The Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025, is an association of U.S. and Canadian golf travel writers, editors, publishers, columnists, radio and television hosts, and freelancers who focus on golf travel.
Founded in 2005, the group’s Steering Committee selected Len Ziehm from Ocala, FL, as its executive director. Ziehm was a long-time golf writer for the Chicago Sun-Times and is now a senior golf writer for Pro Golf Weekly and a golf columnist for several Chicago-area newspapers that publish the Len Ziehm on Golf blog, which has been running for 15 years. Ziehm is also a member of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.
Former Southern New England Golfer Publisher Bruce Vittner of Cranston, RI, a group co-founder, will serve as treasurer.
Pro Golf Weekly and New England golf Publisher Tom Gorman of Dedham, MA, who founded Bay State Golf and GolfBoston and was previously a freelance golf columnist for various Boston-area and regional golf publications, is membership director.
Dan Vukelich of Albuquerque, NM, the group’s secretary and webmaster, is a senior writer for Pro Golf Weekly, who writes about golf travel for regional golf publications and serves as the online editor of Alabama Golf News.
The group has as many as 60 members and offers journalists who focus on golf travel a platform to share their work and gain visibility.
“It’s been a great 20 years for our Golf Travel Writers of America members,” said John Edwards, publisher of Colorado Golf News, the organization’s founding president, who now becomes president emeritus.
Edwards said the Golf Travel Writers of America was founded “to give us a voice separate from Golf Writers Association of America.” That organization, founded in 1946 to serve the interests of writers covering the professional golf tours, has over 700 members. “Our role is to help recreational golfers and travelers find new destinations and courses to play,” Edwards said.
“We’re excited about taking the GTWA into its next chapter,” said Ziehm, the new executive director. “Golf travel has rebounded after COVID, and expectations are high for the Golf Travel Writers of America. My No. 1 goal is to grow the membership and to create more travel opportunities so that our writers can share information about golf destination experiences with an audience ready, willing and able to book a trip.”
Image courtesy Omni Grove Park Inn
