'My first language is golf': Leadership, diversity part of PGA LEAD program for Indio golf pro

Even though Tony Chavez works as director of golf at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills, he is never far from the Coachella Valley.

Chavez still lives in Indio, where he was born. He played golf at Indio High School and graduated from the golf management program at College of the Desert.

“The desert is a special place. If there was a good fit, and I could fully display my talents and experience, I would absolutely be back there,” Chavez said. “My residence is still there. I commute to work, but the desert has a special place.”

A veteran of numerous golf facilities in the desert, Chavez is now part of the PGA LEAD program, a program that might move him forward in his desire to represent the national PGA of America as well as regional and local PGA of American sectors. PGA LEAD is an 18-month program dedicated to inclusive governance, environments, systems and structures that create the opportunity for all PGA of America Golf Professionals to develop, grow and lead.

Started in 2016, the program attempts to identify diverse members of the PGA of America, then provide them with mentoring and tools to enable them to enter leadership positions in the association.

“PGA LEAD has been around for a few years already and the whole topic about serving the association and learning the inner workings of the association kind of got me interested," the 50-year-old Chavez said. “Basically this is a program to form tomorrow’s leaders of the association. Get to know the inner workings of the association, how one would progress into serving at a local section or even at a national level. That was kind of interesting to me.”

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But PGA Lead has other goals. According to the PGA of America, which represents club professionals and teaching professionals across the country, “This 18-month program reinforces the PGA of America’s commitment to create a game, workforce and industry supply chain that better mirror America's demographics. The Association is committed to inclusive governance, environments, systems and structures that create the opportunity for all PGA of America Golf Professionals to develop, grow and lead.”

That goal is also important to Chavez.

“I actually lived in Mexico my first years of my life. That’s where I learned the game of golf, in Mexico,” Chavez said. “I think golf has no bounds.  There are no nationalities. I use my Spanish-speaking abilities to relate to Hispanics to do my job and to do it at a high level. But I think my first language is golf.

“The years of working in golf allow me to do my job in many environments,” he added. “I’ve worked for Asian ownerships, I worked for the traditional Corporate America and the traditional homeowners association of member owner golf courses.”

Long-time pro

Chavez has been in the golf business 30 years, from his first job working at the now-defunct Mesquite Country Club in Palm Springs to stretches of time at Sun City Palm Desert and Sun City Shadow Hills in Indio. In that time, Chavez said he has seen the PGA of American improve its membership diversity.

“The PGA has done, it has come leaps and bounds since I have been a member of the PGA. I’ve been a member since 2000,” he said. “The leadership and the makeup of the leadership has completely evolved with the time and this program was the right fit for me.”

In a statement about the PGA LEAD program, PGA of America president John Lindert said he is delighted with the results of the program.

“It has been tremendous to see PGA LEAD participants grow into leadership positions across the Association at both the section and national levels,” Lindert said in the statement. “This program continues to help bring talented PGA of America Golf professionals to the forefront of the golf industry, which will help position the PGA of America’s overall mission of growing the game for years to come.”

Chavez has been in leadership roles in the past as president of the Desert Chapter PGA in the Coachella Valley in 2005. But he admits he then stepped back from those roles to focus on improving at his facilities. Now he is prepared to return to such roles through PGA LEAD. While Chavez is part of the national PGA LEAD program, the PGA of Southern California also has a LEAD program for its section.

“I’ve been doing this for a whole lot of time. I think I could provide some different insight and value to the association,” he said. “And that’s why I am preparing myself for the roles and other opportunities that the association might present for me.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'My first language is golf': Leadership, diversity part of PGA LEAD program for Indio golf pro