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Phil Tralies to receive PGA Ernie Sabayrac Award

Phil Tralies of Charleston, S.C., has been named the recipient of the PGA Ernie Sabayrac Award for lifetime contributions to the golf industry.

Tralies, 62, a native of Philadelphia, began a golf industry career in 1979 and joined Club Car in 2001 as the company's president and chief executive officer. Since his arrival, Club Car has launched a new product into the golf market that resulted in significant market share gains; expanded the global presence of the company with sales in Europe and Asia; and transformed from a golf company to one that focused on three principal markets - golf, commercial and the consumer. Tralies was named chairman of Club Car in January 2008.

Tralies will be honored at The PGA of America Awards, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009, in conjunction with the 56th PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The program, featuring all 2008 PGA national award winners, will be conducted in the Convention Center's Linda W. Chapin Auditorium.

"Phil Tralies' record of service to the golf industry extends beyond the success that he has brought to a company and its employees," said PGA of America President Jim Remy. "Through Phil's expertise, he also has elevated the standards of the game in servicing both the PGA Professional and the amateur player."

Tralies had been retired before coming back to the golf industry with Club Car. He had spent 25 years with Textron Inc., had first served as vice president of finance and administration for E-Z-GO from 1981 to 1989; then as senior vice president until 1994; before moving to becoming president of the Jacobsen division from 1994 to 1998. He was president of Turf Care and Specialty Products division from 1998 to 2001.

GCBAA elects board

The Golf Course Builders Association of America has completed elections for its 2009 board of directors, effective Feb. 4, 2009.

Newly elected board members include Associate members Ed Kruse of John Deere Golf and Stephanie Zimmerman of Hancor Inc.; and Builder member Patrick Karnick of Wadsworth Golf Construction.

Re-elected board members are Bob Bryant of Bryant Taylor Gordon Golf,  Steve Christman of Eagle Golf & Landscape Products and Ellen Davis of SportZmix Solutions--Waupaca Sand & Solutions as Associates and Rick Boylan of Mid-America Golf & Landscape Inc. and Oscar Rodriguez  of Weitz Golf International as Builders.

Dawes Marlatt named PGA director of education

Dawes Marlatt of Moscow, Idaho, has been named The PGA of America's Director of Education.

Marlatt, a PGA master professional, was responsible for designing, implementing and promoting the PGA Golf Management University Program and will be based at the PGA Education Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

He will oversee member and apprentice education, including coordinating with the association's instruction, membership, and employment services departments.

Marlatt was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Idaho and the general manager at the University of Idaho Golf Club.