October 2018 Newsletter

METROPOLITAN GOLF WRITERS ASSOCIATION

OCTOBER 2018 NEWSLETTER

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).

COME CELEBRATE AT SEASON ENDING EVENT

Deadline Near for Fresh Meadow Signup

This is a reminder to anyone that has not yet signed up for our final meeting and golf outing of the 2018 season… We are looking for an enthusiastic turnout at Fresh Meadow Country Club on Long Island for our season-ender.

The date of the outing is next Tuesday, October 9^th, at Fresh Meadow CC, which boasts a well-regarded course and was honored back in June at the MGWA’S National Awards Dinner as our Met-area Club of the Year. The accolade is a one-time honor that has been rotating among area clubs from Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester and other nearby regions.

The deadline to sign up for the event is this Thursday, October 4^th, by 5 pm.

To access full details about the activities planned at Fresh Meadow, including the signup form, please visit our MGWA website (www.metgolfwriters.org) and click on the appropriate links under the “Meetings & Outings” icon.

In addition to a presentation from Fresh Meadow, our golf competition on October 9^th will feature the annual MGWA Team Shootout, a fun and sometimes bewildering two best balls of four event. We encourage members to form teams, give themselves a jocular or rowdy team name, and vie for the many prizes to be awarded.

This is a unique activity, once a year, where not all golfers on a team need to be MGWA members. Other employees or associates from companies, associations, organizations or other related groups are invited to participate. Having a GHIN handicap, though, does help. See the website details about forming a team.

But please note, everyone in the MGWA is invited to attend and play golf. You do not necessarily need to have a full team in order to sign up. Singles are welcome. Two or three from a company or organization are welcome. Where full teams of four golfers are not entered, our Activities Committee will complete the process of assigning teams if possible.

Finally, please don’t wait until the final deadline to sign up, if you can. It helps our committee in planning for the day to have signups as early as possible.

Hope to see everyone on October 9^th at Fresh Meadow.

PEOPLE, PLACES, ETC

Seth Waugh, a former Deutsche Bank Americas CEO, has been named Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of America, which is based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. He replaces Pete Bevacqua, who spent nearly six years at the PGA. A native of Bedford, NY, a graduate of the Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT, and a former caddie and pro shop manager at Bedford G&TC, Bevacqua has been named President of the NBC Sports Group, which is based in Stamford, CT . . . CHANGE OF E-MAIL: There’s a new e-mail contact for MGWA member Antonio Salva: dbone1110@gmail.com.  It’s reflected in the Member’s Roster section of our website.

ROGERS CAPTURES QUILL & TEE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

Chip Beck Regales Gathering at Ardsley CC

A bumper turnout of 64 attendees were treated to a wealth of interesting history and information, provocative and entertaining stories, and some very close competition at our summer-closing gathering at Ardsley (NY) CC. Our indoor activities were held in the very nicely done new clubhouse --- which replaced a previous structure destroyed by fire in 2014 --- while outdoors our group got to play a very challenging course.

The day began with a slide presentation by Ardsley CC Board Member Steve Centrillo, General Manager Ben Ghesquiere and Head Golf Pro Jim Bender. Bender reviewed the changes to the par-72 course that took place in 2002 under the direction of architect Ken Dye. In addition to maintaining the 362-yard opening hole as a Signature Hole at Ardsley (with a highly elevated tee and a pond next to the green), a second “Signature” was added at the 10th hole. Now the No. 4 handicap hole on the card, the 10th layout gained a pond in front of the tee boxes with an approach shot required from an upsloping fairway to a narrow, well-bunkered green. Centrillo focused on the history of Ardsley CC --- which at one time also served as a casino --- along with the “devastating” early morning fire at the clubhouse, the temporary facilities and the members’ playing arrangements with Sleepy Hollow CC in the interim, and the modern aspects of the new clubhouse atop North Mountain Drive which enjoys numerous spectacular views of the Hudson River. In addition to its 18-hole course, Ardsley boasts a large practice golf area, nine Har-Tru tennis courts adjacent to the river, four paddle courts and a full-fledged swim complex. The Ardsley Curling Club currently leases a building on the country club grounds, but Ardsley CC may take over in the future and convert it to an all-weather golf instruction and practice facility.

Former PGA Tour pro Chip Beck, representing Pitchfix --- an innovative golf accessory tool --- spent the entire day with us at Ardsley, joined by PR honchos and MGWA members John Frew and Al Abrams. All our attendees received a gift device from Pitchfix, whose company was founded in 2005 and is based in the Netherlands. Beck spoke to our group indoors, regaling the attendees with entertaining, humorous and sometimes opinionated “inside” stories about his years on the PGA Tour, his three U.S. Ryder Cup teams and “locker room” views about personalities such as Paul Azinger, Ben Crenshaw, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, Deane Beman, and more. In the afternoon, Beck and Abrams stationed themselves at the par-3, 17th tee box as all 16 foursomes came through for a fun, special competition. Beck hit a “signed” golf ball to the green with each group, with the person having the best tee shot in the foursome getting to keep the autographed ball. After golf, Beck visited with everyone in Ardsley’s new bar and grill, along with helping to award prizes.

The competition for the day featured both our annual Quill & Tee GC club championship in two flights alongside the Q&T member-guest. Paul Rogers captured the Championship Flight trophy on a match of cards at 80 with Jon Olson. Former club champ Tom Ierubino placed third with an 82. Bill Fullard won the A Flight tournament with an 83 followed by Dave Donelson at 87. Winners with a better ball net 64 in the member-guest were Donelson and Craig Burrows; Olson and Richard Moscowitz finished second with a net 65.

(For photos from the gathering at Ardsley CC, please click here).

--- www.metgolfwriters.org ---