John Hermans, Montreux Golf & Country Club Director of Golf, earned the 2025 Northern California Section, PGA of America Professional of the Year honor. He was recognized along with the other honorees Dec. 7 at Green Valley Country Club.
“Really, this is surreal because the NCPGA Section has a ton of incredible courses and incredible golf professionals, and I felt lucky just to have been nominated for the award,” Hermans said. “I certainly didn’t think I’d have a chance to win it. I’m just grateful that our Association even has annual awards like this that honor the many great golf professionals who are all so deserving because not every industry has annual awards. We do this job because we love the game of golf and we love serving our members at the club. We don’t do it to gain recognition, but I felt so honored to have even been in the conversation for this award!”
Montreux is a legendary course and Hermans is honored to help serve there and play a role in leading it.
“I’ve been at Montreux a long time–going on my 15th season)–and every day I feel lucky to be in the position I’m in, serving our unbelievable membership,” Hermans said. “The members, as well as the staff at Montreux, feel like my family and I enjoy coming to work every day because of the people I get to be around.”
More About John Hermans, PGA
John has been a PGA Member for over 12 years and is now in his 14th season at Montreux in Reno, Nevada—a place that has truly become his professional home. A proud graduate of the Ferris State PGM program, John first arrived at Montreux as an intern, returned as an Assistant Golf Professional in 2013, and steadily worked his way through the ranks to become Director of Golf in 2021.
Throughout this journey, he has been shaped by mentors like Jason Brustad, Zach Jonas, and the legendary Gus Jones, whose influence helped develop the leader we celebrate tonight. John defines success through four pillars: member service, leadership, business stewardship, and growing the game. At Montreux, he treats the membership like family—whether he’s helping a member improve their game, elevating tournament operations, or simply offering a moment of connection.
He instills this same member-first mindset in his entire team, fostering a culture where everyone feels valued, supported, and inspired. As Director of Golf, John embraces his role as a mentor, famously adopting Gus Jones’ “Cheerleader” philosophy. He motivates all areas of the golf operation, rotates responsibilities to build well-rounded professionals, and leads by example—with energy, positivity, and genuine joy for his work. He even organizes club-wide morale events, knowing that strong relationships create strong teams.
John is also a thoughtful and meticulous manager, overseeing the business and financial operations of the golf department with care and precision. He approaches budgeting and forecasting with a level of focus that has strengthened the club’s overall success. And when it comes to growing the game, John is tireless. He teaches one to two private lessons every day, leads a robust instructional program with more than 70 women and 75 juniors, and has volunteered at the Fred Alexander Junior Golf Clinics for over a decade—helping introduce more than 400 juniors each year to the sport.
He serves on the board of The First Tee of Northern Nevada, hosts Drive, Chip & Putt qualifiers annually, supports PGA Junior League, and remains deeply involved in the Sierra Nevada Chapter, now in his third year as Chapter President. His dedication to leadership, mentorship, and service has strengthened not only Montreux, but the entire Northern California PGA Section
