ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tom Addis III of Beaumont, Calif., the 29th president of The PGA of America and the executive director/CEO of the Southern California PGA Section, is one of the most decorated PGA Professionals in the Association's past two decades.
Recently, Addis received one more honor that he said left him speechless.
Addis was named the recipient of the Conrad Rehling Award for contributions to the growth of Special Olympics Golf. He was honored Jan. 28, at a McGladrey Team Championship reception at the Peabody Orlando Hotel. Special Olympics is the official charity of The McGladrey Team Championship.
Addis was presented the award by Monty Castroneves, the executive director of Special Olympics Florida and accompanied by Special Olympics Global Ambassador Nikki Harrold, 25, of Orlando, Fla., a winner of 15 Special Olympic gold medals, including three in golf.
"It is truly amazing to be here accepting this honor and at the same time thinking back on the evolution of golf in the Special Olympics program," said Addis, who was The PGA of America's president from 1994-96. "I think back to 1989 when a group of us went to Washington, D.C., and sat down in a room with the Shrivers (Eunice and Sargent, co-founders of the Special Olympic movement) and presented our plan for making golf a part of Special Olympics. At that moment, there was no great discussion among the Shrivers.
"They recognized the value of the game and how it connected with the unified family aspect of Special Olympics. I was first struck in the mid-1980s by the great power of the game as it relates to Special Olympic athletes. I was hooked after that."
Addis has devoted considerable time working in the community with individuals with physical and/or intellectual disabilities, and along with the late Conrad Rehling, formed the driving force in launching the steering committee for establishing golf as an official Special Olympics sport.
"Conrad and I were great friends, and I loved the man," said Addis. "Having received this award with his name on it is . . .Well, it's just very, very special."
As a result of the work of Addis, Rehling and others, golf was introduced as a demonstration sport in 1995 at the Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, Conn. In 1999, the game of golf was recognized as an official sport of the Special Olympics Games in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Currently, all 50 states participate in the Special Olympics golf program with over 9,400 athletes competing. The program also is offered in over 50 countries worldwide.
During Addis's term as PGA president, the Association began the Golf Professional Training Program (now PGA Professional Golf Management Program), developed PGA CareerLinks, opened The PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., The PGA of America's first owned and operated golf facility; developed a new PGA Specialty Certification Program and renovated The PGA Professional National Championship.
Inducted in 2005 into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame, Addis was the 1989 PGA Golf Professional of the Year, the 1988 National Golf Foundation Joe Graffis Award winner; the 1981 national Horton Smith Award recipient; and also is a member of the Southern California PGA Hall of Fame and the San Diego Junior Golf Association Hall of Fame.
Since January 2006, Addis has served as the executive director and CEO of the Southern California PGA Section. From 2000 to 2006, Addis was the owner and president of Medallion Golf Inc. of Beaumont, Calif., a golf facility design, construction, operations and management services company.
Addis and his wife, Susan, are the owners of two successful Rocky Mountain Chocolate retail stores in California. The Addis's two sons are involved in the golf industry; with Tom IV, in golf design and construction in Asia and Bryan, the PGA general manager at The Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, Calif.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion among people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming for nearly 3 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in 180 countries, Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people's diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. Visit Special Olympics at specialolympics.org.
Special Olympics Golf offers five levels of competition for athletes with different ability levels. Ranging from individual skills competition to alternate-shot team play to individual stroke play, Special Olympics golf allows athletes to grow in the game as they gain experience.
About the Conrad Rehling Award
The Conrad Rehling Award, first presented in 2005, honors the late PGA Master Professional who followed a successful collegiate coaching career at Florida and Alabama by transforming his retirement into inspiring PGA Professionals to give back to the physically challenged. Rehling died in April 2007 at age 87.
The founding father of the Special Olympics golf movement in 1988, Rehling spearheaded The PGA of America's efforts to introduce golf to Special Olympics. The Association and its more than 28,000 men and women professionals have dedicated countless hours, services and funding to the growth of Special Olympics Golf.
Conrad Rehling Award Winners:
2005 - Jesse Weeks, Memphis, Tenn.
2006 - Steve Carson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
2007 - Jeff Beaudry, Sandy, Utah
2008 - Tom Addis, Beaumont, Calif.
About The PGA of America
Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the $76 billion golf industry.
By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere.
The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.
