The Philadelphia Section PGA recently announced its top award winners in various categories for 2024, none bigger than its Golf Professional of the Year award, which went to Scott Chisholm, the director of golf at Rolling Green Golf Club, the William Flynn gem in the heart of Delaware County in Springfield.
The Golf Professional of the Year award is the highest honor a Section pro can receive. It recognizes qualities of leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the Philadelphia Section PGA and to the game of golf.
Chisholm worked at several top courses in New Jersey before being named the head pro at Rolling Green, including Morris County Golf Club, Plainfield Country Club and Baltusrol Golf Club. He was elevated to his current role as director of golf at Rolling Green in 2022.
Chisholm got the approval from the membership at Rolling Green for a new structure in the pro shop that included the director of golf role that he now has, as well as a head pro, a director of instruction, four assistant pros, a golf manager and a director of outside services.
Chisholm believes one of the most important aspects of his job is to recruit, train and mentor the golf operation staff at Rolling Green. He believes he has put together a staff at Rolling Green that is second to none in the Philadelphia Section, if not the country.
Chisholm has tried to create a culture that is conducive to success, which includes setting clear expectations, leading by example, implementing standardized training and operating procedures and communicating with continued feedback.
Chisholm brought in Braden Shattuck, a Delco guy who went to high school at Sun Valley, as his director of instruction and, in addition to being an in-demand teacher, Shattuck has become one of the top club pro players in the country.
Shattuck became just the second Philadelphia Section player to capture the title in the PGA Professional Championship two years ago at the Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. Shattuck advanced out of the PGA Professional Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco at the PGA headquarters in Frisco. Texas to the PGA Championship for the second year in a row in the spring and was the low club pro at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
Shattuck was recently named the winner of the Philadelphia Section’s Rolex/Haverford Trust Company Player of the Year honor for the third year in a row.
Another member of Chisholm’s staff, assistant pro Fred Heller, will appear later in this post as the winner of the Deacon Palmer Award for the second year in a row.
Assistant pro Anthony Sebastianelli is a two-time Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization (PAO) Player of the Year and Greg Rhoads is a Bud Jennings PGA Golf Management Scholarship recipient.
Chisholm has sent two of his assistants on to head pro jobs and two others have gone on to become directors of golf. Staff development, Chisholm contends, is a success story at Rolling Green and has become a point of pride among the membership.
Rolling Green brought in Gil Hanse, the biggest name in the country when it comes to golf course renovation, to make some improvements to the golf course and Chisholm led the effort. As a result, Rolling Green has been restored to its roots as a Flynn classic that will continue to host major events like last summer’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship.
Chisholm worked closely with the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) on a 10-year deal that will bring some of GAP’s biggest championships to Rolling Green.
Chisholm’s roots as a PGA professional are as an instructor and he won the New Jersey Section’s Player Development Award in 2017. Golf Digest has recognized Chisholm as a Best Young Teacher in America and a Best Teaching Pro in Each State selection.
Chisholm’s philosophy in that area is to provide world-class instruction tailored to the needs of the player, offer diverse clinics and schools to appeal to all abilities, ages and genders, train a staff that is up on the latest technology and best practices and develop a culture that encourages learning, improvement and enjoyment of the game.
In addition to private and group lessons, Rolling Green offers several player development initiatives, including programs for women and junior golfers as well as special events.
Last winter, Chisholm led a significant golf shop renovation project that was completed on time and on budget and resulted in a 15 percent increase in sales, despite the shop being closed for several months.
Chisholm’s merchandising approach includes giving customers a personalized shopping experience, knowledgeable staff members, efficient planning and improved vendor relations.
Chisholm is the District 6 director on the Philadelphia Section’s board and is a member of the Section’s Awards Committee.
John Rudolph, the director of instruction at Fieldstone Golf Club in Greenville, Del. was named the Philadelphia Section’s Teacher & Coach of the Year for his “outstanding services as a golf instructor, innovator and coach.”
Rudolph has spent the last 15 years at Fieldstone. He was the head pro for 11 years before taking on his current role in 2021.
Rudolph’s teaching philosophy is to help a player build better contact, direction and distance, in that order, while achieving and maintaining good rhythm and swing tempo, encouraging positive thoughts and tailoring the instruction to the needs of the player.
Rudolph believes measuring is critical in his analysis and helps build player confidence.
Rudolph is always trying to improve as a teacher and has earned six PGA certifications. He is also certified in the American Development Model, Titleist club-fitting, Ping club-fitting, SuperSpeed Golf, Trackman, BodiTrak, the Positive Coaching Alliance and EyeLine Golf.
A U.S. Kids Master Instructor, Rudolph has also been recognized as a Golf Digest Best Teacher in Delaware and has appeared on the U.S. Kids Top 10 Instructor and honorable mention lists.
Rudolph has become a leader in the area of youth golf at Fieldstone. He revitalized the club’s junior golf programming by implementing the U.S. Kids curriculum, rebranding youth golf camps and developing a high school performance program.
Rudolph has coached Fieldstone’s PGA Junior League team for the last seven years, an effort that has been so popular that there is PGA Junior League programming all year round.
Students of Rudolph’s youth golf programs have reached the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals and have been individual and team champions at the local, regional and national levels.
Ten years after being honored by the Philadelphia Section with the Bill Strausbaugh Award, Scott Nye, the long-time director of golf at Merion Golf Club, has received the award again.
The Bill Strausbaugh Award recognizes a professional who has demonstrated exceptional character, integrity and leadershi9p with his teaching and mentorship of other pros.
This year, Nye has juggled multiple roles as the director of golf at Merion and at High Grove in Venus, Fla. while also being the championship director at Merion. He will step down as the director of golf at Merion to concentrate on his role as the championship director.
Nye’s approach is simple. He tries to treat everyone the same from staff to club members.
He tries to help the pros in his golf shop to improve professionally by doing a better job in his or her role while also helping he or she to navigate the process of going after a better job.
Other clubs often seek out Nye’s advice when they are searching for professionals to fill out their pro shop staffs.
Nye played a key role in helping to bring six future USGA championships to the iconic facility in the Ardmore section of Haverford Township, including the 2026 U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Opens in 2034 and 2046, and U.S. Opens in 2030, the 100th anniversary of Bobby Jones completing what was then the calendar grand slam by winning the U.S. Amateur, 2040 and 2050, the 100th anniversary of Ben Hogan’s epic U.S. Open victory.
The 2026 U.S. Amateur will mark the 20th time Merion has hosted a USGA championship. No club has had more.
Nye is proud of the relationship he has maintained with the USGA while representing the PGA of America.
Nye received the PGA of America’s Merchandiser of the Year award for a private facility in 2014 after earning the same honor in the Philadelphia Section in 2012.
Nye was also the Philadelphia Section’s Golf Professional of the Year in 2012 and earned the Section’s Player Development Award in 1996 and 1997.
Sean Palmer, the chief operating officer of the Union League’s three courses, was named the winner of the Philadelphia Section’s Professional Development Award.
The award recognizes the Section member who displays commendable contributions to the education of PGA professionals.
Palmer attributes his contributions to educating his fellow Section pros to his leadership with the Union League’s golf team and intern training.
As a member of the Penn State PGA Golf Management Alumni Board, Palmer has been able to connect Union League’s golf operation with his alma mater, allowing him to work with PGA Golf Management university students and local Section pros in educational sessions that cover a variety of topics.
In 2019, Palmer developed a curriculum that he dubbed Union League University that is designed to train PGA Golf Management university students in every aspect of the private club business.
Palmer and the Union League host PGA Magazine conferences such as the Assistant Golf Professional of the Year conference and its general managers program.
Palmer sits on the Philadelphia Section’s Education Committee. Before becoming the CEO of the three Union League facilities, Palmer was a Union League head pro and the director of golf. It has always been his priority to promote the PGA of America golf professional and redefine what it means to be a PGA member in the 21st century.
Palmer was named the Philadelphia Golf Professional of the Year in 2021 and a decade ago in 2014 he was the Philadelphia Section’s Justin Riegel Assistant Golf Professional of the Year.
John Pillar, the director of golf for the Country Club at Woodloch Springs in Hawley, won the Philadelphia Section’s Patriot Award. It is the second time Pillar has won the award, having previously received the honor in 2019.
The Patriot Award goes to a pro who personifies patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrates a commitment and dedication to the men and women who have served and protected our country.
A past president of the Philadelphia Section, Pillar is passionate about honoring the lives of local service men and service women. He established a new PGA Hope chapter for the PGA of America REACH Foundation Philadelphia, the Section’s charitable arm.
As part of that effort, the Country Club at Woodloch Springs hosted its inaugural District 2 Patriots Cup in October.
Pillar has embraced the Folds of Honor Foundation, the mission of which is to provide educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members.
With Pillar leading the way, Woodloch Springs has raised more than $11.3 million over 15 years for veterans and their families, handing out more than 200 scholarships to family members of fallen service members. Woodloch Springs provides complimentary vacations to eight to 10 Folds of Honor families each year at no cost.
Pillar, who was inducted into the Philadelphia PGA Hall of Fame earlier this year, was named one of the Section’s Playing Legends in 2021. He was named the Section’s Golf Professional of the Year in 2007.
Tessa Teachman, an assistant pro at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, was named the winner of the Section’s Player Development Award.
The award recognizes a pro who displays exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of player development.
Teachman became a PGA of America professional in 2022 as an instructor at The Quarry Golf Club in Naples, Fla. A college standout at LSU, Teachman played for a decade on the Symetra Tour, now known as the Epson Tour, the LPGA’s developmental circuit. She arrived at Aronimink in 2023.
At Aronimink, Teachman has run 26 different programs targeting specific groups such as non-golfers, women and youth golfers. Teachman utilizes Operation 36 to help beginners improve their games and encourage their play on the golf course.
Teachman’s efforts have helped increase participation in Aronimink’s women’s sessions by 40 percent and in PGA Junior League by nearly 70 percent.
Teachman is also a trained yoga instructor and offers yoga classes for golfers in Aronimink’s new performance center.
Teachman serves on the Section’s Education Committee, mentors PGA Golf Management University students and has created a comprehensive winter education program to support professional growth at Aronimink.
Daniel Mrozinski, the head pro and junior golf director at Commonwealth National Golf Club in Horsham, was named the winner of the Section’s Youth Player Development Award.
The award recognizes a pro who has made exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of youth player development.
Mrozinski has developed comprehensive youth programs at Commonwealth National which encompass various age groups and skill levels. His programs emphasize skill development, character building and safety.
Mrozinski has championed efforts to engage diverse communities to introduce the game to a wider range of young people. Mrozinski mentors pros at the local level and via the Section’s Youth Golf Committee.
Mrozinski participates in as many education workshops and seminars as he can to support his youth golf programs and initiatives by the Section and PGA REACH Philadelphia.
Michael Shank, the director of golf at Wilmington Country Club, was named the Section’s Merchandiser of the Year at a private facility.
The award recognizes a professional working at a private facility who excels in business and merchandising in the promotion of golf.
Shank has been a PGA professional since 2000 and worked in the Middle Atlantic and Metropolitan sections before arriving a Wilmington. His philosophy is simple: Always try to exceed the expectations of the members.
Shank participates in all vendor meetings, attends merchandise shows and determines the merchandise mix of lines for the golf shop. Shank and his team have created digital lookbooks for the membership with some products modeled by his staff.
Shank and his staff believe in a soft-sell approach. The staff is knowledgeable about the products and wears the brands carried in the shop.
The golf shop’s vision, just as it is with the larger golf operation, is to promote golf, provide outstanding service, be well-informed, present an impeccable image, provide consistent policy and attain constant improvement.
Shank was twice honored by the Metropolitan Section with its Player Development Award.
Matthew Hoffman, the head pro at the Carlisle Barracks Golf Course, was named the Merchandiser of the Year at a public facility.
The award recognizes a professional working at a public golf facility who excels in business and merchandising in the promotion of golf.
The head pro at a public course is always busy, but Hoffman makes sure not to neglect the merchandising operating at Carlisle Barracks, which is owned by the United States Army’s Family and Morale and Welfare and Recreation programs.
Hoffman estimates he spends 35 percent of his time on the golf shop floor, which allows him to better interact with the facility’s daily-fee customers and understand what they’re looking for when they walk into the golf shop, whether at Carlisle Barracks or elsewhere.
Hoffman has dropped most of the stock hard goods in the golf shop as most of his sales result from custom club-fitting.
Fred Heller, an assistant pro at Rolling Green, was named the winner of the Section’s Deacon Palmer Award for the second year in a row.
As I mentioned earlier, Heller is on the staff of the Section’s Golf Professional of the Year, Rolling Green’s director of golf Scott Chisholm. The Deacon Palmer award gives special recognition to a Section pro who personally displays outstanding integrity, character and leadership in an effort to overcome a major obstacle in his or her life.
The Deacon Palmer winner is an individual who is an ongoing hero or heroine at his or her facility who serves to inspire, empower and assist others inside and outside the game of golf.
Heller was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his right leg in 2006 and had has knee and part of his tibia removed. When the cancer returned in 2018, Heller was forced to have his leg amputated above the knee.
Heller said his challenging situation changed his outlook on life completely. His philosophy is just to smile and try to make everyone around him smile and appreciate life because things can change at any moment.
Heller can often be found at disabled golf clinics, including the Good Shepherd Learn to Golf Clinic, classes at Drexel and National Amputee Golf Association clinics and he serves on GAP’s rapidly evolving Adaptive Golf Committee.
Heller started coaching a boy who lost his leg to amputation and the youngster was able to earn a spot on the roster of his high school golf team.
Heller says many of the Rolling Green members tell him that he is an inspiration to them when they see him play and that motivates Heller to promote the game of golf even more.
Beatrice Smith, an assistant pro at Gulph Mills Golf Club in King of Prussia, was named the Justin Riegel Assistant Golf Professional of the Year, which honors the memory of Riegel, a long-time assistant in the Section who died in a tragic accident in 2020 while on the job after he had taken over as the director of golf at Philmont Country Club.
The award recognizes a Section assistant pro who has excelled in the business and merchandising in the promotion of the game.
Smith believes the keys to success for any assistant pro is flexibility and versatility. A mentor once advised her to be a “Swiss Army knife,” capable of handling various tasks, regardless of preference.
Smith leads the buying program at Gulph Mills and strives to introduce new lines and products each year while also continuing to offer the brands that members cherish.
Smith stays busy in the offseason, hosting multi-day golf schools at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Smith is a member of the Philadelphia PGA Women’s Committee, helping women PGA pros connect and network in an effort to improve their careers and the facilities where they are working.
Smith is an assistant coach for the golf team and a youth development director at Agnes Irwin, which competes in the Inter-Ac League.
Smith has been involved with the HerClub, Women Golfers Give Back and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.
Lori DesRuisseaux, a sales representative for Belyn Key, Criquet, Corkcicle, 2Under, VimHue, Skoni, Melly M, Cappai Designs, and OT6247, is the Section’s Salesperson of the Year.
The award recognizes a salesperson who contributes to the Section and is involved with sponsoring Section evens. It is also an individual who is respected among the Section’s clubs and implements new ideas to assist in growing the game.
DesRuisseaux is a long-time supporter of the Section and its pros. Her philosophy is to be a good listener, have attention to detail, be responsive, never oversell and be passionate about what you do.
DesRuisseaux makes it a point to keep clients up to date on what is selling well and what the current trends are while also providing ideas for marketing and event operations.
DesRuisseaux serves on the Women’s Central Penn Golf Association Board of Directors and has volunteered for local USGA events, including the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in 2023 at Stonewall’s North Course and the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club.
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