Learn and Engage

John Grothe

John Grothe is the head professional at Willamette Valley Country Club. John was born and raised in Carmel, Calif.; although Carmel High School played their home matches at nearby Pebble Beach Golf Links, John did not actually take ip golf until after graduating high school — though he still did manage to play his first official round at Pebble Beach, at the age of 18. John continued his golfing career on the golf team at the University of California, Davis (’94 Political Science) before entering the PGA program in 1998 at Pumpkin Ridge. His career quickly brought him back to Pebble Beach where he was an Assistant Professional at the fabled golf links for five years. While at Pebble Beach, John was elected to PGA membership in 2001. John returned to Oregon for good when Bandon Dunes was searching for a Head Professional in 2002. A few years later, he was promoted to the Director of Golf from 2005-’09. Most recently, John has been with the Oregon Golf Association at the OGA Golf Course as the Head Professional, a position he held for five years. At the OGA Golf Course, John led many player development programs and was awarded the 2015 Player Development Award from the PNW PGA. He was also awarded the 2008 Oregon PGA Professional of the Year and has also received awards for his Junior Golf Program, and Golf Shop Merchandising. Volunteerism is a critical aspect for John. He is a Director for the Oregon PGA Board and serves on the OPGA Mentoring Committee as well as the Player Development Committee. John also serves on the Executive Committee for the Children’s Cancer Association. In addition, he passionately supports the Evans Scholar Foundation, which provides college scholarships to caddies. John is surrounded by a great family including his children, Lauren (13) and Colton (11). They are very active in the West Linn community where they reside.

Jason Owens

Jason Owens is the mobile fitting specialist for PXG, one of the fastest-growing brands in golf. Prior to working for PXG, Jason spent more than 20 years studying and teaching alongside the game’s most prominent teachers. From 2009-2017, Jason was PGA Director of Player Development at Waverley Country Club, where he received numerous awards, including 2013 and 2014 Oregon Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year, and 2013 Pacific Northwest Section PGA Teacher of the Year. Jason also worked with local high-school athletes, coaching four-straight class 6A Oregon state high school champs from 2012-2016.Jason aims to help each golfer solidify the basic fundamentals of the game while achieving their own personal goals — let him help you achieve yours on Sunday at the golf show!

David Brinker

David is the President of Mid-America Golfing Events and 10-time RE/MAX World Long Drive Finalist. David won the 2012 RE/MAX World Long Drive title (Legends Division) and has won multiple additional U.S. and international long-drive championships. His long drive journey began in 2004 at the Long Drivers of America tour Qualifying School in Dallas. He captured the interest of seasoned long drivers by earning his LDA tour card on his first attempt. He recorded the third-longest drive of that competition with a distance of 399 yards. In addition, David is a regular at the United States Senior Long Drive Championships. David has a flair for bringing excitement and entertainment to both corporate and charitable events. Through his efforts, he has helped raise in excess of $2,000,000 for charitable events during his long-drive tenure.

Tara Tokonitz

Tara Tokonitz is the Director of Instruction at Topgolf Hillsboro. A PGA Class A Professional since 2009, Tara’s passion for the game has taken her across the country, working at numerous top-100 golf courses. Tara grew up outside Philadelphia and developed a passion for golf at an early age. She started her career as a caddie, soon progressing to position of Assistant Golf Professional and eventually Head Golf Professional. Over the years, she has accumulated ample experience in running tournaments, junior golf clinics and individual lessons. While playing collegiate golf at Methodist University, she realized her true passion was to bring new golfers into her favorite game. Her personal experiences as a student, player and manager are reflected in her teaching philosophy. She believes that the best way to improve the game is to have fun while doing it and that a good attitude is as important as a good swing. She endeavors to make every lesson fun, engaging, and relaxed while providing personalized solutions to help improve the individual’s game. As a part of the Topgolf team, Tara is excited to help you improve your game in an enjoyable and fun atmosphere.

Justin Ratte

Justin Ratte is the Program Director for The First Tee of Greater Portland. A native of Florida, Justin was a fan of golf long before he first picked up a club at age 22. Justin quickly caught the “golf bug” and has never looked back. Equally passionate about youth development through the lens of sport, Justin learned of The First Tee in college and began volunteering with the organization for various golf events. His enthusiasm to empower children and teens led him to an internship with The First Tee of North Florida, which only built upon his passion for youth development, where he continued to work as Site Coordinator until his transition to the Greater Portland chapter as Program Director.

Terry McEvilly

Terry McEvilly is a Senior Rules Official with the Oregon Golf Association and has been involved with the OGA since 2007. In addition to on-course officiating, he is one of two Rules of Golf instructors for the OGA, along with Pete Scholz. The two teach at least five workshops each year. McEvilly contributes to monthly articles about the
Rules and is the primary contact in the OGA office for inquiries about the Rules. McEvilly is also a member of the USGA Senior Amateur Committee, has refereed 12 USGA Championships, serves as an adviser on the Rules of Golf for the NAIA, and has officiated at the Women’s NCAA Championship and three Women’s NCAA Regionals.

Brad Hunter

Brad Hunter is the center manager and director of instruction at GOLFTEC Tualatin. Brad started playing golf at the age of 14 and soon fell in love with the challenges that golf could offer over any other sport. Golf is such a mental game; you must be able to let yourself get out of your own way. After playing in high school for four year, Brad played two years at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, receiving all-region awards both years. Brad then took his talents to the San Diego Golf Academy to learn more about the business of golf. After eight years as an assistant golf professional at numerous clubs, Brad realized that his true passion is teaching the game. Brad joined the GolfTEC team in March of 2013 and has given over 6,000 lessons with the company. Brad thoroughly enjoys watching his clients break their career-low rounds and personal goals. He is still an avid player and competes in about 25 events a year. If you want to learn how to score the rock, Brad is the instructor for you!

Craig Crandall

Craig Crandall is a PGA Class A Professional who currently teaches at GOLFTEC Cascade Station. Since 2007, Craig has taught more than 7,000 lessons with GOLFTEC in the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Craig is also an excellent golfer, having twice qualified for PGA TOUR China events. Come let Craig fix whatever ails your game in time for spring!

Josh Kosinski

A native of Enfield, Conn., Josh Kosinski has been working for Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy for nearly three years. Prior to joining the Greg Norman team, he attended and competed for Western New England University. While a part of the GNCGA team, Josh has been able to travel the world and introduce the academy to junior golfers everywhere. By playing golf since he was four and playing in college, he has been able to create a successful process for helping junior golfers reach their dreams of playing collegiate golf at different levels, from Division-I all the way to NAIA. With the right work and dedication, he has been able to help most of his students receive partial to full scholarships to play golf in college. When not working or playing golf, Josh likes attending sporting events, spending time with his family and friends, and going to the beach with his dog, Tucker.

Kevin Burnett

Kevin Burnett is the regional representative for Tour Edge, showcasing Tour Edge’s latest clubs at demo days throughout the Pacific Northwest. Kevin has spent the last 27 years representing golf brands, while serving as a golf junkie, wine lover and grandfather. Come by the main stage to check out Tour Edge’s breakthrough technologies in 2019, or to hear stories from Kevin’s life on the road.

Blaine Seitz

Move Better – Play Better. Blaine Seitz is a Class-A PGA golf oerformance coach, golf mobility specialist, and the creator of Mobilitas Golf. With 10-plus years in the golf and fitness industries, Blaine has dedicated his career to teaching students how to perform better from the inside out. Blaine has worked with golfers of all ages and abilities, from beginners to mini-tour players. He has also worked with multiple CrossFit Games athletes and even a four-time World Champion powerlifter! No two players have the same body or mind, so why should they swing the same way? Blaine uses the latest screening and exercise techniques to identify and remove limitations so you can swing your authentic swing and play your best golf. Once you understand how your body works, and how to remove your limitations, you’ll never think about your golf swing the same way again!