2019 NYS Golf Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Program

NEW YORK STATE

GOLF ASSOCIATION Hall of Fame - Class of 2019

Dinner & Induction Ceremony

S ATURD A Y , OCTOB E R 5, 2019 ELMIRA COUNTRY CLUB, ELMIRA, NY

Hall of Fame Members Donald Allen Virginia Guilfoil Allen Ray Billows Frederick Box Betty Deeley Alan Foster Walter Hagen John Konsek Dottie Pepper Thomas Reidy Grantland Rice Donald Ross Gene Sarazen Lancy Smith William Tryon Willie Turnesa Sam Urzetta

Amateur Amateur Amateur Historian Administrator Amateur Professional Amateur Amateur & Professional Administrator Writer Architect Amateur & Professional Amateur Amateur Amateur Amateur & Professional

2012 2017 2012 2012 2012 2017 2018 2015 2018 2015 2012 2015 2018 2015 2012 2018 2015

Committee Joe Enright, Chairman Lancaster CC

John Blain Seven Oaks GC

Marci Bevilacqua Fox Valley Club

Matt Clarke Cazenovia CC

Dick Galvin Ontario CC

Tom Reidy Elmira CC

Doug Vergith Chautaqua CC

Induction Ceremony Welcome............................. Warren Winslow President, NYSGA Master of Ceremonies........... Joseph Enright Chairman, NYSGA Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Inductees........ Presented by: Walter Travis....................... Ralph Garnish President, Walter Travis Society Mary Anne Widman Levins..... Keely Levins Culligan Daughter of Mary Anne John Baldwin....................... Doug Vergith Executive Committee, NYSGA Joey Sindelar....................... Andrew Hickey Asst. Executive Director, NYSGA Closing Remarks.................. Bill Moore Executive Director, NYSGA

Walter Travis Walter J. Travis was born in Maldon, Australia. He didn’t arrive in the United States until 1886, when he moved to New York City to represent a company that exported hardware and construction products.

1904 and Practical Golf in 1909. In addition to this, Travis founded and published The American Golfer, which was widely regarded as the most influential golf magazine of its time.

He married Anne Bent of Connecticut a few years after arriving and earned naturalized citizenship. The couple initially made a home in Flushing, Queens, and then eventually settled in Garden City on Long Island about a decade later.

He retired from competitive golf in 1916 at the age of 54, due to declining health diminishing his skills.

Travis first became infatuated with the game in 1896 at Oakland Golf Club. A month later, he won his first trophy at Oakland’s handicap competition and within a year, he won the club championship with a score of 82.

Travis became known among his fellow golf competitors as “The Old Man”, due to the fact he began playing the game at age 35. He entered his first U.S. Amateur in 1898, where he lost in the semi-final.

He went on to win three U.S. Amateur Championships in a span of four years in 1900, 1901, and 1903. Two of those wins came on New York courses including his home club, Garden City Golf Club (‘00) and Nassau Country Club (‘03). In 1904, Travis became the first player from America to win the British Amateur (it would take another 23 years for another to duplicate).

His success was aided by his early adoption of B.F. Goodrich’s wound-rubber golf balls and the Schenectady Putter (invented by Mohawk Golf Club member A.F. Knight), both of which he helped popularize throughout the golfing world.

In the span of his amateur golfing career, Travis won the Metropolitan Golf Association Championship four times (1900, 1902, 1909 and 1915) and the North – South Amateur at Pinehurst three times (1904, 1910, 1912).

Overall, he competed in 17 consecutive U.S. Amateurs from 1898 – 1914, and six U.S. Opens between 1902 – 1912 where he was low amateur in five of those, including his second-place finish in 1902 at his home club, Garden City Golf Club.

Travis’ early playing accomplishments and popularity sparked a major surge of interest in the game of golf throughout the country. Wanting to share his knowledge, Travis authored several books on golf and golf course architecture, including The Art of Putting in

If his golf game and contributions in writing weren’t impressive enough, Travis pursued his passion of golf course architecture. His first experience was at Manchester Vermont’s Ekwanok Country Club in 1899 alongside John Duncan Dunn of Scotland. Throughout his life, Travis designed over 50 golf courses without any formal education or training in landscape/golf course design.

In designing a layout, he felt it was important to place bunkers aesthetically and scientifically to create interest and make each hole a new problem, which sharply contrasted the commonly used cross-bunkers. His early strategy with bunker placement represented a significant development to golf course design. His creative green sites, often dramatic and uniquely carved into the natural landscape, are highly regarded among modern golf course architects.

Seven of his course designs reside in New York State, including the Country Club of Troy, Garden City Country Club, Onondaga Golf & Country Club, Orchard Park Country Club, Stafford Country Club, Westchester Country Club (South and West Course), and Yahnundasis Golf Club.

He also touched many Empire State venues through renovations including Garden City Golf Club (he was a founding member, green chairman), Grover Cleveland Municipal (formerly the Country Club of Buffalo), Stamford Golf Club, Sunningdale Country Club, Valley View Golf Club, and Westchester Hills Golf Club.

Some of the Travis venues that no longer exist include Flushing Country Club, Longue Vue, and Oak Ridge Golf Club, and Oakland Golf Club’s back nine.

Travis passed away in 1927 in Denver, Colorado at the age of 65 and is buried at Dellwood cemetery in his beloved Manchester, Vermont. He was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1979.

Career Highlights As a Player u

3x U.S. Amateur Champion (1900, 1901, 1903)

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Competed in 17 U.S. Amateur Championships

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British Amateur Champion (1904)

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4x Metropolitan Golf Association Champion

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3x North – South Amateur Champion

Architecture Highlights u

Designed over 50 courses, including the following in New York State: CC

of Troy, Onondaga Golf & CC, Orchard Park CC, Stafford CC, Garden City CC, Westchester CC, and Yahnundasis GC. Author u

The Art of Putting (1904)

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Practical Golf (1909)

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Founded and published The American Golfer, which was widely regarded

as the most influential golf magazine of its time.

Honors u

Elected to World Golf Hall of Fame (1979)

Mary Anne Levins Mary Anne Levins, formerly Widman, was raised in Elmira along with her three older brothers Ed, Steve and Jack.

Her parents, Ed and Wini, were talented golfers who belonged to Elmira Country Club, each having won local and club titles. Her siblings earned their share of golf accolades as well, playing on the Elmira Free Academy golf team during high school.

With the help of her family, she picked up a golf club at age 3. Growing up, she was interested in many sports, becoming an eight-time letter winner in high school while participating on teams for basketball, swimming, track, softball and of course, golf.

It didn’t take long for her to begin a career of “firsts” for women golfers from the Twin Tiers. She was the first to play on the Elmira Free Academy (EFA) boys golf team, and did so beginning her freshman year. She was also the first girl to win Elmira CC’s junior championship.

Her streak continued, as she was the first female from New York State to be named to the All-American Scholastic team. She earned this honor after finishing in fourth at the National Prep All-American Golf Tournament as a senior. She was also the first from New York to ever be invited to that tournament.

In 1980, after graduating from EFA, she competed in her first U.S. Women’s Open as an amateur. She also participated in the LPGA’s Corning Classic that summer, and then again in 1981.

Levins’ golf career took off during her years with the Duke University Women’s Golf Team. Throughout her time as a Blue Devil, Levins was a three-time First Team All-American (1982, 1983, 1984), National Golfer of the Year (1984), and won a record 12 collegiate tournaments. She was a team captain with the program and the NCAA’s top-ranked female golfer during her final season at Duke (1983-84). She also earned a place in collegiate history, becoming the first ACC individual champion in 1984.

During her summers off, Levins would come home to New York to maintain a busy summer schedule of amateur events and a summer job mowing neighborhood lawns. She was known to have a very strict training regimen of running multiple miles a day, biking, practicing golf shots, playing a few holes of golf, then take care of the yards on her schedule.

In 1982 at Ives Hill, she captured her first NYS Women’s Amateur title in 38 holes over Rochester’s Jamie DeWeese in brutal 90-degree heat. The following year, she successfully defended at Colgate University’s Seven Oaks Golf Club over DeWeese, this time, 4 and 3.

In 1983, she was a 36-hole qualifying medalist (147) during the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She was also the Women’s Eastern Amateur Champion at Seabrook Island Resort in South Carolina.

She opted not to defend her NYS Women’s Am title in 1984, having instead participated in the U.S. Women’s Open.

After an impressive senior season at Duke and a number one ranking, Levins was selected to be a member of the 1984 U.S. Curtis Cup team that was contested at Muirfield in Scotland. Team USA defeated GBI 9 ½ to 8 ½. She followed the prestigious team event with appearances in the Women’s British Amateur, Western Amateur, U.S. Women’s Open, Women’s National Amateur and the Canadian Amateur.

She turned professional and earned non-exempt status on the LPGA in 1985 through Qualifying School. She then played on the Futures Tour ranks in 1986 and ‘87.

Mary Anne married in 1986 to James Levins, an attorney, and after struggles during her first few seasons as a pro, decided to retire to become a stay-at-home mother and raise a family.

Levins participated in the U.S. Women’s Open five times during her short career.

In the late 90’s, the Levins family moved from the Southern Tier of New York to Rutland, Vermont to enjoy a more vital winter outdoor lifestyle for their four children; two boys and two girls, whom all have become avid in both golf and cross-country skiing. Her youngest daughter, Chloe, who’s won two Vermont State Amateurs, is a member of the United States Biathalon team and finishing up her senior year at Middlebury College.

Two of her other children, Jimmy and Keely, both captained X-C Skiing and Golf during their time at Middlebury. Keely is now a writer and editor for Golf Digest and Jimmy is an orthopedic surgeon. She also has a son Augie who is an electrical engineer.

Career Highlights u

2x NYS Women’s Amateur Champion (1982, 1983)

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3x All-American at Duke University (1982-84)

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Winner of a record 12 collegiate tournaments at Duke

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Winner of a record 6 collegiate tournaments in a season at Duke

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36-hole qualifying medalist (147) in the 1983 U.S. Women’s Amateur

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1983 Women’s Eastern Amateur Champion at Seabrook Island, SC

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1984 ACC Individual Champion

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1984 Collegiate Player of the Year

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1984 U.S. Curtis Cup team member

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5x U.S. Women’s Open participant

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Earned LPGA card in 1985, joined the Futures Tour

John Baldwin John Baldwin was raised in Port Washington, a hamlet on the North Shore of Long Island.

His passion for the game grew during his early days caddying at Plandome Country Club in the 1950s.

He attended the University of North Carolina, where he was a member of the golf team and the ACC individual champion during his junior year. After graduation, he continued his education at the University of Miami and earned a Masters in Business Administration.

At age 22, he captured the 1967 NYS Men’s Amateur Championship over fellow Long Islander Pete Bostwick, 3 and 1, in a scheduled 36-hole final at Nassau Country Club. He won two other highly regarded amateur events for downstate players in New York that summer, the Long Island Amateur, and the Met Amateur. His “Triple Crown” achievement has not been equaled since.

Upon graduating from Chapel Hill, Baldwin went to PGA Tour Q-School in the fall of 1969 and earned playing privileges for the 1970 season. He also continued his education that fall, earning a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Miami. Baldwin played in 20 events during the 1970 campaign and made 8 cuts.

After deciding that life on the PGA Tour wasn’t for him, he regained his amateur status and went to work in the municipal bond business, eventually rising to the position of national sales manager for municipal securities at First Boston.

Over the decades, Baldwin’s name has appeared on New York regional golf trophies multiple times and carved out one of the great playing careers in the Metropolitan Golf Association’s history. He won two other NYSGA Championships besides the Amateur in 1967, including the 1991 Men’s Mid-Amateur at Brookfield Country Club, and the 2001 Men’s Senior Amateur Championship at Niagara Falls Country Club. He is one of only three players to have accomplished this feat.

Baldwin is also a four-time Long Island Amateur Champion, winning his first in 1965 and most recent in 1996. He’s also a past champion of the Travis

Memorial at Garden City Golf Club, the Hochster Memorial at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, along with many others.

The downstate New York player has been heavily involved with the Metropolitan Golf Association both on and off the course. He is a two-time Met Amateur Champion, winning it in 1967 and 1990, 23 years apart (longest span between wins). He also won the 1986 MGA (IKE) Stroke Play Championship and the MGA Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991. He served as MGA President from 1993-1994 and played a key role in establishing the MGA Foundation.

Baldwin was also on the Executive Committee at the Long Island Golf Association, a Board Member on the Long Island Caddie Scholarship Fund and a Member of the USGA Mid-Amateur Committee.

Throughout his golf career, Baldwin has qualified for 23 USGA Championships including the 1969 U.S. Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston.

Internationally, he’s won five competitions including the 2002 British Senior Amateur Open, 2005 & 2006 Irish Senior Amateur Open, and the 2007 & 2010 Welsh Senior Amateur Open.

His British Amateur victory, was potentially the biggest of his remarkable career, where he came from four shots behind to win with a 216 total at Wood Hall Spa. In 2004, Baldwin was honored with the prestigious Metropolitan Golf Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

Today, at 74 years old, Baldwin is still competitive in senior and super senior events and along with his wife Nancy, they split their time between London and West Palm Beach, Florida.

Career Highlights As a Player u

1965 ACC Individual Champion (while at UNC)

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1967 NYS Men’s Amateur Champion

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1991 NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion

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2001 NYS Men’s Senior Amateur Champion

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2x MGA Amateur Champion (1967 and 1990 - 23 years apart)

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1986 MGA (IKE) Stroke Play Champion

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2x MGA Player of the Year

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4x Long Island Amateur Champion (first 1965 - last 1996)

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2002 British Senior Amateur Open Champion

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2007, 2010 Welsh Senior Amateur Open Champion

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2005, 2006 Irish Senior Amateur Open Champion

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Qualified for 23 USGA Championships

Contributor Highlights u

MGA President 1993-1994

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Played key role in establishing the MGA Foundation

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Executive Committee Member, LIGA

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Board Member, Long Island Caddie Scholarship Fund

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Member, USGA Mid-Amateur Committee

Honors u

MGA Distinguished Service Award 2004

Joey Sindelar Joey Sindelar was raised in Horseheads by his parents Joe and Joanne, along with his two younger sisters. He was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky on March 30, 1958 during his father’s time serving in the army.

Joe Sindelar, Sr. was a part-time golf professional, offering lessons at both Fisher Golf and Recreational Center, as well as in their backyard where he had installed a ninehole putting green and driving cage.

Sindelar first picked up a golf club at the age of 4, learning the game’s fundamentals from his dad. Most of his free time was spent either practicing around the house or playing rounds over at Fisher’s par 3 course.

The young prodigy gained local attention early on, shooting in the mid-to-low 80s before the age of 10 at local courses like Francourt Farms that is known today as Soaring Eagles Golf Course.

His first major golf achievement was at age 13 when he won the 1971 NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior Amateur Championship (15 & under at the time) at Seven Oaks Golf Club. He sunk a 15-foot putt on the final hole, defeating Rome’s Dan Delekta in the 18-hole championship match, 1-up.

In 1976, the Horseheads native won the second major tournament of his amateur career, the NYS High School Championship at Ticonderoga Country Club. He shot a course record-tying 5-under 66 in the final round and won the 36-hole event by 11 shots. Joey was the individual runner-up the year prior at Elma Meadows.

Later that summer, at age 16, Sindelar won the notable International Junior Masters Tournament at East Aurora Country Club in Buffalo. He was also the runner-up in the 1976 NYS Men’s Amateur at Grossinger’s Country Club, defeating 23-year-old George Zahringer III in a two-hole playoff after tying at 301 (back when the NYSGA had a playoff for second place).

Sindelar was in contention at the Men’s Amateur in the years that followed, but stiff competition among New York players challenged his opportunity to capture the Ganson Depew Cup. During the 1977 championship at Albany Country Club, he finished in a tie for fourth. In 1978, he was leader by two strokes through 45 holes, but finished in third at Moon Brook Country Club, while another soon-to-be pro, Jeff Sluman of Rochester captured the win. In 1979, he narrowly missed a three-way playoff to decide the championship at Drumlins East, finishing in fourth.

During his summer break in 1980, Sindelar finally captured the title that had eluded him, the NYS Men’s Amateur at Vestal Hills Country Club. He marched to a seven-stroke victory over the ’78 champion Sluman, setting a record with his 8-under par 280 (71-69-7169). With the victory, he became the first Elmira-area golfer to capture the title since NYSGA Hall-of-famer Bill Tryon’s three wins in the 60s.

He attended the Ohio State University on scholarship and was a three-time All-American, member of the 1979 NCAA Championship team, and Ohio State’s Athlete of the Year in 1981 (first golfer to be named).

During his time there he set the school record for best round (64), best tournament score (271) and set the BIG 10 record with his 69.93 scoring average. In his senior season, he set a record with six individual tournament victories and claimed the all-time record with 11 individual championships.

Upon graduating college in 1981, Sindelar chose not to defend his state amateur title and instead turned professional. He won his debut event at the Lake Shore Open in Rochester in a playoff and collected his first pro payout worth $1,500.

Another early professional victory was the 1983 NYS Open Championship at Grossinger’s Country Club. It marked the first time a player went wire-to-wire to win, shooting 2-under 211 over 54 holes.

As a member of the PGA Tour, Sindelar racked up seven victories. Two were on home turf at the 1985 and 1987 B.C. Open played at En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott. He won the 1988 Honda Classic and most recent PGA Tour victory was in 2004 at the Wachovia Championship (which he won in a playoff).

His best finishes in major championships include T6 at the 1992 U.S. Open (finished in the top-25 four times), T10 at the 1997 PGA Championship (finished in the top-25 two times), and T31 at the 1985 Masters.

Sindelar was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity Hall of Fame in 1992.

The 61-year-old has been on the Champions Tour since 2008 and still competes regularly, where he’s has had over 30 top-10 finishes. He still resides in the Southern Tier of New York, and if he’s not playing golf, he enjoys fishing on Keuka Lake, watching Syracuse and Ohio State athletics, and spending time with his two sons, Jamison (professional golfer) and Ryan.

Career Highlights u

NYS Men’s Amateur Champion (1980)

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NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior Champion (1971)

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1983 NYS Open Champion

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1976 NYS High School Champion

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3x All-American at Ohio State University (1979-1981)

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Member of the 1979 NCAA Championship Ohio State team

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1981 Ohio State University Athlete of the Year

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1981 Big Ten Conference Individual Champion

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1992 Ohio State Varsity Hall of Fame Inductee

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7x winner on the PGA Tour

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Best finishes in major championships u

US Open: T6 (1992), finished in the top-25 four times

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Masters: T31 (1985)

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PGA Championship: T10 (1997), finished in the top-25 twice

Hall of Fame Members

Donald Allen

Virginia Guilfoil Allen

Ray Billows

Frederick Box

Betty Deeley

Alan Foster

Walter Hagen

John Konsek

Dottie Pepper

Class of 2012

Class of 2012

Class of 2018

Class of 2017

Class of 2012

Class of 2015

Class of 2012

Class of 2017

Class of 2018

Hall of Fame Members

Thomas Reidy

Grantland Rice

Donald Ross

Gene Sarazen

Lancy Smith

William Tryon

Class of 2015

Class of 2015

Class of 2018

Class of 2015

Class of 2015

Willie Turnesa Class of 2018

Class of 2012

Sam Urzetta Class of 2015

Foundation The NYSGA Foundation, the charitable arm of the association, has awarded over $300,000 in college scholarships and grants supporting junior golf in New York since 2009.

The NYSGA Scholarship Fund annually awards scholarships totaling $30,000 to exceptional high school students who are employed in service to golf by NYSGA Member Clubs. These students are united by their impressive academic achievements, financial need, and passion for golf.

The Foundation also awards substantial grants supporting junior golf initiatives.

These initiatives include small, regional programs providing on-course instruction and nationally recognized programs such as the First Tee’s National School Program and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf.

This level of giving is not possible without the support of the members of the association, whose membership fees and donations directly fund these initiatives. If you are interested in making a tax-deductible contribution to the NYSGA Foundation, you can find the online donation form on our website at NYSGA.org.

About New York State Golf The New York State Golf Association is a non-profit organization whose membership consists of more than 400 clubs and 36,000 individual golfers throughout New York State. The NYSGA’s stated mission is to promote and conserve the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions.

The NYSGA was slow - in fact the last - to form as a state golf association. The final push came from famed golf writer Grantland Rice who commented that New York still had yet to assemble an association to administer New York’s amateur golf championship. A group of individuals representing clubs throughout the state met at the Yahnundasis Golf Club in 1923 and unanimously approved the formation of the New York State Golf Association.

The NYSGA’s purpose has shifted from simply conducting the state’s amateur championships to providing numerous services to the association’s member clubs and working closely with the USGA to conduct championship qualifiers.

Special thanks to Elmira Country Club for hosting the 2019 NYSGA Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony