Call it "Appreciation Day" at PGA

There was more than breakfast on the menu earlier today for director of golf courses and grounds Ken Mangum at the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Mangum also got served a surprise, courtesy of one staff member in particular.

Mark Martin, who has worked 16 years for Mangum, was the artist who drew a painting of the seventh hole at the Highlands Course, a framed piece of work that was signed along the borders by staff and crew in appreciation of Mangum. The painting was presented to Mangum this morning.

"The presentation went great. Ken was really surprised," Randy Mangum, Ken's younger brother, texted me a little bit ago. "We made the comparison of how his guys feel about him, like he feels about Palmer Maples (a member of GCSAA more than 50 years and its president in 1975). He has been a mentor to them like Palmer was to him."

The idea originated, according to Martin, from Jason Harris, who used to work for Mangum at Atlanta Athletic Club. He phoned two months ago with the idea. That didn't give Martin a whole lot of time to get the job done, but he gladly accepted the challenge.

Martin, 51, learned to draw and paint from his mother, Julia, who was a commercial artist for a department store.

"Ever since I was little, I would draw, stuff out of a magazine," Martin said. "I drew a lot of cars and dragsters in elementary school."

That evolved into drawing things that included landscape or old buildings.

Martin even did a painting of No. 18 at Atlanta Athletic Club, with the clubhouse in the background, and prints were sold.

"Painting is highly stressful," Martin said. "But I think I know when things look good, and I like making things look good."

Comments

[Hamathers]

Mark is truly a gifted artist. Can't wait to see it in person. What a wonderful and personal gift for my dad. Gifts like that are what he appreciates most.

[Wesley hays]

If brushes caused that damage they were made of steel, obviously a bed knife malfunction