Southern Texas PGA

What Southern Texas PGA does

The Southern Texas PGA (STPGA) is a regional member-based non-profit organization and one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America, headquartered in Spring, TX. Founded in 1968, STPGA serves approximately 1,000 PGA of America Members and Associates working at over 350 golf facilities across seven metropolitan areas in Southern Texas: Austin, Beaumont, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, Houston, Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio. The Section operates with 16 full-time and over 100 part-time employees, delivering a portfolio of programs including Major Championships (Huntington Bank Spring Classic, Omega Transactions Memorial Championship, Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open, Jets.com Tradition Championship), professional education pathways, the annual Merchandise Suite Show, the STPGA Junior Golf Pathway, and the PGA REACH Southern Texas Foundation.

STPGA's technology stack is composed of third-party SaaS integrations rather than proprietary software: Bluegolf powers tournament registration, scoring, and leaderboards; Zenfolio hosts event photo galleries; Google Forms handles vendor and event registration; and Google Meet delivers virtual associate orientation. The Section's primary revenue streams include recurring member services and dues pass-through, tournament entry fees and corporate sponsorship income (anchored by multi-year title deals with Energy Transfer through 2028, Huntington Bank, First Community Credit Union, and Omega Transactions), Merchandise Suite Show vendor and buyer registration fees ($300 per vendor), and grants and donations to the PGA REACH Southern Texas Foundation (a 501(c)(3) formed in 1994 supporting junior golf, college scholarships, PGA HOPE veterans programming, and employment pathways via PGA WORKS).

STPGA's customer base spans PGA of America professionals (primary), junior golfers, veterans, college-bound students, and golf facilities seeking qualified staff. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected every two years, led by Executive Director Thomas Hutton (PGA, in role since January 2018) and Assistant Executive Director Andrew Gridley. In 2023, STPGA won a national PGA of America award for grow the game initiatives, recognizing its junior golf, PGA HOPE, and foundation program expansion.

Name

Southern Texas PGA

Legal name

Southern Texas PGA Section

Website

https://stpga.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southern Texas PGA is a regional member-based non-profit Section of the PGA of America serving approximately 1,000 PGA professionals across 350+ golf facilities in seven Southern Texas metros, delivering tournaments, education, junior golf, and veteran programs via its PGA REACH Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Association Services

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Tours & Professional Circuits (MPAKAAAK)

Keywords

• Golf association services
• Professional golf tournaments
• Junior golf development
• Pga member education
• Golf industry networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: Member-based organization serving PGA of America Members and Associates through educational opportunities, tournaments, employment/recruiting, and promotion of Members.
2. Merchandise Suite Show: Vendor registration fees of $300 for the annual Merchandise Suite Show event. Additional revenue from buyer registrations and sponsorship packages.
3. Tournament Operations: Event management and tournament operations including entry fees, sponsorship revenue, and partnership fees from corporate sponsors like Huntington Bank, Omega Transactions, and Energy Transfer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Southern Texas PGA is a member-based non-profit Section of the PGA of America that serves 1,000 PGA Professionals and Associates across Southern Texas. It runs Major Championships, Pro-Member tournaments, and team competitions; delivers education pathways for Associates and Members; administers Junior Golf programs; manages the affiliated 501(c)(3) PGA REACH Southern Texas Foundation; and operates the annual Merchandise Suite Show connecting vendors with PGA Members.

Product overview

The Southern Texas PGA is a member-based organization serving approximately 1,000 PGA of America Members and Associates at over 350 facilities across Southern Texas. Rather than a unified software product, the STPGA operates a portfolio of programs and services centered on tournament management (via Bluegolf platform), professional education, junior golf development, awards recognition, and philanthropy through the PGA REACH Southern Texas Foundation. The core offerings include Major Championships and Section tournaments, PGA Membership education pathways, Junior Golf programs including Prestige Tour and PGA Jr. League, the annual Merchandise Suite Show for industry buying, and the STPGA Awards Program recognizing member excellence. The organization also supports employment services through PGA.org career resources. These programs collectively serve the Section's mission to grow the game and elevate the Association across seven metropolitan areas including Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Bryan/College Station, Beaumont, and Rio Grande Valley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STPGA Tournament and Championship Program Comprehensive tournament schedule including Major Championships (Huntington Bank Spring Classic, Omega Transactions Memorial Championship, Jets.com Tradition Championship), the Senior Championship, Assistant Championship, Pro-Member events, and team competitions (Joe Black Cup, Levy Cup, Texas Junior Cup Matches). Open to PGA of America Members and Associates in Southern Texas.
• PGA Membership Education and Professional Development Education pathways and professional development for PGA of America Members and Associates including Associate Orientation Program, Pro-Associate Events, Teaching and Coaching Summits, ADM Education Summits, and support for Associate, University, and Affiliate membership tracks.
• PGA REACH Southern Texas Foundation Programs 501(c)(3) foundation managed by STPGA covering four pillars: Junior Golf (STPGA Junior Golf Pathway), College Scholarships (Billy Clagett Scholarship supporting 290+ students with $100,000+ in entry-fee support), PGA HOPE for veterans, and Employment Opportunities through internships and PGA WORKS.
• Junior Golf Programs Junior golf development programs including PGA Jr. League, Prestige Tour tournaments, summer championships, and player development initiatives designed to create lifelong golfers through age-appropriate programs and tournaments for juniors of all skill levels across Southern Texas.
• STPGA Merchandise Suite Show Annual three-day, suite-style buying event held at Embassy Suites The Woodlands connecting vendors, buyers, and PGA Members to review merchandise lines and plan for upcoming seasons. Vendor registration fee is $300.
• STPGA Awards Program Annual recognition of PGA of America Members for outstanding work and achievements including Golf Professional of the Year, Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year, Bill Strausbaugh Award, Patriot Award, Player Development Award, and section/chapter awards presented at the Annual Awards Banquet.
• Employment and Career Services Employment services connecting PGA Professionals with opportunities through PGA.org job board and PGA Career Consultants who assist with job postings, career planning, resume review, and interview preparation.
• Texas Golf Hall of Fame Representation Section participation as one of six permanent organizations of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, with member representation including Golf Professional/Teacher category honorees (e.g., Dale Morgan, PGA in Class of 2026) and Historic Course recognition (e.g., River Oaks Country Club, Houston).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 290 students supported through Billy Clagett Scholarship with over $100,000 in entry fees for STPGA Junior Golf programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of Mont BelvieucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Host city for Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open at Eagle Pointe Golf Club. Provides municipal support and venue access for the championship.
• Embassy Suites - The WoodlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial host venue for the STPGA Merchandise Suite Show. Transforms into three-day hub of industry activity with suite-style event format.
• Eagle Pointe Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open, managed by Scott Olsen, PGA. Public facility owned by City of Mont Belvieu.
• Big Easy RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Omega Transactions Memorial Championship, managed by PGA professionals Ricky Lyons, Paul Brewer, Matthew Boundy and staff.
• Northern Texas PGAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Section for Texas Team Championship, combining 232 PGA Professionals from both sections in four-ball stroke play competition.
• First Tee - Greater AustincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization led by Jennifer MacCurrach, PGA, providing youth player development through golf. Oversees Billy Clagett Scholarship.
• PGA of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization of PGA Sections. STPGA is one of 41 Sections nationwide serving PGA of America Members.
• Northern Texas PGA SectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring Section collaboration for Texas Team Championship and Levy Cup Matches.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indiana PGA Section: PGA of America section covering Indiana. Comparable in scope (tournaments, education, member services) and a known professional interchange with STPGA leadership (Gridley worked there).
• Southwest PGA Section: A PGA of America section covering Arizona and southern Nevada, with similar warm-weather, multi-metro membership composition and shared leadership alumni (e.g., Southwest PGA chapter system resembles STPGA's district structure).
• Middle Atlantic PGA Section: PGA of America section covering the Mid-Atlantic region. Multiple STPGA senior leaders (Thomas Hutton, Andrew Gridley) previously served there, indicating it operates a similar sectional scope of tournaments, education, and member services.
• Northern Texas PGA Section: The neighboring PGA of America section covering Northern Texas, with which the STPGA co-hosts the Texas Team Championship (232 PGA Pros). It is the most direct comparable in geography, scope, and member-base profile.
• Iowa PGA Section: PGA of America section covering Iowa. Thomas Hutton served as its Executive Director before returning to STPGA, indicating a comparable operating model around tournaments, member development, and junior golf.

Broad incumbents

• PGA of America: National parent organization of all 41 PGA sections, including the STPGA. It is the umbrella body that defines member paths, championships, and REACH programming that the STPGA delivers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/STexasPGA
• Facebookfacebook.com/tr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-texas-pga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Texas PGA