News

Jeff Vincent, Volunteer of the Month

The Arizona Golf Association would like to recognize Course Rating team member Jeff Vincent as July’s Volunteer of the Month.
Jeff first became involved as a volunteer after attending a USGA Handicap Certification Seminar in 2011. As course rating is an integral aspect of the handicap system, Jeff learned that the AGA hosted a regional rating team made up of volunteers who were tasked with the generation of official Course Rating and Slope Rating values for each golf course in Arizona. Shortly thereafter he formally began investing his time in these rating team efforts and quotes one of his most notable memories to the initial training he received from long-standing USGA Course Rating expert, Warren Simmons.
“On one of the first ratings I attended, I was being trained by Warren and was in awe of his ability to speak about specific details of the rating system and formula without needing to reference the USGA rating guide that was being used by all the other team members.”
Only later did Jeff learn that Warren was, in fact, one of the primary contributors in the formulation of the modern USGA rating system utilized by the AGA and hundreds of other Regional Golf Associations across the world. Certainly a demonstration of expertise still being aspired to by Jeff and fellow team members.
Over the past 5 years Jeff has taken part in well over 100 course ratings throughout Arizona and also represented the AGA at the 2013 USGA National Course Rating Calibration Seminar at Sahalee Country Club in Seattle, WA. He contributes his longevity and overall satisfaction to the rating challenges that are encountered on some of Arizona’s most difficult golf courses as well as the camaraderie of working with a great group of fellow volunteers.
On behalf of Arizona Golf Association staff and all the golfers impacted by your rating team efforts, thank you Jeff for your substantial contributions!