According to its website, www.kygolf.org, Golf House Kentucky “is the umbrella organization for Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations: Kentucky Golf Association, Kentucky PGA and Kentucky Golf Foundation.”
In the fall of 2024, an announcement was made concerning a “strategic reorganization” at Golf House Kentucky. This included the introduction of some new executives who are being tasked with more effectively managing and promoting the many exciting initiatives that are ongoing within the organization. Before we look at the who’s who, however, let’s take just a moment to consider what each individual organization under the Golf House Kentucky umbrella is all about.
Again, these descriptions are all taken directly from kygolf.org…
Kentucky Golf Association – Recognized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) as the governing body for amateur golf in the Commonwealth, the KGA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that is made up of representatives from courses across Kentucky.
Kentucky PGA – One of the 41 sections that comprise The PGA of America, the Kentucky PGA is dedicated to the promotion of the game of golf and providing ongoing education and professional development of Kentucky PGA Professionals.
Kentucky Golf Foundation – The 501(c)3 charitable affiliate of Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations, the foundation’s core purpose is to impact Kentucky’s youth, military veterans and those who have not been exposed to golf with the joy of the game.
The previously mentioned announcement concerning reorganization explained that Golf House Kentucky would be moving away from an executive director model, where one person was appointed to oversee activities across all three sub-organizations. “While this model was successful for some time, the growth of all organizations under the Kentucky Golf umbrella, specifically the Kentucky Golf Foundation, has caused the role to be spread very thin,” explained a press release that was distributed last October.
The release went on to say that, due to the overwhelming amount of work and oversight to be done, strategizing and development had, over time, taken a backseat to survival and simply “hanging on.” With this model clearly no longer serving its intended purposes, the Golf House Kentucky managing board of directors spent months developing a new model that it hopes will allow for more focus and continued growth for all three arms of the overall organization.
Moving forward, instead of an executive director, Golf House Kentucky will have a new chief executive officer who will oversee all day-to-day operations. In December, it was announced that Louisville native Peter Kremer would be the first to fill this new CEO role. Among his many duties will be maintaining a special focus on growing the Kentucky Golf Foundation, which includes programs such as the following:
• PGA HOPE, making golf available to veterans
• Youth On Course, providing young golfers with affordable access to golf courses
• KPGA Junior Tour, developing the next generation of golfers with competitive opportunities
• PGA Junior League, encouraging teamwork for junior golfers in a supportive environment
• Drive, Chip and Putt, introducing youth to key skills in a competitive format
• Youth Caddie Program, providing employment and educational opportunities
• Junior Grants, funding young golfers and ensuring financial barriers don’t stand in the way of participation
Note: To learn how to donate to any of the above-mentioned causes, visit www.kygolf.org/content/about-kentucky-golf-foundation.
So, with Mr. Kremer paying special attention to growth and development within the Kentucky Golf Foundation, the Kentucky PGA and Kentucky Golf Association will also be able to benefit from the direct oversight and attention that will be provided by a pair of new executive directors in Connie Saner and Sally Morgan.
Saner will be leading the charge for the Kentucky Golf Association, and I am very excited to announce that I have been in touch with her recently and she has agreed to be interviewed for future installments in this Par for the Course column series. Stay tuned for more details on that in the very near future.
Morgan, meanwhile, will be tasked with overseeing all day-to-day operations within the Kentucky PGA, including membership services. This is obviously a very important role, and I would like to wish all of these executives the very best of luck as they go about the business of planning and implementing the initiatives that will shape the future of the sport in the Commonwealth for years to come.
