FRISCO, TX – Last week, Northern Texas PGA Executive Director/CEO, Mark Harrison, surprised long-time NTPGA professional Ronny Glanton with the news of being honored as the namesake for the new NTPGA Golf Park in Frisco, Texas. It will be called “The Ronny” Golf Park. 

Harrison was joined by Glanton’s close friends Philip Bleakney, PGA head professional at Luna Vista GC in Dallas and Eric Oliver of Abilene. In addition, Jon Morgan of Austin was in attendance. Morgan and Mark Anthony of Dallas supported the NTPGA Foundation’s Capital Campaign and made this naming opportunity to recognize Glanton possible. Glanton and Morgan grew up together in Mineral Wells and have been lifelong friends since. 

Glanton has been the head professional at Sherrill Park Golf Course in Richardson, Texas, since 1985. He served as President of the Northern Texas PGA Section two times, the only professional in the Section’s history to do so. The first being from 2006-2007 and the second from 2018-2019. The most notable accomplishment under Glanton’s leadership, in 2018, was the announcement of PGA Frisco and a new home for the Northern Texas PGA. Glanton was also honored by the PGA of America in 2020 with the National Golf Professional of the Year Award. Through his entire career Glanton has been a large proponent of junior golf.

“The Ronny” will be a two acre lighted synthetic turf golf park. It features two replica putting greens from the 18th greens of the East and West Courses of PGA Frisco (reduced in size), two chipping greens, a third practice putting green, an 18-hole putting course and a flex area with a playground and obstacle course specifically for kids. Programming will specifically target middle school age kids and younger. It will be mostly group-based instruction and development with an emphasis on fun, enjoyment and graduation opportunities. The purpose of the pavilion and “The Ronny” is to expand the NTPGA Foundation’s community outreach and growth of the game programs. “The Ronny” Golf Park will open in 2023 and will feature signage (attached) along with a quote from Jon Morgan and Mark Anthony as follows: 

“Leadership is all about relationships—connections made and friendships created. Like

friendship, true leadership means having integrity, and encouraging others to speak up and tell

their truth. When you do these things, the fine line between leadership and friendship is rendered invisible.

Ronny, thank you for your leadership over more than 30 years of dedicated service and

commitment to the Northern Texas PGA and the PGA of America. Your efforts were deservedly

celebrated upon being honored with the Association’s highest award in 2020 as the PGA of

America’s Golf Professional of the Year.

More importantly, thank you for your friendship. We are honored to name this golf park, ‘The

Ronny,’ where bonds like ours, and leaders like you, will be created again and again.” 

Along with “The Ronny” Golf Park, the new home of the NTPGA will boast two buildings. The 7,000-square-foot Dr. Jerry J. Ransom Northern Texas PGA Golf House and the 2,500-square-foot Randy Smith & Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion. 

In addition, thanks to support from Eric Oliver, it was announced the same evening that three new NTPGA scholarships would be awarded and also endowed. The new scholarships are named the Perry Arthur Scholarship, the Philip Bleakney Scholarship and the Ronny Glanton Scholarship. Arthur, Bleakney and Glanton were part owners of the Golf Club of Dallas along with Eric Oliver and Jon Morgan. The club was sold in 2020.