Gladstan Golf Course Assistant Golf Professional Jake Wyatt, who’s been a member of The PGA of America since October 2017, has been selected to receive the 2019 Utah Section PGA Youth Player Development Award.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Wyatt said. “I am extremely humbled and grateful to win this award. Junior golf development has always been a passion of mine since entering the PGA.”
Every golfer can agree that growing the game is important to keep one of the world’s oldest sports alive and thriving, but it requires honorable characteristics to focus their career on helping youth learn the game and reap from the benefits of the life lessons the game teaches.
“Introducing the game to the next generation is a big motivation,” Wyatt continued. “I want our game to be accessible to anyone and everyone. Focusing on junior golf and making a less-intimidating, more-fun oriented program has always been a goal of mine. The more friendly and fun we make it up here, the more students we have seen come back and enjoy our practice facilities and the golf course. I want to make Gladstan a place where all the kids in Payson and the surrounding areas love to come, enjoy and spend their time learning the game that we already know and love.”
Gladstan Golf Course offers a yearly junior golf program with several classes, lessons and fun competitions. In addition to their own program Wyatt has lead the creation of and coaches the Gladstan PGA Jr. League team.
“Starting the PGA Jr. League in Utah County has been tremendous,” Wyatt said. “Seeing how the kids react in the team environment and the friends they make has been amazing. I look forward to seeing how we can keep growing and improving the league in the coming years.”
In addition to his responsibilities at Gladstan, Wyatt volunteers his time with the local high school golf team and loves to play golf with his family.
The game offers many things to those who dedicate their time and effort to sharing it with others. For Wyatt, it’s what his career is centered on and he’s influencing the game in Utah because of it.
“It has been the most fulfilling part of my PGA membership experience. Seeing the joy and excitement when a student hits a great shot or comes into the shop to tell me how they played or how much fun junior camp is. It’s been very rewarding.”