Marion, Ill. - Kokopelli Golf Club added two PGA of America veterans to enhance its promotions and teaching.
Master professional Jesse Barge was hired as director of golf and Class A professional DW Davis was hired as head golf professional, both effective March 1.
General manager Glenn Watts says he and Kokopelli Golf Club course designer Steve Smyers expected to hire only one head pro but were so impressed with the interviews that they hired both men.
“We see them as two ambassadors of Southern Illinois,” Watts says. “They’ve been around 30 years in the golf business, and are both very well known and respected in the community and the region. We want to be the premier golfing facility in Southern Illinois and by bringing these two gentlemen on board, we are making a statement.
“Shortly we will announce some major improvements here at Kokopelli and we wanted Jesse and DW on board to help make that happen,” Watts adds.
Barge, whose first mentor was PGA Hall of Fame golfer Dutch Harrison at Forest Hills Country Club in Clarkson Valley, Mo., came to Kokopelli from Jackson Country Club in Murphysboro, where he was head golf pro from 1976 through 2001 and director of operations and head pro since 2002.
The Columbia, Mo., native is a member of the PGA Rules Committee and will serve at his seventh PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club in Chicago this year. He also teaches PGA/USGA Rules of Golf Workshops, an educational program for club professionals, high school and college golf coaches, and city and state and regional golf associations, as well as golfers interested in rules.
Golf Digest has twice named Barge in its annual listing of top golf instructors in Illinois, including the latest in 2005.
Davis, head pro and then director of golf at Rend Lake Golf Club from 1990-2005, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Missouri Valley Conference golf champion Southern Illinois University, in 1974 and 1986, respectively. Before beginning his career in the golf business, he taught for many years and worked with the Illinois State Board of Education as a consultant with high school guidance counselors.
Both men are excited about the prospects at Kokopelli.
“I just love this golf course,” Davis says, explaining his departure from his previous position. “And Marion is the only area in Southern Illinois where we’re seeing a lot of growth.”
“Kokopelli is by far the best-designed golf course in Southern Illinois,” Barge says. “Steve Smyers designed a great golf course, a terrific layout, and it’s on a wonderful piece of property, with rolling hills and water on the back nine.”
Barge and Davis are planning to give golfers at Kokopelli country-club service, from club pickup at curbside to club repair and personal instruction, Barge says.
“We will do a lot of regional promotion,” Barge says, including the first event of the year on April 22: The Spring Gathering at Kokopelli, a couples tournament which will begin with lunch, followed by a shotgun start, then a banquet and dancing to music in the evening.
Barge will teach classes for Johnny Logan Junior College in Carterville and expects to operate an active junior program for 5- to 17-year-olds. He is already hoping to host a PGA Junior Series event at Kokopelli in 2007 and a USGA Qualifier some time in the future.
The semiprivate Kokopelli Golf Club is located at 1401 Champions Drive in Marion Ill. It can be contacted at 888-746-0887; e-mail: contact@kokopelligolf.com.
