SOUTH FLORIDA PGA
Serving PGA Members and Growing the Game
List of Services
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QUAIL VALLEY PRO-AM DECEMBER 1 | QUAIL VALLEY GOLF CLUBMORE INFO QUAIL VALLEY PRO-AM
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SFPGA JUNIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP DECEMBER 6-7 | THE PARKMORE INFO SFPGA JUNIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
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CADILLAC PRO-AM DECEMBER 12 | THE TWINEAGLES CLUBMORE INFO CADILLAC PRO-AM
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SFGPA PRO-LADY DECEBER 15 | WYNDEMERE COUNTRY CLUBMORE INFO SFGPA PRO-LADY
What's the News?
November 25, 2025
When Will Coleman, PGA got the phone call confirming he had been named the 2025 South Florida PGA Assistant Professional of the Year, his first reaction was simply gratitude. “I was surprised,” he admitted. “Our section is one of the biggest in the country and certainly one of the most competitive for jobs and for talent. I was extremely humbled and grateful to be selected..” For Coleman, now in his third season as the lead assistant professional at Palm Beach Country Club in Palm Beach, FL, the award represents far more than a resume milestone. It reflects an unconventional journey through golf, marked by late beginnings, reinvention, humility, and a steady commitment to doing things the right way. Coleman didn’t grow up dreaming of playing golf for a living. In fact, he didn’t even start playing seriously until he was “19 or 20.” What began as a way to pass time during college breaks, hitting balls on the small course at his hometown in Maryland, quickly grew into something more. “I got hooked on the challenge,” he said. “There was always sort of a problem to solve and something to progress personally. I was attracted to that.” That attraction evolved into what he calls “the right amount of delusion.” At 30 years old, an age when many aspiring pros are already pivoting out of playing careers, Coleman turned professional. He earned status on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica where he spent three years competing. “Golf is very black and white, you're shooting the scores or you're not,” Coleman shared. “I was clearly just not good enough right then.” He tried chasing it a bit longer, but knew he eventually needed to be doing something more sustainable. “Anytime your identity is tied up in something and that picture changes, there’s frustration, sadness,” he said. “But every difficulty is an opportunity.” That opportunity came from Jupiter Country Club in Jupiter, FL, where Coleman had been on staff during his playing years. When he stepped away from competitive golf, the facility offered him an assistant role, his first real entrance into the operations side of the business. Coleman enrolled in the PGA program, passed his qualifying tests, and immersed himself in the golf industry, though he admits he initially had only a “vague picture” of what his future might look like. From Jupiter Country Club he moved to Mayacoo Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, where he began to understand that club operations could become a career, not just a fallback. “It was always just a natural evolution,” he said. “Show up every day, do good work, be a good person, and it's gonna carry you forward.” That mindset guided his next step to The Club at Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter, FL, a move he made intentionally. After a successful stretch there, another opportunity came calling. Through connections made in the Chapter and within the Section, Coleman was introduced to Palm Beach Country Club, where he interviewed and was hired as the lead assistant professional. He has thrived in the club’s service-oriented environment. At Palm Beach Country Club, Coleman oversees hard goods, manages tournaments, teaches, and focuses on relationship-building within a small membership that plays just 12,000 rounds a year. “We’re really a service-minded operation,” he said. “It’s a lot of face time, a lot of interactions, a lot of relationship building.” His maturity from entering the industry later than many of his peers has also shaped who he is as a leader within the operation. Working alongside a younger head professional, Coleman sees his role as both supportive and complementary. “We might be at the same experience level, but my age and life experience give me a different viewpoint,” he explained. “I think he trusts me 100 percent in a support role and if I’m thinking the same way he is, then I’m on the right track.” Another element of Coleman’s recent career has been his leadership of the Southeast Chapter Assistants tournaments, a role he stepped into somewhat unexpectedly. Nick Beddow, PGA, who preceded him in the role, asked if Coleman wanted to take it over. “I’d love to say I had this grand intent to contribute, but it was more like, ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll take it.’” But the role quickly became meaningful. “It’s been a chance for me to play a different role within the chapter,” he said. “Coming from a playing background, it was always about ‘How does this benefit me?’ Now it’s about service, providing tournaments and venues for assistants to compete and meet each other.” He also acknowledges that the role allows him to mentor younger professionals, something that comes naturally at this stage in his career. “When you're a 25-year-old assistant, a volunteer position doesn't sound that attractive,” he said. “But I’ve played all the golf I need to play. Let me give a little back. If I can help steer someone in a direction that benefits them down the road, I’m extremely happy to do that.” When notified about the award, Coleman felt the recognition reflected the totality of his journey, one defined by steady growth, evolving goals, and an embrace of service. “It means a lot to be thought of for this recognition,” he said. “I’m grateful someone thought I was deserving of the award.”
By Matt De Tullio
•
November 24, 2025
If an individual's life can be traced not by the spotlight one seeks but by the work they quietly shoulder, then Jack Shoenfelt, PGA stands as one of the true craftsmen of the South Florida PGA. Along with fellow Professional, Karl Bublitz, Shoenfelt enters the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025, joining a lineage of 51 others who helped shape the identity, values, and excellence of the Section. For someone who rarely sees himself as anything but a “simple Midwestern kid who worked hard,” the recognition feels almost surreal. “Oh, it was very humbling,” Shoenfelt said. “I called Karl and told him, they must be running out of ideas to have us in there.” That humility is part of what makes Shoenfelt beloved. But behind the quiet manner is a life in golf marked by grit, stewardship, mentorship, and a work ethic forged long before he ever set foot in South Florida. An Akron, Ohio native, Shoenfelt grew up in an environment where family mattered, work was expected, and nothing was handed to you. His early jobs in golf as a kid weren’t in the golf shop but on the course itself, mowing greens, cutting holes, raking bunkers, doing whatever needed to be done at his friend's family-owned 9-hole golf course. “We did everything,” he said. “I actually thought I was going to end up being a superintendent.” Shoenfelt didn’t start playing golf seriously until high school, but earned a scholarship to Malone University in Canton, Ohio. Upon graduating, Shoenfelt took a job in Akron where the head professional offered blunt advice. “He told me, ‘Son, you don’t want to get in this business.’ Told me all the negatives. He said, ‘call me tomorrow if you still want the job.’ So I called him. I said, ‘Yeah, I want the job.’” Eventually tired of the northern climate and with a desire for year round balance, Shoenfelt moved south. “You’re working from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. up there,” he said. “It wasn’t good if you wanted a family.” Shoenfelt worked seasonally for three years before taking a permanent job in Florida, a move that would shape the next four decades of his life. Shoenfelt’s professional foundation in South Florida was built at Boca Grove Golf & Tennis Club in Boca Raton, where he spent nearly a decade rising from assistant professional to director of golf. “I loved Boca Grove,” he said. “The people treated me fantastic. I wouldn’t have left if this opportunity hadn’t come up.” That opportunity was ownership, the dream he had carried since those teenage years working on his friend’s family golf course. When longtime PGA Professional Burl Dale sent word he intended to sell Oriole Golf & Tennis Club in Margate, Fl, Shoenfelt saw his future. Ownership, for Shoenfelt, was never about prestige. “There’s a million reasons,” he explained. “Being your own boss, doing your own thing. A lot of that came from working at my buddy’s course.” Today, more than two decades later, Shoenfelt is still the one turning the key in the morning, still fixing roofs and toilets, still doing whatever the facility needs. “It’s like buying a job,” he said. “But I enjoy coming in every day. I come six days a week.” When Shoenfelt took over, Oriole had a reputation. “It was always the lowest-end course around,” he shared. “Known for cheap rates and never closing.” For 10 years, the goal was simply survival. But slowly, steadily, with careful investment and patience, Shoenfelt rebuilt the reputation. “About 10 years ago we put in new greens,” he said. “That was huge for us. And we just continue to make improvements. I think we get better every year.” At the Chapter and Section levels, Shoenfelt didn’t seek leadership roles but rather was put into a position of leadership in the Southern Chapter. “They just put me on the ballot,” he said laughing. Once elected, he embraced the work, serving as treasurer, vice president, and president over six years, helping create pro-ams, annual youth summer camps and emphasized participation that reshaped the chapter’s culture. “We’d have 60, 70, 80 kids in the annual summer camps,” he said. “We went to three or four different facilities in Broward and Dade.” These programs left a deep legacy that others carried forward. As far as playing accomplishments, which he certainly downplays saying, “I’m a middle-of-the-road PGA pro,” Shoenfelt qualified for and competed in the Honda Classic, the Doral Ryder Open, and Nike/Web.com Tour events. He also won the SFPGA Senior PGA Professional Championship in 2021, his highest Section playing accomplishment and the one he is most proud of. When it comes to receiving recognition, that has never been Shoenfelt's motivation. Over his time as a member of the SFPGA, Shoenfelt has been nominated for several annual awards, but has never filled out the application, not wanting to take an opportunity away from someone else. “One of those awards can help the kids,” he said. “Good for their resume. But I don’t need it. I’m not going anywhere. I’m right where I want to be.” While that mindset has always been the same, being inducted into the Hall of Fame is different. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Shoenfelt said. “Very humbling. Very honored.” The South Florida PGA is honored to recognize Jack Shoenfelt as a member of the Hall of Fame not only as a Hall of Fame professional, but as a Hall of Fame person. The kind of person who lifts up others without seeking credit, and builds a community by simply showing up, every day, with purpose.
By Kelly Elbin
•
November 24, 2025
If a man is indeed known by the company he keeps, count Karl Bublitz as one who reveres the class of elite individuals with whom he will now forever be associated. Along with Jack Shoenfelt, his fellow classmate for 2025, Bublitz recently was inducted into the South Florida PGA (SFPGA) Hall of Fame, the highest honor an individual can receive within the Section. For a guy who once spent a summer of his youth moving sprinkler heads late into the night from one hole to another at a course in his native St. Clair County, Michigan, there is something almost surreal about sharing the spotlight with a "who's who" among the other 51 SFPGA Hall of Fame members. "I mean, to know my name is now there with Jack Nicklaus, Jim McLean, Bob Murphy, Bob Toski, and [former PGA of America CEO] Joe Steranka, wow," Bublitz says as his voice trails off. Achieving immortality within the second largest of the 41 PGA of America Sections is the ultimate byproduct of a career that Bublitz describes in its simplest form and with the highest of ideals. "I'm a servant," he says, "and we, as a team, do not fail. We're not going to lose. The product and experience that we provide to our customers, will not be duplicated anywhere else. Their ROE, the Return on Experience for our customers, will not be beaten." That mantra of leadership has extended to his commitment to the SFPGA itself, with Bublitz serving as the Section's President from 2019-21 and being named the 2012 SFPGA Golf Professional of the Year. Bublitz, a PGA of America Member since 1995, is the PGA General Manager for the Collier Rod and Gun Club in Naples, Florida. He is currently assisting with the planning and development of the County's first facility to feature sporting clays, archery, a trail system, and a championship 18-hole golf course, expected to open in 2028. In many respects, Collier Rod and Gun Club represents the exclamation point for Bublitz, who has worked at five other facilities in South Florida since he made the area his permanent home in 2004. Bublitz got his start in the golf business at Rattle Run Golf Course in Michigan, where those muggy summer nights spent changing the sprinkler heads -- typically from 8:30 p.m. to as late as 1:30 a.m.-- for owner Lou Powers afforded him the opportunity to play the game when the sun came back up. Yet it wasn't until PGA Professional Dan Hansen offered Bublitz an assistant professional position at The Moors Golf Club in Portage, Michigan, that the vision of golf as a career began to come into focus for him. For it wasn't until then that Bublitz met the man for whom, as he admits, "I owe my success." When Jim Butler left The Moors to become an assistant professional at The Forest Country Club in Ft. Myers, it created an opening on the staff among assistant professionals. Bublitz then rose in the ranks. And before long, as he would spend his winters in Florida, Bublitz went to work with Butler at The Forest. Ultimately, Butler saw in Bublitz the myriad of skills he admires in a PGA Professional, and when Butler became the General Manager, he hired Bublitz to be his PGA Director of Golf at Grey Oaks Country Club, the sprawling, 54-hole facility in Naples, where Bublitz oversaw a team of 22 golf professionals. "Look, I was a kid who could have gone in any direction," Bublitz admits. "I needed mentorship, and Jim was my guiding light. He helped me look at things in a bigger way than just the day-to-day activities, both in my personal life and my professional life. People are everything in this business, and you absolutely want to be around someone like Jim." Butler, now the CEO of Club Benchmarking, a leading online management tool that provides key data for clubs, says that Bublitz stands alone. "I had many PGA golf professionals work for me and with me, and Karl, by far, is the best one on many levels. Karl is the absolute best at customer experience for any PGA Professional who I have worked with in my 35 years of being a PGA Member. He is organized, he's a leader, and he always puts the club members first. Karl trains his staff to be warm and receptive to the customer, and make each member feel that they are the most important person in the golf shop. "Karl's operations in golf tournaments, merchandising, training staff, business planning and financial performance exceeded expectations on a continuous basis at Grey Oaks. The highest compliment that I can give Karl is if I was starting a facility today, he would be the first person I would call to lead the facility because he is a proven winner." Rich Ter Haar was the PGA Head Professional for Bublitz at Grey Oaks, and he succeeded his boss as Director of Golf when Bublitz took on the opportunity at Collier Rod and Gun Club. "I can think of no one more deserving of induction into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame than Karl Bublitz," Ter Haar says. "His passion for creating the best member experience possible, respect for the traditions of the game, and genuine care for people have defined his entire career. At Grey Oaks, he created an environment where the golf experience is not just about the game itself but about belonging, camaraderie, and shared pride in the club. His leadership raised service standards and inspired his team to embrace excellence every day. Karl has not only achieved great professional success but has also made everyone around him better—through mentorship, friendship, and example. His influence extends far beyond his own club, as he has shaped the character of the South Florida PGA community itself." So true. In fact, Bublitz worked closely with Geoff Lofstead, the longtime executive director of the South Florida PGA, to frame a comprehensive business plan for the Section, which counts more than 2,100 PGA Professionals in its ranks. And he did so with his term as President coinciding with the devastating effects of COVID-19. "My whole focus during that time was to help Geoff and his team with whatever they needed," Bublitz says. "Communications was everything, so Geoff and I were on the phone multiple times a day and we stayed in touch with as many of our golf professionals as we could." Caring for, and mentoring his fellow Professionals, is evident through the more than 20 PGA Professionals who have worked for Bublitz who now have titles of Head Professional or higher. "It's a source of great pride," he says. His caring for his community shines through with the time Bublitz has spent installing windows and helping with other needs for the Habitat for Humanity homes that the SFPGA, through its Foundation, has constructed in 13 of the 14 counties it encompasses. "We'll get all 14," Bublitz is quick to add. He talks about culture, which surely will be unmatched when Collier Rod and Gun Club welcomes its members in a few years. Led by Bublitz, ever the servant. That kid who needed direction and got it, and who, as a man, has paid it back in mentoring and caring for others. And then one day, the phone rings, and you're told that you're going to be up on the mountaintop of your profession. Alongside legends named Jack, Jim, Murph and Toski. And you're thunderstruck. Wow. "I am so humbled," Bublitz says. "You know, I love what I do, and I want to do it for as long as I can be helpful. Next to having my children, it's the greatest honor of my life to be inducted into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame. This is it."
About SFPGA
The South Florida Section of the PGA of America is an association of golf professionals whose mission is to promote interest, participation and enjoyment in the game of golf; establish and maintain professional standards or practice; and enhance the well-being of golf professionals.
What's the News?
November 25, 2025
When Will Coleman, PGA got the phone call confirming he had been named the 2025 South Florida PGA Assistant Professional of the Year, his first reaction was simply gratitude. “I was surprised,” he admitted. “Our section is one of the biggest in the country and certainly one of the most competitive for jobs and for talent. I was extremely humbled and grateful to be selected..” For Coleman, now in his third season as the lead assistant professional at Palm Beach Country Club in Palm Beach, FL, the award represents far more than a resume milestone. It reflects an unconventional journey through golf, marked by late beginnings, reinvention, humility, and a steady commitment to doing things the right way. Coleman didn’t grow up dreaming of playing golf for a living. In fact, he didn’t even start playing seriously until he was “19 or 20.” What began as a way to pass time during college breaks, hitting balls on the small course at his hometown in Maryland, quickly grew into something more. “I got hooked on the challenge,” he said. “There was always sort of a problem to solve and something to progress personally. I was attracted to that.” That attraction evolved into what he calls “the right amount of delusion.” At 30 years old, an age when many aspiring pros are already pivoting out of playing careers, Coleman turned professional. He earned status on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica where he spent three years competing. “Golf is very black and white, you're shooting the scores or you're not,” Coleman shared. “I was clearly just not good enough right then.” He tried chasing it a bit longer, but knew he eventually needed to be doing something more sustainable. “Anytime your identity is tied up in something and that picture changes, there’s frustration, sadness,” he said. “But every difficulty is an opportunity.” That opportunity came from Jupiter Country Club in Jupiter, FL, where Coleman had been on staff during his playing years. When he stepped away from competitive golf, the facility offered him an assistant role, his first real entrance into the operations side of the business. Coleman enrolled in the PGA program, passed his qualifying tests, and immersed himself in the golf industry, though he admits he initially had only a “vague picture” of what his future might look like. From Jupiter Country Club he moved to Mayacoo Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, where he began to understand that club operations could become a career, not just a fallback. “It was always just a natural evolution,” he said. “Show up every day, do good work, be a good person, and it's gonna carry you forward.” That mindset guided his next step to The Club at Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter, FL, a move he made intentionally. After a successful stretch there, another opportunity came calling. Through connections made in the Chapter and within the Section, Coleman was introduced to Palm Beach Country Club, where he interviewed and was hired as the lead assistant professional. He has thrived in the club’s service-oriented environment. At Palm Beach Country Club, Coleman oversees hard goods, manages tournaments, teaches, and focuses on relationship-building within a small membership that plays just 12,000 rounds a year. “We’re really a service-minded operation,” he said. “It’s a lot of face time, a lot of interactions, a lot of relationship building.” His maturity from entering the industry later than many of his peers has also shaped who he is as a leader within the operation. Working alongside a younger head professional, Coleman sees his role as both supportive and complementary. “We might be at the same experience level, but my age and life experience give me a different viewpoint,” he explained. “I think he trusts me 100 percent in a support role and if I’m thinking the same way he is, then I’m on the right track.” Another element of Coleman’s recent career has been his leadership of the Southeast Chapter Assistants tournaments, a role he stepped into somewhat unexpectedly. Nick Beddow, PGA, who preceded him in the role, asked if Coleman wanted to take it over. “I’d love to say I had this grand intent to contribute, but it was more like, ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll take it.’” But the role quickly became meaningful. “It’s been a chance for me to play a different role within the chapter,” he said. “Coming from a playing background, it was always about ‘How does this benefit me?’ Now it’s about service, providing tournaments and venues for assistants to compete and meet each other.” He also acknowledges that the role allows him to mentor younger professionals, something that comes naturally at this stage in his career. “When you're a 25-year-old assistant, a volunteer position doesn't sound that attractive,” he said. “But I’ve played all the golf I need to play. Let me give a little back. If I can help steer someone in a direction that benefits them down the road, I’m extremely happy to do that.” When notified about the award, Coleman felt the recognition reflected the totality of his journey, one defined by steady growth, evolving goals, and an embrace of service. “It means a lot to be thought of for this recognition,” he said. “I’m grateful someone thought I was deserving of the award.”
By Matt De Tullio
•
November 24, 2025
If an individual's life can be traced not by the spotlight one seeks but by the work they quietly shoulder, then Jack Shoenfelt, PGA stands as one of the true craftsmen of the South Florida PGA. Along with fellow Professional, Karl Bublitz, Shoenfelt enters the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025, joining a lineage of 51 others who helped shape the identity, values, and excellence of the Section. For someone who rarely sees himself as anything but a “simple Midwestern kid who worked hard,” the recognition feels almost surreal. “Oh, it was very humbling,” Shoenfelt said. “I called Karl and told him, they must be running out of ideas to have us in there.” That humility is part of what makes Shoenfelt beloved. But behind the quiet manner is a life in golf marked by grit, stewardship, mentorship, and a work ethic forged long before he ever set foot in South Florida. An Akron, Ohio native, Shoenfelt grew up in an environment where family mattered, work was expected, and nothing was handed to you. His early jobs in golf as a kid weren’t in the golf shop but on the course itself, mowing greens, cutting holes, raking bunkers, doing whatever needed to be done at his friend's family-owned 9-hole golf course. “We did everything,” he said. “I actually thought I was going to end up being a superintendent.” Shoenfelt didn’t start playing golf seriously until high school, but earned a scholarship to Malone University in Canton, Ohio. Upon graduating, Shoenfelt took a job in Akron where the head professional offered blunt advice. “He told me, ‘Son, you don’t want to get in this business.’ Told me all the negatives. He said, ‘call me tomorrow if you still want the job.’ So I called him. I said, ‘Yeah, I want the job.’” Eventually tired of the northern climate and with a desire for year round balance, Shoenfelt moved south. “You’re working from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. up there,” he said. “It wasn’t good if you wanted a family.” Shoenfelt worked seasonally for three years before taking a permanent job in Florida, a move that would shape the next four decades of his life. Shoenfelt’s professional foundation in South Florida was built at Boca Grove Golf & Tennis Club in Boca Raton, where he spent nearly a decade rising from assistant professional to director of golf. “I loved Boca Grove,” he said. “The people treated me fantastic. I wouldn’t have left if this opportunity hadn’t come up.” That opportunity was ownership, the dream he had carried since those teenage years working on his friend’s family golf course. When longtime PGA Professional Burl Dale sent word he intended to sell Oriole Golf & Tennis Club in Margate, Fl, Shoenfelt saw his future. Ownership, for Shoenfelt, was never about prestige. “There’s a million reasons,” he explained. “Being your own boss, doing your own thing. A lot of that came from working at my buddy’s course.” Today, more than two decades later, Shoenfelt is still the one turning the key in the morning, still fixing roofs and toilets, still doing whatever the facility needs. “It’s like buying a job,” he said. “But I enjoy coming in every day. I come six days a week.” When Shoenfelt took over, Oriole had a reputation. “It was always the lowest-end course around,” he shared. “Known for cheap rates and never closing.” For 10 years, the goal was simply survival. But slowly, steadily, with careful investment and patience, Shoenfelt rebuilt the reputation. “About 10 years ago we put in new greens,” he said. “That was huge for us. And we just continue to make improvements. I think we get better every year.” At the Chapter and Section levels, Shoenfelt didn’t seek leadership roles but rather was put into a position of leadership in the Southern Chapter. “They just put me on the ballot,” he said laughing. Once elected, he embraced the work, serving as treasurer, vice president, and president over six years, helping create pro-ams, annual youth summer camps and emphasized participation that reshaped the chapter’s culture. “We’d have 60, 70, 80 kids in the annual summer camps,” he said. “We went to three or four different facilities in Broward and Dade.” These programs left a deep legacy that others carried forward. As far as playing accomplishments, which he certainly downplays saying, “I’m a middle-of-the-road PGA pro,” Shoenfelt qualified for and competed in the Honda Classic, the Doral Ryder Open, and Nike/Web.com Tour events. He also won the SFPGA Senior PGA Professional Championship in 2021, his highest Section playing accomplishment and the one he is most proud of. When it comes to receiving recognition, that has never been Shoenfelt's motivation. Over his time as a member of the SFPGA, Shoenfelt has been nominated for several annual awards, but has never filled out the application, not wanting to take an opportunity away from someone else. “One of those awards can help the kids,” he said. “Good for their resume. But I don’t need it. I’m not going anywhere. I’m right where I want to be.” While that mindset has always been the same, being inducted into the Hall of Fame is different. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Shoenfelt said. “Very humbling. Very honored.” The South Florida PGA is honored to recognize Jack Shoenfelt as a member of the Hall of Fame not only as a Hall of Fame professional, but as a Hall of Fame person. The kind of person who lifts up others without seeking credit, and builds a community by simply showing up, every day, with purpose.
By Kelly Elbin
•
November 24, 2025
If a man is indeed known by the company he keeps, count Karl Bublitz as one who reveres the class of elite individuals with whom he will now forever be associated. Along with Jack Shoenfelt, his fellow classmate for 2025, Bublitz recently was inducted into the South Florida PGA (SFPGA) Hall of Fame, the highest honor an individual can receive within the Section. For a guy who once spent a summer of his youth moving sprinkler heads late into the night from one hole to another at a course in his native St. Clair County, Michigan, there is something almost surreal about sharing the spotlight with a "who's who" among the other 51 SFPGA Hall of Fame members. "I mean, to know my name is now there with Jack Nicklaus, Jim McLean, Bob Murphy, Bob Toski, and [former PGA of America CEO] Joe Steranka, wow," Bublitz says as his voice trails off. Achieving immortality within the second largest of the 41 PGA of America Sections is the ultimate byproduct of a career that Bublitz describes in its simplest form and with the highest of ideals. "I'm a servant," he says, "and we, as a team, do not fail. We're not going to lose. The product and experience that we provide to our customers, will not be duplicated anywhere else. Their ROE, the Return on Experience for our customers, will not be beaten." That mantra of leadership has extended to his commitment to the SFPGA itself, with Bublitz serving as the Section's President from 2019-21 and being named the 2012 SFPGA Golf Professional of the Year. Bublitz, a PGA of America Member since 1995, is the PGA General Manager for the Collier Rod and Gun Club in Naples, Florida. He is currently assisting with the planning and development of the County's first facility to feature sporting clays, archery, a trail system, and a championship 18-hole golf course, expected to open in 2028. In many respects, Collier Rod and Gun Club represents the exclamation point for Bublitz, who has worked at five other facilities in South Florida since he made the area his permanent home in 2004. Bublitz got his start in the golf business at Rattle Run Golf Course in Michigan, where those muggy summer nights spent changing the sprinkler heads -- typically from 8:30 p.m. to as late as 1:30 a.m.-- for owner Lou Powers afforded him the opportunity to play the game when the sun came back up. Yet it wasn't until PGA Professional Dan Hansen offered Bublitz an assistant professional position at The Moors Golf Club in Portage, Michigan, that the vision of golf as a career began to come into focus for him. For it wasn't until then that Bublitz met the man for whom, as he admits, "I owe my success." When Jim Butler left The Moors to become an assistant professional at The Forest Country Club in Ft. Myers, it created an opening on the staff among assistant professionals. Bublitz then rose in the ranks. And before long, as he would spend his winters in Florida, Bublitz went to work with Butler at The Forest. Ultimately, Butler saw in Bublitz the myriad of skills he admires in a PGA Professional, and when Butler became the General Manager, he hired Bublitz to be his PGA Director of Golf at Grey Oaks Country Club, the sprawling, 54-hole facility in Naples, where Bublitz oversaw a team of 22 golf professionals. "Look, I was a kid who could have gone in any direction," Bublitz admits. "I needed mentorship, and Jim was my guiding light. He helped me look at things in a bigger way than just the day-to-day activities, both in my personal life and my professional life. People are everything in this business, and you absolutely want to be around someone like Jim." Butler, now the CEO of Club Benchmarking, a leading online management tool that provides key data for clubs, says that Bublitz stands alone. "I had many PGA golf professionals work for me and with me, and Karl, by far, is the best one on many levels. Karl is the absolute best at customer experience for any PGA Professional who I have worked with in my 35 years of being a PGA Member. He is organized, he's a leader, and he always puts the club members first. Karl trains his staff to be warm and receptive to the customer, and make each member feel that they are the most important person in the golf shop. "Karl's operations in golf tournaments, merchandising, training staff, business planning and financial performance exceeded expectations on a continuous basis at Grey Oaks. The highest compliment that I can give Karl is if I was starting a facility today, he would be the first person I would call to lead the facility because he is a proven winner." Rich Ter Haar was the PGA Head Professional for Bublitz at Grey Oaks, and he succeeded his boss as Director of Golf when Bublitz took on the opportunity at Collier Rod and Gun Club. "I can think of no one more deserving of induction into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame than Karl Bublitz," Ter Haar says. "His passion for creating the best member experience possible, respect for the traditions of the game, and genuine care for people have defined his entire career. At Grey Oaks, he created an environment where the golf experience is not just about the game itself but about belonging, camaraderie, and shared pride in the club. His leadership raised service standards and inspired his team to embrace excellence every day. Karl has not only achieved great professional success but has also made everyone around him better—through mentorship, friendship, and example. His influence extends far beyond his own club, as he has shaped the character of the South Florida PGA community itself." So true. In fact, Bublitz worked closely with Geoff Lofstead, the longtime executive director of the South Florida PGA, to frame a comprehensive business plan for the Section, which counts more than 2,100 PGA Professionals in its ranks. And he did so with his term as President coinciding with the devastating effects of COVID-19. "My whole focus during that time was to help Geoff and his team with whatever they needed," Bublitz says. "Communications was everything, so Geoff and I were on the phone multiple times a day and we stayed in touch with as many of our golf professionals as we could." Caring for, and mentoring his fellow Professionals, is evident through the more than 20 PGA Professionals who have worked for Bublitz who now have titles of Head Professional or higher. "It's a source of great pride," he says. His caring for his community shines through with the time Bublitz has spent installing windows and helping with other needs for the Habitat for Humanity homes that the SFPGA, through its Foundation, has constructed in 13 of the 14 counties it encompasses. "We'll get all 14," Bublitz is quick to add. He talks about culture, which surely will be unmatched when Collier Rod and Gun Club welcomes its members in a few years. Led by Bublitz, ever the servant. That kid who needed direction and got it, and who, as a man, has paid it back in mentoring and caring for others. And then one day, the phone rings, and you're told that you're going to be up on the mountaintop of your profession. Alongside legends named Jack, Jim, Murph and Toski. And you're thunderstruck. Wow. "I am so humbled," Bublitz says. "You know, I love what I do, and I want to do it for as long as I can be helpful. Next to having my children, it's the greatest honor of my life to be inducted into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame. This is it."
