Kāʻanapali’s David Havens Earns Award from Aloha Section PGA

PGA Director of Instruction, David Havens was recently awarded the 2015 Horton Smith Award by the Aloha Section PGA.

David Havens, PGA Director of Instruction at Kāʻanapali Golf Courses was recently awarded the 2015 Horton Smith Award by the Aloha Section PGA.

The Horton Smith Award recognizes the PGA professional who is the model educator of PGA Professionals and gives special recognition for outstanding continued contributions to professional education.

According to the organization, the recipient must demonstrate qualities of leadership, moral character and maintain a record of service to the association and the game of golf.

“When I was young, someone gave me the opportunity to play golf,” said Havens in a Kāʻanapali Golf Courses press release announcement. “Working at Kāʻanapali and helping people get into the game is my way of giving back so someone else has that same opportunity,” he said.

Havens, who utilizes the PGA National education program, Tee it Forward, said, “All of my students, whether male or female, old or young, start at the forward tees on the course.  It is important for new students to be educated on the rules and etiquette of the game as they learn the sport,” he said.

David Havens represented the ASPGA at the PGA National Championship in July in PA. His father, David Lewis Havens, caddied for him at the event.

Havens also has a weekly “soup kitchen” club with several of the hotel sales and front line staff, who meet at the range to learn more about the game, practice and often play one of the practice holes together.

Havens’ boss, Ed Kageyama, PGA General Manager at Kāʻanapali commented about the award saying, “David is a great ambassador for the game of golf – he has such a big heart and he truly cares about people.”

“Kāʻanapali is lucky to have him on staff – he is not only a great player and teacher of the game, but also someone who educates people about the game and gets them excited to make golf a part of their life,” said Kageyama.

Havens has been published in several articles for PGA Magazine, including “PGA Best Practices: Player Development” and most recently his “Teaching Teachers” article in October.

In addition to the recent accolade, Havens was also the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award by the ASPGA in 2013; and the Junior Leader Award by the ASPGA in 2012.

David even created his own non-profit “Spare for Change” several years ago that recycles old golf clubs and donates them to golfers young and old across America. The organization offers college scholarships to kids in need, and has awarded scholarships to Maui students over the last few years.