WE ARE BACK! MGWA NEWSLETTER RETURNS
After a prolonged absence, the MGWA Newsletter is back in action. We are targeting a minimum of four quarterly Newsletters a year, plus more as may be warranted. All members of the MGWA, with items for our Newsletter, are urged to e-mail them to Chuck Stogel (chstogel@aol.com).
MGWA BOARD, COMMITTEES GET BUSY
Following the election at the December 2024 annual Board meeting of Hank Gola (pictured) to succeed Brian Crowell after his four years as president, along with naming Mark Cannizzaro and Bill Pennington as VPs, and the re-election of Board members: the Met Golf Writers Board focused at the beginning of 2025 on completing a review and adoption of a new set of association Bylaws, plus confirming our MGWA Standing Committees. An email about the new set of Bylaws was sent to the membership earlier this month, with highlights of the adjustments and changes made to the previous Bylaws. To access and read the new Bylaws, please log on to the MGWA website (metgolfwriters.org) and click on “Member Home.”
Further, at the annual meeting, Dan Berger was elected treasurer, succeeding Dave Donelson, who resigned from the Board after many years of service. The Board also appointed Chuck Stogel as parliamentarian, a non-officer position.
The MGWA now has six Standing Committees, with the president ex-officio on all but the Nominating Committee. The Communications/Social Media Committee was added to the previous roster of five Standing Committees. Here is the membership of the various committees:
Dinner Committee
Hank Gola (chair), Gordon Andrew, Mark Cannizzaro, Lori Ann Cerullo, Steve Clow, Diana DeLucia, Pete Kowalski, Ann Liguori, Pat Norton, Robin Sauerhaft.
Communications/Social Media Committee
Hank Gola (chair), Gordon Andrew, Dan Berger, Brian Crowell, Brian Giuffra, Jack Milko, J.P. Newport, Robin Sauerhaft, Anthony Scorcia.
Membership Committee
Hank Gola (chair), Mark Cannizzaro, Billy Condon, Pete Kowalski, Bill Pennington.
Activities Committee
Chuck Stogel (chair), Dan Berger, Eric Berger, Dave Donelson, Hank Gola, Jozef Thur, Matt Ward.
Executive Committee
Hank Gola (chair), Dan Berger, Mark Cannizzaro, Bill Pennington.
Nominating Committee
Chaired by the most recent Past President or another Past President as designee, and consisting of other past presidents who remain “active” and choose to serve on the committee. A minimum of three members shall comprise the Nominating Committee. Should a minimum of three Past Presidents not be available, the Board shall choose from among the Board of Directors to complete the Nominating Committee with a minimum of three members.
SOCIAL MEDIA COMMITTEE IS ONLINE, PRODUCTIVE
The Communications/Social Media committee already has launched several MGWA platforms which are actively supplying various forms of content.
Here are the URL links to our six social media platforms:
X: https://x.com/metgolfwriters?s=21&t=9TOfVcuYlhqdpxUOJC1zuQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metgolfwriters/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@metropolitangolfwritersass4061?si=vgTRbL_womsZqyIM
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/metgolfwriters/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/met-golf-writers-association/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7kcMKpMKy70fKCZXKgDKE9?si=cf5aa4036b9c420d
Committee member Jack Milko is overseeing logistical posting on our social media platforms. Gordon Andrew and Anthony Scorcia are handling podcast interviews. Audio of four podcasts already posted on our Spotify site include interviews with MGWA immediate Past President Brian Crowell; standout amateur Megha Ganne, a New Jersey native; Golf Channel broadcaster and MGWA Board member Damon Hack; and Darin Bevard, USGA Senior Director of Championship Agronomy, who oversaw the course preparation for this week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont. Video of our podcasts and other interviews are posted on our YouTube channel. And much more is to follow, providing greater exposure for both the MGWA and our activities, along with our interview subjects.
MGWA MEETINGS FEATURE AUTHORS, ARCHITECTS
Having course architects join us when the MGWA stages a meeting and golf outing during the season has proven very popular, and 2025 will feature several more designers along with a trio of authors speaking about their recent book releases. Our Q&A sessions with course renovation specialists have been engaged and very lively, as well as informational.
Architects and the courses they have worked on and joined us at in just the past few seasons include: Tripp Davis, Burning Tree; Mike DeVries, Pelham; Stephen Kay, Hendricks Field and Mount Kisco; Tom Kite, Forest Hill; Brian Schneider, North Jersey (twice); Andy Staples, Arcola; Bryce Swanson, Resorts World Monster and Westchester Hills; Joel Weiman, Ardsley; Steve Weisser, Hackensack.
Course architects on the 2025 schedule include Jaeger Kovich (pictured) at Knickerbocker on June 18th and Bruce Hepner at Woodway on July 28th. In advance of our June 18th visit to Knickerbocker, here is a link to Matt Ward’s recent article about the club and course: golftoday.co.uk/grade-a-architecture-knickerbocker-country-club/.
Our lineup of MGWA member/authors this season comprises: David Barrett, The Greatest U.S. Opens, at Knickerbocker; Hank Gola, Ryder Cup Rivals, Fiercest Battles for Golf’s Holy Grail, at Woodway; and Ann Liguori, Life on the Green, Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf, at Upper Montclair on September 9th. Several books will be provided as prizes at all three locations.
TICK MITT PROVIDES PROTECTION FOR GOLFERS
With golf being primarily an outdoor sport (although it is growing indoors in some ways), there is a relatively new product on the market aimed at golfers who may be exposed to the dangers of ticks and Lyme disease. Tick Mitt is the product and recently its creators were featured on the TV show Shark Tank. What is it? Tick Mitt is a chemical-free and reusable tick protection and removal tool for people and pets. The glove/mitt is swiped over the skin, clothes or pet fur to find and remove ticks. It is then put in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill and remove any ticks and is then reusable. The swiping prevents ticks from embedding in a golfer’s skin. Tick Mitt and more info is available online at tickmitt.com, and for sale in a choice of four colors at various retail locations, for $19.99 per kit. PR for Tick Mitt is being handled by MGWA member Nick Nicholas and associates at Nicholas and Lence Communications (nick@nicholaslence.com). Nick provided a demo and prizes last season during our visit to the Resorts World Monster club.
The backstory: Tick Mitt was co-founded by entrepreneur Steve Abrams and his daughter Olivia Abrams. The Abrams family dealt with the chronic effects of Lyme disease when Olivia was diagnosed after being bitten by a tick in Hudson Valley, NY, at just seven years old. Steve also struggled with Lyme Disease during Olivia’s childhood. The family’s need to protect themselves and their pets from further tick bites is what sparked the creation of the company.
FORMER MEMBER BOB TREBUS, 91, PASSES AWAY
Robert “Bob” Stanley Trebus, 91, passed away in his Basking Ridge, NJ, home last summer. Born on February 8th, 1933, he was a longtime member of the Met Golf Writers, author, devout Catholic, loving husband and father, and most known for his passion for golf and the history of golf. Trebus was a co-founder of the Tillinghast Association, which maintains a virtual library and archive regarding golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast. Trebus co-authored two history books on Baltusrol Golf Club, where he was a 46-year member and one of the club’s historians and produced a number of other club history books for several golf and country clubs. He was editor of the Baltusrol club newsletter for over a decade and served on the club’s Board of Governors. He attended numerous MGWA meetings & outings over the years and, notably, helped arranged two group visits by the Met Writers to Baltusrol, the last one in 2015. He will forever be remembered and cherished by his family and his many friends, and those who knew him well will remember his signature smile, sense of humor and friendly demeanor.
PEOPLE, PLACES, ETC.
A timely note from MGWA member Rob Cowen points out that the U.S. Open aerials for Oakmont created by Cowen Media are up on various USGA web sites and YouTube. This is the 17th consecutive year Cowen Media has produced tee-to-green aerial content for the USGA at the various U.S. Open sites. The company also created the U.S. Women’s Open tee-to-green content at Erin Hills this year . . . MGWA Board member Ann Liguori (pictured) has been appointed the first female International President representing Carne Golf Links in Ireland, succeeding author/editor Tom Coyne. Carne GL is situated on the Mullet Peninsula in North West Mayo. Your MGWA Activities Committee already is in discussion with President Liguori about a Met Golf Writers meeting and outing at the Carne Links… And, speaking of Ann Liguori, congratulations on nailing her second career hole-in-one this past winter, acing the 127-yard ninth hole at Heathrow (FL) CC using a Callaway 7-wood and a Callaway Chrome Soft ball . . . From the National Golf Foundation: “Women and girls have quietly become the driving force behind golf’s post-pandemic resurgence, accounting for 60% of growth in on-course participation since 2019. This surge has pushed the female golfer count to a record 7.9 million — shattering the previous high of 7.1 million set in 2006, before the Great Recession disproportionately devastated women’s participation in the sport (female participation declined 28% from 2007 to 2011, compared to a 9% drop among male golfers) . . . The Bailiwick Club in Glenville, CT, a private swim and tennis club, has reached an agreement for its members to have privileged weekday golfing access at The Summit Club in nearby Armonk, NY . . . The Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT, will shut down its course after July Fourth for a major renovation crafted by architect Jaeger Kovich. The original course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened shortly after World War II. Among the changes: the nines are being reversed, with the current par-4 18th hole becoming a par-3. Patterson expects to reopen for play by Memorial Day 2026. Similar nearly year-long shutdowns recently for major work at other clubs include Hudson National and Golf Club of Purchase, both in Westchester County, NY . . . NEW MEMBERS (since the beginning of the year): Jonathan Blauner, NY City Golf Club, jblauner@gmail.com; Brian Gillespie, Tamarack CC, blesp71@gmail.com; Tim Driscoll, Driscoll LLC, tj.driscoll56@gmail.com; Al Cooke, New Jersey Golf, cookeac3@gmail.com; Matt Fox, ABC News, matthewdfox08@gmail.com; Paul Dill, On Par, prjd@optonline.net; John Coleman, Play 2 Productions, coleman.john.s@gmail.com; Tom Cunneff, The Met Golfer, tcunneff@gmail.com; Zephyr Melton, GOLF magazine, zephyr_melton@golf.com; Andy Vasquez, NJ Advance Media, squez83@gmail.com; Adam Schupak, Golfweek/USA Today, adamschupak@yahoo.com; Mike Weiner, Columbia University, mbw2183@columbia.edu, Brad Klein, Divot Designs LLC, igolfbadly@aol.com, Evan Schiller, Evan Schiller Photography, golfshots@earthlink.net, James Colgan, GOLF Magazine/golf.com, james.colgan@golf.com, Jamie Palatini, Golf Channel, jamie.palatini@nbcuni.com, Jared Minski, Mastro Communications, jared@mastrocomm.com, Luke Kerr-Dineen, Golf Digest, lukekerrdineen@gmail.com, Tony Scheitinger, NY Times, tscheitinger@gmail.com . . . FUTURE MEMBERS (aka new baby congratulations): Kudos to first-time grandparents Joyce and MGWA member Bill Pennington, whose daughter Anne gave birth in March to a son named Burke . . . Also becoming first-time grandparents last July were Chris and MGWA member Chuck Stogel, after Maiara and new FDNY firefighter Woody Stogel presented them with a granddaughter, Evelyn Rose “Evie” Stogel . . .
NOTE: Recaps of MGWA visits to Suburban and Knickerbocker clubs, plus a preview of our MGWA National Awards Dinner in the fall, will appear in the Summer Newsletter.