PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Bob Philbrick of Edmond, Okla., the PGA general manager at Quail Creek Golf and Country Club in Oklahoma City, was one of six new members of the PGA of America’s Board of Directors sworn in today at the 96th PGA Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore (Md.).
Philbrick, 62, is joined by new PGA District Directors Bud Rousey of Pensacola, Fla.; Jim Richerson of Kohler, Wis.; Bill Hulbert of Yorba Linda, Calif.; Dan Koesters of Las Cruces, N.M.; and Independent Director Dottie Pepper of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who will each serve three-year terms.
Philbrick succeeds Michael Tucker of St. Louis, Mo., as the District 7 Director for the Gateway, Midwest and South Central PGA Sections. He was elected to PGA membership in 1976 and has served as PGA general manager at Quail Creek Golf and Country Club since 2003. This is his second time on the PGA Board of Directors, following a three-year term from 1997-1999.
“Being asked to serve my fellow District 7 members once was a real honor, so being asked again was an unexpected, and extremely pleasant, surprise,” said Philbrick. “I’m looking forward to joining my fellow board members and PGA Officers in helping to make The PGA everything that our members in the field and our headquarters staff would like it to be.”
A 1972 graduate of Kansas State University, Philbrick has more than 38 years of golf industry experience – starting on the grounds crew, moving on to become a PGA teaching professional and ultimately a general manager – at public and private facilities in a variety of locations, including Florida and Louisiana. He has spent the bulk of his career, however, at facilities within District 7, in both the Midwest and South Central PGA Sections. Prior to arriving at Quail Creek Golf and Country Club he was the general manager/PGA director of golf at The Golf Club of Oklahoma in Broken Arrow from 1999-2003, and held the same title at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kans., from 1994-1999.
Philbrick was the South Central PGA Section’s Bill Strausbaugh Award winner in 2008, and served on The PGA of America Education Committee from 2001-03. In 1992, Club Corp named him its Club Manager of the Year, and he was a Rules official at the 1999 Ryder Cup and the 1998–2001 PGA Professional National Championships. He has served as a consultant to more than 20 golf facilities in the past three years, and as a guest speaker at numerous universities and organizations.
The PGA Board of Directors is composed of the Association’s President, Vice President, Secretary, Honorary President and 17 Directors, which includes representatives from each of The PGA’s 14 Districts, two Independent Directors and a member of the PGA Tour. New District Directors are elected by their local PGA Sections.
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public’s interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.
Photo Credit: Bob Philbrick, Dottie Peppers and Bill Hulbert are sworn in as PGA District Directors during the 96th PGA Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore on the Inner Harbor on November 10, 2012 in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)