These are just some of the accomplishments of the four recipients of the 2021 NSW/ACT PGA Professional of the Year awards.

Nominations for each of the four categories were again of the highest order as PGA Professionals guide newcomers to the game, foster new areas of growth amongst juniors and women, guide the fortunes of elite amateurs and world-class professionals and take an active leadership role in the performance of many of our top golf clubs.

“Our PGA Professionals have perhaps never been busier than the past two years and their influence on golf facilities has never been greater,” said NSW/ACT PGA State Manager David Barker.

“Their skills are diverse – from conducting lessons, coordinating golf operations all the way through to being actively engaged in management decisions at golf clubs.

“Our four award winners this year have been exceptional in their particular areas of expertise but I’d like to congratulate all of our PGA Pros for the way they have contributed to the game in the past year.”

Few have made a greater impact on their golf club than NSW/ACT Management Professional of the Year, Anthony Sinclair.

The General Manager at Federal Golf Club in the heart of the ACT, Sinclair has had an extraordinary influence on all areas of the business.

Through his leadership and skill set Sinclair has turned around the club’s previous financial struggles, instituted a rebrand and comprehensive marketing plan and implemented new course management practices that has the layout in superb condition.

The results of that are some 400 new members, close to double the number of monthly rounds, an increase of more than 200 per cent in equipment sales and the addition of 15 new corporate partners.

With a high priority placed on service, James Single’s devotion to the membership at Port Macquarie Golf Club on the Mid North Coast has earned him the coveted crown as the NSW/ACT Club Professional of the Year.

With a focus on the little things and providing the connection between the members and their club, Single has built a strong rapport since coming to the club eight years ago and continually looks for ways to engage new golfers.

One of his great success stories of the past 12 months is the Swing Fit program that has attracted more than 200 new female participants to Port Macquarie Golf Club.

More than 30 of those women have since become regular playing members and the ladies who have taken part in the Swing Fit program have encouraged partners, parents and even children to also give golf a go.

Giving golf a go has also been a key driver for Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club Professional Anthony Summers.

Summers has been named the NSW/ACT PGA State Coach of the Year (Game Development) largely due to the junior programs he has conducted not only at Ryde-Parramatta but also at St Michael’s Golf Club in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

An accomplished player on the PGA Tour of Australasia and now PGA Legends Tour, Summers is engaged with 36 juniors at St Michael’s, writes and conducts the program with 56 juniors at Ryde-Parramatta and has also contributed to the Western Sydney Academy of Golf High Performance program.

At a time when many juniors in Sydney have been restricted in terms of accessing the golf course, Summers went above and beyond in establishing online programs to keep the kids engaged and continuing to improve even when they couldn’t get on course.

The restrictions imposed by COVID-19 have also presented new challenges to coaches of elite players based overseas yet Gary Barter has experienced another year of great success.

Director of Tuition at The Australian Golf Club and a PGA Member for the past 33 years, Barter’s international movements have been limited the past two years but that hasn’t prevented him from guiding Matt Jones to a second PGA Tour title and Stephanie Kyriacou a second Ladies European Tour win in 2021.

Barter has also worked in elite amateur golf programs for Golf Australia and Golf NSW and his insights a highly sought after as a keynote speaker, appearing at both the NZ PGA and Victorian PGA teaching summits as well as presenting to the Australian PGA Teaching Summit.