The PGA of America officially opened its new state-of-the-art new headquarters in Texas yesterday with a ‘Welcome Home Celebration’ at PGA Frisco.
Led by PGA President Jim Richerson and PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, PGA Members and key stakeholders celebrated the formal opening of the innovative 106,621-square foot building at PGA Frisco that will serve as the home of the PGA Professional.
The building, which will house around 120 PGA employees, features indoor golf training facilities including a chipping area, putting area, driving range simulators, and interior hitting bays with operable exterior walls for hitting out to the driving range. Educational spaces will be used to train, certify and develop PGA Members.
It will ultimately form part of part of a $550m, 660-acre PGA Frisco campus that will also include two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Gil Hanse and Beau Welling, a 510-room Omni Resort, a 30-acre practice facility, performance centre and clubhouse. All of which are due to open next spring.
“Our vision for our new Home of the PGA of America at PGA Frisco is to serve as the ultimate support system for our Members,” said PGA President Jim Richerson. “It will be a first-of-its-kind golf laboratory that offers the best in professional development for our nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals.
“From cutting-edge technology to Member and Associate education, PGA Frisco will serve as a destination and gathering place for our PGA Professionals. It represents the pride and passion exhibited in the work they do each day across the country to grow the game in their local communities. PGA Frisco will deliver the best in coaching, player engagement, golf operations and executive management, as well as host some of golf’s greatest Championships, and it will enable our Members to help golfers enjoy the game more now and in the future.”
“Without question, PGA Frisco puts us in a stronger position to support, elevate and advance the careers of our Members, as well as enhance their standing in the communities they serve,” added Richerson. “Through new growth-of-the-game innovations and initiatives, and advancements in education, our new home is closely aligned with what our PGA Members stand for and deliver on a daily basis. With the Professional Development Center directly linked to our home office and these wonderful facilities at PGA Frisco, our membership will also benefit from a central location.”
PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh added: “PGA Frisco is much more than a new home for the PGA of America. Aligning with world-class partners in a world-class location is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create the Silicon Valley of Golf from a commercial perspective. While on the participation front, we will bring multiple major championships, both men’s and women’s, to PGA Frisco. This, plus creating a destination with amazing courses, as well as innovative, state-of-the-art facilities, will attract, excite and engage new golfers and fans. Our aim is to challenge golfers of all skill levels to improve, enjoy, and ultimately, fall in love with the game for a lifetime.”
The Northern Texas PGA Section will also be located next door and is set to open in the autumn. With better connectivity between Sections through embedded state-of-the-art technology, there will be promising opportunities to pilot new programming for all 41 Sections of the PGA of America and bring more consumers into the game.
The PGA of America partnered with the City of Frisco, the Omni Resorts & Hotels/TRT Holdings, the Economic Development Council and Frisco Independent School District in a unique public-private partnership to create PGA Frisco. Frisco ISD students will be able to utilize PGA Frisco, and students at the University of North Texas will benefit from year-round internships.