Alabama – NW Florida Section Honors Recipients at Annual Awards Dinner

The Alabama – NW Florida Section hosted its annual Special Awards Dinner at Wynlakes Country Club in Montgomery on February 1, 2026. This event is dedicated to celebrating the outstanding contributions of the Section’s PGA Professionals to both the Section and the Association.

Golf Professional of the Year, Mike Beverly, PGA (SunBelt Golf Corporation) – Mike Beverly exemplifies the core values of a PGA Member through his steadfast dedication to integrity, sportsmanship, and ethical conduct throughout his 34-year golf career, including 31 years as a PGA Member. As President and CEO of SunBelt Golf Corporation, he has demonstrated a profound commitment to the game and the community. As the leader of SunBelt Golf, Beverly holds a significant responsibility to the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) and the state. He oversees the RSA’s investment in 26 golf courses, ensuring profitability for its 380,000 members. He strives to contribute to the economic growth of the state while fulfilling the Trail’s mission of using the golf experience to strengthen the image and perception of Alabama by providing the finest collection of championship public courses. Click here to continue reading.

Professional Development Award, Adam Burkett, PGA (Wicker Point Golf Club) – Adam Burkett has been a PGA Member since 2018 and is a 2017 graduate of the Mississippi State University PGA Golf Management Program. He has served as the Alabama – NW Florida Section Education Committee Chairman for the past two years. While in this position, he created the first Teaching and Coaching Summit, which was held at Wicker Point Golf Club’s new Performance Center and had 25 Section Professionals in attendance. He also volunteered at the Level 1 Teaching Workshop to help advance students in PGA Work Experience to Level 2. Three PGA Certified instructors and 20 students were in attendance. As Education Committee Chairman, he also coordinated with guest speakers for the Section Annual Meeting and Education Seminars. He has also mentored five students at Wicker Point over the past two years to help them advance to the next level of the Associate Program. He has also been a speaker at the Section’s Assistants’ Summit, discussing the importance of completing PGA Work Experience material and real-world methods of getting it done while working in the golf business. 

Bill Strausbaugh Award, Rob Clark, PGA (The Ledges) – Rob Clark has been a PGA Member since 1991, and he moved to the Alabama – NW Florida Section in 2001. He has been directly involved in helping his previous assistants make the transition to Head Golf Professional and Director of Golf positions for many years. He has eight past assistants who are currently in a Head Professional, Director of Golf, or Managerial role. He has served as a Section officer, as well as currently serving on the National Employment Committee, striving to make the PGA of America the first choice when hiring any position related to the golf industry. He was instrumental in the partnership between the Section Foundation and Goat Island Brewing. He has been at his club for 22 years and has more than doubled the rounds of golf since he started, while tripling the sales of merchandise. He is also a very involved member of the community in Huntsville, serving on numerous local boards of non-profit organizations, including Patterson Place, a non-profit that provides a work environment for adults with disabilities. He also participated in Leadership Huntsville, a nine-month program for members of the community to learn more about the city, where he showcased the impact golf has had on the community.

Assistant Professional of the Year, Dominic Diaz, PGA (Mountain Brook Club) – Dominic Diaz has been a PGA Member since 2017 and has spent his entire Membership in the Alabama – NW Florida Section. He is responsible for all men’s events, the buying of merchandise, and teaching and playing with members. He takes pride in the merchandising and believes this area brings excitement to the membership. He loves giving lessons and spending time at the club. He is always eager to help wherever he is needed. He actively supports the junior golf programs at Mountain Brook Club, where he runs and assists with summer camps and helps manage the summer PGA Jr. League teams. He loves to get new golfers excited about the game. He knows it can be intimidating for beginners, so he embraces the challenge of encouraging new golfers, young and old, to venture out on the course. He has served on the Section Tournament Committee and plays in many of the Section events. He was one of four who represented the Section in April at the 2025 PGA Professional Championship. Diaz won this same award in 2023, as well as Merchandiser of the Year in 2018, and he was the Assistant Player of the Year in 2023.

Teacher & Coach of the Year, Chris Biggins, PGA (Country Club of Birmingham) – Chris Biggins has been a PGA Member since 2015 and is a 2014 graduate of the Methodist University PGA Golf Management Program. He has worked with juniors who are just starting their golf journey, juniors who are competing to earn college scholarships, multiple Division I collegiate golfers, and adults of all skill levels. He has also taught 12 individuals with disabilities, including blind golfers, golfers with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, amputees, and more. He has partnered with a local engineer to design and 3D print adaptive equipment to allow amputees to play golf to the best of their ability. For the third year in a row, his PGA Jr. League team, the CCB Milkshakes, won the Section Championship and advanced to Regionals. The junior program at Country Club of Birmingham has had continued success under his leadership, with 245 juniors playing in the Junior Club Championship in 2025 and over 400 total participants in their junior instructional programs throughout the year. Biggins is also the co-chair of the National PGA Coach Committee, working to optimize PGA Coach as a platform from which thousands of PGA Teaching Professionals can benefit.

Youth Player Development Award, Robbie Blackwell, PGA (Hoover Country Club) – Robbie Blackwell has been a PGA Member since 2013 and has spent his entire Membership in the Alabama – NW Florida Section. He began his full-time teaching efforts with the creation of an in-school/after-school golf program in the Birmingham area and has had over 16,000 students participate in this program since its inception. He leads a year-round junior golf program, promoting and developing youth golf at the club level and within the community. Promoting this program has led to an increase in participation in his PGA Jr. League program. In 2021, he had 13 PGA Jr. League participants. In 2025, that number grew to 63 golfers. Junior golf is at the heart of his teaching, and he believes that growing the game is the purest form of giving back to the game of golf. Blackwell is the leader of the junior golf programs at Hoover Country Club, has served on the Alabama – NW Florida Section Junior Golf Committee, and worked with the team of Section Professionals who collaborated with the Alabama Golf Association to launch the Junior Golf Alabama programs.

Player Development Award, David Musial, PGA (GlenLakes Golf Club) – David Musial has been a PGA Member since 1994 and has spent his entire Membership in the Alabama – NW Florida Section. He has created a junior golf program at GlenLakes Golf Club that provides opportunities for beginner players ranging from ages 8 to 17. In addition to individual instruction, he also provides Ladies Golf Clinics each week for beginners, introducing golf to approximately 116 new players. GlenLakes also hosts family golf scrambles, which have brought more than 96 new players to the game of golf. These events are beginner-friendly scramble formats that provide an opportunity for a family of four to participate in the game together. He has helped increase the golf rounds, revenues, and merchandise sales with the traffic created by new players and families. He worked with GlenLakes members and ownership to create the GlenLakes Scholarship, designed for high school seniors who participate in the GlenLakes Junior Golf League. Musial has served on the Section Membership Committee and was chairman of both the Scholarship Committee and the Junior Golf Committee. He has also served as Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Gulf Coast Chapter.

Private Merchandiser of the Year, Jonathan Gibbons, PGA (Greystone Golf & Country Club) – Jonathan Gibbons has been a PGA Member since 2013 and has spent his entire career in the Alabama – NW Florida Section. He is the Head Golf Professional at the Founders Course as well as the buyer for both facilities at Greystone, spending approximately 50 to 60 percent of his time buying, displaying, and selling merchandise. He compares their golf shop to a men’s clothing boutique. The Founders Golf Shop is large in size and delivers quality merchandise in a variety of choices. New product arrives every 15 days, and tables and the sales floor are updated every 15 to 30 days to keep the area clean and presentable. His philosophy for merchandising is to provide members and guests with quality merchandise and value-added services. He stays on top of the ever-changing trends in the industry and strives to portray an image of professionalism in their shop through their personal appearance, the appearance of the golf shop, customer service, product knowledge, and their marketing. Gibbons has won this award previously in 2018 and 2022.

Public Merchandiser of the Year, Matt Livengood, PGA (Terri Pines Country Club) – Matt Livengood has been a PGA Member since 2008 and is a 2006 graduate of the Mississippi State University PGA Golf Management Program. His office is located within the golf shop, allowing him to stay engaged in daily retail operations and member interactions. Approximately 80 percent of his time is spent in the golf shop area, overseeing merchandising, sales, and customer service. As General Manager, some of this time also includes broader administrative and operational duties that extend beyond golf-specific responsibilities. At Terri Pines, merchandise displays are refreshed weekly to maintain a dynamic and engaging shopping environment. This constant rotation ensures that frequent visitors always experience a different look, whether through newly received products, seasonal displays, or themed props. To him, the golf shop is far more than just a retail space. It is the heartbeat of Terri Pines. From concept to completion, he was deeply involved in every design detail of the golf shop renovation. His merchandising philosophy centers on people and partnership. This year, he introduced a dedicated junior golf section, complete with apparel, equipment, footwear, and accessories, demonstrating his commitment to growing the game and advancing the PGA of America’s mission.

Congratulations to all of our 2025 Section Special Award Winners!

2026 Section Awards Dinner at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club