PAST PGA PRESIDENT VISITS GAA-SAN DIEGO, SPEAKS TO STUDENTS AND STAFF
Mar 18, 2009
The former president of the PGA, Tom Addis lll, was a recent visitor to the Golf Academy of America-San Diego campus. Addis toured the school's new facilities and spoke to students about the opportunities and obstacles in the industry. He was the 29th president of The PGA of America and the executive director/CEO of the Southern California PGA Section, and is one of the most decorated PGA Professionals in the Association's past two decades.A resident of Beaumont, California, Addis has devoted his entire career to the game and business of golf and making the game better for all who play or earn their living in golf. He was Vice President of Golf Development for Full Swing Golf and Director of Golf at Singing Hills Golf Resort in San Diego. He is currently the owner and president of Medallion Golf Inc. in San Diego, California. Medallion Golf is a golf facility design, construction, operations and management services company.
In 1972 Addis was elected to PGA membership. In two short years, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Southern California PGA Section, one of 41 PGA sections throughout the United States. He was also a member of the San Diego PGA Chapter Board of Directors through the same period. He is one of the very few PGA members who has served as president of each branch of PGA governance - chapter, section and national. He is the recipient of some of golf's most prestigious national awards. In 1981, he received the PGA's Horton Smith Award for his contributions to improving educational opportunities for PGA professionals. In 1988 he was awarded the National Golf Foundation (NGF) Joe Graffis award for contributions to the game of golf. In 1989, Addis received the highest award that can be bestowed on a PGA golf professional, the PGA Golf Professional of the Year. He is also a member of the Southern California PGA Hall of Fame.
He now devotes considerable time working in the community and with the physically and mentally challenged. He is a crusader for children and adults with special needs, community outreach programs, schools programs, and works diligently to ensure that everyone has access to golf facilities and the game of golf everywhere. He is currently president of the San Diego Junior Golf Association and is a member of the board of directors for the Cuyamaca College Foundation, ProKids Golf Academy & Learning Center and the Burn Institute.
Tom's two sons are both involved in the golf business. Tom IV is involved in golf course design and construction in Asia and Bryan is a PGA golf professional at the PGA of Southern California Golf Club.