coach of the Year for his outstanding services as a golf teacher, innovator and coach.
A Member of the South Florida PGA Section and a PGA of America Golf Professional since 1999, Baile's quarter-century career has been marked by dedication, innovation and continuous growth.
Among his achievements is the creation of the Jupiter Hills Performance Center (JHPC), a state-of-the-art facility that promotes excellence in golf and physical fitness. Together with his team-which includes PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon as Director of Putting and LPGA Hall of Famer Judy Dickinson-he has built a hub of expertise that guarantees unparalleled instruction.
Baile coaches players of all skill levels, including players from the PGA, LPGA, Champions and PGA Tour Americas Tours. Notable students include Lucas Glover, Peter Uihlein, Bud Cauley, Hayden Buckley and Ryan Gerard.
An award-winning instructor, Baile has received several within the South Florida PGA, including: Southeast Chapter PGA Professional Development Award (2023), Southeast Chapter Teacher of the Year (2022) and the South Florida Section Teacher of the Year (2022). Additionally, he received the Carolinas Section PGA Teacher of the Year (2018) and the Carolinas PGA Low Country Chapter Teacher of the Year (2018, '16).
Nationally, Baile has been named to the Golf Magazine "Top 100 Teachers in America" list annually since 2019, the 2023 Golf Digest "Top 50 Teachers in America" list, the Golf Digest "Best in State - Florida" list, Golf Digest "Best in State - South Carolina" list and is a Golf Range Association of America "Top 100 Growth of the Game" Professional.
Tony LaFrenere, PGA, an Illinois PGA Section Member and Executive Director of the Schaumburg Park District in Illinois, is the 2025 PGA of America Golf Executive of the Year. The honor recognizes outstanding services in an executive management position, as well as leadership, vision, courage, moral character and a substantial record of service to the Association and the game.
LaFrenere, a PGA of America Golf Professional since 1995, oversees the Schaumburg Park District, an independent unit of government that includes Schaumburg Golf Club. His leadership and dedication to golf has made a profound impact at the local, state and national levels.
LaFrenere manages a diverse portfolio in his current role, overseeing a $55 million budget and a dedicated team of 90 full-time staff and over 600 part-time employees during peak season. His responsibilities encompass not only the acclaimed 27-hole Schaumburg Golf Course but also three community fitness centers, an indoor tennis facility, multiple aquatic centers, an indoor waterpark, a 130-acre nature preserve with a working farm, an indoor fieldhouse, an extensive athletic complex and more than 100 park sites-a total of over 1,800 acres of park land and 980,000 square feet of facility space. In 2024, the Park District welcomed over 4.5 million visitors, a testament to Tony's effective and visionary management.
His leadership was instrumental in the extensive renovation of the Schaumburg Golf Club, transforming it into one of the premier public courses in the Chicago region. This achievement was recognized by the American Society of Golf Course Architects Design Excellence Program, and, in 2023, Schaumburg Golf Club was ranked among the top 50 courses in the country and the top 10 in Illinois by GolfPass.
Beyond his contributions to golf, he is a certified parks and recreation professional and his role includes advocacy for recreational programs at both the community and state levels, actively participating in regional legislative efforts and lobbying for pertinent legislative items in Springfield.
LaFrenere's long-standing dedication to the PGA of America, proactive leadership and commitment to fostering a thriving golf community underscore his exceptional service to the local Section and the Association.
For full bios of Paris, Baile, LaFrenere and all 13 PGA of America National Awards recipients for 2025, click here.
The formal National Awards ceremony is scheduled for this November during the 109th PGA of America Annual Meeting at the Home of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world's largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world's foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Contacts:
Jesse Dodson, PGA, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com
Jared Minksi, Mastro Communications, jared@mastrocomm.com
SOURCE: PGA of America
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