Tim Brand’s roots are in baseball, but now his heart—and swing—are all about golf in many ways. As Southern Region Executive Director, Brand helps oversee all operations in Southern Nevada and collaborates with the Northern Region to host prestigious state events. He also oversees USGA qualifiers and is a nationally respected rules official.
The relationships he has built, both on and off the course, personal and professional, are top of mind when he reflects on his Southern Nevada golf journey.
“When I think back about my time with the SNGA that began in 2018, and now Nevada Golf, the first things that come to mind are the mentors I have had in different areas,” Brand said. “Sue May and Tim Quinn helped me on the USGA services side, and obviously working under Ann Sunstrum all these years has been important. As Southern Region Executive Director, I’m still heavily involved in tournaments, even though we now have Mike Sebetic as our Director of Rules and Competitions. Over the last few years, I’ve also taken on running our USGA services side—handicapping, course rating, USGA qualifying—things we need to maintain our agreement as an Allied Golf Association of the USGA.”
Brand grew up in New Jersey as a baseball player, with golf serving as an offseason sport. He played in high school and at Wingate in North Carolina. In 2006, he ventured West.
“I took a job at a green-grass facility in San Diego in 2006 when I first moved there, and I worked there for a few years before getting an opportunity with the Century Club of San Diego, which hosts the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines,” Brand said. “That’s really where I got into tournaments. Eventually, that led to me accepting the Director of Rules and Competitions position with the SNGA.”
Ann Sunstrum, Nevada Golf CEO, hired Brand and has worked with him on many successful initiatives over the years.
“Tim has been an essential part of the SNGA for many years and is now helping lead us into the future with Nevada Golf,” said Nevada Golf CEO Ann Sunstrum. “He is a respected tournament director and has created a strong schedule year after year locally and for the state. He also shows his leadership as the Executive Director of the Southern Region. His ascent within the USGA organization for his rules expertise has been impressive, and it is rewarding to see him now officiating national events in addition to sharing his rules knowledge at our Nevada Golf tournaments.”
Brand is excited about the evolution to Nevada Golf, a partnership between the Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada golf associations that became official on Jan. 1, 2026.
“The evolution to Nevada Golf feels like the natural next step,” Brand said. “Even when I started in 2018, we already had a relationship with the North. Back then it was Steve Rydel, and we shared responsibility for state events. I was going up to Reno a couple of times a year even then. We’ve been working together for a long time as two associations in the same state, so this just feels like the logical progression we’ve been moving toward for years.
“While members may notice a new website or that the old SNGA logo is gone, nothing major has changed. And anything that has changed is for the betterment of the association. Keep checking the website, keep checking your emails, and take advantage of everything we offer—especially now that we’re a bigger, stronger membership.”
Brand said he tries to be as accessible as possible.
“I try to be very available to our membership, and I enjoy talking about USGA services, especially rules,” Brand said. “I have a handful of players who reach out regularly with rules questions, and I’m always happy to take those calls. They’re interesting and also help me learn when I talk to them. I hope members feel like they can reach out to me anytime with questions—I’m always willing to help.”
Brand has a full summer schedule ahead, with local, regional, and state events across Nevada, plus national USGA events as a rules official. There is also another significant event on April 11—but more on that later in this article.
“Last year, I did the U.S. Senior Women’s Open in San Diego, and this year I’ll be at the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera in June, and also the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur in late August/early September in New Jersey,” Brand said. “When I got here in 2018, I had no rules certification. Sue really took me under her wing and helped me learn the rules and prepare for the exam. It took about a year to get on the USGA’s radar, and since reaching expert status around 2020, I believe this will be my eighth and ninth USGA national championships.”
On that April 11 date, Brand and Renee Rocco will be married. The two first met at the SNGA offices when Renee became a USGA Boatwright intern. She was later promoted to operations director and then Southern Nevada Junior Golf Executive Director before taking a job with UNLV Athletics.
“I met Renee about two months after I moved here—my start date was March 2018 and hers was May 2018,” Brand said. “We stayed in touch during her different roles, shared office space, and eventually she started spending time with our Kirby Golf Association group outside of work. That’s how the relationship developed.”
