Northern Texas PGA Unveils Namesake of Pavilion

Steven Clements • May 09, 2022

New Building on NTPGA Campus at PGA Frisco to be Called the Randy Smith and Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion

Dallas, Texas –  On Wednesday, May 4, the Northern Texas PGA’s Board of Directors and Executive Director hosted a luncheon at Royal Oaks Country Club. The luncheon’s purpose was to unveil the namesake of a second building that will be adjacent to the Northern Texas PGA’s offices located at PGA Frisco.


The building will be known as the Randy Smith & Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion. It is a 2,200-square-foot building specifically designed for the NTPGA Foundation’s community outreach and growth of the game programs, programs for which the Foundation is so well known.


It came as a great surprise to long-time NTPGA Member Randy Smith, Golf Professional Emeritus at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, that the building would bear his name alongside NTPGA Foundation supporter Dr. Bill Blair. It also features an image of Smith giving a lesson to a 3-year-old junior golfer Finley Ewing IV.  A rendering of the pavilion is above.

“It was a complete surprise to me to see my name on the building,” said Smith through a few happy tears.  “Thank you to my friend Dr. Blair for his significant contribution and to the NTPGA Board of Directors for this honor.”


Smith and Ewing IV were coaxed into appearing at the luncheon, being told it was an update for NTPGA Foundation supporters. Neither was aware of the name or image the pavilion would bear until it was announced by Northern Texas PGA Executive Director / CEO Mark Harrison.


“The picture that will be on the pavilion is my favorite picture from when I was a junior golfer and I am so humbled that I will be linked to Randy at the NTPGA’s new home forever,” said Finely Ewing IV.


Smith has been a PGA Member for 45 years and has received a multitude of accolades during that time. He was honored as the PGA of America’s Golf Professional of the Year in 1996 and the Northern Texas PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1989. Smith is known as a top instructor coaching Justin Leonard, Ryan Palmer and the 2022 Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler from the age of seven. He has also been a great advocate for the game of golf and the NTPGA Foundation. In 38 years, the Royal Oaks’ Great 108 fundraiser has raised over $1.9 million dollars for the Foundation. Smith has also played a role in making many introductions to Foundation supporters like the Ewing family, Dr. Blair and others. 


“It was such a truly special moment to surprise Randy with this announcement. He has been a great friend and champion for the Northern Texas PGA, the PGA professional and our junior golf growth of the game initiatives and there is no better person to bestow with this honor,” said Mark Harrison.


The Northern Texas PGA looks forward to opening the Randy Smith & Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion later this summer along with the new Northern Texas PGA Section office building and 2-acre synthetic turf, lighted golf park.


For a brief recap of the luncheon, check out the video
HERE.


About the Northern Texas PGA

The Northern Texas PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America and its geographic territory includes the State of Texas north of the 31st latitude, or just north of Austin. The Northern Texas PGA has approximately 900 PGA members and associates employed at more than 300 facilities.  The Northern Texas PGA has 17 full-time staff members and is currently headquartered in Dallas.


The Northern Texas PGA will be joining the PGA of America national office relocation to Frisco in the summer of 2022 with its own state-of-the-art headquarters on the PGA Frisco campus.


In addition to managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section, the Northern Texas PGA also operates a non-profit and charitable foundation that focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, internships and military & veterans.


About the Northern Texas PGA Foundation

Founded in 1983, the nationally acclaimed Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization, was rebranded in 2019 as the Northern Texas PGA Foundation. The Northern Texas PGA Foundation focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, internships and military & veterans.


The Northern Texas PGA Foundation is governed by the Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors and is supported by the Northern Texas PGA Foundation Trustees.

21 Mar, 2024
NTPGA set to conduct the Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open at Grapevine Golf Course Legends of the LPGA Division Included Projected Record Total Purse of $150,000 Today, the Northern Texas PGA announced a multi-year agreement with the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau to become the title sponsor of the Texas Women’s Open. The Championship will be named the “Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open.” The Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open will take place May 29 – 31, 2024, at Grapevine Golf Course in Grapevine, Texas. It will be the 44th playing of this historic event. The Women’s Texas Open was first played in 1933. Some of the game’s greatest names won the event in its early years, including Babe Zaharias, Betty Jameson and Betsy Rawls. The playing of the event was stopped in 1955 and revived in 2001 by the Northern Texas PGA to promote the game to female golfers throughout the region. The name was changed to the Texas Women’s Open. Today, the Texas Women’s Open offers a competitive tournament for some of the best professional and amateur female golfers in the country. In 2020, the Championship featured an incredibly talented professional field that included numerous LPGA Tour stars. It was the first professional golf tournament played in the world following the COVID shutdown. The current world number three ranked golfer, Celine Boutier, captured the Championship that year. In 2023, the Texas Women's Open began featuring a separate division for the Legends of the LPGA. The division is sponsored by the Ewing Automotive Group, a longtime partner and supporter of the game of golf in Texas. Eligibility in the Ewing Automotive Group Legends of the LPGA Division is open only to members on the Legends of the LPGA Priority List. Those who were entered last year included World Golf Hall of Famers like Sandra Haynie and Hollis Stacy along with native Texans, Angela Stanford, Jill McGill and Cindy Figg-Currier. This group of Legends combined for more than 50 LPGA Tour wins, including 10 major championships. The 2024 starting field will be comprised of 144 professionals and top amateurs from all over the country. The Open Division will consist of 120 professionals and amateurs competing for a projected $75,000 purse and the Legends of the LPGA Division will consist of 24 professionals competing for a separate $75,000 purse. The tournament will be played on the Pecan and Mockingbird nines of the 27-hole facility at Grapevine Golf Course. “Destination Grapevine is proud to be a multi-year sponsor in partnership with Grapevine Golf Course. It’s a great honor for Grapevine and our Byron Nelson-inspired golf course to host the historic and prestigious Texas Women’s Open incorporating the legends of LPGA Championship,” said Paul W. McCallum, Executive Director of the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau. Defending champion Grace Jin of Huntsville, Texas, will try to become one of only a handful of players to claim more than one Texas Women’s Open title. Only one player has won five Texas Women’s Open events: Babe Zaharias (‘40, ’45, ’46, ‘51 and ’52); other World Golf Hall of Famers who have captured multiple championships include Betty Jameson and Betsy Rawls. “Over the past several years, the Texas Women’s Open has gained great momentum. It was a goal of the Northern Texas PGA’s Board of Directors to continue that energy by securing a title sponsor and permanent home for the event,” said Mark Harrison, CEO of the Northern Texas PGA. “We couldn’t be more excited than to partner with the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau to enhance the Texas Women’s Open and continue the Championship’s positive momentum.” “It is also fitting that the City of Grapevine’s own golf course will host the Championship. Grapevine Golf Course is known for its exceptional year-round course conditioning, service and amenities highlighted by a new clubhouse that opened last year. Our team is very excited to work with the team at Grapevine Golf Course led by PGA Director of Golf Robert Singletary, who was instrumental in bringing this partnership to the table," said Harrison. The Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open is open to all professionals and competitive amateurs aged 18 & over. Junior golfers can earn exemptions into the Championship through qualifying events. Eligibility for the Ewing Automotive Group Legends of the LPGA Division is open only to members on the Legends of the LPGA Priority List. Registration is now available at https://www.ntpga.com/texas-womens-open . The entry deadline is Thursday, May 23. Proceeds from the Championship will benefit the Northern Texas PGA Foundation’s scholarship program with the creation of the Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open Scholarship. The scholarship will be designated for a Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour Member from the Grapevine area who will be attending college this fall. In 2024, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation plans to award more than $700,000 in scholarships to approximately 75 high school seniors from North Texas. ABOUT THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau acts as the promotional arm of the City of Grapevine and is responsible for actively selling, marketing and publicizing Grapevine globally. The Bureau promotes the city’s hotels, meeting facilities, historic and family attractions, festivals and events, dining establishments and retail businesses to the group meetings and leisure markets. ABOUT GRAPEVINE GOLF COURSE Grapevine Golf Course is a 27-hole facility located in Grapevine, Texas. The original 18-holes opened in 1979 and was designed by Byron Nelson. In 1999, a third nine opened and was designed by D.A. Weibring’s Golf Resources. Golf enthusiasts for years have enjoyed playing a rare blend of rolling fairways, penalty areas and bunkers that create a simultaneously challenging yet relaxing experience. ABOUT THE NORTHERN TEXAS PGA The Northern Texas PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America. Its geographic territory includes the State of Texas north of the 31st latitude, or just north of Austin. Over 1,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals employed at more than 300 facilities comprise this Section. Northern Texas PGA headquarters are located on the PGA Frisco campus and feature state-of-the-art office space, a growth of the game pavilion and a golf park designed for junior golfers. In addition to managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section, the Northern Texas PGA also operates a non-profit and charitable foundation that focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, internships and military & veterans.
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THE COLONY, Texas (February 26) – Lee Rhind, PGA head professional at Midland Country Club and partner Jarred Jeter, PGA assistant professional at Midland Country Club captured the 2024 KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship after shooting 68 on Old American Golf Club and a 29 on the back nine of The Tribute then winning a two-hole playoff. The 27-hole championship was hosted at Golf Clubs at The Tribute and was a Four-Ball Stroke Play event. Teams played Old American Golf Club and the back nine of Tribute Golf Links. Rhind, the newly elected West Texas Chapter President was competing in the event with two separate teams and assistant professionals; Jarred Jeter and Dru Hein. Both teams tied for first place at 10-under-par after 27-holes to force a playoff. After both groups made par on the first playoff hole, Jeter made a four-foot putt for par on the second playoff hole to clinch the championship. “As a team, the three of us played great all day. I think as much as me and Jarred ended up with the trophies, I think that this is more of a club win…very excited for our club and everyone today,” said Rhind about the victory. Jeter echoed by saying, “It's a great win for the family and a great win for the club.” This is Jeter’s second Section win in five months after winning the 2023 Section Championship in September and earning an exemption to play in THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. The upcoming PGA TOUR start is on his mind. “I think the guys have pushed me, especially Lee and Dru, to not wait until the Byron Nelson to get prepared for it. Start early, start getting in the gym to prepare to walk and play golf again but, it’s going to be a great experience and I’m looking forward to it,” said Jeter about his preparation. The duo won $3,000 out of the $26,000 total championship purse. The KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship was presented by Golf Clubs at The Tribute, Ahead, THE CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Club Car, Evolve Golf, Tagmarshal and Winston Collection. Old American Golf Club Par: 35-36—71 Yardage: 6,784 Tribute Golf Links (Back nine) Par: 36 Yardage: 3,420​​
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