We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2023 George Holland Volunteer of the Year awards and the WA Golf and Club of the Year award. This year’s recipients were highlighted at the 102nd WA Golf Annual Meeting, held October 28, 2023, at Mill Creek Country Club.
The George Holland Award annually recognizes volunteers who have made extraordinary contributions to Washington Golf and the game of golf throughout the WA Golf territory of Washington and Northern Idaho. These dedicated individuals contribute many hours of time and effort, as well as resources, to our Association, simply for the satisfaction of knowing they are benefiting the game of golf. They are truly the “unsung heroes” of WA Golf. It is named the George Holland Award in honor of longtime volunteer, contributor, and two-time past president, George Holland.
The WA Golf Club of the Year Award was established in 2019. The award recognizes the membership of a WA Golf Member Club for outstanding contributions to its community, the game of golf or the Association.
Club Representative of the Year
Steve Bosley – Auburn GC Men’s Club
Steve Bosley, President and Club Representative of the Auburn Golf Course Men’s Club, has been named the 2023 Washington Golf Club Representative of the Year.
Members of the club provided numerous nominations and votes of praise for Steve’s efforts with the club. One example reads, “Steve Bosley personifies leadership. He leads over 1,000 club members in running the best club in the state. Steve has shown unwavering dedication to the Auburn GC Men’s Club. He ensures all events are run fairly and equitably. He has volunteered over 500 hours to the club this year. He is always trying to make the club better with fun tournaments and charitable contributions!”
In his role as a Club Rep for WA Golf, Steve is always responsive and helpful with anything the association needs. He calls frequently to check in on club questions and to confirm that he and the club are leveraging the association tools and resources to the best of their ability. With nearly 1,200 active club members, he knows that clear communication and understanding between the club and WA Golf is critical for success.
Steve has been involved with the club for over 15 years, including 10 years in leadership roles. He has served on the board as an at-large member, Tournament Chairman, Vice President, and now President and Club Rep for three seasons. Steve grew up in Caldwell, Idaho before attending the University of Idaho and then moving to Western Washington in 1987.
Course Rater of the Year
Dave Nelsen
We are proud to announce Dave Nelsen as the 2023 Washington Golf Course Rater of the Year.
Dave has been a course rating volunteer for over 10 years. In that time, he has joined us on over 100 ratings and thousands of miles on the road. Dave is a great person to have around, with a cheerful and helpful attitude. He has this positive attitude with not only fellow raters but also the many golfers we encounter on the course ratings. He is always happy to talk with golfers and help them understand what we are doing on the course.
In 2023, we were a little short on raters. Of the 38 ratings scheduled, Dave volunteered for all but two. This included around 10 trips to the east side of the state. When we travel to the east side, we carpool from the Tacoma area where our office is located. Dave lives in La Conner, Wash., which is 100 miles away, but even with the long commute he is happy to participate in our cross-state trips.
Handicap Chair of the Year
John Saegner Jr. – The Home Course Men’s Club
John Saegner Jr. from The Home Course Men’s Club has been named 2023 Washington Golf Handicap Chair of the Year.
It would be easier to describe everything John has not done for the Men’s Club over the years. He has been the handicap chair since the club’s inception in 2007. Over his years of service, John has also been the president and tournament chair for the club, and for a time serving all three roles simultaneously.
John is at the club for almost every event, acting as a starter and scorekeeper. He created the club’s Knuth point system to facilitate fairness in the club’s events. He was instrumental in their pace of play system creation and monitoring.
Some of the ways club members describe John are, “Invaluable to the Club,” and “A walking encyclopedia of golf,” and “A true gentleman of the game of golf.”
Championship Volunteers of the Year
Bob Witter
Bob is a longtime Washington Golf championships volunteer, and within the last few years has stepped into a role as one of our stalwart Rules Officials. He was an ever-present volunteer this year, traveling across the state to assist at numerous championships. He took on new challenges and roles with enthusiasm and professionalism and was a wonderful ambassador for WA Golf and the game as a whole.
Along with his countless hours Rules officiating for Washington Golf, Bob also volunteers at WJGA and collegiate events across the state, as well any other golf tournaments that need his services.
An avid golfer, Bob can be found at West Seattle Golf Course, Maplewood Golf Course, and The Home Course whenever he is not Rules officiating. Volunteers such as Bob are the core of Washington Golf’s success in creating a wonderful experience for all of our golfers.
Chuck Tourville
Chuck found Washington Golf championships when he volunteered at one of the events being hosted at his home club, Kitsap Golf & Country Club, where he is an avid golfer. After lending a hand close to home, Chuck took the opportunity to volunteer throughout the state. He quickly became a stalwart and successful volunteer at many WA Golf championships, always arriving early and eager to help.
He was a constant throughout the 2023 season, efficiently keeping things running smoothly and ensuring the players were always taken care of. He is a wonderful example to all and a wonderful ambassador for this great game. Chuck and dedicated volunteers such as him are crucial to the wonderful events and atmosphere associated with Washington Golf championships.
Club of the Year
Bellevue Women’s 9-Hole Golf Club
The Bellevue Women’s 9-Hole Golf Club has been named the 2023 Washington Golf Club of the Year. The club goes by the acronym “BW9HGC” and plays at the Bellevue Golf Course with weekly competitions and monthly tournaments in a net-based format and handicap divisions.
The club’s organization and community impact are what set them apart as Club of the Year in 2023. BW9HGC implements their “Big Sister” program, which helps to welcome newer members to the club by pairing them with a veteran member to help bring those new members under their wing and make them feel comfortable with etiquette, pace of play, rules, and the club’s sign-up and participation processes.
In recent years, the club has made significant efforts to improve their organization and processes with new forms of technology. These efforts have given the membership a better experience and greatly increased the club’s participation. The club is using a new web-based platform for members to use to book their tee times. They’ve kicked paperwork and checks to the curb by moving their membership sign-ups to WA Golf’s online join-and-renew platform. They have a new website (bw9hgc.com) that hosts all the information about the club and its activities. And they even developed an app to help calculate their year-long eclectic scores for each player participating.
The club prides itself on their ability to positively impact their community and members. Each June is the club’s “Donation Month” where over the past two years they have raised over $5,000 for First Tee. With a strong governance model and a path of succession for leadership roles, BW9HGC has been able to share the load of this high level of activity and organization. Roles like “Sunshine Chair” for spreading positivity and awards like “Sportswoman of the Year” to recognize individual efforts and camaraderie, the BW9HGC is going above and beyond to create a fun and welcoming environment for their members.
We are so happy to have the Bellevue Women’s 9-Hole Golf Club as a WA Golf Member Club, and we are thankful for their efforts in creating a positive, friendly, and welcoming community for their members to enjoy.