Pelham CC 6/8/21 Outing Info Sheet

Metropolitan Golf Writers Association

49 Knollwood Road    Elmsford, NY 10523    (914) 347-4653

metgolfwriters.org

To:                        All Metropolitan Golf Writers Association Members

From:                  MGWA Activities Committee (D. Berger, D. Donelson, C. Stogel, H. Munck, J. Olson)

Date:                   May 17, 2021

Re:                      Meeting of Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at Pelham Country Club, 940 Wynnewood Rd.,

Pelham Manor, NY 10803 (914-738-2730); Web: www.pelhamcc.com; Gary Merjian,

Mgr. (x270, garym@pelhamcc.com); Jeanmarie Ward, Dir.,Membership & Events (x214,

jeanmarie@pelhamcc.com); Jeff Wentworth, Course Supt. (914-355-5805, jeffw@

pelhamcc.com); Mike Diffley, Head Golf Pro (914-738-5074, mdiffley@pelhamcc.com)

__________________________________________________________________________________

8:30 – 9:15 am                  Bag drop, locker room

9:15 – 10:30 am                Practice range, putting green

10:45 – 11:30 am               Inside Presentations: Speakers from Pelham CC, plus special guest speaker,

                                           Mike DeVries, course architect; MGWA: Chuck Stogel, Rules of the Day

11:30 am – 12:15 pm         Luncheon

12:15-12:45 pm                  Final golf warmup

12:45 pm                            Assemble at carts, instructions, proceed to starting holes

1:00 pm                              Shotgun golf

6:00-7:00 pm                      Refreshments, Awards

About the Club: Historic Pelham CC is a family-oriented club with a variety of recreational, social and dining facilities. Located only 15 miles from Manhattan in the Village of Pelham Manor, the club is both a community focal point and an accessible escape for city dwellers. In addition to a newly renovated and rerouted golf course, Pelham features 11 Har-Tru tennis courts; an indoor tennis bubble with two courts; paddle tennis; a large swimming pool, wading pool and playground; a summer Sports Camp for school-aged children; year-round Fitness Center; bowling alley with four vintage lanes.

Pelham has origins as a tennis club and five-hole golf course carved out of a cow pasture in 1908. In the summer of 1921, an influential member named Mont Rogers formed a company to buy the land and hired noted golf architect Devereux Emmet to create a championship course. Meanwhile, as the course was taking shape, Rogers hired Cornwall, England-born “Long” Jim Barnes (6-foot-4) to be Pelham’s first golf professional. A World Golf Hall of Famer, Barnes’ playing resume boasts three Majors and 28 professional tournament victories overall, including the inaugural PGA Championship in 1916 at nearby Siwanoy CC, Bronxville, NY, and the second PGA in 1919 (no event in 1917-18 due to World War I) at Engineers on Long Island; the 1921 U.S. Open by nine strokes, a record that stood until Tiger Woods prevailed by 15 strokes in 2000; and the 1925 British Open.

The 1923 PGA Championship, held at Pelham CC, is considered one of the best in the tournament’s match play annals. The final contest pitted 21-year-old defending champion and nearby Harrison, NY, native Gene Sarazen versus veteran Walter Hagen, who had won the title in 1921 and would go on to capture four PGAs in a row (1924-25-26-27). Back then, the PGA, with 64 entrants, featured six rounds of match play with each round scheduled at 36 holes. After completing 36 holes of the final round all square, both golfers birdied the 37th hole and then, on the 38th hole, Sarazen won the championship with a pitch from the rough to four feet of the pin and a putt for birdie-3.

About the Course: Pelham CC has undergone several alterations over the years. A major transformation took place in the 1950s, crafted by architect Alfred Tull, to accommodate construction of the New England Thruway/I-95, which bisects the golf layout. A tunnel under the highway now allows golfers to get from one side of the course to the other. The parkland layout is noted for its tree-lined fairways, elevated tees and greens, a variety of uneven lies, a meandering stream and a demand on accuracy.

Most recently in 2019-20, Pelham undertook a widespread course alteration, designed by architect Mike DeVries, aimed at improving water accessibility and course playability. In the process, several holes have been altered and rerouted, and the Met Golf Writers are privileged to be among the first golf groups to test the “new” layout. The current course has multiple sets of tees stretching from 5,218 to 6,501 yards with a par of 71. The layout notably finishes at No. 18 with a par-3 over water.

About Mike DeVries: In 2019, Mike DeVries joined with golf architects Mike Clayton and Frank Pont to form a global partnership called Clayton, DeVries and Pont (CDP). Clayton is a former golfer on the European and Australasian tours, and is based in Melbourne, Australia. Frank Pont has a background in civil engineering, and mergers & acquisitions, and is based in The Netherlands.

As the head of DeVries Designs in the U.S., Mike DeVries and his architectural team are based in Traverse City, MI. A 1987 business administration graduate of Lake Forest College in suburban Chicago, DeVries apprenticed with architect Tom Doak before heading to the University of Michigan where he earned a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture in 1994. He served as an on-site design coordinator with Tom Fazio before striking out on his own. DeVries has a handful of original course designs to his credit, but additionally has built a valued reputation as a restoration and renovation specialist of classic courses. In the Met area, his handiwork can be seen at Siwanoy, Sunningdale in Scarsdale, NY, and Tamarack (practice facilities) in Greenwich, CT.

Competition:   The Quill & Tee Two Person Team better ball is the main event; there will be an MGWA two-person better ball as well if there are enough players (USGA handicap indexes are required). Individual handicaps cannot exceed 20.0 for men and 36.0 for team; 28.0 for women and 48.0 for team.  Players with higher handicaps may agree to play at the maximum.  Q&T winners, for both men and women, are eligible to advance to sectional qualifying for the annual Met Golf Association (www.mgagolf.org) Four Ball “Met Net” Team event. Q&T/MGWA prizes for the day include two-person team winners, plus nearest-to-the-pins on holes 7 and 18. As always, everyone is welcome to play golf, with or without competing. Q&T champs advance to a choice of one among three MGA sectional qualifiers. The MGA men’s/women’s championships are both in October (full details will be available on-site at Pelham CC).

Caddies:   Forecaddies will accompany each group. The MGWA fee is $40 per person, which includes gratuity, and you must pay them directly on the day of the outing.  Tipping more is allowed should you feel it warranted but is not required. 

Dress Code:   No denim, jeans or cargos; no tank tops or t-shirts. Collared or turtleneck shirts tucked in. Golf shorts OK. No wearing hats in main portion of clubhouse. Metal spikes prohibited.

Cell Phone Policy:   Ringers off. Cell phones are permitted in parking lot, locker rooms. Texting is OK.

Entries:   MGWA entry is handled online via metgolfwriters.org. Fee for the day is $80. Questions about online entry should be addressed to Robin Sauerhaft, MGWA Client Administrator (914-347-4653, rsauerhaft@mgagolf.org). Entry deadline is 5:00 pm, Thursday, June 3rd.  No refunds after that date. If you are listing a partner for our competition, please be sure that person is attending.

Cancellation Policy: Please read the “MGWA Meeting/Outing Cancellation Policy” found under “Meeting and Outing Announcements” on our website (metgolfwriters.org).

Directions:  Go to the club website (www.pelhamcc.com/Contact_Us.aspx).

Important: Please read the “MGWA Meeting/Outing Cancellation Policy” found under “Meeting and Outing Announcements” on our website (metgolfwriters.org).

Summer of 2021 MGWA schedule:

Monday, July 19th --- North Jersey CC, Wayne, NJ. Our MGWA Club of the Year is a gem of a course designed by Walter Travis and is undergoing a strategic plan of upgrades and renovations being overseen by Brian Schneider and Renaissance Golf. A number of special guests and other activities are being planned to help celebrate NJCC’s designation as Club of the Year. Short Game Clinic conducted by Brian Mackie, noted golf instructor. Competition: Quill & Tee men’s and women’s Club Championships and the Q&TGC member-guest tournament, held concurrently.

Monday, August 30th --- Burning Tree CC, Greenwich, CT. A classic course designed by Hal Purdy and a scenic club situated just east of the Merritt Parkway in leafy Greenwich, Burning Tree will be the site for the highly popular MGWA Team Shootout, conducted using a two best balls of foursome format. Tripp Davis, founder and principal of the architectural firm TDA --- who has overseen numerous renovation features at Burning Tree in recent years --- will be on hand and will speak to our group at the morning meeting session.