By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
The keys to success and longevity for organizations like the PGA of America are often tied to how its current professionals nurture and train their successors, the golf professionals of tomorrow. Henry Stetina is the Director of Player Development for the New Mexico State University PGA Professional Golf Management Program, and he’s helping pave the way for his PGM students to become the assistant professionals, head golf professionals, directors of golf and instruction and so much more at golf facilities across the country. They will be the ones to maintain the momentum golf has gained over the past five years well into the next decade and beyond.
“I was introduced to the game of golf by my dad when I was only seven years old,” Stetina says. “He played in an evening work league, and I would ride with him in the cart. I must have shown interest in the game because it wasn’t long before my dad taught me to play. The Santa Fe Country Club was a semi-private club that accommodated families and juniors, and I remember going to the range as a family with my younger brother and our mom, who were also learning to play. I played my first junior golf tournament at 10 years old and have been hooked ever since.”
Stetina secured his first job at the Santa Fe Country Club when he was 15 years old, working in outside services for the next five years. After high school, he played for two years at Pratt Community College in Pratt, Kansas, before transferring to New Mexico State University and enrolling in the PGA Golf Management Program.
“Pat Gavin was and still is the Director of the Program and made a lasting impression on me,” Stetina explains. “After graduation, I attended a teaching and coaching seminar taught by PGA Hall of Fame Member Manuel de la Torre. He introduced me to teaching and inspired my career as a teaching professional.”
At about the same time, Gavin encouraged Stetina and his wife Kelly, who is also a PGA Member and the daughter of Tom Velarde, PGA, to work for PGA Hall of Fame Member Guy Wimberly at Sierra Del Rio Golf Course in Elephant Butte, New Mexico. Stetina says that Wimberly was one of the most incredible people he’d met and showed him firsthand what it meant to be a golf professional.
“He, along with his brother, Herb Wimberly, founded the Sun Country PGA Section and brought the PGA Golf Management Program to NMSU,” says Stetina. “Herb is also a member of the PGA Hall of Fame and someone who significantly influenced my career. I am grateful for the journey I’ve had thus far in the golf industry and the incredible professionals who’ve influenced my life and career.”
In addition to his employment with the NMSU PGA Professional Golf Management Program, Stetina is the PGA of America Director of Instruction at Red Hawk Golf Club where he established a successful PGA Jr. League.
“We host three seasons – spring, summer and fall – each consisting of four leagues (Minors, Majors, All-Stars and 17u), and a total of 200 player registrations,” Stetina boasts proudly. “We’ve built a pathway for kids in Las Cruces to be introduced to golf and develop their skills to play on their high school teams. More importantly, we’ve built an opportunity for PGM students to learn about player development and to gain experience coaching juniors.”
Looking forward, Stetina, who has earned multiple Section awards and is a Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, is confident that we’re going to see a younger generation of golf professionals specialize in coaching. They won’t be behind the counter but will instead be on the grass, interacting with customers and acting as true ambassadors for the game and the facility. They will focus on programming with an emphasis on group instruction, on-course coaching and fitness. These coaches will be responsible for creating golfers and developing a community at their facility. They will promote diversity and inclusion and offer an inviting experience for all players.