Las Vegas, Nevada (January 11, 2012)–Chris Cain will become the first PGA of America professional from the Southern Nevada Chapter to be named Southwest Section PGA of America Professional of the Year. The honor will be officially bestowed opon him on January 13 at a ceremony in Arizona. Cain, who is the director of the Professional Golf Management program at UNLV, was also named the 2010 Golf Professional of the Year at the chapter level. –By Brian Hurlburt (with press release).
Cain has not only worked tirelessly for the benefit of UNLV, but he has made an indelible, positive impact on golf in the Las Vegas area. Through it all, Cain has instilled a team work approach. "While I am extremely grateful for this recognition, I do want to be sure the focus is not targeted toward one individual," Cain wrote in an email recently when discussing the recognition. "Our Southern Nevada Chapter has had a long history of quality PGA Professionals serving the Las Vegas golfing community for many decades. It is my hope this recognition from the Section provides a platform for future PGA Professionals from our community to be recognized for their outstadning work as ambassodors of the game of golf." Cain was recognized for his upcoming honor at the Chapter awards dinner on January 10 at the Stan Fulton Building on the UNLV campus. Stick to this website for more about the other Las Vegas award winners at the Chapter level.
The Southern Nevada Chapter represents many pros in the area that we at GolfLasVegasNow.com commonly refer to as the Las Vegas Golf Region. We also call it the Ultimate Golf City, and the hundreds of PGA of America pros in the chapter work hard to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visiting golfers annually. Click now to view our official guide to Las Vegas golf courses.
The Southwest Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year is the highest honor the Section can bestow on a working professional whose total contributions to the game best exemplify the complete PGA Professional. Guidelines for the award include; demonstration of outstanding qualities of leadership; demonstration of strong moral character; consistent substantial record of service to the Section and the game of golf; and well regarded as a model PGA Golf Professional.
Cain, a 12-year member of the PGA of America, is a graduate of the Penn State PGA Golf Management (PGM) Program (B.S. '98) and Leisure Studies Program (M.S. '04). He started his professional career as an Assistant Golf Professional for Pocono Farms Country Club in Pennsylvania, later joining the management team at the Tournament Players Club in Las Vegas. Cain relocated to Penn State as PGA Head Golf Professional from 1999-2002, transitioning to a PGA Teaching Professional while completing his Master's degree from 2002-2004. Cain's graduate work included working with the Penn State PGM Program and instructing for the Departments of Kinesiology, Turfgrass Management, and Exercise and Sports Science. Cain's thesis explored the relationship between golfer practice and performance within the PGM Player Development Program.
Cain relocated to Las Vegas in 2004 to accept the Directorship of the PGM Program at UNLV. While serving as Program Director, Cain began serving the PGA of America at the local, regional, and national levels. Cain's service started as a member of the Board of Directors for the Southwest Section Southern Nevada Chapter in 2005, and served as the Chapter's Secretary, Vice President, and President from 2006-2011. Cain served the Southwest Section as a member of the Board of Directors and Committee Chair of Membership Education from 2009-2011, and also served terms as an appointed member of the Board of Directors for the PGA's Allied Associations including The First Tee of Southern Nevada and the Southern Nevada Golf Association.
Cain is currently serving as Honorary President of the Southern Nevada Chapter PGA, the PGA of America's Adjunct Faculty, and recently accepted a four year appointment to the PGA of America University Golf Management Accreditation Team. Cain will be completing his Ph.D. course work in Educational Leadership in December, continuing with the writing of his dissertation which will examine student, program, and institutional characteristics of PGA Golf Management Programs that relate to cohort persistence.