LA QUINTA, Calif. – The second-annual Coachella Valley Golf Industry Summit presented by The Toro Company and TurfStar will again kick off the week for the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge, the Coachella Valley’s most popular golf event, with an informative and intriguing session covering many important issues relating to its golf scene from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 at the PGA WEST Private Clubhouse.

The summit is produced by a partnership of Southern California’s most important golf industry organizations and leaders. Joining the CareerBuilder Challenge and Desert Classic Charities are the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America – Hi-Lo Desert Chapter, the Club Managers Association of America – Golden State Chapter, the Southern California PGA of America and the Southern California Golf Association.

The Coachella Valley Golf Industry Summit will begin with a keynote presentation from Paul Levy, President of the PGA of America and General Manager of Toscana Country Club, and follows with panel discussions on:

On  Growing the Game/Player Development (moderated by Tom Addis III, CEO, Southern California PGA. Panelists: Nikki Gatch, Player Development Manager, Southern California PGA; Kevin Gigax, Executive Director, Southern California Golf Association Junior Golf; Tim Skogen, Executive Director, First Tee of Coachella Valley; Kevin Smith, Junior Golf Director, Southern California PGA)

On The Private Club and Daily Fee Course Business (moderated by Jeff Jensen, Southwest Regional Representative, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Panelists: Z. Gordon Davidson, President, Z. Gordon Davidson & Associates, Inc.; Bruce Zahn, General Manager/COO, La Quinta Country Club; Bill O’Brien, Vice President of Operations, Troon)

On Water Supply Management (moderated by Craig Kessler, Director of Government Affairs, SCGA. Panelists: Luke Hall, Class A Superintendent, Shadow Mountain Golf Club; Jonas Conlan, Class A Superintendent, Desert Princess Country Club; Josh Tanner, General Manager/COO, Ironwood Country Club)

Expected to draw key executives, stakeholders, and media members involved in the desert and Southern California golf industry, the Coachella Valley Golf Industry Summit is a high-profile industry event not to be missed by those who consider themselves active participants in the business of golf. The summit, through expert panel discussions and special presentations by industry leaders will address concerns and best practices for many of the game’s big-picture issues, which affect golf’s lifestyle and landscape on a local level.

“The Coachella Valley Golf Industry Summit is a tremendous vehicle by which the CareerBuilder Challenge and Desert Classic Charities can partner with golf industry leaders in Southern California to discuss some challenges facing golf, locally, and talk through potential ideas and solutions,” CareerBuilder Challenge Executive Director and Desert Classic Charities CEO Nick Raffaele said. “The CareerBuilder Challenge has a storied history of enormous presence within our local community, will continue to grow this legacy and believes in playing an active role in advancing the health of the local golf industry.”

The Toro Company and its regional distributor, TurfStar, are the event’s presenting sponsors. Other corporations backing the Coachella Valley Golf Industry Summit are platinum sponsor John Deere Golf and supporting sponsors Simplot, Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Supply, Hunter Golf and West Coast Turf. Tickets for the event and luncheon are available for those in the golf industry for $40. For more information on the event and to make reservations, contact Bob Marra at (760) 861-4242 or Bob@DesertClassicCharities.com.

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 30 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2015, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $160 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.3 billion.