By AZ GOLF Insider Staff MOVERS&SHAKEUPS
Marriott, Nilsson net
synonymous. That’s because they teach together at their VISION54 Academy at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, and usually when one wins an award the other gets the same award, too. This time Marriott and Nilsson
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have been honored with two different distinctions, as Marriott has been inducted into the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals Hall of Fame and Nilsson has earned the 2016 Ellen Griffin Rolex Award. Yes, when it comes to
teaching golf, these two superstars from the Valley have captured just about everything there is to capture, and are consistently named to just about every golf publication’s top 50/top 100 instructors lists. Not to mention the fact that Marriott almost single-handedly developed the LPGA National Teacher Education Program, while Nilsson played a key consulting role in initiating The First Tee’s Programming and Curriculum when she wasn’t busy coaching the Swedish National Team that produced such great players as Annika Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen, to name a few. For Marriott, a PGA of America
member who turned her back on golf operations because of her love for helping people learn the game, the award confirms her passion. “I am incredibly honored and thrilled by this recognition and
www.azgolf.org
major honors In other news: Escalante purchases The Gallery
hen it comes to award- winning instructors, the names Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson are almost
induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame,” said Marriott, who joins such legends as Peggy Kirk Bell and Patty Berg, as well as Arizona-based members like Marilynn Smith and Kerry Graham. “I will continue to learn, explore,
and be inspired more than ever to support and coach players to reach their aspirations and goals with the game.” The Ellen Griffin Rolex Award,
which honors the late teacher known for her major contributions to golf through her “spirit, love and dedication to students and teachers,” also has an impressive list of past honorees, including Dr. Dede Owens, Harvey Penick and Arizona’s own Joanne Winter. Oh, yes, and did we mention that Marriott won this award, too, in 2008? “I feel extremely honored to
have received this award and be part of an extraordinary group of game influencers,” Nilsson said. “It fuels my passion to stay on the journey to be the best I can be for the game and golfers around the globe. Even though the accolades
Lynn Marriott
keep piling up, it sounds like Marriott and Nilsson are a long way from being done!
Pia Nilsson
MOVERS Many were wondering what social network butterfly Ricky Potts was thinking when he left his job as digital communications manager at Troon Golf and accepted a job in Florida. Turns out Potts got an equally impressive job
at Tiburon in Naples as director of marketing and communications and he still works for Troon, which manages Tiburon. Potts said it’s all part of the big picture, as he’s working his way up to general manager, no doubt somewhere for Troon. It was baptism under fire for Potts, whose first major job at Tiburon was handling the Franklin- Templeton Shootout presented by Greg
Norman in December. “My very first week, and I loved it,” Potts said. “This is where I want to be and what I want to do, and hopefully someday I’ll lead a club on the private side, although we’ve got both (private and public) here at Tiburon.” . . . David Bataller is the new director
of communications and public relations for Scottsdale-based OB Sports. Bataller has a well-rounded background in media, as his last job was sports anchor for the ABC-TV affiliate in Fresno, Calif. He actually began his career in Yuma as the sports anchor at station KSWT- TV, and along the way has worked in radio at station KNBR 680 in San Francisco. A native of La Jolla, Bataller is a USC graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a Master’s degree in print journalism.
The Gallery Golf Club Ricky Potts
SHAKEUPS Escalante Golf has purchased The Gallery Golf Club in Marana, the Texas-based golf operator has announced. The Gallery, which had its North and South courses open to the public on a limited basis, will now be limited to members and guests from the nearby Ritz-Carlton Resort at Dove Mountain. Escalante
also owns the 27 holes next door at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain. That’s one company and 63 holes of premier golf in the same neighborhood. n
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