Scott Paris, Dan Pasternak Recognized By PGA Of America

On Wednesday night, January 22, a pair of New Jersey PGA professionals, were honored with national awards by the PGA of America during the 61st PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

Scott Paris, director of golf at Plainfield Country Club won the Merchandiser of the Year (Private) honor, while Dan Pasternak, chief of operations and director of golf at the Panther Valley Golf & Country Club won the Bill Strausbaugh Award for his involvement in mentoring other professionals on a multitude of levels. They were chosen from an outstanding pool of candidates from the over 27,500 PGA club professionals and assistant professionals around the U.S.

The two join an elite group of past and present New Jersey Section PGA Professionals who have also won National Awards -- Doug Steffen (Merchandiser of the Year. 2007), David Glenz (Teacher of the Year, 1998), Greg Lecker (Merchandiser of the Year, 2009) and Wayne Warms (Junior Golf Leader, 1995). It is the first time that someone in the NJ Section has won the Strausbaugh Award. Paris, 45, was elected to PGA of America membership in 1994. Since the award was established in 1976 to recognize PGA Professionals who excelled as businesspersons and merchandisers in the promotion of golf, he is the fourth New Jersey PGA Section Professional to be named a recipient of the PGA Merchandiser of the Year.

VIDEO ON DAN PASTERNAK (Begins at 47:52 mark)

Paris, 45, manages a golf shop that while only 900 square feet in size, makes quite an impact. Annual sales have more than doubled since his first season at Plainfield in 1997, while growth has occurred in every retail category.

In the last two years, Plainfield has been named a Platinum Club and one of the most prestigious private clubs in the world, with its course ranked in the Top 100 by Golf Digest, Golfweek and GOLF magazines. Over the years, the facility has hosted The Barclays in 2011, the 1987 U.S. Women’s Open and the 1978 U.S. Amateur. In 2015, Plainfield will host The Barclays once again.

Paris grew up in Avon, Conn., and graduated from Bucknell University in 1989. His first job was at Deland (Fla.) C.C. In 1992, he became an assistant at Aronomink C.C. in Newtown Square, Pa. At that time, he also competed on mini-tours. He became head professional at Plainfield C.C. in 1997.

Pasternak’s 22-year professional career includes serving on virtually every committee under the New Jersey PGA Section’s jurisdiction and guiding more than 20 individuals to achieve PGA head professional status.

Pasternak (PICTURED BELOW) is the first member of the New Jersey PGA Section to receive the Bill Strausbaugh Award, established in 1979 in tribute to the late Middle Atlantic PGA Master Professional who left an indelible mark in PGA of America history, excelling in both leadership and service to a PGA Section and the Association. Strausbaugh passed away in 1999.

“We are blessed with a talented class of national award recipients who have always represented our association at the highest level,” said PGA of America President Ted Bishop. “They have been natural-born leaders and impact-makers in their respective fields. Whether it is in the golf shop, on the lesson tee or in front of community leaders, we are proud that this award class serves as the gold standard in the industry.”

Born in Middletown, N.J., Pasternak attended Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., where he was the Most Valuable Player of the men’s golf team in 1988 before graduating in 1990. He turned professional in 1991, and was elected to PGA membership in 1996. Since 1999, Pasternak has served or has chaired 40 New Jersey PGA Section Committees including Employment, Finance, Tournament, Assistants, Government Relations, Long Range, Public Relations, By-Laws and the New Jersey Golf Foundation. He served as Section president from 2009-10.

Pasternak is a two-time recipient of the Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year (2007, ’11) and a four-time recipient of the Section Bill Strausbaugh Award (2007, ’08, ’09, ’11). In 2007, he was presented with the Special Olympics New Jersey Chairman’s Award for his fundraising efforts for the Higgins Classic, one of the state’s largest fundraisers for Special Olympics. He is a member of the Special Olympics Golf Committee for the 2014 National Special Olympics, to be conducted in Absecon.