LOUISVILLE, KY (February 7, 2024) – Golf House Kentucky is excited to announce the addition of two new team members in the tournament operations department. Ben Larson, PGA, takes over the role of Director, Professional Competitions, while Zach Hale begins as Director, Amateur Competitions.

Most recently in Alabama working along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Ben brings an abundance of experience across many levels of tournament management. After becoming a Class A PGA of America Golf Professional in 2005, he spent 6.5 years as a rules official and tournament director for the NGA Professional Golf Tour, then known as The Hooters Tour. He then moved to South Dakota and spent seven years at the South Dakota Golf Association as their Director of Competitions, facilitating their state championships and USGA qualifiers. Following South Dakota, he moved back to his home state of Iowa, where he served as the Iowa Golf Association’s Director of Competitions. His latest stint in the tournament director sphere was with the LPGA Tour’s Epson Tour, where he worked as their Senior Manager of Rules and Competitions. Ben has also attained his Expert Level Certification in the USGA Rules of Golf. 

Fellow Iowa native Zach heads to Kentucky after spending the last 3.5 years as the Head Coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota, leading the teams to a combined five top-six Great Plains Athletic Conference finishes. Prior to his time in coaching, he worked in tournament administration for five years with two different PGA of America Sections. He spent four years in neighboring state Indiana as the Indiana PGA’s Junior Golf Director before heading south to the Southern Texas PGA to work as their Director of Tournament Operations for a year. Zach also has extensive personal experience in playing amateur golf tournaments, completing his collegiate playing career at Simpson College in Iowa.

“Golf House Kentucky is incredibly excited to have Ben and Zach join the team,” expresses Sally Morgan, PGA, Executive Director of Golf House Kentucky. “They are both extremely knowledgeable in the tournament department and golf operations from the plethora of experiences they have across many aspects of the industry. I am eager to see the ideas they bring and the impacts they make on both Golf House Kentucky and the overall golf community in the Commonwealth and beyond.”

"I am very grateful to have Ben and Zach join our team at Golf House Kentucky,” shares Ray Moehlman, PGA, Senior Director of Tournaments and Business Development. “The two bring a diverse skill set from over 20 combined years of work in tournament administration across the country. I cannot wait for the golfing population in Kentucky to experience the added benefits at events across the state due to their leadership and expertise."

Contact information for Ben and Zach can be found on GHK’s staff directory HERE. 

About Golf House Kentucky:

Golf House Kentucky is the umbrella organization for Kentucky’s Family of Golf Organizations: Kentucky Golf Association, Kentucky PGA and Kentucky Golf Foundation. The vision of Kentucky’s golf leaders, Golf House Kentucky was founded in 1978, and is headquartered in a picturesque country setting in Louisville, Kentucky. Golf House Kentucky conducts over 120 competitions for golfers of all ages, gender and skill levels (amateur and professional). GHK works in conjunction with the PGA of America and provides valuable services to Kentucky PGA professionals and member golf facilities. Working in partnership with the USGA, Golf House Kentucky provides individual golfers and member golf facilities with a wide range of services: Handicapping, USGA Course and Slope Rating, award programs, club consulting and golf management software. The family’s philanthropic affiliate, Kentucky Golf Foundation promotes the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame, Kentucky golf museum and provides grant and scholarship programs for youth in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. GHK has a full-time staff of 11 employees.