Behind the Scenes
A capable
staff of PGA
Professionals is
the backbone
of Destination
Kohler’s golf
experience
By Don Jozwiak
Jim Richerson, PGA
Dirk Willis, PGA
Sure, this week’s PGA Championship
brings the top professional players from the
world’s tours to Wisconsin. But the
15 PGA
Professionals and apprentices who work at
Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run are
used to exceeding the expectations of golfers
throughout the season – from local and
national members and daily-fee golfers to
resort guests. No matter the clientele, the
PGA Professionals of the Kohler Company
maintain a major championship atmosphere
and level of service week in and week out.
As PGA General Manager and Group
Director of Golf for the Kohler Company,
PGA Professional Jim Richerson oversees the
company’s global golf business – including
the Duke’s Course in St. Andrews,
Scotland, and the Whistling Straits-Blackwolf Run tandem in Wisconsin.
Richerson is part of the PGA
Championship Executive Committee, and
he ensures the resources and expertise of
the Kohler Company are utilized during
the event and throughout the golf season.
“The business experience and manpower
of the Kohler Company helps make hosting
a PGA Championship run smoothly, and
gives us everything we need to create a
better golf experience,” Richerson says.
“We have a great staff who know exactly
what needs to be done to run a successful
event. Each year, we look at continually
improving – and the upgrades and changes we
make for the PGA Championship will be to
Dirk Willis, PGA director of golf for
Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run, is also
a member of the PGA Championship
Executive Committee. Willis oversees day-
to-day golf, retail and on-course food and
beverage operations at the four
Destination Kohler golf courses.
“Working for a worldwide company like
Kohler gives us, as PGA Professionals, an
excellent opportunity to become true
business professionals,” says Willis. “We
are intimately involved in every part of the
business, including budgeting, forecasting,
marketing and customer service. These are
skills you can use in any industry; we just
happen to apply them to the golf industry.”
PGA Professional Mike O’Reilly is
responsible for daily golf operations at
Whistling Straits as PGA head professional
for the Straits and Irish courses. As
executive vice chairman of the PGA
Championship Executive Committee, he’s
responsible for player services this week.
“There’s no way anyone could do this on
their own, or even with just a couple PGA
Professionals,” says O’Reilly, who has worked
in the Kohler golf operations since 1996.
“One of my No.
1 goals is to train and develop
assistant professionals so they learn valuable
lessons about day-to-day golf operations,
teaching, reading financial reports, running
major championships – every part of the
business. When they leave here, I want to be
sure that they’ve learned and grown as people
and as PGA Professionals.” ●
PLAYERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD have gathered at Whistling Straits this week to challenge the Straits course. That’s pretty much par for the course as far as the PGA Professional staff of the facility is concerned.
Class A PGA Professionals:
• Jim Richerson, PGA General
Manager and Group Director
of Golf for Kohler Company
• Dirk Willis, PGA Director of
Golf for Whistling Straits and
Blackwolf Run
• Mike O’Reilly, PGA Head Golf
Professional, Whistling
• David Albrecht, PGA Head
Golf Professional, Blackwolf
Run
• Josue Reyes, PGA
Merchandise Manager,
Whistling Straits and
Blackwolf Run
• Dave Kemnitz, PGA Assistant
Golf Professional, Blackwolf
Run
• Andrew Bang, PGA Assistant
Golf Professional, Blackwolf
Run
• Darin Saari, PGA Assistant
Golf Professional, Whistling
Straits
• Nick Dockter, PGA Assistant
Golf Professional, Whistling
Straits
• Jim Font, PGA Assistant Golf
Professional, Blackwolf Run
PGA Apprentices:
• Mike Aschenbach, Whistling
Straits
• Andrew Cain, Whistling Straits
• Ned Polzer, Blackwolf Run
• Mike Ries, Whistling Straits
• Ed Elsner, Whistling Straits
and Blackwolf Run
Destination Kohler’s PGA Professional Staff
Mike O’Reilly, PGA
94 THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM OF THE 2010 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
