SOUTH FLORIDA PGA

Naples, FL - The South Florida PGA capped off its 2025 tournament season today at Wyndemere Country Club in Naples, Florida, with the SFPGA Pro-Lady, welcoming a sold-out field of 100 players. The home team from Wyndemere Country Club, led by PGA Head Professional, Alex Derksen, and amateurs, Kitty Kemp, Judy Lanfrit, and Tammy Escott, secured first place honors with a score of 2-under, 70. Wyndemere defeated the team from The Country Club of Coral Springs, led by PGA General Manager Corey Henry and amateurs, Ivy Henry, Claire Menard, and Ivania Arrechavaia, and the team from Hunter’s Run Country Club, led by PGA Assistant Professional Ralph Garofano and amateurs Lori Kirsch, Tammie Harris, and Gail Boyce, in a scorecard playoff.

When members walk into the Boca West Country Club golf shop, they’re greeted by more than apparel, equipment, and displays. They’re met with an energy shaped by intention, creativity, and a standard of hospitality that reflects the vision of Travis Wehrs, PGA. That vision, cultivated over two decades of learning, leading, and innovating, has now earned him recognition as the 2025 South Florida PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Private Category. For Wehrs, the Director of Golf at Boca West, the honor is meaningful because it celebrates retail excellence, and it acknowledges a lifelong passion rooted not in spreadsheets or inventory, but in style, personality, and connection. “One of the reasons I got into the golf business was the retail and the clothing,” Wehrs says. “The way you can show your personality and how golf drives fashion, it’s really meaningful to me.” Wehrs’ path to one of the industry’s largest private club retail operations began far from resort-style clubhouses. He grew up on a small farm outside Lincoln, Nebraska, running hurdles and pole vaulting rather than playing golf. Golf wasn’t in the plan, at least not yet. After two years at the University of Nebraska, Wehrs felt drawn toward something bigger. With family in Southwest Florida, he moved to Fort Myers, unsure where it would lead but certain he wanted a career centered on people and hospitality. Soon after arriving, he opened the Yellow Pages and began calling golf courses. “I wanted to work at a golf course because I wanted to showcase my personality,” he recalls. “I wanted to meet people and be in the hospitality space.” One call led to Olde Hickory Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida, where he was hired in outside operations in 2000. It quickly became more than a job. He moved into the golf shop and discovered the business side of the game, including customer service, merchandising, and relationship-building that would define his career. Olde Hickory lacked a dedicated retail director, and the responsibility fell to whoever had the passion for it. That was Wehrs. “None of the professionals there really enjoyed retail,” he says. “I was always looking for a way to differentiate myself.” He began meeting with vendors, studying color palettes, designing headwear, and helping redesign the club’s brand mark that lasted for decades. That early exposure to buying, branding, and merchandising philosophy laid the foundation for everything that followed. Even though Wehrs was just 23 and had not earned his Class-A PGA Membership, the Olde Hickory board made a bold decision, naming him the Head Professional. “They said, ‘OK kid, we’re putting all our eggs in one basket. Are you ready?’” Wehrs says. “I knew I wasn’t going to fail.” During this time, he completed his bachelor’s degree at Florida Gulf Coast University through night classes. Wehrs made the board's decision look good, as he spent 11 years as Head Professional at Olde Hickory. He then moved to Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers, and ultimately to Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, where his passion for retail innovation found its ideal platform. With more than 6,000 members and a stand-alone retail building at Boca West, opportunity was everywhere and Wehrs embraced it. Holiday Bazaars became full-ballroom shopping events. Demo days evolved into “Golfapalooza,” a multi-vendor experience he describes as a “demo day on steroids.” Seasonal sales, brand partnerships, and curated collections expanded dramatically. But the most significant shift came in hard goods. “I felt there was a big hole,” Wehrs says. “Members wanted someone they trusted recommending golf balls, wedges, irons, everything.” The solution was hiring Jacob Huizinga, a former Florida State Amateur champion, as Boca West’s dedicated club fitter. The impact was immediate. In his first year, Huizinga completed nearly 500 fittings. Hard-goods sales jumped from roughly $600,000–$700,000 annually to over $1 million. Still, Wehrs emphasizes, it was never about revenue. “The goal was creating hospitality around club fitting, offering a boutique experience.” That experience includes a state-of-the-art fitting studio, advanced loft-and-lie technology, in-house regripping, and meticulous follow-up communication. Alongside service expansion came a renewed focus on brand identity. Boca West’s hibiscus logo has become a defining visual, one Wehrs believes could be globally recognizable. “When you see that hibiscus, you think of Boca West,” he says. “This is one of the finest facilities in the world.” As the Director of Golf, Wehrs oversees more than 230 staff members, including agronomy, golf operations, and retail. His leadership philosophy is simple: be present. “I spend the first couple of hours every day interacting with the team,” he says. “Being visible and being a servant leader matters.” He asks about families, weekends, milestones, focusing on seeing staff as people first. “That connection allows us to rely on each other’s strengths, especially when things get heavy,” he says. Being named the 2025 Merchandiser of the Year is meaningful, but Wehrs views it as a reflection of his team. “I’m surrounded by incredibly gifted, hardworking people,” he says. “I feel really fortunate.”