Date: Tuesday, September 9th

17 Hepburn Road, (directly off NJ Route 3 Eastbound), Clifton, NJ 07012. Main: 973-779-7705

Golf: 973-859-1726. Web: www.uppermontclair cc.com
Michael Holiday, director of golf, mholiday@uppermontclaircc.com
Charlie Dimpfl, general manager/COO

8:15 – 9:15 am — Arrival, bag drop, locker room, continental breakfast

8:30 – 10:15 am — Warmup at range, putting green; Bridgestone demo

10:30 – 11:30 am — Indoor presentations include: Upper Montclair CC,

Anthony Ciavaglia, club president; Randy Robles, vp . . . Ann Liguori,

author, Life on the Green . . .Bridgestone Golf, Bradley Bishop,

ball marketing manager . . . Turtleson golf apparel, Greg Oakley,

co-founder/CEO . . . MGWA, Chuck Stogel, rules of the day

11:30 am – 12:30 pm — Buffet luncheon

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

1:00 pm — Shotgun golf start

6:00 – 7:00 pm – After-golf refreshments, awards, prizes

About the Club & Course: Founded in 1901, Upper Montclair Country Club will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2026. Originally consisting of five holes, and then nine, A.W. Tillinghast completed an 18-hole routing in 1929. UMCC, however, underwent several golf modifications after World War II due to highway construction. The building of New Jersey Route 3 required some alterations in 1946, followed by major adjustments in the mid-1950s to make way for the Garden State Parkway. A 27-hole complex designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., with 18 holes always available during construction, was completed in 1956. In 2011, a new irrigation system was installed while all bunkers were reshaped and restored.

For our visit to UMCC, we will be playing the South and West nines, which is the routing used for LPGA tournaments. There are five sets of tees on South & West, ranging from 5,626 to 6,863 yards for 18 holes with par of 72 for men and 74 for women. Over the years, Upper Montclair has hosted five PGA Tour events, 10 Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Champions Tour) events and 10 LPGA Tour events. Past winners include Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer, Bobby Nichols and others on the PGA Tour; Lee Trevino (twice), Raymond Floyd and Bruce Crampton on the senior circuit; and Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley and Lorena Ochoa (twice) in LPGA tournaments. Further, New Jersey Golf, the NJPGA and the Met Golf Association have all conducted elite competitions at the club. And, UMCC has had numerous top amateurs as club members, including notably Jerry Travers and Chet Sanok.

About Ann Liguori:  A member of the Met Golf Writers Board of Directors whose Ann Liguori Foundation was the 2022 recipient of the MGWA’s Winnie Palmer Award for helping those less fortunate, Liguori (www.annliguori.com) is a trailblazing, award-winning broadcaster and author. Her most recent book, published by Hatherleigh Press in 2024 (330 pages, $18 paperback) is Life on the Green: Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf. The book, with a foreword by Jim Nantz, features a dozen interviews with such huge notables as Jack Nicklaus, Nancy Lopez, Gary Player, Annika Sorenstam and Tom Watson. Among her many activities — which include covering major sports events, a regular radio show and a podcast — Liguori was recently named the International President representing Carne Golf Links in Ireland.

About Bridgestone Golf:  A subsidiary of multinational Bridgestone and the Japanese-based Ishibashi family, Bridgestone Golf (www.bridgestonegolf.com) is headquartered in Covington, GA. The company began making golf balls in 1935 and golf clubs in 1972. Marketed under both the company name and the Precept label, Bridgestone offers 15 different models of balls along with gloves, other accessories and a customized product lineup. Its Tour Team roster includes Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Chris Gotterup, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, others. Club fitting in golf has been going on for a long, long time, but Bridgestone brought individualized ball fitting to the fore when it launched its Ball Fitting System in 2006. Having conducted more than 4.5 million fittings, it proudly claims the title of “No. 1 Ball Fitter in Golf.” The aim is “to ensure every golfer is fit into the right ball for their game.” Bradley Bishop, Bridgestone’s ball marketing manager, will be with us at Upper Montclair to explain and conduct ball fitting. For media inquiries, please contact Emily Scott at JDPR, Greenville, SC (emilys@jdpr.com, 864-233-3776).

About Turtleson:  Based in the Bristol, TN (www.turtleson.com), hometown of co-founders Greg Oakley and Chet Sikorski, at Turtleson “we believe great apparel does more than look sharp—it reflects who you are, how you live, and what you value. That’s why everything we create is built on better—a mindset that drives us to craft timeless clothing with modern performance, rooted in integrity, innovation, and with purpose . . . We believe in flattering fits over passing trends, smart performance over industry shortcuts, and clothing that earns its place in your rotation.” The Turtleson product catalog is vast, with offerings for both men and women in an enormous array of patterns and colors for polos, pullovers, vests, hoodies, jackets, sweaters, shorts, slacks, plus hats and other accessories. There is a specialty collection tied into the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup, and a collegiate affiliation with 18 universities and their logos. CEO Greg Oakley and sales account exec Mark Gama will represent Turtleson at Upper Montclair. For media inquiries, please contact Emily Scott at JDPR, Greenville, SC (emilys@jdpr.com, 864-233-3776).

Golf Outing Segment: As always, MGWA members are invited to attend and play golf. It is not required to partake in the day’s competition unless you wish.

Competition: The 35th annual MGWA Team Shootout, a two best balls of foursome (50% handicap) event utilizing a Modified Texas Shamble format (the Rules of the Day will elaborate), will take place. We encourage everyone to form four-person teams — whether from the same company or just a mix of MGWA members — again, note that participating in the competition is not required for attending and playing golf.

For those planning teams in advance, select and verify your partners’ attendance before submitting your entry. Players must have verifiable handicaps or may play at scratch. We encourage everyone to form teams in advance. If you really need assistance in forming or joining a team, please indicate such on the registration form or contact Chuck Stogel (914-428-6111; chstogel@aol.com).

Note: All members are encouraged to form teams, with a unique team name (Holy Rollers, Flat Lies, Choking Dogs, Great Expectations, Berger Kings, Pictures and Words, etc.) or your company name (Today Media, Post-Times, CBS, NBC, etc.). Media entities (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, etc.), golf associations (MGA, USGA, etc.) and other groups are encouraged to form a team representative of your organization.

Prizes: We will have Nearest to the Pin contests on two par-3s. Everyone playing golf is eligible in the Nearest to the Pin events. There will be multiple prizes on Nearest to the Pin holes. Golf shop certificates, Life on the Green autographed books, Bridgestone and Turtleson product all will be part of the prizes awarded.

Rules: USGA Rules apply unless otherwise stated. Telescopic devices measuring yardage, slope and wind are OK. The one-ball rule will NOT be in effect. Stroke and distance is NOT in effect; rather we utilize the “Blind Brook Rule” whereby out of bounds is considered a lateral. Please drop within two club lengths of where a ball was deemed to go out of bounds and assess a one stroke penalty. This is not optional. Do not re-hit from the same original spot.

Gimmes:  To assist with pace of play, we allow those in the competitions Gimmes of 18 inches or less. We trust in your integrity. We ask you to respect 18 inches, which does not mean two feet. If you are not in the competitions, we don’t care how massive your Gimmes are. If not in the competition, please consider Double Par as Maximum.

Caddies: Each group will be accompanied by a Forecaddie. The minimum fee for the forecaddie is $60 per golfer, which includes a modest gratuity. You are welcome to tip more for good service.

Dress Code:  Tucked in shirts with at least a one-inch collar, Bermuda length shorts or slacks for gentlemen. Appropriate golf shirts, dresses, skirts, split-skirts, Bermuda length shorts , capri pants and slacks for women. On the golf course, the brim of visors and hats must face forward at all times. No wearing hats in the Clubhouse, including outside seating areas. Please don’t forget to tip the Locker Room attendant.

Cell Phone Policy:  The use of cell phones is permitted only in the locker rooms, front lobby or parking area. Cell phones must be set on vibrate mode so as not to ring while on Club property. Texting and emailing is allowed.

Directions:  Please use any online GPS service for directions. Note, the entrance for UMCC is accessible only from the Eastbound lane on New Jersey Route 3, just east of the Garden State Parkway.

Entries:   Enter online via metgolfwriters.org. Fee for the day is $110 per player, which includes golf, cart, food & beverage, MGWA charitable donation. Address questions to Chuck Stogel, activities coordinator, chstogel@aol.com. Entry deadline is 1:00 pm, Thursday, September 4th. (Note: The MGWA office in Elmsford will be closed and Robin Sauerhaft, MGWA client administrator, will be on vacation during the month of August.)

Because this is a four-person team event, non-team pairing preferences cannot be guaranteed. Please DO NOT wait until the deadline to sign up. No refunds after deadline.

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