Many of us have traveled a great distance in order to attend the Golf Academy of America in Phoenix. We are from Montana, New Hampshire, Illinois, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, New York, Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, Washington State, Virginia, Minnesota, California, and of course, Iowa.
But let me be the first one to say “thank you” to the Spring Class of 2016.
Thank you to everyone who made the decision to come here. It’s been almost a year now, and during our time at the Academy, I have met so many people for whom I am grateful.
I have met people who have questioned my way of thinking and who have taken me out of my comfort zone. I have met people who know a better and aren’t afraid to show it. Our class is full of ideas, and we’re not afraid to express ourselves. We are creative and goal oriented. I am thankful for every one of these 16 months!
We may all come from different backgrounds, but we all have one goal in common: golf. It what binds us together. It’s how I got to meet you, and you, and you. We’re not just a network of future golf industry professionals, we’re a team. We’re the Spring Class of 2016.
When we graduate, I know we’ll all be going our separate ways. Some of us will be staying here in Arizona, while others will be heading home. Whatever it is we do, I know we’ll be successful.
Every day I come to class, I see people who want to change the golf industry for the better. Thank you for daring to be great and for not being afraid to dream big. This is the one thing about my Golf Academy experience that I will never forget.
My time here has already taught me too many things to put into words. I will say this, though. I am grateful for my classmates. I look forward to seeing all of the great things we accomplish… together. No matter where the tide takes us, no one can take this experience away from us. And who knows? We may be working together again very soon.
Keep up the good work fellas.
About the Special Guest Commentator
Kyle Clark hails from Maquoketa, Iowa (pop. 7,000) and will graduate from the Golf Academy in April of 2016. He plans on going into Tournament Operations or becoming a Head Golf Professional. When he’s not at the golf course, Kyle will be working toward his PGA Class A Certification and a degree in Business Management from either Arizona State or the University of Phoenix.