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). NOTE: Photos from our 2025 meetings & outings will be posted after the MGWA website redesign is activated sometime in the fall.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR AWARDS DINNER
MGWA Members Receive Special Discount
If you attend any Met Golf Writers functions as part of your membership, the No. 1 activity you should go to is our annual MGWA National Awards Dinner. Our 2025 gala is scheduled for Tuesday evening, October 7th, at Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY. Tickets are available now and are discounted for MGWA members. Each member may purchase up to two tickets at the reduced price of $195 each, which represents a significant discount off the regular ticket price of $425. To purchase tickets online, here is the URL (you must be logged in as a member to access): metgolfwriters.org/member_awards_dinner_form.
The list of honorees for 2025 represents some of golf’s most influential and deserving recipients: Billy Payne, Gold Tee Award; Sean McManus, Paul Dillon Distinguished Service Award; Bill Pennington, Lincoln Werden Golf Journalism Award; Mizuho Americas, Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award; Craig & Kevin Stadler, Family of the Year; Southampton Golf Club, Club of the Year; Les Schupak and David Zona, Dave Anderson Spotlight Awards.
The Dinner begins with drinks and hors d’oeuvres at 6:00 pm, followed by dinner and awards at 7:00 pm. This year’s silent auction and raffle are jam-packed with tremendous prizes. All proceeds help support the MGWA’s charitable entities, including the three Met area caddie scholarship programs, the MGA Foundation, the Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship at Columbia University, plus the WMGA, Met PGA and New Jersey PGA.
We would like to see everyone at Westchester Country Club on October 7th.
MGWA SOCIAL MEDIA GAINING MOMENTUM
Members Urged to Subscribe to YouTube Channel
Our Communications/Social Media Committee has been busy supplying content to our various assets since the MGWA established an online social media presence earlier this year. You can now find the Met Golf Writers on YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Spotify. Our YouTube channel is currently offering a wide variety of video interviews with golf luminaries and media personalities, with Spotify supplying audio versions. President Hank Gola and members Jack Milko, Gordon Andrew and Anthony Scorcia have been spearheading our social media presence. Recent interviews include Baltusrol golf pro Greg Boring, course architect Gil Hanse and Hank Gola. However, at the present time, we have fewer than 60 subscribers to our YouTube channel. With more than 200 MGWA members, we encourage everyone to check out the site, check out the interviews and subscribe. Here is the link: youtube.com/@metropolitangolfwritersass4061?si=vgTRbL_womsZqyIM.
LOWELL SCHMIDT, 89, PASSES AWAY
A longtime member of the Met Golf Writers and founder/publisher of the now defunct Jersey Golfer magazine for 17 years (1990-2007), Lowell Schmidt, 89, passed away on September 10th in Boynton Beach, FL. A funeral service was held September 14th in Edison, NJ, with burial in Woodbridge, NJ. Earlier this year, Schmidt had undergone triple heart bypass surgery and was recuperating in Florida. Born and raised in Linden, NJ, he moved to Boynton Beach in 2016. A talented graphic artist, he owned Lowell Schmidt Art Services for more than 50 years. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he is survived by his daughters Heidi Schmidt and Jennifer Manning (William Manning), granddaughter Shelby Manning and sister Francine Silver. He was predeceased by his wife Shirley.
One of the comments by an MGWA member on the Facebook posting of his passing read: “Lowell was a longtime member of the MGWA and an active, very helpful member of our Activities Committee. But Lowell was much more than that. He was a good friend and Samaritan to so many. Helping for those who inquired about job prospects, golf contacts, events, organizations and much, much more. He always had good recommendations and suggestions, even after moving to Florida. We will miss him inestimably.”
The family suggested donations in Lowell Schmidt’s memory be made to MSK Giving, giving.mskcc.org.
FARRELL, RALPH PREVAIL IN PRESIDENT’S CUP AT SUBURBAN
Tom Ralph, Dan Farrell
Rebecca Corzo, New Jersey Golf
Fifty-eight members were in attendance when the Met Golf Writers teed off for the 2025 season of meetings and outings on April 29th at the Suburban Club in Union, NJ. Speakers at our morning meeting session: Frank Taranto, club vp, and Frank Henshaw, grounds/course superintendent; Rebecca Corzo, communications manager at New Jersey Golf (formerly the New Jersey State Golf Association); and Hank Gola, MGWA president, and Chuck Stogel, activities chairman. Mark McCormick, Suburban director of golf, and general manager Jill Stabile were instrumental in arranging for our MGWA visit. Here is a link to a video tribute to Suburban on the MGWA’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVwbMj5enjg.
Our 21st Quill & Tee President’s Cup, a tournament conducted with 100% full handicaps, represented our competition for the day. Dan Farrell won our A Flight title on a match of cards at net 67 with runnerup Brian Giuffra. Tom Ralph was the B Flight champ. Nearest to the pin winners on Hole No. 11 were Craig Burrows, Chris Faytok and Suburban member Mark Cannizzaro; on Hole No. 16, John Zanzarella, Dan Farrell and Rich Bagala.
KNICKERBOCKER SHOWCASES IMPRESSIVE RENOVATIONS
Ceriello, Dorgan Capture Q&T Better Ball
Bob Dorgan, Mike Ceriello
Our June 18th visit to Knickerbocker Country Club in Tenafly, NJ, provided our members with an opportunity to check out the extensive renovations to a 1914 course designed by Donald Ross. KCC, transitioning from a woodland layout to a links-style routing, followed a master plan devised by architect Jaeger Kovich of Proper Golf, who spoke to our gathering and joined us for the entire day. Our agenda featured a tribute to the late Pulitzer Prize-winning Dave Anderson, a longtime member of both Knickerbocker and the MGWA. A tribute panel — comprised of Knickerbocker past president Phil Fabrizio and the MGWA’s Hank Gola, Mark Cannizzaro and Bill Pennington — related numerous Dave Anderson stories. Our speakers roster included MGWA member and author David Barrett. Here are links to an MGWA interview with Fabrizio, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGv8ZIUwHlM&t=79s, and to our Dave Anderson panel discussion, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS8-LVkbTiw&t=37s. For the link to an exclusive interview with Kovich, access: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm8fPvPB2-0. Bill Hook, KCC director of golf, and Lauren Tarzian, special events director, were key players in enacting our arrangements to visit the club.
During a sun-splashed afternoon that drew 80 golfers, the 23rd Quill & Tee Better Ball tournament had Bob Dorgan and Mike Ceriello winning in the A Flight with a 9-under-par net 63. Doug Goodman and Paul Ziomber captured the B Flight title with a net 66. Closest to the pin winners on Hole No. 6 were Tom Ralph, Eric Berger and Hank Gola; on Hole No. 11, Joe Ruggiero, Rob Liano and John Ventosa.
WOODWAY UNVEILS RESTORATIONS TO CLASSIC COURSE
Q&T Club Championship, Member-Guest Provide Competitions
Bryan Icenhower, Anthony Garzia, Bruce Hepner
Hank Gola
A fascinating and informative panel discussion during our July 28th visit to Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT, focused on the in-house work conducted over a seven-year stretch that went into restoring and modernizing a classic course designed in 1916 by architect Willie Park Jr. The result, as attested to in the afternoon by our golfers, is absolutely stunning and exhilarating. Panelists at our morning meeting session: Woodway greens & grounds chair Bryan Icenhower, property superintendent Anthony Garzia and restoration architect Bruce Hepner, who came in from his Traverse City, MI, headquarters to be with us. Most helpful in providing arrangements for our visit: Michael Crawford, head golf professional; WCC and MGWA member Paul Sullivan. MGWA president Hank Gola also spoke about his newest book, Ryder Cup Rivals.
Our Woodway visit drew a throng of 100 golfers on one of the warmest days of the summer — the third-largest turnout in the 30+ years of MGWA outings. Two Quill & Tee tournaments were conducted simultaneously: our annual Q&T member-guest and the 23rd Q&T Club Championship. Winners in the member-guest segment were Q&T member Jon Olson and guest Colin Hogan with a better ball net 62, 9-under-par. Runners-up at net 63 were member Woody Lashen and guest Katsumi Ohno. Our Q&T Men’s Championship Flight winner, shooting a 3-over 74, was Jonathan Blauner, with Jon Olson placing second at 76. Eric Berger won the A Flight at 83 and second, on a match of cards at 86, was Nick Nicholas. The Men’s B Flight titlist with an 89 was David Barrett while Terry O’Keefe placed second at 92. Donna DeMarco won the Q&T Women’s Club Championship on a match of cards at 96 over runner-up Sarah Lane. Nearest to the pin winners on Hole No. 9 were Michael Kimmel, Jon Olson and Brian Giuffra; on Hole No. 12, Meg Sowarby, Jozef Thur and Peter Martucci.
NY/NATIONAL TEAM ‘FINALLY’ CAPTURES WRITER CUP
Larry Munck, Doug Goodman, Forsgate pro Michael Furey
The 17th Writer Cup day on August 5th, hosted annually by Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, NJ, drew some 60 media attendees, including many MGWA members, testing their prowess on a 1931 Charles Banks design. Individually, Michael Cohen won the Skills Competition, Mike Kern produced the Nearest to the Pin tee shot, Larry Munck shot a 3-over-par 74 to win the gross prize and the best net score of 61 was turned in by Doug Goodman. Then, in the team event, which takes the top best scores from two sides, the NY/National squad prevailed for only the second time in the history of this outing (the only other victory was in 2012) with an aggregate 1066, besting the NJ/PA score of 1080.
NOTE: A recap of the MGWA visit on September 9th to Upper Montclair Country Club will be posted in our Autumn 2025 newsletter.
PEOPLE, PLACES, ETC.
Julian and Jozef Thur
It was a hardware bonanza for MGWA members and their offspring on July 21st in the 5th Met Golf Association Parent-Child Tournament held at New Jersey National GC in Basking Ridge, NJ. Utilizing a Pinehurst format, MGWA member Jozef Thur and son Julian won the MGA Division championship on a match of cards at 5-under-par net 67 with MGWA member Eric Berger and son Drew. With the Thurs entered from an MGA e-club and ineligible to be placed in the WGA Division, the Bergers, who signed up out of Griff Harris GC, won the WGA title by four strokes . . . The National Golf Foundation has an interesting article headlined “Golf’s $100 Million Phone Problem” about the myriad calls that golf shops get each day. Here is the link: www.ngf.org/shortgame/golfs100millionphoneproblem/spMailingID=25139860&spUserID=NjM1ODYzMTk2NjY0S0&spJobID=3141267228&spReportId=MzE0MTI2NzIyOAS2 . . . Two former Met area club pros will be among six inductees into the PGA of America Hall of Fame on November 5th at the PGA’s annual meeting in Frisco, TX: Jim McLean, well-known teaching professional and coach, and adaptive trick-shot artist Dennis Walters . . . The PGA of America announced that the 2028 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June and the 2033 PGA Championship in May will be held at the Bethpage Black course in Farmingdale, NY. The Black course previously hosted the 2002 and 2009 US Opens; the 2019 PGA Championship; and is the site for next week’s Ryder Cup matches . . . NEW MEMBER: Todd Ant, ABC Sports Radio, has rejoined the MGWA. Email: sportsvox@comcast.net . . . Jim Wahl, head pro at the Whippoorwill Club in Armonk, NY, has retired. The new head pro is Jack Ramsett . . . MGWA member Mike Beckerich is being inducted November 1st into the St. Helena/Msgr. Scanlan High School Hall of Fame . . . MGWA past president and current Board member Chuck Stogel is being inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, in the administrator/media category, with ceremonies scheduled February 24, 2026, at the Hilton Midtown in Manhattan . . . Congratulations to the New York Athletic Club’s men’s Division 2 pickleball team, captained by MGWA member C.J. Papa for their undefeated regular season in competition against other area clubs . . . CONDOLENCES: Our sympathies to MGWA member Joe Zapulla, whose father Lawrence Zapulla passed away at age 88 in May. A New Jersey native and lifelong Garden State resident, he graduated from Bloomfield HS and Seton Hall University . . . OBIT: Golf Writers of America past president Marino Parascenzo, 95, of Franklin Township, PA, passed away on August 24th. A graduate of Penn State, he spent his career as a sports journalist, retiring from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as an award-winning writer. He received the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award and was recognized by the Masters Tournament, the Memorial Tournament and the University of Pittsburgh, where he also taught Sports Journalism. He authored two histories of Oakmont Country Club and served as past president of the Golf Writers Association of America.