BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Mark Peterson, of Carthage, has been honored with one of the most prestigious awards from Midwest chapter of the PGA.
The national program announced four recipients of the Golf Professional of the Year Award and as a member of the Midwest Section, Peterson was among those listed as outstanding citizens who have made tremendous efforts to grow the game of golf and serve as positive influences in their communities. He will accept the award Dec. 4 at the Kansas City Oakwood Country Club.
“It’s the greatest honor to be recognized by peers,” Peterson said. “For me also, it’s a recognition of the support system I’ve been provided by the Carthage golf community. We can only provide the right culture and environment if people are coming out and being a part of it, and I’m so blessed with this community. My role was always looking for ways and creating resources to help people succeed in what they’re doing. I hope I can always be a part of that.”
Peterson began his involvement with the PGA program in 1989 as an apprentice in Springfield, Mo. He served as the assistant professional at the (today named) Bill & Payne Stewart Golf Course until moving to Carthage in 1996. As the PGA Pro of the Carthage Municipal Golf Course, Peterson spearheaded a summer junior golf program, organized tournaments, and collaborated with local boards to oversee the course renovations in 2000. Along the way, he made a positive impact on the community.
“He quickly changed the culture at and around the golf course, especially when it came to work ethic,” said Ryan Knell, a longtime Carthage golfer who also worked at the course. “The golf course, and really, the entire parks division wouldn’t be where it is now without the leadership and knowledge of the grant system that he brought to our city government … This award is truly well deserved and definitely earned.”
In time, Peterson also collaborated with the Carthage R-9 School District to bring golf to fourth graders as part of the PE curriculum. He said his efforts were just one piece of how to promote the game at the local level.
“It’s not just about teaching the game – which the SNAG program did very well for the kids,” he said. “It’s about creating opportunities to play, engaging their families and keeping them connected to the game so that they know they can always come back to it. Carthage has absolutely one of the best golf communities anywhere, and I always made decisions based on the mission of ‘is this going to benefit the golf community?’”
After 26 years as the head pro, Peterson continued his service as the Carthage Parks & Recreation Director. He resigned in November 2022, and is currently building his next endeavor called Stimp 11 – his own business that will enable him to continue his passion in the world of golf.
“A stimp meter is a tool that helps golf superintendents find the speed of the green,” Peterson said. “A reading of 11 represents – as a whole – what everyone is trying to obtain. It’s excellence. And the slogan is going to be ‘Firm, Fast and True.’ The path I’m on right now will be under that brand, and it encompasses a lot – helping with marketing, training and resources for the world of golf in an online setting. I wanted to start a business where I could use my background.”
As a lifetime member of the PGA of America, Peterson says he hopes to always be a positive impact to golfers and golf professionals. Especially now, Peterson says, it’s an exciting time for the sport.
“Golf came out of COVID and blossomed,” he said. “The demand is up, and now there’s a challenge of finding PGA professionals to fulfill the need. It’s not an easy role to fill – I joke that I fit a 50-year career in 33 years – but it is a career where you invest a lot of time and yourself. You have to network with the PGA resources because they’re there to help you thrive. You have to have good people around you, like I was blessed to have Coach Lowell Catron, Aaron Borland and a community of supporters who did it all for the love of the game.”
For more information and a full listing of the 2023 award winners – which also included Twin Hills’ Taylor Griffith for PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year – please visit www.midwest.pga.com.
