Mariner Sands Country Club's PGA Teaching Professional Judith Alvarez has been named the 2011 PGA President's Plaque recipient for the South Florida PGA. This award is designed to recognize individual PGA member professionals for their extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of Player Development. This award considers the Professional's growth of the game leadership commitment at the Section and National levels, plus the impact made at his/her own facility.

"I am surprised and quite honored," said Alvarez. "There are plenty of PGA Professionals in our Section worthy of this award."

A PGA member since '93, Alvarez currently serves as PGA Teaching Professional at Mariner Sands Country Club. She's been recognized as the LPGA SE Section Teacher of the Year in 2002, a Golf Digest Top 50 teacher in Florida for two years, Golf for Women Magazine's Top 50 Teachers for three years, as well as many award nominations with the LPGA and SFPGA.

Alvarez believes leadership is the key to player development.

"The whole point of leadership is to figure out where to go from where you are right now. I believe in sharing the vision with the staff, so we can all move in the same direction. Problems aren't problems … they are opportunities to make something better," says Alvarez.

Alvarez is heavily involved with the PGA, currently sitting on the National Inclusion Committee and National Disabled Golf Committee. Within the Section, she serves on the Hall of Fame Committee and speaks at various PGA shows and events. For the last 14 years, she has been adjunct faculty for the PGM program.

"People want to be inspired. We all need that tap on the back … nothing is more rewarding than sharing my passion for teaching the game of golf and engaging the apprentices while teaching a seminar. You can see them just come to life. It's very satisfying to watch students start the PGM program and then later become a PGA member," says Alvarez.

Alvarez, along with 10 other South Florida PGA Annual Award winners, will be recognized at the SFPGA Awards Night on Nov. 8 at Parkland Golf and Country Club.

About the South Florida PGA
The South Florida PGA, one of 41 PGA Section offices throughout the United States, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The South Florida Section is one link in the grass-roots network used to facilitate communication among the nation's 25 million amateur golfers and the PGA's 28,000 members. The South Florida Section PGA is comprised of over 1,600 men and women PGA Professionals dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.

CONTACT:
Corrie Edwards
Cedwards@pgahq.com
561-729-0544 x102