June 2019 MGWA Newsletter

METROPOLITAN GOLF WRITERS ASSOCIATION

JUNE 2019 NEWSLETTER

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All members of the MGWA, with items for our newsletter, are urged to e-mail them to Chuck Stogel (chstogel@aol.com).

COME CELEBRATE HEMPSTEAD’S 98th SEASON

Following a very pleasant and successful season-opening gathering on May 20^th at Knollwood CC in Elmsford, NY (see more below), our next MGWA meeting/outing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26^th, at Hempstead Golf & Country Club on Long Island. There is plenty of room for more golfers to attend and help us in celebrating the historic club’s 98th season on the way to its Centennial 100^th in 2021.

The deadline to register for attending is 2:00 pm Monday, June 24^th  At this point, entry would need to be done online since anything put in the mail may not arrive at the MGWA office in time. If you would like to attend just for our meeting and lunch, that is OK too. Let us know, and you would receive a reduced fee.

As always, our agenda includes several featured presentations with Q&A opportunities, and an afternoon of golf, with competition for those eligible. Presentations will be provided by officials from Hempstead G&CC about the history of the venue and nuances about this classic course which opened in 1921 and received architectural adjustments in 1927 from A.W. Tillinghast with a modern upgrading in recent years by MGWA member/architect Stephen Kay. Women’s Met Golf Association President Lori Ann Cerullo will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the history and growth of the WMGA, and the numerous programs that organization offers.

Our competition in the afternoon spotlights a two-person better ball event. Within that framework, members of our Quill & Tee Golf Club Without Real Estate are eligible to vie for a slot as our Q&T representatives advancing to the sectional qualifying stage of the Met Golf Association’s Four Ball Championship. We ask that tournament golfers form their own twosomes and list your team on the entry form. However, should you wish to have a partner assigned for the better ball tournament, please indicate that desire. If we have other singles, we will pair you as a team. Anyone playing in the tournament must have a GHIN handicap.

To access full details and entry guidelines for the Hempstead gathering, please log on to our MGWA web site (www.metgolfwriters.org) by clicking on the green “Login” box in the upper right corner, and click on “Meetings & Outings.”

Hope to see you at Hempstead on June 26^th.

NATIONAL AWARDS DINNER SCORES AN ACE

Executive Committee Begins Work on 2020 Program

The MGWA held its 68th National Awards Dinner on May 13^th, the Monday of PGA Championship week at Bethpage Black. The Dinner at the Westchester Marriott in Elmsford, NY, featured Jim Furyk as our Gold Tee Award recipient, among other honorees. The program was swift, very entertaining and well-attended. Kudos to all our presenters, recipients for fairly brief acceptances, plus MGWA president/dinner chairman Dave Donelson and MC Brian Crowell. Special plaudits as well to our marketing folks at the Met Golf Association, and additionally to former MGA Executive Director Jay Mottola and MGWA Executive Administrator Robin Sauerhaft.

The MGWA Executive Committee met on June 19^th at Golf Central headquarters in Elmsford, NY, to review preliminary numbers in conjunction with this year’s dinner and to begin looking ahead to our 69th NAD in 2020. We had 522 in attendance at this year’s dinner. The projection is for a continued rise in annual net income when all the bills are settled, a happenstance that is directly reflected in the disbursements to our beneficiaries. Overall since the dinner began in 1952, the MGWA has provided more than $2 million in charitable donations. With the U.S. Open coming to Winged Foot in June next year, our organization will look to tie in and capitalize on that event in addition to other initiatives which will help boost our attendance and proceeds.

OLSON, FULLARD, FREW CAPTURE PRESIDENT’S CUP TITLES

Our season-opening meeting and golf tournament on May 20^th at Knollwood CC in Elmsford, NY, drew 55 to our meeting session, with 52 golfers competing in an afternoon President’s Cup tournament. The club, which opened in 1894, is in the midst of celebrating its 125th season. For many who had never played the course previously, or for those who had forgotten, the par-71 layout --- with one of the best and most challenging finishing holes anywhere, plus a wonderful par-3 19^th hole --- proved to be a very competitive challenge. Superintendent Matthew Neus had the course in lush condition, with fast and true greens. Golf director Bob Miller provided some insight about playing the course and events manager Jason Tejada served up a sumptuous luncheon and an array of after-golf refreshments.

There were three segments to our President’s Cup event, which is contested at full handicaps adjusted for course rating: Quill & Tee GC in two flights and an MGWA flight. The Q&T “A” Flight was won by Jon Olson with 78-9—69. Dan Berger was second at 80-10—70 and Yale Stogel third at 77-4—73. Bill Fullard won the Q&T “B” Flight with 87-12—75, Steve Adamek was second at 93-17—76 and Jeremy Jacob third with 97-20—77. John Frew earned first place in the MGWA Flight with 85-12—73 and Kevin Conlon was second at 88-13—75. Nearest to the pin winners: Chakib Ghadouni, Carl Nelson, Tom Ierubino, Patrick Lundgren, Steve Adamek, Mike Beckerich. (For a photo of gallery of the MGWA group at Knollwood, please visit our website, www.metgolfwriters.org, later next week.)

Our guest speaker at Knollwood was Roger Knick, Founder/CEO of the Junior Golf Hub (www.juniorgolfhub.com) and a PGA Teaching Professional who operates the Golf Performance Center in nearby Ridgefield, CT (203-790-4653, www.thegolfperformancecenter.com). A former club pro, Knick --- who caters to athletes of all ages and abilities --- focused his brief talk on junior golf. “Our game is broken when it comes to coaching juniors,” he said. “We need to coach junior golfers, as they progress, individually and not as a group. Not everyone is the same. Yes, juniors need good fundamental skills to be an athlete first and then a golfer. They need good nutritional habits. They need to develop mentally, find out who they are, be fitted with the right equipment.” Knick’s resume includes 80-plus juniors who have gone on to play golf in college, most on scholarship or with accompanying grants. The Junior Golf Hub has been established as an online platform for junior golfers and their parents. The GPC in Ridgefield offers state-of-the-art learning and training facilities.

2019 MGWA SCHEDULE AFTER HEMPSTEAD

Wednesday, July 31^st, The Tuxedo Club, Tuxedo Park, NY. Located within the historic Tuxedo Park enclave in southern Orange County, The Tuxedo Club was honored at our recent MGWA National Awards Dinner as our Met- area Club of the Year. The venue maintains a renowned mystique and is situated not far from the northern New Jersey border and just over the Rockland County line. Feature attractions for our gathering include both our Quill & Tee GC member-guest tournament and our Q&T Club Championship in flights.

Monday, August 12^th, Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, NY. Our annual gathering (since 1998) at Bethpage State Park is set for the day after the scheduled final round of the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust event at Liberty National, still the first stage of the new three-tournament FedEx Cup playoffs which will henceforth alternate year-by-year with courses in the Metropolitan and Boston realms. For those who would have difficulty walking the Black course, a few tee times will be available on the well-regarded Red course, which does allow riding carts. The timetable for the day is still being formulated but possibly may feature a morning press conference with the PGA of America --- to review the recent PGA Championship and preview the 2024 Ryder Cup --- followed by a mid-morning shotgun golf start.

September date TBA, Manhattan Woods GC, West Nyack, NY. Located just off the Palisades Parkway in Rockland County, NY, there is new ownership, new staff overseeing the club and the golf operation, and a major renovation to MWGC’s expansive practice and learning facilities. The course, designed by Gary Player, is considered top-notch, diverse, interesting, and challenging but fair for all skill levels with multiple tee boxes. A date for our gathering should be announced soon. As is our norm, our final get-together for the season will feature our MGWA Team Shootout, a best two balls of four event with handicaps.

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