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		From Teeing Ground To Green Reprinted from March 2006 Issue -by JOE MADAY The PGA has its Golf Show in Orlando, and the firearms industry has the Shot Show in Las Vegas, but the Seattle Golf Show is the hottest golf trade show in our region. This year, the 8th annual Seattle Golf Show will be held March 17-19, at the Qwest Field Event Center, the venue in downtown Seattle where the event has been held for the past five years. This event is the largest consumer golf show on the West Coast, and is viewed as the official opening of the region’s golf season. The Seattle Golf Show is co-owned by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA, and is managed by PNGA Media. “The mid-March dates are more in line with the Northwest golf season,” said John Tipping, the show’s producer. “Winter sports are coming to a close, golf courses and resorts are staffing up, and people are starting to pull their clubs out of the closet.” This year’s show sponsors are Cadillac and Suncadia Golf Resort. Exhibiting at the show is a regional list of who’s who. Gold Mountain Golf Course, which is hosting this summer’s USGA Men’s Public Links, will be there. Oki Golf, which just added two more courses under its umbrella, will also be there. Suncadia, the state’s new destination resort and cousin to Oregon’s Sunriver Resort, is returning as a major sponsor. Also exhibiting are the region’s major consortiums, such as Great Links Resorts, Golf Vancouver Island, the Central Oregon Visitors Association and the Okanagan Golf Alliance. The Champions Tour event, the Boeing Greater Seattle Classic, will be kicking off its promotional campaign at the show. The Pacific Northwest Golf Association is co-owner of the show and will be there in full color as the regional representative of the United States Golf Association. The other co-owner of the show, the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA, will also be there, promoting its Play Golf America campaign and its schedule of major championships, among them the Oregon Open, Washington Open, and Northwest Open. Also on hand, giving instructional clinics on the main stage will be 4-time Washington Open champion Todd Erwin. And giving a clinic or two will be Northwest icon and enigma The Golfing Gorilla. The Northwest Golf Media Association, which includes regional sportswriters, columnists, and anchors from all media outlets, will have their traditional meeting at the show. With the same attractions as last year, including a free round of golf to all paid adult attendees and a chance for a hole-in-one on the turf at Qwest Field, along with newer additions, the show continues as an established tradition on the region’s sporting scene. You can get more information on the Seattle Golf Show by visiting their website at www.seattlegolfshow.com. When you visit the website, you can obtain a coupon for $2 off show admission. Show Hours: Admission prices for the 2006 Seattle Golf Show: Friday, March 17th, 10pm-7pm. Adults $10. Saturday, March 18th, 10am-6pm. Seniors (60 and over) $6. Sunday, March 19th, 10am-4pm. Youth (Age 11-17) $3. Kids (10 and under) free. Getting to Qwest Field Event Center: Qwest Field Event Center (1000 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle, WA) is located on the northeast corner of Occidental Avenue South and Royal Brougham Way across the street from Safeco Field. From the East: Via Interstate 90: Follow the sign to 4th Ave. S. and turn right. Turn right at the first light on to Royal Brougham Way. Occidental Ave S. runs north and south off of Royal Brougham. Via SR-520: Exit on to I-5 southbound. Take exit 164. Follow the sign to 4th Ave. S. and turn right. Turn right at the first light on to Royal Brougham Way. From the north and south: Outside city limits: Take the Interstate 5 exit marked Safeco Field (exit 164 from the north and 164B from the south). Follow the signs to 4th Ave. S. and turn right. Turn right at the first light on to Royal Brougham Way. I hope you enjoy the show and I hope to see you there. In the meantime, remember your golf etiquette—replace your divots, repair your ball marks, rake the bunkers, and love the game. I’ll see you here, next month, in The Entertainer. About the author—Joe Maday is a member of The Northwest Golf Media Association. He is also the Co-Founder of The Brotherhood of The Dimpled Orb™, b.o.d.o.™ Golf, and the b.o.d.o. Tour™. He has competed as a regular player on the b.o.d.o. Tour™ and was the Commissioner of the Tour’s august body of brethren. For more information, you can reach Joe at his e-mail address: bodogolf@televar.com.