Golf industry veteran Nick Raffaele has been named executive director of the CareerBuilder Challenge and the CEO of Desert Classic Charities. He’ll be responsible for all aspects of the nonprofit entity and the annual PGA Tour event in La Quinta that it runs.
“We’re excited to bring Nick into this role, and we expect that under his leadership the CareerBuilder Challenge and Desert Classic Charities will continue to grow and thrive as integral parts of the Coachella Valley community,” said John Foster, president of the board of directors of Desert Classic Charities.
Raffaele comes to his new roles from Callaway Golf, where he was vice president of Global Sports Marketing. Prior to his time at Carlsbad-based Callaway, Raffaele managed PGA Tour development for Spalding Sports.
“Desert Classic Charities is a tremendous organization with a long history of positively impacting this area,” Raffaele said. “The CareerBuilder Challenge is a wonderful tournament with a rich history on the PGA Tour, and is in a community that is passionate about golf. I look forward to moving my family to the Coachella Valley and helping the event become even better.”
The CareerBuilder Challenge – the Coachella Valley’s longest-running charitable event, organized and operated by Desert Classic Charities – has raised more than $57 million for Eisenhower Medical Center and other local charities since its inception as the Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960.
The 2017 tournament is scheduled for Jan. 19-22 and will be played at the TPC Stadium and Jack Nicklaus Tournament courses at PGA West and La Quinta Country Club.
Jason Dufner won his fourth PGA Tour title and first since claiming the 2013 PGA Championship at this season’s CareerBuilder Challenge after defeating David Lingmerth on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
