Sun Country Section, PGA of America
About the Sun Country PGA
The Section office for PGA of America Golf Professionals in New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas, since 1974.
Who We Are
Most golfers hear the letters PGA and think of the PGA Tour, the touring professionals on television every weekend. The PGA of America is a different organization. Its members are the men and women who run the game where it is actually played. They manage golf facilities, teach lessons, run tournaments and outings, fit clubs and operate golf shops. A tour player earns a living by playing golf. A PGA of America Golf Professional earns a living by working in golf.
The PGA of America was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Frisco, Texas. More than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals belong to it, organized into 41 Sections across the country. The association conducts the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Professional Championship, and it stages the Ryder Cup together with Ryder Cup Europe.
The Sun Country Section
The Sun Country PGA Section is one of those 41 Sections. Established in 1974, it represents the state of New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas. More than 200 PGA Members and Associates belong to the Section.
The Section exists to serve those professionals and to grow the game where they work. In practice that means raising the skills and the standing of every member, running a full tournament schedule, providing education and career services, and creating opportunities for amateurs, employers, manufacturers, employees and the general public. The measure of the work is whether it builds interest in golf and strengthens the game in New Mexico and West Texas.
The Section is governed by a Board of Directors and is staffed out of the Sun Country Golf House in Rio Rancho.
Sun Country PGA at a Glance
- Established
- 1974
- Territory
- New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas
- Membership
- More than 200 PGA Members and Associates
- Office
- Sun Country Golf House
2316 Southern Blvd SE
Rio Rancho, NM 87124 - Phone
- (505) 897-0864
- info@suncountrygolfhouse.com
Our History
The Sun Country Section was established in 1974 as one of the 41 Sections of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. Today it conducts the Section’s championships, including the New Mexico Open, and provides education and career services to PGA Members and Associates in New Mexico and El Paso County.
The Sun Country PGA Junior Tour is a cornerstone of that history. Notah Begay, Brad and Bart Bryant, Kent Jones and 2002 PGA Champion Rich Beem all played it on their way to the PGA Tour. So did LPGA Tour players Kristi Albers, Nancy Lopez and Rosie Jones. Albers now serves on the Section’s Board of Directors.
In 2009 the Section joined with the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association to acquire the Sun Country Golf House in Rio Rancho, just north of Albuquerque. The building also houses the Sun Country Golf Foundation, the Sun Country Junior Tour and the Rio Grande Golf Course Superintendents’ Association, and it serves as the home of golf in New Mexico and West Texas.
Becoming a PGA Professional
The letters PGA after a name mean the person has completed the PGA of America’s training and membership program. Before registering as a PGA Associate, a candidate must clear five requirements.
From there, an Associate reaches full membership through one of three paths.
The education continues after membership. PGA Members meet ongoing Professional Development Requirements, and the Section’s Education and Meetings page lists the seminars, meetings and online courses that count toward them.
When you book a lesson, plan an outing or ask about a club fitting, look for the PGA after the name.
Sun Country Golf Foundation
The Sun Country Golf Foundation was established in 1999 by the Sun Country PGA Section and the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association. Its work falls under three pillars: Youth, Military and Inclusion. Programs include PGA Jr. League, Youth on Course, PGA HOPE for military veterans, and the PGA WORKS Fellowship.
2026 Tournament Registration
The full 2026 Sun Country Section schedule, entries and results on BlueGolf.
Register Here
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