By Bryan Leutdke
Published April 7, 2022 in The Burg
The Galesburg community is very lucky to have access to some wonderful golf courses, run by some of the finest PGA Professionals in the game. Oak Run Golf Course, Gibson Woods Golf Course, Bunker Links Golf Course, Lake Bracken Country Club, and Soangetaha Country Club are
all outstanding facilities that offer every player an opportunity to be one with nature, camaraderie with friends and competition against their rivals.
Oak Run Golf Course and their PGA Professional, Brett Horton, have had a 27-year relationship.
Brett has tremendous customer service skills, runs organized and successful golf outings, is an outstanding merchandiser in the golf shop, and a well-respected teacher of the game, especially juniors. Brett is everyone’s friend and is the epitome of what the PGA is all about.
Gibson Woods Golf Course and their PGA Professional, Randy Briggs, have also had a 27-year relationship. Randy won the Individual State High School Class “A” State Championship in golf TWICE and his high school team won the Team Championship all FOUR years he was in high school. Randy enjoys marketing golf events at his facility and promoting/teaching Junior golf to all the
up-and-coming young players.
Lake Bracken Country Club and their PGA Professional, JR Millar, have had a 22-year relationship with the last 16 as their Head Professional. JR is proud of the upgrades and changes they have made to LBCC over the years and is excited to be on the Board of the Iowa PGA, currently serving as the Secretary. JR has fantastic people skills and enjoys promoting his facility to new members. He and his family have strong ties to LBCC and proof that you can juggle a work/life balance.
Soangetaha Country Club and their PGA Professional, Kirk Hosteng, have had a 32-year relationship. Kirk is proud of the many accomplishments at the club during his tenure, especially the 100th Year Centennial Celebration in 1995. Kirk attributes his longevity to having great interaction with his members, treating everyone the same way, and raising a beautiful family with his wife while at “Soangy”.
In summary, to be a PGA Professional, you must be a skilled instructor, organizer of chaos, expert merchandiser, supervisor of staff, public relations specialist, promoter of the game, computer fixer, mathematical whiz, and an authority on the rules…. just some of the responsibilities on the plate of your local PGA Professional - Experts on the business and game of golf.