SEND IN YOUR NEWS AND NOTES: All members of the MGWA, with items for our Newsletter, are urged to e-mail them to Chuck Stogel (chstogel@aol.com).
PHOTO GALLERIES: Please note that photo galleries from many of our MGWA meetings and outings are posted on our website (metgolfwriters.org). There are foursome photos, action photos, meeting photos and more. To access, log on to our website and click on Meetings & Outings, then open the photo gallery you wish to see (photos are free to copy).
WE ARE BACK: It has been an extensive hiatus since our last Newsletter. The following contents provide our most up-to-date news along with a recap of selected activities in the latter portion of 2023.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS FOR 2024 ARE ONGOING
This is a reminder that MGWA membership renewals for 2024 are underway. If you have not yet renewed your membership, please consider signing up as soon as you can.
MGWA members enjoy numerous exclusive benefits: Discounted tickets to our National Awards Dinner; discounted access to the Met-area’s finest golf courses at MGWA member-only golf outings/events; discounts to other MGWA fundraising functions; the ability to maintain your handicap through Quill & Tee, our members-only “club without real estate;” the opportunity to network with the MGWA community of writers, editors, photographers and other media professionals.
However, the most important component of your membership is that it supports the MGWA’s charitable work. All revenues raised through dues, outing fees, Awards Dinner ticket sales, etc., go directly to the caddie scholarship funds and other philanthropic causes that the MGWA supports.
The MGWA’s 2024 dues are: Regular Members $95, Associate Members $125, Retired Members $45. Descriptions for the dues categories are on the renewal form. Please note that these prices are unchanged from last year.
Renewing your membership is easy. Simply log into the MGWA website (metgolfwriters.org) by clicking the green Login box in the upper right corner (reminder, your username is your preferred email address and your password is your last name – capitalize the first letter), then click the Membership tab on the top menu to access the Membership Renewal Form. You must be logged in to access the form. If you receive an “Access Denied” message, you have not logged in properly.
HOWIE MUNCK MEMORIAL ARRANGEMENTS
The family of Howie Munck has confirmed memorial arrangements for the former MGWA Board member and Activities Chairman who passed away unexpectedly Friday, January 26th, at the age of 86. Calling hours with the family, including a brief Celebration of Life commemoration, will be held on Thursday, February 8th, from 4-7:00 pm, at the Wanamaker & Carlough Funeral Home, 177 NY Route 59, Suffern, NY 10901. Separately, the family is conducting a private cremation. In lieu of flowers, if you wish, please make donations in Howie’s name to The Alzheimer’s Association/Hudson Valley Chapter, 2649 South Road, Suite 101, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 (845-471-2655; www.alz.org/hudsonvalley) (please note that this address is different from the one originally sent to you; the organization has moved its offices); or Meals on Wheels of Rockland, 121 West Nyack Rd, Nanuet, NY 10954 (845-624-6325; mowrockland.org). Notes of condolence may be sent to Howie’s son, MGWA member Larry Munck, at 9040 70th Drive, Forest Hills, NY 11375.
CROWELL RE-ELECTED MGWA PRESIDENT
Board Completes Roster of VPs, Executive Committee
Brian Crowell, current president of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Board of Directors, has been re-elected by our Executive Committee to head the Association for a fourth year in 2024. A well-respected broadcaster and veteran club professional — he is currently the General Manager of Bally’s Ferry Point in the Bronx, NY — this will be Crowell’s final term as president in accordance with the MGWA Bylaws limiting tenure in the office to a maximum of four years.
Our Executive Committee also re-elected as vice presidents Mark Cannizzaro, Hank Gola and Damon Hack, and added Bill Pennington to the VP roster. Dave Donelson was returned to his post as treasurer.
At the annual meeting, 13 members were re-elected to the Executive Committee. You can access the full lineup at the MGWA website.
MGWA DONATES $60,000+ TO CHARITABLE GROUPS
The Metropolitan Golf Writers Executive Committee, at its fall meeting, elected to donate more than $60,000 from 2023 proceeds to several charitable organizations in the Met area. The donations are made possible by funds raised at the Association’s National Awards Dinner as well as from other MGWA activities. The four primary beneficiaries of the MGWA comprise the three respective caddie-scholarship programs conducted by the Westchester, Long Island and New Jersey Golf Associations, plus the MGA Foundation. Other charitable beneficiaries include the Women’s Met Golf Association, Met PGA, New Jersey PGA and the MGWA’s Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship at Columbia University.
“The MGWA is pleased and proud to support caddie scholarships and the great work of our fellow golf associations,” said MGWA President Brian Crowell. “We’re grateful to our sponsors and to all who attend our annual Awards Dinner. The Dinner is a chance to celebrate golf and our honorees, but the true winner is charity. The funds we raise are truly making a difference in the community.”
SAVE THE DATE: AWARDS DINNER SET FOR OCTOBER 8th
MGWA Activities, Competition Calendar Shaping Up
The MGWA’s 72nd National Awards Dinner, our opportunity to salute the greats of the game along with raising proceeds to donate to various charitable organizations, has been scheduled for October 8, 2024, at Brae Burn CC, Purchase, NY. Please mark the date on your calendars now and plan to attend. If you attend one MGWA event during the year, it should be this one.
Meanwhile, our Activities Committee has been working this winter, putting together a calendar of meetings and outings for the upcoming golf season. Five venues and four dates have been confirmed, with the fifth date, and likely a sixth gathering, to be announced. The calendar so far: Wednesday, May 1st, Rockrimmon CC, Stamford, CT; Tuesday, August 6th, Arcola CC, Paramus, NJ; Thursday, August 29th, Tamarack CC, Greenwich, CT; Wednesday, September 18th, Ardsley CC, Ardsley-on-Hudson, NY; October date TBD, Bethpage Black course, Farmingdale, NY. The sites for our MGWA and Quill & Tee annual tournaments, along with guest presenters at our meetings, will be announced. Several of the courses we will visit have undergone recent renovations and we expect some of the architects who crafted and oversaw the changes to join us at those venues.
The signup notice for MGWA members to also register for our Quill & Tee Golf Club — an exclusive MGA/USGA affiliated club-without-real estate — will be sent out in late March/early April. Many of our gatherings offer activities only for Q&T members, who also benefit from GHIN handicapping services and a subscription to The Met Golfer magazine.
CONFIRMED: DONALD ROSS HAD HAND AT SAINT ANDREWS GC
Responsibility for the numerous design changes made to The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club’s back nine during the club’s first two decades of play at its Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, location has long been a subject of controversy, including a debunked claim of involvement by the estate of Alister MacKenzie. But. the topic was put to rest in 2023 by research confirming that it was the 1914 design work of Donald Ross that resolved a number of early layout challenges.
Following extensive research, the Saint Andrew’s Historical Committee presented the case supporting Ross’ role in the redesign of (then) holes 10-14 in the period 1914-1917. The research has been accepted by the Donald Ross Society, which has added Saint Andrew’s to the official Ross club list. A Saint Andrew’s hole flag will now be on display in the Tufts Archives (Pinehurst, NC), signifying the course’s inclusion in the illustrious portfolio shaped by Ross.
Since its founding in 1888, the club has had golf courses on four sites. The current course, at the time within the village of Mt. Hope, opened in 1897. Ross’ redesigns remained in play, with little change, for 65 years. In 1983, Jack Nicklaus Associates redesigned and modernized the Mt. Hope course, eliminating Ross’ par-three 11th hole and redirecting the 10th fairway onto what had been the 11th green. The Nicklaus organization rebuilt tees, greens, and bunkers, and introduced water hazards throughout the course. However, the fairway lines of Ross’ holes 12, 13 and 14 were not altered and the hand of Donald Ross continues to play a prominent role in Saint Andrew’s contemporary course. For additional information about Saint Andrew’s GC, access the club’s website at www.saintandrewsgolfclub.com.
IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN NORTH JERSEY CC
Stogel, DeMarco Among Quill & Tee Champions
For the third time in seven seasons (2017, 2021, 2023), back on August 31st last summer, North Jersey CC in Wayne, NJ, proved a magnificent host for the Met Golf Writers. In fact, when adding up the club’s multiple facilities indoors and out, a wonderfully renovated course, the staff hospitality all around — and the awesome, seemingly unending and widespread array of food and beverage all day, but especially après golf — we can unabashedly stipulate that our gathering at NJCC ranks among the best ever.
Our morning meeting session featured club President Pete Robertiello, along with MGWA Board and NJCC Board member Hank Gola, speaking on behalf of the club, followed by two special indoor presentations. We heard from inventor Jack Paster and Sun Eagles club pro Steve Shellock about the creation and launch of the PerfectPutt2 training product. Each of our Met Golf Writers attendees got a chance to demo the device earlier on the practice green, and then was generously provided with a complimentary PerfectPutt2 as a takeaway item.
The featured speaker was architect Brian Schneider of Renaissance Golf Design, which is based in Traverse City, MI. Schneider flew in and joined us for the entire day, as he did in 2021 when he was starting the two-year renovation at the current North Jersey layout originally designed by Walter Travis and opened in 1923. “I am a huge fan of Walter Travis, a great writer, inventor, architect,” said Schneider. “Over the many years though, North Jersey underwent decades and decades of tinkering. Travis’ greens are more interesting than those of many other architects, but only seven resembled the originals here when we came in. Personally, I was thrilled to get the call from the club. We did a lot of research. Old photos helped guide our work, especially how big the greens used to be. Our primary goal was to restore the Walter Travis style to the course, to be as accurate as possible.”
A throng of 22 foursomes teed off in the afternoon on the par-71 course, with two simultaneous tournaments for our MGWA Quill & Tee GC members being conducted: the annual Q&T Club Championship in flights; and the Q&T Member-Guest. Club Championship winners were Yale Stogel in the Championship Flight for the second consecutive year and third time overall, shooting 78; Brian Giuffra in the A Flight, with an 81; Frank Qasim in the B Flight, with 86; and Donna DeMarco, in the Women’s Flight, with an 87. In the Q&T Member-Guest Better Ball with handicaps, the winners were Frank Qasim and Lewis Pizzuli, whose eyebrow-raising 17-under net 54 bested second place Hank Gola and Ken Fiorina by eight strokes. Closest to the Pin winners on Hole No.7 were John Paul Newport, Ken Fiorina, Ron Ramsey and Jon Silverberg; on Hole No. 13, the winners were Jozef Thur, Roy Salley, Hank Gola and Sean McGowan.
TOURNAMENT SEASON CLOSED AT GLENARBOR
Met Golas Capture MGWA Team Shootout Title
Just a week before it was honored at the Met Golf Writers annual awards dinner as our 2023 Club of the Year, GlenArbor GC, Bedford Hills, NY, hosted our final tournament for the season, the wild and wacky annual MGWA Team Shootout, on October 3rd.
General Manager Morgan Gregory, whose family was part of acquiring the former White Estate property in 1999 and developing the club, spoke at our indoor morning meeting about the genesis and growth at GlenArbor. “Golf clubs were not our core business,” said Gregory. “We talked to a lot of architects about the course, you can guess the top names, and eventually hooked up with Gary Player. He was easy to talk to, easy to understand his concepts and, all in all, we got along very well.” After two years in the process of securing all the proper permits, GlenArbor’s par-72 course opened in 2001.
Operating out of trailers for two seasons, GA’s stately clubhouse opened in 2003. In 2006, an expansive short game practice area was added to augment a double-ended range that features a modern, all-weather teaching academy on the south side. “We emphasize teaching here, with our top pros; most have been with us since 2002. From a club that started with zero members, our membership is now at 300.” With golf as its main attraction — there is no swimming pool, no tennis courts — many of GlenArbor’s members, perhaps as much as 50%, belong to other clubs as well. It also should be noted that former Director of Golf Rob Labritz, currently competing on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, maintains a close affiliation with GlenArbor as the club’s Touring Ambassador.
Our afternoon golf segment drew 16 foursomes, with all but two competing in the annual MGWA Team Shootout, which employs a Two Best Balls of Foursome Modified Texas Shamble format with 50% handicaps (don’t ask, even our Rules Officials are baffled by it). With the perennial contenders and often winning Berger Kings foursome not competing in 2023, The Met Golas team of John Paul Newport, Peter de Jonge, Hank Gola and Chris Sulavik captured the title on a match of cards at the team aggregate of 139. Placing second was the Team Moxie foursome of Mike Ceriello, Bob Dorgan, Yale Stogel and Woody Stogel. Third place at 130 went to the Shankers, comprised of Peter Cleary, Hugh McGuire, Tom Guidice and Jeff LaMarita. Nearest to the Pin winners on Hole No. 3 were Rich Tan, Larry Roth and John Paul Newport; on Hole No. 14 the winners were Peter Cleary, Terry O’Keefe and Jon Lange.
PEOPLE, PLACES, ETC.
Helen Hockenjos, Dot Paluck, Bob Ross and Chester “Red” Wender have been elected to the New Jersey State Golf Association Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024 and will be formally inducted at a ceremony later this spring. Hockenjos (1906-1995) was a top, multi-titled amateur in the mid-1900s who belonged to Hopatcong, Crestmont and Baltusrol. She was a founding member of the Garden State Women’s Golf Association and also was very involved with the Women’s Met Golf Association. Paluck is a long-time volunteer with the USGA, NJSGA and WMGA, and chaired the USGA Women’s Committee in 2013-14. Ross, a highly accomplished player as a club pro, is probably best known as the head shopkeeper at Baltusrol from 1976 to 1996. Wender (1927-2020) was the course superintendent at Plainfield CC for more than 40 years (1952-1994) . . . Dave Seaman began his journey with the Connecticut State Golf Association 42 years ago. That journey culminated in December at the 2023 CSGA Annual Awards Dinner at TPC River Highlands when Seaman was honored with the Association’s Distinguished Service Award. Seaman first began working with the CSGA when, as a member of the Board and later as the president of New Haven CC, he collaborated with the organization. Gradually over time, his involvement with the CSGA increased. In 1981 Seaman began volunteering for the CSGA and then in 2000, he joined the staff as controller, a position he would hold for 23 years . . . The Emerson Resort & Spa’s Woodstock Open is believed to be the longest running golf tournament for both professionals as well as top amateurs held on the same course in the United States. The event, hosted by the Woodstock (NY) GC, has been attracting competitors from Maine to Florida since 1932. In 2023, the 88th annual one-day pro division top prize of $3,000 was captured by assistant pro Nick Dilio of Silo Ridge FC, Amenia, NY, with a 7-under-par 63, second-lowest score ever in the event and three shots better than runner-up, defending champion and New York State Open winner Michael Miller of Brewster. Patrick Mainey of the Powelton Club, Newburgh, NY, was top amateur with a 2-under 68 . . . Designed by architect Tyler Rae, the semi-private, nine-hole Heritage Spy Ring GC, South Setauket, NY, is expected to fully open on Long Island in 2024. The club name pays homage to George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring and the Island’s prominent role in covert ops during the American Revolution. The venue, which includes adjacent homesites, previously featured the 18-hole Heatherwood GC, which closed in early 2020 after operating for more than 50 years. The new par-36 layout has tees ranging from 2,323 to 3,105 yards . . .Golfzon Range by Leadbetter, a new concept in indoor golf training from Golfzon and David Leadbetter which has been operating in Little Ferry, NJ, plans to open a second location in Westbury, NY, in early 2024. The new facility will feature 18 GDR+ simulators, a Puttview interactive putting green and instruction from Leadbetter accredited instructors . . . Michael Ballo Jr. is the new head golf professional at Tamarack CC, Greenwich CT (the MGWA will visit a newly renovated Tamarack on August 29th). Part of the MGWA’s Family of the Year in 2021, Ballo most recently spent four years as an assistant at Westchester CC in nearby Harrison, NY. Previously, he was an assistant at Winged Foot GC, Mamaroneck, NY. As a player, he has won the Westchester and New York State Open titles, among others. His late father, 
Michael Ballo Sr., was the longtime head pro at Woodway CC, Darien, CT . . . Birchwood CC, Westport, CT, has hired former Fenway assistant 
Wendy Modic as its new head golf professional. She succeeds Kammy Maxfeldt, who retired . . . The PGA of America will present Dom Furore with its Lifetime Achievement Award in Photojournalism in April during the 50th ISPS Handa GWAA Dinner in Augusta, GA. Furore was first hired at Golf Digest/Golf World in 1986 . . . At the same dinner, World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Rankin will receive the PGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism . . . The latest book from MGWA Board member Ann Liguori is due out at the end of February.
Entitled Life on the Green, Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf, the book features 12 legends (six men, six women) sharing fun stories, historic anecdotes and a whole lot more. With a foreword by Jim Nantz, featured legends include Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Jan Stephenson and six others. Available via Amazon and other outlets, the book in paperback is priced at $17.99 ($9.99 Kindle, other online entities) . . . Retired sports journalist and publicist Richard Finn has produced a debut fiction novel entitled Hildy’s Promise: A Crime Thriller, which touts, “Birdies, bogeys and blood flow in this mix of greed and treachery in a taut novel set in Westchester. This crime story is given a new twist with a round of golf playing a pivotal role in the fast-paced tale.” The book is available in Kindle ($3.99) and paperback editions ($12.95) from Amazon, others.
For a sneak peek at the first chapter, go online to www.RichardMFinn.com . . . WELCOME NEW MGWA MEMBERS: Mark Chalfant, golf writing and consulting, mc464@nyu.edu . . . Rich Martinelli, Today Media publisher, richard.martinelli@todaymediainc.com . . . Zach Schonbrun, freelance, zschonbrun@gmail.com . . . Dave Harmon, freelance TV producer (HBO, others, 14 Emmy Awards!), davehbo@aol.com . . . Tony Genualdo, Fox News, tgenualdo@yahoo.com . . . Diana DeLucia, founder/editor Golf Kitchen Magazine, diana@golfkitchen.com . . . Nick Santoriello, New Jersey State Golf Association digital media coordinator, nsantoriello@njsga.org . . . Jack Pennington, Fox Sports, jack.pennington@fox.com . . . OBIT: Gerald “Gerry” Desmond, 89, of Peekskill, NY, the longtime sports director at radio stations WLNA-AM and WHUD-FM, passed away at home, surrounded by family, last August 16th. Desmond was an avid golfer who, over the years, covered numerous area amateur, club and touring pro events. He was inducted into the Westchester (NY) Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.