Erger Named 2024 Iowa PGA Professional of the Year
Riverside, Iowa – Matt Erger, Owner/PGA Head Golf Professional of Airport National Golf Course has been named the 2024 Iowa PGA Golf Professional of the Year. The Golf Professional of the Year Award is the highest honor paid to an Iowa PGA Golf Professional. The honoree is chosen based on leadership abilities that stand above the rest, contributions made to their facility’s success, and excelling as an overall golf professional at the Iowa PGA Section level.
When asked on what this means to win this award Erger responded with, “I’m extremely humbled and very honored to receive this award. I love what I do, hopefully it shows to our customers and employees at Airport National and leads to success.”
Erger would consider his leadership approach a way that will inspire fellow Golf Professionals. He believes that by having an enthusiastic approach to his work he can show his Associates how rewarding and fun being a PGA Professional can be. He thinks that this can not only inspire current Golf Professionals but also those who have an interest in becoming a Golf Professional. Erger’s main leadership style is to lead by example and demonstrate behaviors he would like to see in his staff. He believes this style builds trust and connection.
During tournaments and section meetings, he often collaborates with fellow Professionals, discussing programs and business practices that are having a positive impact on our facilities. He knows he’s inspired by those fellow Professionals and hopes that he is doing the same.
As a player Erger has qualified for 2 National Club Professional Tournaments in 2013 and 2023. For the Iowa Section Player of the Year standings, Erger has finished inside the top 10 several times and in the top 20 almost every year since turning professional. He has only missed qualifying for the Cup Team once since turning professional.
Erger loves teaching, but only has so much time per week to give lessons around his other responsibilities. He will give 3-8 lessons per week during the outdoor season. One of his previous students, Megan Furnish won back-to-back Iowa Women’s Amateur’s.
Since 2019 Airport National Golf Course has seen growth in sales increase. Before turning over merchandising to Ben Montgomery he did all the merchandising at Airport National Golf Course for 15 years. He won merchandiser of the year one time, and my Associate Professional Ben Montgomery also won Merchandiser of the Year last year in 2023.
This is Erger’s 30th year working at Airport National Golf Course, 25 years as a golf professional. His ownership group took over in 2019 after Mark Lemon retired. After taking ownership we needed to update areas of the facility. We’ve bought 40 new carts over the past 3 years and plan to buy another 20 in 2025. Our golf cart fleet is currently at 90 and we plan to maintain that number but refresh the fleet with new carts through our fleet upgrade plan. In 2020 we added a 20’ x 40’ addition to the pro shop installing 2 indoor simulator bays and a club repair/storage room. We needed a new septic system, irrigation system updates and some updated mowing equipment.
Last year Airport National had over 55,000 customers come through the doors to either golf, use the driving range, play mini golf or use the simulators. As we know, sales in golf are up at most facilities with the recent resurgence in golf. Sales are not the only thing up. Expenses are up as well he has been able to manage expenses in these years of growth, leading to profitable years.
Airport National hosted the regional finals for the PGA Junior League. We have also hosted several Drive, Chip and Putt qualifiers, a Junior Tour event and Pee Wee event annually. We also are part of the Iowa PGA Golf Book each year. He has also served on the awards selection committee 3 different times.
He was part of the initial golf in schools’ program in Cedar Rapids. He went to the local middle school and instructed kids on how to golf and helped the PE teachers with the golf in schools programming.
Airport National has grown the game at the facility and in the community in a couple of different ways. Airport National hosts 25 plus fundraisers each year. Airport National has helped raise over $2.5 million in fundraiser dollars. Airport National has a well-attended Junior Program. The Junior Program includes a two-week summer camp and a monthly kid’s golf school throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Ben Montgomery PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Airport National Golf Course had some nice comments about Erger, “Matt is the Head Golf Professional that you never feel like you work for rather one that you work with. Every day he comes to work with a smile on his face and makes sure the customers are enjoying their time at the golf course and making sure their needs are met. As a boss he goes out of his way to make sure his employees are given the best resources to perform their daily tasks. Matt takes having an open-door policy to a whole new level. Our office door is always open because we do not even have a door to the office. Customers and employees can always come and talk to us when we are around.
I joke by saying Matt doesn’t know the word NO. Unless he is saying, “No we will take care of it” or “No we will make it work” or “No we will find a way”. By his leadership he has not only made me a better Golf Professional, but I am also better person by his guidance and leadership.”
Erger won the Assistant Professional of the Year in 2004 and Public Merchandiser in 2020.
On behalf of the Iowa PGA Members, Associates and Iowa PGA staff we congratulate Matt Erger as the 2024 Iowa PGA Golf Professional of the Year.
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The Iowa PGA Section also selected eleven other Award Winners. All will be honored at the All-Star Pro Golf Special Awards Luncheon to be hosted by Riverside Casino & Golf Resort on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. The 2024 Iowa PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year winners will also be invited and honored.
2024 Iowa PGA Awards
Golf Professional of the Year
Matt Erger, Airport National Golf Course
Assistant Professional of the Year
Davis Sutton, Cedar Rapids Country Club
Golf Executive of the Year
Lance Marting, Dubuque Golf & Country Club
Bill Strausbaugh
Jay Giannetto, Elmwood Country Club
Professional Development Award
Mike Downing, Iowa PGA Section
Teacher of the Year
Butch Haverland, Palmer Hills and Owner Golf 18
Player Development Award
Kari Tomash, Cedar Rapids Country Club
Youth Player Development Award
Sherry Newsome, Indian Creek Golf Club
Deacon Palmer Award
Sean McCarty, Brown Deer Golf Club
Patriot Award of the Year
Mike Armes, Geneva Golf & Country Club
Private Merchandiser of the Year
Sharnae Winters, Hyperion Field Club
Public Merchandiser of the Year
Matt Sherlock, Edmundson Golf Course and Harvest Point Golf Course
Resort Merchandiser of the Year
Mike McNamara, Blue Top Ridge at Riverside
Sales Representative of the Year
Jim Owens, Callaway Golf
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