Growing up near the 1st Hole on the East Course at the Malone Golf Club, Sprague was no stranger to golf. In fact, his mother thought that "the golf course [was] the safest playground in America and what better place to grow up [than] on the green grass right across the road." And for many Malone residents who have known Sprague from the past 30 years from his position as the Golf Pro and Manager at the Malone Golf Club, it comes as no surprise that he has held leadership positions for the game that he grew up on--and the Secretary position was just the next step.
Q: What are the steps to becoming an officer of the PGA?
A: You run a national election, just like the presidential elections that are coming up. It lasts 15 months; I campaigned from the middle of 2009 until November of 2010. You are voted on by 115 delegates who represent 27,000 people (just like our Congress).
Q: What made you want to run for this position?
A: I've been in leadership positions for golf and this was the next logical step. I was on the board of directors for the Northeastern NY section, which is one of 41 different sections.
Q: You are going to be President of the PGA in 2014--are there any interesting events we can look forward to seeing you in?
A: I will be President from 2014 to 2016. In 2016 the PGA will celebrate their centennial and golf will be reintroduced into the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The last time that golf was an olympic sport was in 1904, so most people will have never seen it... I don't know many 112 year-olds! It will also be a Ryder Cup year, which is being held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
Q: As an officer of the PGA, what do you envision for the future of the PGA?
A: I would like to see PGA Pros become more in-demand. They are the best trained people to run facilities, but unfortunately their qualifications as a PGA Pro have not yet translated into the field. They have shown an aptitude to play and they have the best formal training in the world.
Q: How about for the Malone Golf Club? Anything big planned or exciting when you are President?
A: Well, being in my position I do get some weird looks, like "Have I seen you on T.V.?" I think it definitely gives some credibility and stature to our club and the golf business. But, no, we don't have any big things in the works... the last thing we did was remodel our lobby to showcase PGA highlights and ties to the Club, as well as the Ryder Cup which is happening in Chicago this year.
Q: Do you have any interesting statistics on the effect of golf on the North Country?
A: Well 20,000 tourists come to the area annually, which is pretty significant to a small community like Malone. Of the 45,000 rounds that are played, roughly half of it is from non-members who are traveling in.
Q: Why do you think that they are making the trip to Malone?
A: Well, we have fantastic golf packages with the area hotels. It's a great venue--people get to play on 2 championship courses while they are here, and we have great service. And it's affordable in comparison to other venues. If you take the quality that we offer, our service and our venue, and compare it to some northern clubs, we are quite comparable but our prices are better and ancillary expenses are less.
Q: Your duties take up a considerable amount of time--how often do you actually get to golf?
A: I actually get to play more in this position than I did before, because I get to play with sponsors and business partners who are also passionate about golf.
Q: What is your handicap?
A: I play scratch, or 0. They don't give me any so I don't give them any either...
Q: What is your favorite course to play on?
A: That's tough... I've been fortunate enough to play the top 100 courses in the country, and each has it's own unique traits. It depends if you are looking for a venue like on the ocean or something like a challenge.
Q: Who is your favorite golfer?
A: It's fun to watch the new golfers that are up-and-coming and getting to see how they are perceived by the public, but it's also fun to root for the old guys that I grew up with. But I would have to say that I root for all the guys on the Ryder Cup team.
Q: Was there any golfer in particular who it was a great honor to meet?
A: I had the pleasure of sitting down with Arnold Palmer for 45 minutes and it was one of my best experiences. He's not playing anymore but he is one of the finest golfers, and he is in his early 80s now.
Q: Is there anything that you do to disconnect from golf?
A: Well, golf consumes a lot of my life, at least on different levels. Even on vacations, golf is the forefront of why we are there. It helps that the whole family enjoys the game too. But we spend time with winter activities, like skiing at the local Titus Mountain or even Whiteface.
Info on the Malone Golf Club
The Malone Golf Club is the finest golf facility in Northern New York, Southern Quebec, and Ontario. They have 36 Championship golf holes divided into two great golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones. The club was also recently awarded four and one half stars by Golf Digest and received the "Good Service" seal for both the East and West Courses. Malone Golf Club is membership owned by over 700 members. They provide professional "Country Club" services to members and guests at very affordable rates.
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