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Meet the Member: Cary Collins, PGA
Rachel Fisch • March 6, 2024
Cary Collins, PGA – Dedicated, Knowledgeable, Your Go-To Rules Official!
PGA of America Member, Cary Collins, has been surrounded by the golf industry his entire life. It originated with his father, Ross Collins, who was a PGA of America Member and PGA National Golf Professional of the Year in 1971. Ross also won a Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship, leaving Collins with big shoes to fill.
“With my dad, I saw the good aspects of the golf business,” said Collins. “I always had my eyes on being a golf professional, even in college.”
Collins was elected to PGA Membership in 1982 and took his first position as an Assistant Golf Professional at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio. Collins has a long history at Oak Hills, having worked there on three separate occasions. He started by serving as an Assistant Professional upon gaining membership; returned in 2000 as the Head Professional, was promoted to Director of Golf in 2004, staying in that position through the end of 2005, and finally came back in 2019 to be the General Manager. Throughout his career, he has received eight Section awards, with one of them being Golf Professional of the Year.
Collins has been a member of the PGA of America Rules Committee for 22 years and has been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to officiate 18 Major Championships, two of them being the Masters.
“Having this incredible opportunity and to do it for over 20 years has allowed me to meet some incredible players. This last year, I was the walking official for the last day of the PGA Championship at Oak Hills with Rory Mcllory and PGA of America Member Michael Block, which was special getting to witness one of our own perform so well,” he said.
Currently, Collins is the General Chairman for the 2024 USGA Women’s Amateur 4-Ball Championship occurring in May at Oak Hills. For Oak Hills, this isn’t their first rodeo hosting a major event, they have a storied history hosting 34 PGA and USGA Championships and will also be hosting the 2028 U.S. Senior Amateur. Based on Collins’ prior experiences, he knows that he has the knowledge to make this event successful. Collins has been a member of the PGA of America Rules Committee for 22 years and has been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to officiate 18 Major Championships, two of them being the Masters.
“We are looking forward to hosting the Women’s 4-Ball,” Collins said. “It’s a bigger endeavor than I anticipated, but it’s going to be fun.”
After the Championship, Collins plans to fully retire from his 40 year career and play more golf.
“I’ve had a very blessed life and career filled with many unbelievable people and experiences, and I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my life filled with family and more opportunities to get out on the course myself!.”
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SPRING, TEXAS (April 2, 2025) – The Southern Texas PGA (STPGA) is proud to announce the captains for the 2025 Cup Matches, a prestigious series of competitions celebrating the best of professional and junior golf in the region. Leading this year’s teams are three distinguished PGA of America Members:
SPRING, TEXAS (April 1, 2025) – The Southern Texas PGA (STPGA) is proud to announce the nine PGA of America Members who have earned their place on the inaugural First Community STPGA Team . Based on their outstanding performances in the 2024 STPGA Section Championship, these elite professionals will represent the Section at the 2025 PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, from April 27-30, 2025. We will showcase this team throughout April, with the support of First Community Credit Union.
Rob Charter, PGA – Family in the Fairways
Steven Chervony (Left) and Tayler Termeer (Right) AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 11, 2025) – The 2025 Pro-Pro Championship brought 94 players to The Hills Country Club (Signature Course) in Austin, Texas, for two days of premier competition. Participants battled it out, showcasing their talent on one of the region’s top courses. A colder start to our typical Southern Texas tee time didn't slow down the field as only four strokes separated the Top-5 after round one. Robert Scott, PGA Teaching Professional at Royal Oaks Country Club, alongside Ryan Polzin, PGA Head Professional at Oak Hills Country Club, would post an incredible -15 for the first day's scramble. The great round solidified them as the solo leaders for Day Two, but they would need to keep their foot on the pedal to maintain it. At the beginning of Round 2, it would be Troy Schleicher, PGA Life Member, and Billy Sitton, PGA Golf Executive at Triumph Golf, only trailing behind the leaders by one stroke, leading the charge. A windier day would prove an already challenging course that much more, but Schleicher and Sitton would remain steady and climb up to the top spot late in the final round. Tayler Termeer, Teaching Professional at the University of Texas Golf Club, and Steven Chervony, Assistant Professional at Austin Country Club, would keep the competition interesting. They would rise four spots and put pressure on Schleicher and Sitton heading to the final hole. "We thought we would perform better in the Four-Ball format versus the Scramble format. We knew 6-under or 7-under would make it competitive and give us a good chance at winning," said Chervony. Termeer and Chervony would have done enough to seal the victory in their favor. They would head to the scoring table with an official score of 62 - 65 – 127 ( -17 ) and walk away crowned the 2025 Pro-Pro Champions by two strokes. "I was hitting my driver well, and that freed us up a lot. We had a fairly relaxed round because of that, along with the eagle we carded on Hole 9 that took some pressure off us as well," stated Termeer. The Southern Texas PGA extends its sincere appreciation to The Hills Country Club and its dedicated staff for their exceptional hospitality. Additionally, we are grateful for the support of our valued partners—Callaway, E-Z-GO, Evolve Golf, Texoma Golf, Tagmarshal, Scales, Sap’s, NextRound, and OMNI Hotels & Resorts—whose contributions made this event possible.
Hello STPGA Members and Associates , We are excited to announce a new partnership with the Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM) to bring education and networking opportunities to the STPGA. Below, you will find online education seminars related to merchandising that might benefit you and/or your team. I highly recommend signing up for all or specific topics that interest you. AGM has graciously waived registration fees; all you need to do is click the buttons below to register your name. Feel free to invite anyone on your team to this as well. PDR credits will be awarded to those who register and attend each session. Quarterly Blueprint for Golf Shop Success - Justine Gray Wednesday March 26, 2025 3:00 P.M. CST REGISTER HERE Join Justine for a seminar on optimizing golf retail operations. Learn proactive inventory management, customer service strategies, and staff training tips while enhancing cross-department collaboration. Leave with a personalized quarterly action plan to drive long-term success in your golf shop! Increasing the Average Units Per Transaction: What You Need to Know - Nicole Leinbach Hoffman Thursday April 9, 2025 3:00 P.M. CST REGISTER HERE Join retail expert Nicole Leinbach Hoffman of Retail Minded to discover proven strategies for increasing average units per transaction. Learn how merchandising, staff engagement, and strategic product pairings can boost sales and enhance the customer experience. The REAL Impact™ of One - Rita Goodroe Wednesday May 28, 2025 3:00 P.M. CST REGISTER HERE The REAL Impact™ of One shows how YOU make the difference between business as usual and business that wins. In an industry where timing and relationships drive results, every action ripples across the organization. With humor, storytelling, and practical tools, award-winning connection expert Rita Goodroe lights up the room—leaving you thinking about your impact in ways you never have before.
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Creation of the First Community STPGA Team to be showcased in 2025 and 2026 February 19th, 2025 (Spring, TX) - This week at the STPGA Annual Meeting, a special announcement was made around an expanded partnership between First Community and the Southern Texas PGA. The elevated partnership includes showcasing First Community and unique story telling opportunities as we create a new team of STPGA Members. Known now as the First Community STPGA Team, this group of STPGA Members are the PGA Professionals that have qualified for the PGA Professional Championship to be played on April 27-30 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL. This year’s First Community STPGA Team currently features 9 PGA Members from Southern Texas that hope to qualify for the PGA Championship and earn a spot on the Corebridge PGA Team of 20. Prior to the event in April, the STPGA will showcase these players in unique spotlights and then follow them along at the PGA Professional Championship. All 9 of these players earned this spot at the 2024 STPGA Section Championship. Our First Community STPGA Team will be led by Jared Jones, PGA Director of Instruction at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, TX who came in a tie for second at last year’s PGA Professional Championship and won the 2024 STPGA Section Championship. These 9 First Community STPGA Team members will not only represent the STPGA but their facilities as well. PGA Members continue to be the backbone of the industry and the First Community STPGA Team will showcase the playing ability of the STPGA membership. “We could not be more thrilled to try something new and have a current partner that believes in the value this Team will showcase,” said Thomas Hutton, Executive Director of the STPGA. “This idea started on a white board and to see a company like First Community jump on board and then our members get excited about it, makes this something special.” In addition to this announcement, First Community is also excited to announce special perks and exclusive offers for STPGA Members and Employees to elevate their banking needs with products and services from First Community. “Last year was our first year expanding our outreach within the golf community through the STPGA and it was a big success,” said TJ Tijerina, CEO of First Community. “We saw tremendous exposure through the STPGA Junior Golf Program and are excited for this additional opportunity to support the community and showcase stories that will resonate with our potential members.”
Over 200 PGA of America Members begin their year with education, celebration, and networking. COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS (FEBRUARY 18) - Over the last two days, the 57th Education Summit and Annual Meeting took place at Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center where PGA of America Members experienced 9 keynote speakers: Three and Jackie, Eric Eshleman, PGA, Dale Morgan, PGA, Mark McGinnis, HUB Investment, Chet Williams, Jeff Blume, RC Slocum, EA Tischler, Chuck Cook, PGA, and Bill Moretti, PGA. These speakers covered a wide range of topics to help ensure our PGA Members remain the backbone of the industry. PGA Members continue to wear many different hats throughout their day to day lives and providing high level education allows them to continue to be well rounded individuals. The STPGA would like to thank all of our keynote speakers for bringing unique insight to the STPGA. In addition to our wonderful presenters, this year was an election year where we elected our new set of Officers and 3 new At-Large Directors. Congratulations to everyone. We look forward to your leadership over the next two years.
Dr. Rich Ballinger, Director of Sam Houston State PGA Golf Management Program becomes the Association’s next President. February 17, 2025 (College Station, TX) - During the 57th STPGA Education Summit and Annual Meeting today, the STPGA Membership elected its new Officers and Board of Directors to lead the Association for the next two years. The Association’s 4 Officers are the following individuals. PRESIDENT Dr. Rich Ballinger, PGA Director Sam Houston State University PGA Golf Management Program VICE PRESIDENT Darrell Fuston, PGA General Manager Westwood Golf Club SECRETARY Ricky Lyons, PGA General Manager Big Easy Ranch HONORARY PRESIDENT Bryan Minnick, PGA Head Professional Traditions Club “It is an honor to become the next President of the STPGA,” said Dr. Ballinger, who has been a PGA Member since 1996. “I look forward to continuing the positive momentum that we have experienced within our association and the game at a local level for the next two years.” “Our PGA Members are the backbone of our sport and we need to continue to provide them tools and education to be the best in the business. In partnership with our Board and Officers, I look forward to working with them on ensuring this continues for many years to come." In addition, 3 At-Large Director Board positions were also open, with Alan Hodde, PGA , Michael Frost, PGA, and Chad Donegan, PGA winning those three positions. Congratulations to each of them, and thank you to everyone who ran for a position during the meeting. At the end of last year, each of the two Chapters within the Southern Texas PGA also elected two people to serve on the STPGA Board of Directors. The Eastern Chapter officers are President Matthew Scadden, PGA , and Vice President Trent Peddy, PGA . The Western Chapter officers are President Derrick Dixon, PGA , and Vice President Corey Roberson, PGA . To round out the Board of Directors, President Ballinger will announce his Presidential Picks in the near future. The Board of Directors serves a 2-year term and leads the Association’s governance model and direction.
Donegan wins the award for his dedication to the Association, friendship with fellow PGA of America Members, and positive attitude. February 17, 2025 (College Station, TX) - During today’s 57th STPGA Education Summit and Annual Meeting, President Bryan Minnick, PGA awarded the second-ever President’s Award to fellow PGA Member Chad Donegan from the City of New Braunfels. This award was established two years ago when former President James Brown awarded the first President’s Award to Steve Hammond. This tradition was started to provide the outgoing President an opportunity to select one PGA of America Member that they felt was deserving of recognition in front of their peers. “During my time as President, Chad provided me with insight, friendship, and a desire to keep the organization as strong as possible,” said Minnick, the current Head Professional at Traditions Club in Bryan, TX. “Chad is a true friend to everyone.” Chad has been a PGA Member since 2002 and has continued to elevate his career to his current position of being the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of New Braunfels and overseeing Landa Park Golf Course. During this time, Chad has also made himself an asset to the Association and his fellow Members by serving on the Board of Directors and as the Championships Committee Chairman. He loves to play the game but most importantly, he loves to represent all viewpoints and not just a select few. He is a person of strength and regardless if it is professional or personal items, he remains positive and builds relationships. Chad was surprised with this recognition during the morning session of today’s Education Summit and Annual Meeting for the Southern Texas PGA. Congratulations Chad!
