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VOL 29, NO. 1

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Letter from the Editor Dear Readers,

Publisher....................................................................................... Marian Castner Senior Writers.............. Marian Castner, Richard J Skelly & Sean Fawcett Contributing Writer.....................................................................Steve Gordon Advertising.................................................. Marian Castner & Sean Fawcett Graphic Design ................................................................................. Daria Little Copyright 2019 - All Rights Reserved Visit us on our new website: www.njgolfnews.com Office: Golfer’s Tee Times Media Group • PO Box 163, Marlboro, NJ 07746-0163 Phone: (732) 577-1995 Email: editor@njgolfnews.com Golfer’s Tee Times welcomes editorial ideas and submissions by writing or email.

We assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials nor do we guarantee that work submitted will be published. Editorial & advertising inquiries should be addressed to: editor@njgolfnews.com Photo Credits: Courtesy of: Sean Fawcett, Newton

Country Club, Jaworski Golf (JAWS), New Jersey Golf Association, Suneagles Golf Club, Richard Skelly, Dennis Walters, LPGA TOUR, Billy Ziobro

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Happily, we’re back and another golf season is already underway! For the 29th consecutive year, we are excited to bring golf news from around the state to our readers.

Since our last issue, “the story” in the golf world, while not local, but still relevant, has been the return of Tiger Woods to the winner’s circle (first at East Lake later last year and of course in early April at The Masters) and subsequently receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Everyone has an opinion on Tiger – some great, some good, others not so good – but what is undeniable is that Tiger moves the “needle” in a sport where its participants, both professional and amateur, don’t sometimes receive the accolades or notoriety that other athletes enjoy. Both young and old, Tiger draws interest into golf, oftentimes from people who otherwise have little interest or knowledge of the game.

The baby boomers are still an integral part of country club membership and rounds played, but that number continues to decline. One of the articles this issue, discusses how millennials approach their golf time and golf dollars differently than past generations, leading to changes in the industry’s future priorities.

While the exact direction that golf courses, both private and public, will take has some uncertainty, we continue

to have “something for everything.”

We are lucky to have great options (on course and off-course) to play and learn and have fun within a short driving distance no matter where you live.

For spectators, we are very fortunate to have the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer returning to the renovated Seaview, outside of Atlantic City, in early June, while raising PGA TOUR star, Bryson Dechambeau looks to defend his title at the Northern Trust, the first leg of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs at Liberty National Golf Club, August 6-11. Both of these tournaments provide us the chance to see many of the best players in the world, both men and women.

We hope you enjoy this new issue of Golfer’s Tee Times, featuring several course reviews, plus a wide range of articles that highlight several aspects of the New Jersey golf world. As always, we are here to provide you unbiased news from our local golf community.

We are already planning for another issue later this Summer, so if you have an interesting story you wish to share with us, make Marian Castner Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Email: editor@njgolfnews.com, Office: 732-577-1995

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My Life in Golf: An interview with 2019 NJSGA Hall of Fame Inductee, Billy Ziobro

By Richard Skelly

A careful look at the distinguished playing and professional career of recent New Jersey State Golf Association Hall of Fame inductee Billy Ziobro can serve as inspiration for hundreds of young public golfers from around the Garden State.

Born in Elizabeth and raised in Scotch Plains from the time he was eight years old, Ziobro is a shining example of what public golf programs and avowed self-determination and perseverance can do. He grew up across the street from Ash Brook Golf Course on Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.

Shortly after his father Michael moved the family there in 1956, he cut down some golf clubs for his young son, took him across the street to register as a public golfer with Union County, showed his son the first tee and said simply, “Go play.”

Even now, at 70, Ziobro regularly shoots his age. While he admits his short game is not as sharp as it once was, he reports no real problems with his strength, flexibility or ability to hit long and straight tee shots, fairway woods and long and mid-irons. Happily retired since 2006, he lives at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., but regularly gets up to New England to visit his daughters, Lauren and Regan, and their children.

Growing up in Linden, where he’d lived in an apartment with his sister, mother and father, there were few playmates around in then-semi-rural Scotch Plains.

“There was no neighborhood, there were no kids around, all it was,was corn fields and farms,” Ziobro recalled recently from his home in Palm Beach Gardens.

“There were no kids for me to play with, so I rode my bicycle. My dad cut off some golf clubs and I had the whole golf course to myself,” he recalled, noting golf was not exactly booming in 1956. [Arnold Palmer and televised golf didn’t really come into popular consciousness until the early 1960’s.]

“I played golf until the dark during summers and after school,” he recalled.

Ziobro attended Union Catholic High School and later, the University of Maryland on a golf scholarship and graduated with a degree in Physical Education.

After he won his first professional title, the Dodge Open at Rockaway River Country Club in Denville, in 1971, he gave the new Dodge automobile he’d won to his mother, Anne. After all, he’d won the tournament on Mother’s Day. Asked about his first inklings of wanting to become a professional golfer, Ziobro said when he was in late adolescence he realized he’d be able to compete.

“When I started winning pro golf tournaments and beating all the pros in the Met Area, that’s when I thought I’d try out for the PGA Tour Qualifying School,” he explained, after earning his

degree from the University of Maryland.

“I was blessed being directly across street from a golf course,” he recalled, “so that by the time I was at University of Maryland, I was both the NJ State Amateur Champion and New Jersey State Open Champion, while I was in

School -- he recalls he was the smallest boy in his class at 5’ 5”, but in his junior year he had a growth spurt, “and all of a sudden I could hit the ball further than I ever could before.” He has remained about the same height and weight throughout his career.

school( in 1970).” To this date, Ziobro still remains the only man in NJSGA history to hold both of these titles in the same year. He was also the first player in NJSGA history to win the Amateur, Open and Junior championships.

Pressed about early mentors, he said Milton “Babe” Lichardus was one guy he looked up to, certainly, but also the two golf professionals at Ash Brook, Ed Famula and Charles Tatz.

“But my primary mentor was my father, Michael Ziobro,” he recalled.

“He didn’t push me, but he gave me opportunities,” he said, noting his father created opportunities where he could.

“He was also a teacher and coach and he knew the degree to encourage me and the degree to back off,” he said, admitting what one sees with young golf prodigies today is sometimes overbearing.

Of his high school years – there was no golf team at Union Catholic High

After winning many Met area championships, Ziobro felt he had the mental and competitive side of his game together enough and qualified for the PGA Tour in the fall of 1971. He played on the PGA Tour until 1976. The lifestyle was not unlike what former Plainfield West Nine head professional Babe Lichardus once described of his time on Tour in the 1960’s, when pros would drive themselves to each tournament on the schedule.

“I had my Cadillac and drove myself from one event to another,” Ziobro recalled, “I had no home other than my parents’ home in Scotch Plains and my car. It was a lifestyle that was rewarding for those who played great. But if you were an average player on the Tour back then, it was underwhelming. We didn’t have the sponsorships they have now,” he argued.

“I had a few chances to win. I

bogeyed the last hole to lose the New Orleans Open [at Lakewood Country Club] to Gary Player in 1972. Another year, I had a 2-stroke lead with 9 holes to play in Milwaukee and made nine pars and finished 5th,” he recalled, noting it was fairly disappointing but at least he had five tournament wins in his time on the Tour. Events on the PGA Tour back then are now part of the Web.com Tour, he explained. He won four times in California: at the Carlton Oaks Open, the Salinas Open, the Newport Beach Open and the Bakersfield Open.

“I did win some events on the PGA Tour, but they weren’t considered exempt-status events” he recalled, “To be exempt back then was the top 60, whereas nowadays, it’s 125 or more.”

Given the victories he had on the PGA Tour -- such as it was back then -how did Ziobro develop the mental side of his game?

“Actually how I learned the discipline in the game was solitary. I taught myself.

It was something that I just developed through competing and playing golf all through my adolescence. I wouldn’t say it was self-hypnosis, but I practiced and played until I was ready to compete,” he said.

“I always felt if I was more prepared than my competition, being more prepared, I felt as though I should do well. It’s always best to be more prepared when under pressure.”

Of the pressures of driving, mostly by himself, he recalled events were arranged differently before air transportation became affordable.

“There was a West Coast swing, and a Florida swing and in the summertime there were events all throughout the Midwest,” he recalled.

After leaving the Tour in 1976 he decided he needed to go to work so he took a job at Beaver Brook Country Club in Annandale in 1978 and worked there for three years before taking a head professional position at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts, where he helped host the US Women’s Open in 1984.

He then moved on to Ipswich Country Club, also in Massachusetts.

“I learned the industry working at country clubs,” he recalled, but even as a public links-raised golfer, “I enjoyed the business of golf, be it at a private golf course or a public facility. I was happy to be working in the industry and to provide a strong work culture in each club I was at. I was rewarded by going on to better opportunities over the years.”

In 1992 Ziobro returned to New Jersey, and spent six years as head professional at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, at the time when that facility was owned by Matrix Development Corp. In 1998, he took the most exciting job of his career at Atlantic City Country Club.

“They hired me as VP of Golf Operations for Caesars

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continued from page 3

Entertainment, and at the time they had just acquired Atlantic City Country Club. It was in disrepair so they hired me to be in charge of redevelopment of the club.” Ziobro hired Tom

legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, “The real reward is in the effort, the journey, the hard fight. Trophies are a by-product of success.’

It rather neatly sums up his philosophy about golf and life,

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Golfer’s Tee Times Hole-In-One’s

ALAN GOLDMAN Colts Neck Golf Club Hole #7 April 19, 2019

Doak as the renovating architect and worked out budgets, hiring all the contractors and engineers needed to restore the course to its former glory.

“It turned out to be especially nice,” he recalled of his efforts coordinating operations and reconstruction there in 1998 and 1999, and he stayed with Caesars Entertainment until the end of 2006. He retired to Florida at age 57.

Reflecting on it, he said, “Those eight years went pretty quickly. Because Atlantic City Country Club was such a huge success for them, I ended up restoring four other golf courses around the country.” He worked at other Caesars properties, including Cascata Golf Club in Las Vegas, Cottonwoods Golf

he argued. “The game of golf was a solitary pursuit for me and the greatest joy was each and every day going to the golf course my entire life; whether as a junior player, an amateur player or a professional player,” he said.

“What I wanted to do my entire life was get up in the morning and go to the golf course,” he said, joking, in middle school and high school, “I would often go to the golf course before I got my homework done! It was the pursuit of playing well and competing well. Sometimes trophies were presented at the end of the event, but I wasn’t playing for trophies. I was playing to compete well and to prove something to myself.”

VINCENT POWERS Plainfield West 9 Golf Course Hole #7 April 30, 2019 GERALD PAWLOWSKI Colts Neck Golf Club Hole #7 May 2, 2019 Remember if you are a lucky recent one-in-hole or double eagle golfer, email us the information and we will print it in our upcoming issue.

BECOME PART OF THE

NEWTON COUNTRY CLUB FAMILY

Sussex County, New Jersey’s premier private golf club, Newton Country Club, is now accepting new members.

With a variety of new membership offerings, Newton has a membership plan to suit any individual or family’s needs.

You never need a tee time, and there are no homes or highways to intrude on the pure golf experience.

Where Membership Truly has its Privileges

Club in Memphis, Chariot Run Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., and Grand Bear Golf Club near Biloxi, Miss. All those golf course properties are still owned by Caesars Entertainment except Atlantic City Country Club, which they later sold.

So now, at 70, how does Ziobro approach golf? He lives at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens but plays most of his golf at nearby Jupiter Country Club. How does such a oncegreat player adjust to the vagaries of playing at an older age?

“Surprisingly, I still play well and I still often shoot my age” he said. “I still hit the ball with a lot of authority, and I still compete well.

I won the South Florida Senior Open when I was in my 60’s and competing against fellows in their 50’s.” His neighbors in nearly Jupiter, Florida include people like New Jerseyan Dennis Walters [see NJSGA Hall of Fame story,] Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Pressed for advice from literally thousands of other public links-raised golfers around the Garden State, Ziobro said he likes a quote from

Nationally acclaimed golf course architect Stephen Kay has been retained to make this already beautiful golf course even better with enhancements to the golf course and the practice facilities.

To arrange for a guided tour, contact Membership Director Jeff Jerrow at (973) 876-6204, or email: membership@newtoncountryclub.com Visit newtoncountryclub.com for more information, including membership plans.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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Junior Golf

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New Jersey’s Raising Golf Star- Megha Ganne

GOLF CONTACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW Garden State Women’s Association (GSWGA) (732) 747-2261• www.gswga.com Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) (610)687-2340 • www.gapgolf.org Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) (386) 274-6200 • www.lpga.com Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) (914) 34 7-4653 • www.mgagolf.org New Jersey Seniors Golf Assocition (NJSrsGA) (732) 345-0222 • www.njseniorsga@comcast.net New Jersey State Golf Association (NJSGA) (908) 241-4653 • www.njsga.org New Jersey State Women’s Golf Committee (NJWGC) (732)747-2261 • www.njswgc.com New York State Golf Association (NYSGA) (315) 471-6979 • www.nysga.org PGA of America/ Metropolitan Section (MetPGA) (914) 347-2325 • www.met.pga.com PGA of America/ New Jersey Section (NJPGA) (732) 465-1212 • www.newjersey.pga.com PGA of America/ Philadelphia Section (PhilPGA) (215) 886-7742 • www.philadelphia.pga.com Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) (561) 624-8400 • www.pga.com United States Golf Association (USGA) (908) 234-2300 • www.usga.org Westchester Golf Association (WGA) (914) 347-2340 • www.westchestergolf.org Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia (WGAP) (61)687-2340 • www.wgapgolf.org Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association (WMGA) (914) 592-7888 • www.wmga.com Women’s New Jersey Golf Association (WNJGA) (732) 449-2249 • www.wnjga.com

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New Jersey can claim one of the golf world’s up-and-comings stars in Megha Ganne, the 15-year old from Holmdel, N.J., who not only made her fourth appearance in the finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt competition at Augusta National Golf Club in April, but also took medalist honors at the 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying round at the par-71, 6,307yard Forsgate Country Club in Monroe

“I just felt I went out and played like it was any other tournament. I do get intimidated by the older players, but it’s not like I’m a 10-year-old. I hit it as far as they do and I’ve been playing golf since I was seven. I have experience and felt I had as good a chance as anyone in the field,” said Ganne.

She is currently a freshman at Holmdel High School, where she plays on the girls’ golf team. She has been play-

Township.

Her win at Forsgate earned Ganne a berth in the U.S. Women’s Open Championship, which will be played May 30-June 3, at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina. She beat a field of 40 players, including eight professionals.

“I don’t think I was too aggressive, but I was just getting sloppy and sometimes didn’t think through my shots. I was careful not to always look at the pin – and sometimes I didn’t aim at the safest spots, which is what I should have done when I was three under,” commented Ganne about the treacherous Banks Course at Forsgate.

ing in tournaments on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) circuit for several years already.

Ganne defeated the 2017 NJSGA Junior Girls champion, Christine Shao at Neshanic Valley Golf Course to win that title last summer.

She has also played in four USGA championships, including the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships in 2018 and 2017, the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2017 and the U.S. Women’s FourBall Championship in 2018 with partner Bailey Shoemaker of New York.

(Quotes courtesy of the New Jersey State Golf Association)

Junior Handicaps, Tournaments & Much More Opportunities for Junior golfers exist all over the Garden State. Most parents don’t realize that juniors are entitled to a free USGA handicap through the NJSGA. There is also a multitude of state Championships for Juniors, Boys and Girls, scholarship opportunities through the Caddie Scholarship Foundation (NJSGA), First Tee and more, and the NJPGA. These are just a few places to start, but there are many additional great junior tournaments and camps being run throughout the summer at many golf courses around the state. For more information on any of these programs, simply check out their website.

NJSGA Juniors USGA Handicap Index NJSGA Junior, Boys’ and Girls’ Championships

NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Opportunities National Programs Drive, Chip, Putt The First Tee LPGA/USGA Girl’s Golf U.S. Kids Golf PGA Junior League Local Programs Bergen County’s Pioneer Tour Mercer County’s Future Champions Tour First Tee of Raritan Valley First Tee of the Jersey Shore First Tee of Metropolitan New York First Tee of Greater Trenton First Tee of Plainfield JGA Tour (John Petronis/south Jersey) Tours American Junior Golf Association International Junior Golf Tour Hurricane Tour

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

NJSGA Inducts Its Class of 2019 Hall of Fame Members

By Richard Skelly

Billy Ziobro and Dennis Walters, the only two living award winners, were on hand for the New Jersey State Golf Association’s second annual Hall of Fame awards in early May at Galloping Hill Golf Course. Those inducted posthumously included Leo Fraser, Bobby Jacobson, Milton “Babe” Lichardus, Joseph McBride, Dorothy Porter, Jeff Thomas and Craig Wood.

NJSGA President Bill Frese commented on the posthumous awards being given out, noting Wood was a longtime professional at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal section of Ocean Township and the Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield and a U.S. Open and Masters’ champion; former Atlantic City Country Club owner Leo Fraser, already in the PGA Hall of Fame, was a World War II decorated war hero, and past president of the PGA of America; Babe Lichardus, who learned to play golf at Galloping Hill and went on to win four State Opens and five PGA Championships, also spending time on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and early 60’s; Bobby Jacobson, who played around the country in USGA events; Joe McBride from Arcola Country Club who won the NJSGA Amateur championship four times; Dorothy Porter from Riverton, who won six USGA events, won the Western and Eastern Amateurs, played in two Curtis Cups whom Frese described as “a wonderful representative for our state,” and amateur Jeff Thomas, who played out of the Plainfield West 9 Golf Course and won an unprecedented eight New Jersey Amateur Championships, the 1993 MidAmateur, which gained him entry into the 1994 Masters, and the prestigious Sunnehanna Invitational in 1996, before his untimely death at age 44 in 2003.

Retired PGA club professional and golf business executive Ziobro and Walters, who has gained international acclaim for being a world-famous trick-shot artist and showman, both got emotional in their respective acceptance speeches. Prior to their speeches, patrons at the gathering were treated to a short video that nearly summarized the accomplishments of all 2019 Hall of Fame inductees, two living and seven posthumously. The video is posted online at the NJSGA website, www.njsga.org.

“I especially want to thank the Union County Parks Department because I am a public linkster,” said Ziobro said in accepting his award. After recalling his early golf days, he spoke about competing and playing around the country.

“Over time, I began to compete well and eventually I was able to play in the finest country clubs around the world with some of the finest players in the world at many major championships,” Ziobro related, “however when I ruminate, in addition to my competitive achievements, I have a lot to be thankful for, Beaver Brook, Salem, Ipswich, Forsgate and Atlantic City Country clubs, I take pride in having established with my staff at those clubs a strong work culture in each facility. I’d be remiss tonight if I did not acknowledge all my staff and their commitment to a job well done,” he said.

Not unlike his good friend, Russ Helwig from Essex Fells, who has a reputation for developing talented golf professionals, Ziobro had an incredible 32 former assistant professionals who became head professionals around the U.S. Ziobro got briefly emotional while recalling support from his sister, well-educated, accomplished daughters (both who have PhDs), his mother Anne and father Michael, a school gym teacher and coach who

nurtured him along in the right ways as a budding junior amateur player.

knowledgeable teaching pro I’ve ever met and he never wants any credit, never talks about himself,” Walters argued.

“Through my Dad, I developed the ability to focus,” Ziobro recalled and got emotional, who recalling how late in his life his father related: ‘Billy, you’ve brought a lot of happiness into my life,’ and that is one of the greatest things a parent could ever say.”

“On October 11, I got a phone call from Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. They said ‘Congratulations, you’ve just been elected to World Golf Hall of Fame, and we were your advocates.’ I truly was not prepared for that,” he admitted, “but fast forward to February of this year, I got a call from Steve Foehl [retired Executive Director of the NJSGA] and he said ‘Dennis, I’m not Jack Nicklaus and I’m not Gary Player, but you’ve just been elected to the New Jersey State Golf Association Hall of Fame.’ I was so grateful to have an

Wayne Warms, the distinguished teaching professional now based at Eagle Oaks Golf Club in Farmingdale, made poignant remarks about his lifelong friend Dennis Walters.

Walters turned a tragic golf cart accident in the summer of 1974 which left him paralyzed from the waist down into a driving force in his life as he has entertained and educated thousands of golfers and non-golfers alike with his engaging program of golf shots and life lessons.

“The first time I heard the name Dennis Walters, I was 12 years old,” Warms explained, noting Walters grew up not far from the 16th hole at Jumping Brook Golf Club in Neptune.

“Dennis’ escapades [as an amateur] will always be part of the folklore at Jumping Brook,” Warms argued. “He never had the patience for inferior shots and mediocre scores; they were not on his dance card, so when his golf was not doing well he was not a happy camper,” he said, noting Walters’ steadfast focus in his youth was his dream of joining the PGA Tour.

“Dennis was at the genesis of physically-challenged golf,” Warms argued, “and he turned himself into a human testing machine and made the USGA’s ‘Iron Byron’ look like a Sunday hacker.”

“Behind his veil of trick shots” at one of his performances, Warms argued, “is the message of hope that anything can be accomplished no matter what life has stacked up against you. He is the greatest inspirational story in the world of golf and next month, he’ll be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.”

In addressing the crowd from his wheelchair, Walters explained he’d practiced his speech, “I figured I wasn’t going to cry, as with Billy and with Wayne, these are tears of joy and tears of gratitude,” he explained.

“My sister told me not to ad-lib, but I’m doing it anyhow and one of the best breaks I’ve ever gotten was meeting Wayne Warms. He is the most unsung,

advocate in Steve Foehl.”

Walters gave credit to his sister, Barbara, who was in attendance, for all her support, as well as well as to his mother and father and also his most recent dog, Mr. Bucky, who traveled with him in his RV as he made his way around the country in the last decade. “Barbara is the greatest sister a person could ever have, and if there was a Hall of Fame for Sisters, she’d be the first ballot.”

He jokingly added, “I was born in Neptune -- not the planet, but a small seaside community -- and I now live in Jupiter – also not the planet, but a small seaside community in Florida.”

“I say that not to brag but to show what’s possible, there’s no possible way I could have dreamed any of this stuff. I started performing in 1977 and right from the beginning used my own personal experience as an example to encourage people to reach for their dreams and to strive for excellence.”

“I also took the time to remind them that if you have a dream and it doesn’t work out, that’s okay, it’s perfectly okay, because the solution is simple: get a new dream, and that’s what I did.”

“When I began this journey I did it all for myself; I was just trying to cope with what I considered to be a totally hopeless situation, “ he explained, “but as rotten as I felt everyplace else, I felt good when I got to the golf course, it was good emotionally therapy. As I began to perform people began to tell me I was giving them hope, encouragement and inspiration.”

Over time, he said, he realized, “if you can give someone the gift of hope and the gift of inspiration, these are the most important gifts you can give to anybody.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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Newton Country Club…Sussex County’s Hidden Gem New membership offerings make historic private club better than ever

By Marian Castner

Nestled among the scenic beauty of Sussex County, golfers have the opportunity to explore the membership opportunities now available at one of the crown jewels of northwestern New Jersey’s golfing landscape, Newton Country Club. With a golf course that was originally opened more than one hundred years ago and a stately clubhouse, the club is opening its doors for new members to the Newton “family.”

One of the centerpieces of the Club is its charming colonial-style clubhouse, which has been modernized,yet has maintained its original character and charm. Sitting down for a drink at the bar, or a meal in the Grill Room, golfers can enjoy the views of the golf course and surrounding countryside, in a setting free of highway noise and residences.

Newton Country Club has a long history and tradition in the area. Originally built in 1916 as Sussex Country Club, the course was closed during World War II, and subsequently reopened and was remodeled under the new name of Newton Country Club.

In the 1967, the Club commissioned renowned golf course architect William Gordon to renovate the existing nine holes and design an additional nine holes. A charter member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, William, along with his son David, designed and remodeled many golf courses in the Eastern and Midwestern United States, including: Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa.; Browns Run Country Club in Middletown, Ohio; the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT, and Medford VillageCountry Club in Medford, New Jersey.

For Newton Country Club, David had most of the

responsibility in the design of the new nine holes, along with renovation of the existing nine. In 1969, the full 18 holes opened for play.

In 2003, Newton CC hired award-winning golf course architect, Stephen Kay to create a long-term Master Plan. Kay is renowned for his extensive New Jersey portfolio of new course designs, including Blue Heron Pines, Harbor Pines, Scotland Run, The Architect’s Club

and McCullough’s Emerald Links. Additionally, he has done renovations at numerous other New Jersey courses, including Fiddler’s Elbow, Forsgate, Shackamaxon, Medford Lakes, Knoll Golf Club, Battleground and East Orange Golf Course.

“I just completed an updated Master Plan for Newton,” said Kay. “The original one I did was in 2003. In 2005, we started a sand bunker remodeling project, including redesign of bunkers, removal of bunkers and new bunkers. Then in 2009, we completed two new greens on holes#7 and #13. Now we are working on enhancing the practice range, including the installation of new drainage and mowing in target greens and pseudo fairways in the near future.”

There are also future changes detailed in the Master Plan including some significant design changes such as two new par 3’s and two new par 5’s.

“Newton is an absolute gem in Sussex County,” added Kay. “With the upgrades reflected in the Master Plan, the Club will be the private club of choice in northwestern

New Jersey.”

The par-70 course will challenge the most accomplished players, but it’s fun and enjoyable for players of all abilities.

The tree-lined fairways and undulating greens keep golfers of all skill levels on their toes throughout the round.

Newton is proud to be the first course in New Jersey to be certified by the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, signifying thatenvironmental stewardship of the entire property is carefully planned and implemented to provide the best habitat for wildlife on the golf course. Besides the land that the golf course is on, the Club owns over 100 acres adjacent to the course.

Aside from membership, the course is also known for its annual outings, area tournaments and support of junior golf. Each summer, starting in 2010, the club has hosted the NJPGA Junior Masters, one of the most prestigious junior tournaments annually.

“This is a great tournament and a big event,” said longtime Newton Country Club head professional Robin Kohberger. “The best young players in the state are here. And Newton Country Club is proud to host this event.”

Newton Country Club offers a terrific variety of membership opportunities for both individuals and families, with a full social calendar throughout the year. Newton has recently made several new membership plans available,including weekend, weekday, non-resident and dual membership for golfers who are already members of another club.

“There is quite a difference between playing golf at a public golf course or resort and belonging to a private country club as fine as Newton Country Club,” adds club President Jeff Bonham. “You never need a tee time here, and everyone is made to feel welcome and part of the family. You also don’t see a home or a highway anywhere on the course, so there is nothing to intrude on the pure golf experience.”

For more information, including detailed membership offerings, photos and a drone video presentation, visit www.newtoncountryclub.com. To arrange a guided tour of Newton, contact Membership Director Jeff Jerrow at (973) 876-6204, or email membership@newtoncountryclub. com.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Ron Jaworski Hosts the 35th Annual Celebrity Golf Challenge

By Marian Castner

The tireless philanthropic work of Ron Jaworski and the Jaws Youth Playbook continues, with the support of more than 50 sponsors including for the first time, Travis Mathew clothing, when Jaworski hosts, the 2019 Ron Jaworski Celebrity Golf Challenge on June 23rd and 24th.

The annual event brings together Jaworski and his celebrity friends including current and past NFL players, to benefit the JAWS Youth Playbook, an organization that promotes health and wellness for at-risk kids in under-served communities. The event has also help fund the NFL Alumni’s “Caring for Kids” and “Caring For Our Own” charities.

Ron Jaworski, the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, ESPN football analyst of the Sunday NFL Countdown & NFL Match-Up, and longtime community philanthropist and fundraiser is very involved with his foundation.

His management company currently owns and operates seven golf courses in the south Jersey/ surrounding Philadelphia area.

The golf course festivities are always fun to watch. As always, Jaworski gathers a great collection of current and retired sports figures, coaches and broadcast personalities. This year, expect to see some new and old faces among the celebrities including Jason Kelce, Freddie Mitchell, Akiem Hicks, Jahri Evans, Mark Schlereth, Steve Wilkos, Merril Hoge and Dick Vermeil.

The Celebrity Golf Challenge raises over $150,000 each year through various sponsorship opportunities. Proceeds go to the JAWS YOUTH PLAYBOOK (JYP). The JYP defines its mission as supporting programs which “improve the overall health and wellness of at-risk youth, primarily in the Greater Philadelphia Region. JYP does this by raising awareness and advocating for the access to safe play and healthy choices, and supporting programs providing positive youth health and wellness platforms.” JYP focuses on three Pillars of: Environment (access to play and physical play spaces), Nutrition and advocacy. Some examples of programming JYP supports under each pillar.

This year’s event includes the Pairings & Cigar Party (with silent auction) at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City on Sunday night, June 23rd, followed by the Kickoff Celebrity-Am on Monday morning at 7:30am, at Blue Heron Pines Golf Club, one of Jaworski’s properties. In the afternoon, spectators are invited to watch the Closing Drive Celebrity-Am, featuring four amateurs paired with a celebrity to compete in a scramble-style tournament.

This marks the 35th anniversary of this exciting fundraiser, a fundraising longevity that is rare to find.

Limited sponsorship packages and playing opportunities are still available.

The Celebrity-Am and Closing Drive Celebrity-Am is open to spectators at Blue Heron Pines on June 24th. For more information, contact Trish Cuadrado at 856-848-4437.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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Valley Forge Invitational Returns to Montgomery County, PA The Valley Forge Invitational, an LPGA Symetra Tour event, brought women’s professional golf to Montgomery County in 2018 and returns again in 2019. Held at Raven’s Claw Golf Club in Pottstown, Pa., the Valley Forge Invitation, May 28June 2, will take place at the challenging Ed Shearon-designed course earning one of 24 tournament locations on the 2019 Symetra Tour schedule. This year’s number of tournaments is the most in a season since 1988 with a record $4 million in purses, up 27% from 2018.

In the last six years of the Tour’s 39-

year history, Symetra has witnessed a 60% growth in tournaments and a 150% increase in purses. More than 340 players from 45 different countries hold a Symetra Tour membership in 2019.

The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention

Board (VFTCB) and Valley Forge Sports secured bringing the tournament to the county. Swedish player Louise Ridderstrom – who’s now on the LPGA – shot a course record to win the 2018 tournament, which was the first time the Symetra Tour played in the Philadelphia region.

“The VFTCB’s involvement and leadership efforts have helped to create a solid sponsorship foundation, as well as media presence, in all of the neighboring communities,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer for the LPGA Symetra Tour. “We are looking forward to many years of partnership as we prepare the next generation of LPGA stars for success.”

Tournament week will bring entertainment to golf fans and local businesses. The Meet the Pro’s party (May 29) will be held at the Sunnybrook Ballroom in Pottstown. The Pro-Am, which last year featured former Eagle Vince Papale, will entertain local businesses alongside the future LPGA Tour stars on Thursday, May 30.

“Having an event of this caliber has a hugely positive economic impact on Montgomery County and the region,” said Mike Bowman, President and CEO of the VFTCB. “Besides highlighting women’s professional golf, the Tour spotlights Raven’s Claw, and the more than 50 other great public courses and private clubs that we have in Montco.”

The Symetra Tour attracts thousands of spectators and results in millions in positive economic impact. The top-10 players on the season-ending Race for the Card money

list will be awarded LPGA membership for 2020.

Since it opened in 2005, Raven’s Claw Golf Club has been a consistent selection on the list of “Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Daily Fee” courses, as selected by Golfweek. In fact, Pennsylvania is one of the top 10 states by number of golfers, and the Philadelphia region is in the nation’s top five, according to the 2018 National Golf Foundation’s Golf Participation in the U.S. Study.

The major sponsors for the Valley Forge Invitational include the VFTCB and the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation (PAHWF). Local charities, as designated by the PAHWF, that serve the people of Pottstown and residents in seven public school districts within a 10-mile radius of the borough are the beneficiaries of the funds raised during the tournament.

Members of the public can be part of the action by becoming a tournament volunteer for $25. Opportunities include guest services, player assistance, and event coordination. Companies and businesses looking to attach their brand to the tour are

also able to become an official sponsor of the event.

Through its Destination Montco Golf brand, the VFTCB works to promote the more than 50 golf courses throughout the county which is home to more than 300,000 yards of play. Also in May, the VFTCB debuts its Annual Montco Golf Guide to more than 10,000 golfers in a 150-mile radius.

To learn more about the Valley Forge Invitational and tournament details, visit www.symetratour.com. To book your Montco Golf experience on one of its 50plus courses and to make it a weekend stay in Montgomery County, visit www.

MontcoGolf.com.

It’s a Family Tradition –The Issler Family

By Richard Skelly

The names of the people who have won the New Jersey State Golf Association’s New Jersey State Open date back to 1921 and reads like a “Who’s Who of Golf” in the Garden State. The long list of names include World Golf Hall of Famer Byron Nelson(1935), Vic Ghezzi, Babe Lichardus, Billy Ziobro (as an amateur), Ed Whitman (four times), and Frank Esposito Jr,. This July, the event will be played for the 99th time, and 2018 champion Marc Issler has high hopes of defending his title.

Last year’s victory was Issler’s first NJSGA Open championship, but it wasn’t the first time that the last name “Issler” was on the winning trophy. Marc’s father, Bob, won the event in 1981, and the longtime PGA teaching professional, was on his son’s bag to get a first hand view of his victory, which concluded with him making a ten-foot putt on the last hole to edge out the 2015 and 2016 champion, Tyler Hall.

The tournament’s winning roll was one which Issler, 32, a graduate of Toms River North High School, and co-owner/ instructor at the Toms River Golf Center, had seen earlier. “I knew the putt,” said Issler. “I saw it hit earlier in the morning so

I had a good idea what the line was. When it came time to making the putt, I had a very good feeling. It all comes down to making a few putts, especially at this level. The margin of error is so razor-thin.”

Marc, who had to wait a whole day to win his much sought-after NJSGA NJ Open, was razor-sharp and made many clutch putts at Montclair Golf Club, a club known for its notorious putting complexes. Issler was on the first page of the leaderboard throughout the three-day event, opening with rounds of 68 and 72. His final round 69 bettered the field’s average by more than four strokes.

Birdies on three of first seven holes in the final round gave him a two stroke advantage with eleven holes to play. A life-long Jersey resident, who also teaches at The Country Club at Mirasol in Florida during the winter, went on to maintain the lead from there, draining the 18th hole finishing putt to win by one stroke for a total of 209(-1).

“I’ve played well in tournaments like this before, but I hadn’t put three whole rounds together like this until now. It wasn’t the best golf I’ve ever played, but it was probably my most consistent.”

“He had a great feel for the course,” added his father, Bob. “Those greens are arguably the toughest in the state, but he liked them. “The moment wasn’t too big for Marc. He’d been working towards this for a long time.”

For Marc, it was a culmination of more than a decade’s practicing, playing and competing. But it wasn’t his first time in this situation. Back in 2007, Issler played in the final group on the final day of the State Open. Unfortunately after a strong start to his final round, Issler fizzled with an uncharacteristic 40 on the back nine.

“We (my dad and I) were in the final

group on the last day and I remember it like it was yesterday. We were right there with nine holes to go, and I just started playing horribly those last nine holes. And I remember driving home and my father talking about some of the close calls he had before he won while having the lead with nine holes to go. Things just seem to get in your own way.”

“The good was that’s when I realized I could play with anyone from this area, and how much it meant to my father.”

“The NJ Open is obviously a very old championship. In those early days, could have been much more regional, if not national championship, rather than the state championship it is now,” added Marc. “I think to have my name on the same trophy with some of the great names in golf, including many champions that we recognize today, it is certainly something

very few people attain. It means a lot to both me and my Dad. It’s the biggest win of my career, so far, and I am already looking forward to trying to do it again.”

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2018 Champion Annie Park

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The 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer Always “A Shore Tradition” in the Atlantic City area

By Marian Castner

There’s something for everyone when it comes to the ShopRite LPGA Classic painting and large inflatables in the spectator village. The Oreo Golf Zone features Presented by Acer, which returns to the Bay Course at the historic Seaview, a Dolce a swing simulator, Virtual Reality technology and putting course, as well as hitting nets with complimentary golf lessons from property, from June 3-9. members of the Philadelphia section PGA. The tournament boasts over 400 As always, this is one of the most corporate sponsors and the largest pro-am popular LPGA stops of the year, and many in golf—more than 1,500 rounds played past champions, fan favorites, and exciting over two days on three of south Jersey’s best rookies on the LPGA will be playing again golf courses—the Bay and Pines courses this year. Annie Park looks to defend her at Seaview and plus top-ranked, Galloway title, against a field 144 players, who will National Golf Club. compete for a record $1.75 million purse.

For Park, a native of Long Island, this was her first win on the LPGA TOUR and was excited to win so close to home.

“Playing close to home, only two and a-half hours from Long Island, my family and friends were able to come and it made it truly special for me.”

To review a little history of the tournament, this will be the twenty-first time that Seaview will host the three-day, 54-hole event, dating back to 1986. Over the years, many LPGA Tour legends have won and played in the tournament. This year’s commitments will include favorites such as Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson, Morgan Pressel, as well as New Jersey’s own Marina Alex.

Natalie Gulbis, a long-time fan favorite on the LPGA TOUR has accepted a sponsor exemption for a second straight year. The other sponsor exemption was accepted by Virgina Elena Carta, a Duke University senior and former runner-up in the US Women’s Amateur.

Since it became the title sponsor of the Classic more than twenty-five years ago, the Wakefern Food Company (aka ShopRite) has donated over $34 million to charity through its sponsorship of this event. The event brings over $19 million to the Atlantic City community each year. For its many years of commitment to the Atlantic City community, the ShopRite was honored with the 2019 Bing Crosby Tournament sponsor award by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association.

The Seaview has more than one hundred years of history in south Jersey dating back to 1914, when Clarence H. Geist, a public utility magnate, founded the original golf course and resort. Designed by Hugh Wilson (who also designed the courses at Merion Golf Club), the Bay Course opened in 1915. The following year, famed golf course designer Donald Ross completed the course. After some renovations by Bob Crupp Jr. in 1998, and other recent renovations in the past few years, the Bay Course now plays as a par 71, 6,247 yards course from the back tees.

Ownership of the hotel changed in late 2018, and a complete interior renovation has taken place over the past few months. “We are seeing this as the rebirth of a historic property,” according to Mike Tidwell, Director of Sales and Marketing.

“It has been a great project and we are happy that the LPGA is back, and both the LPGA, and ShopRite, have committed to this tournament through 2023.” Tournament week will also include a new “grand opening” of the hotel.

Tournament week at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer is always special. The week will include several exciting events and fan opportunities, including the always popular, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Junior Golf Show on Saturday afternoon, June 8th at 2:30pm.

The tournament will honor military at the free Patriots’ Pavilion presented by Kleenex and SERVPRO for all military and service personnel. They will also have the organization Operation First Response bring wounded heroes to come and tend the American flag pin flag on #17 during tournament rounds.

Oreo will be sponsoring the Family Fun Zone, which includes free cookies, face-

One of the mission’s of the LPGA continues to be keeping the ticket and concession prices reasonably priced and attractive for families. Admission to the Monday qualifier, practice rounds and the Pro-Ams are free to the public. The Friday through Sunday ticket prices range from $15 for daily admission, to $30 for a weekly pass or $60 for a weekly clubhouse pass, which includes access to the Seaview. For the tenth straight year, 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the tournament’s more than twenty five benefitting charities. The AtlantiCare Foundation, Stockton University Foundation (including scholarships and endowment for internships), and Community Food Bank of New Jersey – Southern Branch are just a few of these charities.

Tickets are available online at www.shopritelpgaclassic. com. Children age 17 and under are admitted free. Other popular promotions include ShopRite Plus Card Members can simply show their card at the entrance gate and receive two free tickets each day, and all service personnel (military, fire and police) will be admitted free of chargethroughout the Tournament with proper IDand can also freely access the Patriots’ Pavilion.

Year in and year out, the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, prides itself on being a “Shore Tradition”. Along with its substantial economic impact to the area each year,the tournament gives the greater Atlantic City region a wonderful way to showcase itself. Everyone associated with this tournament makes it one of the favorite LPGA Tour stops of the year!

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Bringing Back History at Suneagles Golf Club

By Sean Fawcett

Suneagles Golf Club in Eatontown is a place where history abounds. Designed by world-renowned architect, A.W. Tillinghast, who is also responsible for such highly revered New YorkNew Jersey venues such as Baltusrol,

champion Orville “Sarge” Moody, who gave up a military career to play PGA Tour golf and placed second at the 1967 All Army Tournament at Suneagles.

The course opened in 1926 on property that was owned by Phillips

holes, like the first hole and reachable par 5s like the 3rd hole. Several sharp dog-leg holes will test the golfer, like the tough par 4, 11th hole. Of course, small sloping greens are a Tillinghast-calling card, like holes 6 and 7, which are

Ridgewood Country Club, Winged Foot and Bethpage Black, Suneagles provides a great day of golf for any age and playing ability.

Just minutes off Exit 105 on the Garden State Parkway, Suneagles was formerly part of the US Army’s Fort Monmouth complex, and is now under private ownership. Given a chance to play there, you will find a truly memorable daily-fee, public masterpiece by an old-school American golf architect. Measuring about 6,400 from the back tees, the “traditional parkland-style gem,” the course features undulating, yet fun, Tillinghast-type greens.

Sam Snead, the PGA Tour’s winningest golfer, holds the Suneagles’ course record at -7(65). Suneagles was also a favorite layout of 1969 US Open

Van Heusen Clothing Company owner, Max Phillips. The membership purchased the course in the 1930s and renamed it Monmouth Country Club. In 1942, during World War II, the United States Army purchased the club and rebranded it back to its original name.

Under new ownership since 2017, Suneagles is working on returning to its original Tillinghast glory days.

“I see it as a diamond in the rough.

We’re going to restore it to its former glory,” said Salvatore Martelli, owner of Martelli Development Inc, who purchased the course two years ago.

Besides being the site of Byron Nelson’s first tournament triumph, and a favorite of both Snead and Moody, in many ways, it is among the unrivaled of all public golf courses in The Garden State.

Simply walking around the grounds will take one back to the early and legendary days of “illustrious golfing.”

The course is challenging, but fair.

Suneagles has a mix of short, straight

fronted by criss-crossing creeks and lily-padded ponds which demand accuracy off the tee.

The many strategically placed bunkers, which are tough but avoidable, are yet another of Tillinghast’s staple designs and is featured very prominently at Suneagles.

Perhaps the most favorite hole among the course regulars is the par four, sixth hole.

Both long and straight, the hole sets up for a targeted second approach shot over a creek and to a thirty-foot hill, with a two-tiered peanut shaped green, nearby the club’s Tudor-styled clubhouse, Gibbs Hall, which accommodates 500 guests and is perfect for all occasions.

“I love the history of the course,” said Steve Shellock, who recently took over

as Head Golf Professional. “It’s a classic Tillinghast design and was said to be one of his favorites. It’s different than any other course in the area. Suneagles is just a classic. It’s a great old public golf course made by the man who made

Baltusrol, Winged Foot and Bethpage and where Byron Nelson won and where Sam Snead and Orville Moody played.

Now everyone can play it.”

This year, THE NORTHERN TRUST offers a Family Plan package that makes the tournament even more affordable.

At a price of $150 plus tax, the Family Plan includes two (2) Good-Any-One-Day Grounds adult tickets, a $20 food and beverage voucher and unlimited admission for youth 18 and under. Tickets provide single-day access to the tournamen grounds, Tuesday – Sunday, along with access to all of the public fan areas. Practice round tickets are $35 for adults, all kids free. Tickets can be purchased through the tournament website.

For the first time in several years, Tiger Woods has officially qualified for THE NORTHERN TRUST, thanks to his win at the Masters. Since he is expected to defend his title at East Lake, the expectation is that, while not yet committed, he will play at this year’s event....We’ll keep you posted on www.njgolfnews.com.

Finally it’s not too late for businesses to purchase hospitality space at THE NORTHERN Trust. To inquire about hospitality options contact Jon Squeri at jonsqueri@pgatourhq.com or 201-444-5356.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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Laguna Oaks: An All Par-3 “Gem” in South Jersey

By Sean Fawcett

Laguna Oaks Golf Course, located in historic Cape May Courthouse, is absolutely a unique “gem” especially for those looking to play a ten-hole, solely par-3 golf course. Situated on 200 acres of meadow land, willow oak, trees and ponds, this rare par-3 course in South Jersey, and is sure to be a great experience for every golfer of every age and playing ability.

Designed by owner, and architect, Fred Langford, with Meso-American inspired masonry framing the water hazards and a Mayan-styled pyramidshaped waterfall behind the 18th green, Laguna Oaks Golf Club gives golfers a choice of three “tee” options – Blue (for handicaps below 15), White (1622 handicaps) and Gold (over 23 handicap) played over a landscape that incorporates the native marsh of coastal Cape May County.

Laguna Oaks features full-sized, and sometimes target- oriented, par3’s that average in length from 150170 yards from the Blue, or back tees, but also have generous and playable forward Gold tees, where each of the ten holes averages less than 100-yards each.

to a great day of golf.

In building the property, Langford believed that “if you want to encourage young golfers and new golfers of any age, golf courses need to be less intimidating. His answer was a par-3 course.” Additionally, the course also integrates a unique “Golden Golf” scoring system. With this innovative new approach the tee locations very slightly but the big difference is the par rating.

Large, elevated, sloping, and very puttable putting surfaces are a primary calling card of that attracts golfers from far and wide who are looking for a fantastic and fun-filled round in a peacefully quiet parkland style setting minutes from the beach.

Laguna Oaks holes are numbered 10-18, with a recently added 11A, to bring the total to ten holes. Bring along a good amount of extra balls along, as water does come into play on several holes.

Beginning with the short to mid iron tee shot at #10, “Offshore Dunes”, followed by the two longest holes on the course, “Double Crossing” and “Timber Bridge.” The water surrounding the 16th hole, “Island Green”, and the peninsula shaped finishing hole (#18), “Peninsula Waterfall,” play about 130 and 146 yards from the Blue tees. Quite simply, these are two of the best par3s anywhere and make for a thrilling, challenging, and satisfying conclusion

Open to the public 7-days a week, year- round, all golfers will find a fair test here. Just a short drive from Ocean City, Atlantic City and Cape May, Laguna Oaks Golf Course is worth the drive from anywhere.

Laguna Oaks Golf Course is located on 600 Bayberry Drive, Cape May Court House, NY 509-465-4560

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Trends and Issues At Private Golf Courses: What Courses Need To Do

By Richard J. Skelly

Nestled among the scenic beauty of A major question that golf courses are facing in the coming years, especially private ones, is trying to find out how can club owners and managers to provide more of a complete experience –beyond 18 holes and a nice clubhouse -- if they expect to continue to prosper, according to Frank Vain, President of the McMahon Group, who highlighted this year’s annual spring meeting of the New Jersey State Golf Association.

Vain concentrated on steps clubs can take to ensure a healthy stream of new members as America moves into the 2020’s and 2030’s. By way of background, he estimated that the McMahon Group has worked with thousands of private golf clubs around the world.

“What am I going to tell 100 people today to keep them interested in what is going on in the club world?” he asked at the outset.

“We’ve talked to a lot of boards and club managers,” he said, “and all of them seem to think their problems are unique. But, they’re not. We’ve come to learn their problems are the same problems as a club 500 miles away at another club in another city.”

Vain discussed some broad societal trends that he and other consultants at McMahon Group have noted in recent decades.

“What you choose to do with these trends is entirely up to you and your club,” he said, noting some trends a particular club can embrace, while other trends a club may be able to ignore.

“As we think about these trends, what’s happening in golf?” he asked, showing slides of a TopGolf facility.

Over the past two years, two TopGolf locations have opened in New Jersey—one in Edison and the other in Mount Laurel. Vain noted that at TopGolf, their mission is to provide unforgettable experiences with family and friends.

“You have to look at the why they do these things and how they use food and beverage to provide a whole sensory experience,” he said.

“A lot of times when we think about our game and the state it’s in today, we’ll talk about rounds played but it’s really about memorable experiences,” he argued.

“The more we create those experiences, the more we’ll connect with people.”

While golf is certainly at the center of what is going on in most clubs, you have to think about the memorable experiences that go along with the golf course and playing golf.

Showing slides from the Florida-based National Golf Foundation, he cited statistics that showed golf peaked in popularity in 2003 with 30 million golfers. Since then, there’s been a loss of about 20 percent in players and the population has increased.

“In those days, 12 or 13% of adults played golf, today it’s not even 8% of adults in the U.S. that have set foot on any golf course during the course of a year. We have

Love Golf?

to figure out how to get those people to our clubs and what kinds of things they are looking for,” Vain argued.

“As leaders, thinking about your club,” club managers and owners need to think about what are things you can do to make things more memorable for your membership, to make things more impactful for them?

Vain pointed out NGF stats that show decline in both the number of players who participate and the frequency with which they play. Both have declined, especially among people under age 50.

“Statistics show the majority of people who join private clubs do so between ages of 35 and 45,” he argued. “In the future as you look at your own club, people will be judging more and more on the perceived

value. In the past, we used to talk about privilege, attainment, and self-actualization, and we never really thought about things in terms of value.”

What it costs in relationship to enjoyment equals the value of what people get out of that experience, Vain argued.

“There’s a generational shift occurring out there and when we talk about 35-to-45-year-old’s, we’re looking at a group that is going to increase every year for the next decade or more. The fact is the supply side is going to be on the increase out there with millennials,” he said, so clubs need to provide them with the experiences they want not want past generations wanted.

“Family participation is key but there are other things we can do to provide for families, so when we look at the club of the future we’re talking about a place where there’s a lot to do on a year-round basis,” he argued.

“We have to look at ways to extend that season, provide more opportunities to use that club and how

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to be part of more things that we can provide for our members year-round, to get them to use the club more.”

While the number of women and junior golfers has increased, he said, yet habits are changing. People are playing 9 holes or even 3 holes and hitting balls and doing exercises for golf.

“Folks who want to use your club today who want to be members, they want the ability to be able to get the best equipment and club fittings and training and have player opportunities that go along with that,” he argued.

“It’s the experience of the club golfer, all the things that go along with that. Time and time again, we find out investing in these non-golf experiences leads to more golf members.”

An oft-heard excuse at golf-centric private clubs is if we have to build that new fitness center or renovate the pool, it’s going to take away from the golf course.

“There is this attitude that everything has to go into the golf course, but if we invest in these other experiences, what do we get? The data shows we get more golfers!”

Today’s golfers can justify that membership when their families can enjoy other amenities available, like the pool, fitness center, squash, pickleball, indoor billiards or table tennis and a range of other indoor amenities including small movie theaters.

Because time has such a major impact on the number of players joining private clubs, perceived value is critical, he argued. By way of example, he offered up the Country Club of Detroit, a great old classic Donald Ross-designed golf course that performed $6 million in renovations and restorations to the course but ended up losing 50 members. While they spent the money, there weren’t spending it in the right places.

“You want to think about all of these things, and most members are willing to invest some money in order to make these things happen.”

In closing, he brought the conversation back to what TopGolf is doing. “Their food and beverage is very good and the quality of the service and quality of the experience patrons get is also very good. It’s a place I can get anytime of the year and hang out with my friends,” he said. “We want to create that environment within our clubhouses.”

As a final note, one of the other speakers was Courtney Chaplo from the American Red Cross, who discussed what to do when person is suffering from cardiac arrest (on the golf course). The topic hit home last summer when NJSGA Executive Director, Kevin Purcell, saved Carlos Tapia, a golfer who had collapsed to the ground at an adjacent hole during a round of golf at the Forest Hill Field Club. Without hesitation, Purcell and two others rushed to his and saved Mr. Tapia’s life. As a result, Purcell was named the recipient of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association’s Mary Bea Porter Award.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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Road Trip Ideas: Myrtle Beach

By Steve Gordon

The first week of March my longtime golf partner and I decided to take an early spring getaway to Myrtle Beach before it got super packed and overcrowded.

We got in six consecutive days of golf before jumping in the car to drive back north.

In the process we played six different courses in iffy early season weather (that was still better than SE PA/South Jersey conditions) but that didn’t detract from a couple of courses that jumped out of the pack in Arcadian Shores and Thistle.

I’d like to point out that both of us like new courses and although it has been maybe 20 years since we played Arcadian Shores it was like playing a new course. On the other hand the 27-hole once private Thistle Golf Club was totally new to us.

Our day at Arcadian Shores started out looking like a washout. A severe overnight storm dropped more rain to add to the over 100 inches the area has endured. All the courses we visited were wet with very soft turf and standing water, bunkers that were compacted and wet and of course cart path only was the theme for the week.

We drove over to the course and sat inside talking golf, having a bite to eat and we were very much alone with only four other people not staff there. The puddles were jumping as the rain slowed before it eventually stopped. There was nobody on the course. We made the call to take on this former top 100 Rees Jones layout around noon.

One thing that was evident was that the fairways as least were consistently firmer from what we experienced the past two days but still soft enough that there was no roll on tee shots and no run up shots were possible. Just what we needed, two seniors playing the 5628 yard gold tees and a course playing very long.

The dormant Bermuda rough framed the lush green fairways and greens and made the course have a very unique and pleasant look to it. This was a first solo design for Jones but it featured classic Jones traits that would serve him in his career.

Angles to the greens and well place bunkers dotted nearly every hole. The doglegs were subtle and the forced carries were minimal but make no mistake that this was not a pushover. The mostly wide fairways were tree lined but without heavily wooded or overgrown areas. This course did need those because of the layout. If you got that far off the fairway generally you wouldn’t have a shot unless perhaps you had Mickleson like

skills.

From the white tees only one par 5 stretched over 500 yards. This is after all a resort golf facility and sitting at sea level the ball doesn’t carry as far so in addition to being an older layout the design wasn’t made to punish golfers, just give them a challenge.

I think the third hole was the best of them. There was a little water not in play to tee off over and no fairway bunkers on this 465 yarder (508 from the back tees). All the challenge was a sloping green that was heavily bunkered.

The par 3 holes were all comfortable distances from 138 to 168 yards from the white tees. The number one handicap hole was also the prettiest and played a moderate 367 yards from the white tees. The hole presented two distinct challenges. First to put your tee shot in a favorable position and then hit a shot to carry water that was hard to the front of the green. Hit the tee shot too far and you had a downhill lie.

Hit it too short and you had to lay up.

Thistle was a Tim Cates design built to have a Scottish feel. The name comes from the original club of the same name in Leith, Scotland that is no more. The course did not have a typical Carolina look to it except for water that was on 23 of the 27 holes. The water was a factor but it was manageable.

Opened as a private facility the clubhouse displays stately wood paneled walls with a huge fireplace just inside the main entrance. The Myrtle Beach area is a tough place for a high end private club to exist so it opened to the golf crazed visitors to the area. It is one of 99 courses with 22 courses having closed after inundating the area in the late 90’s.

Out of the Stewart, Cameron and MacKay courses the MacKay provided the toughest test with the highlight being the par 5 seventh hole. I was rolling along with four straight pars as I stepped on the tee of this 526 yard (white tees) tester. Generally I don’t agree that a par five is really a number one handicap hole but this one deserved that rating and it was atypical to the rest of the course.

The tee shot was a forced carry of a full blown driver between a wide chute of hardwood and pine trees. If you were playing the wrong tees you were in trouble. From there the hole took a 90 degree turn and required a solid fairway wood or long iron with little forgiveness to have something like 120 yards to carry water fronting the green.

My card did not show five consecutive pars.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Heard Around the States Trenton Country Club names Jon Cheshire New GM Trenton Country Club, one the region’s premier family country club, has appointed of Jon Cheshire as new General Manager. Cheshire brings more than 30 years of professional experience, including over 20 years in the golf and country club industry. He succeeds John Case, who retired at the close of 2018 after a 30-year career with the Club.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jon to the Trenton Country Club family at the start of our 122nd year,” says Bob Colton, Board President. “His depth and breadth of knowledge will be truly beneficial as we continue making progress on a major capital improvement project which encompasses our championship golf course, racquet sports facilities, pool and clubhouse. This is an exciting time to be part of Trenton Country Club!”

Jason Smith Named Golf Course Superintendent at Ron Jaworski’s Running Deer Golf Club Jason Smith has been named Golf Course Superintendent at Ron Jaworski’s Running Deer Golf Club. Smith has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, including having served as Superintendent at the acclaimed Tiburon Golf Club at the Ritz Carlton Resort in Naples, Florida, and as Stadium Course Superintendent at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona.

During his career in golf course maintenance, he has supervised or been involved with course conditions and setup for three PGA Tour events and two LPGA Tour events. He is a graduate of the Turf Management Program at Rutgers University, and is a Class A member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

“I would like to thank the opportunity to be Running Deer Golf Club. I Southern New Jersey and put my experience and premier facility” said Jason “We are pleased and our outstanding management BJ Jaworski, executive vice “He brings a wealth of experience great asset to Running Deer and to

Ron Jaworski Golf for the Superintendent for started my career here in am extremely excited to knowledge to use at such a Smith. proud to welcome Jason to team at Running Deer,” said president of Ron Jaworski Golf. with him and will no doubt be Ron Jaworski Golf.”

Jim Furyk Headlines 2019 MGWA National Awards The Metropolitan Golf Writers Association (MGWA) annually recognizes golf’s greatest players, contributors, and organizations at its National Awards Dinner. This year’s winners included another outstanding lineup of honorees headlined by recent Ryder Cup Captain and 17-time PGA TOUR winner Jim Furyk, who accepted the MGWA’s top honor, the Gold Tee Award on the Monday prior to the PGA Championship, which was played at Bethpage State Park- Black Course.

As one of the most anticipated dates on the Met Area’s golf calendar, the dinner was attended by nearly 600 guests representing golf’s leading organizations, corporate supporters, Met Area clubs, club leaders, and both local and national golf media—created an evening that truly celebrated the game of golf.

PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) were be honored with the

Distinguished Service Award, recognizing its inspiring work to introduce golf to our nation’s veterans to golf in order to enhance their mental, physical, social, and emotional well-being.

Kevin Purcell, executive director of the New Jersey State Golf Association, received the Mary Bea Porter Award.

Purcell exemplified the honor last summer by heroically helping save the life of Carlos Tapia, who collapsed at Forest Hill Field Club having suffered a massive heart attack.

Additional honorees include Larry Dorman for the Lincoln Werden Golf Journalism Award, ShopRite for the Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award, and The Tuxedo Club as Club of the Year.

Through the years, the MGWA has raised well over two million dollars for Caddie Scholarship programs in the Metropolitan New York area, the MGA Foundation, and the Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship at Columbia University.

Cheshire comes to Trenton Country Club after a long and distinguished career, previously holding leadership roles with ClubCorp, Hamlet Golf & Country Club (Commack, N.Y.), Oak Pointe Country Club (Brighton, Mich.), Arnold Palmer Golf Management and MetroMedia Restaurants.

Most recently, he served as Regional Vice President for ClubCorp, where he was responsible for 16 clubs in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Jon has extensive experience in club acquisitions, strategic planning and operations.

Hidden Creek Golf Club to be Sold to Dormie Network Ole Hansen and Sons Chairman and Hidden Creek Golf Club Owner Roger Hansen has announced the sale of the golf club to Dormie Network. The renowned Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw designed course was recently named among “America’s 100 Best Modern Courses” by Golfweek Magazine for the 18th consecutive year and was home to the prestigious U.S. Senior Amateur Championship in 2015. The sale of Hidden Creek Golf Club to Dormie Network is expected to be completed in midJanuary.

“My wife Edwina and I felt that now is the best time to pass the ownership along to someone else, but only to a new owner who shares the same vision for the club that we have,” said Hansen. “While it was a difficult decision, we feel confident that we are doing the right thing for the club, and leaving it in the hands of an ownership group that has a passion for the game of golf and will continue to build on the tradition of quality, service and camaraderie we have established at Hidden Creek.”

“We have long admired Hidden Creek Golf Club and are very excited about the pending purchase of the club,” said Dormie Network President Zach Peed.

“Hidden Creek is a world-class golf club in every way. Our vision is to bring Hidden Creek into the nation’s premier network of private destination golf clubs, further enhancing the member experience for all.”

Dormie Network provides full-service hospitality at world-renowned facilities featuring golf courses designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio, Coore & Crenshaw, and Lester George. The fast-growing network was founded in 2016, and currently includes five critically acclaimed clubs, each ranked among the best in its respective state. Those clubs include the network’s namesake, the Dormie Club, another Coore-Crenshaw design in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Also part of Dormie Network’s portfolio are Victoria National (a Tom Fazio design ranked among the world’s best) in Indiana; Ballyhack Golf Club in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains; ArborLinks, an Arnold Palmer Signature design in Nebraska; and the acclaimed Briggs Ranch Golf Club in Texas.

Dormie Network membership extends full member privileges and complete access to every club in the network—an arrangement that will include Hidden Creek once the sale of the club is finalized.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be welcoming Hidden Creek and its members and staff to the Dormie Network family in January,” said Zach Peed. “It’s an absolutely exceptional club and a perfect fit.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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Heard Around the States Joanna Coe Making Big Strides for female LPGA Pros First earlier this winter, she won at the PGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship in Port St. Lucie, but more recently, Joanne Coe gained a spot in the 52nd PGA Professional Championship.

The former Mays Landing resident and longtime junior/ college golf standout took advantage of her opportunities and finished as the top women’s golfer in championship, which was played at Belfair Golf Club in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Coe, a 2007 Oakcrest High School graduate, shot a 4-over-par 76 in the final round to finish the 72-hole tournament at 7-over 274. She tied for 51st place. The 28-year-old, who is now a teaching professional at Baltimore Country Club, finished three strokes ahead of Ashley Grier, a teaching pro at Overbrook Golf Club in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

Local PGA Professionals Play Their Way into the PGA Championship

record four women qualified and two, Coe (7 over) and Grier (10 over), mak- Met Area PGA professionals once ing the final cut. again grabbed the spotlight at the PGA Professional Championship, as “I’m a tough critic of myself. I played former Baltusrol assistant golf prosolid. It wasn’t my A-plus game and there were some shots I’d like to have fessional, Alex Beach claimed victory

Tyler Hall of Upper Montclair, the 2011 Met Open victor, grabbed the final spot at Bethpage in a playoff. In what started as a 6-for-2 playoff, Hall

back,” Coe said.

Coe went on to say that she’s looking forward to a day where the narrative changes when it comes to women at the championship.

“I love that this the biggest group of women that’s ever qualified and there’s been a lot of attention for that.

But I hope in the next stages, someone from that group actually contends,” she said.

“I can’t wait for the headlines to be about that. I’ve played with Ashley.

She’s a great player on the tour, too.

We can hang.”

and led six local (NY/NJ) professionals The championship was won by Alex to earning a spot into this year’s PGA Beach, formerly an assistant at Balus- Championship. trol, who by virtue of victory gained his first start at the PGA Championship.

Beach, who is now in his first year as the assistant professional at WestchesIt was a historic week for women at ter Country Club, shot three rounds in the PGA Professional Championship. A the 60s to fire his 10-under, 277 tournament total and claim a two-shot win over new Fresh Meadow Country World Handicap System Club head professional Danny Balin.

drained a birdie putt on the third playoff hole--the par-5 13th--to edge out fellow Met Area professional and twotime PGA Professional Championship winner Matt Dobyns of Meadow Brook. Brian Gaffney of Essex Fells was also in the battle for the final positions, which was for players finishing 3-over for the championship. Hall’s birdie roll clinched his first career start in the PGA Championship.

Golf’s new World Handicap System, which is designed to bring the game of golf under a single set of Rules for handicapping and provide a more consistent measure of players’ ability between different regions of the world, remains on track for implementation starting sometime in 2020.

Given the fact that the PGA Championship was contested on Long Island this year made getting into the championship much more exciting for the local players who competed. Balin has won his New York State Open titles in 2012 and 2013, both times on the famed Black Course.

Education has begun with events being held in Singapore, South Africa, Great Britain and Ireland, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Continental Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and the USA. A secure resource portal, accessible via whs. com, has also been launched to provide national associations with a library of materials that they can use to help support their own education efforts.

“The World Handicap System is the latest example of our work to make the game more welcoming,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “Golfers throughout the world will be able to play equitably, measure their success and more fully enjoy and engage with the game. After working with national associations across the world on Course Rating throughout the past 30 years and now the World Handicap System, this monumental collaborative effort will benefit everyone in golf.”

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, said, “There are many ways in which it is important for golf to modernize and become more appealing for people thinking of taking up the sport and handicapping is clearly one of them. The World Handicap System is a major new initiative for the sport which will establish a clearer and more consistent handicapping process for golfers throughout the world.

Balin, the 2012 Met Open champion, played steadily throughout the four rounds as well, carding scores of 70-66-72-71 for solo second at 8-under. Beach and Balin separated themselves from the field, with the third place finisher coming in at 4-under par overall. Balin made his sixth appearance in a PGA Championship.

Since its conception, the development of the WHS has focused on three key goals: to encourage as many golfers as possible to obtain and maintain a Handicap Index; to enable golfers of differing abilities, genders and nationalities to transport their Handicap Index to any course around the world and compete on a fair basis; and to indicate with sufficient accuracy the score a golfer is reasonably capable of achieving on any course around the world, playing under normal conditions.

Widespread support for the WHS was expressed in an international survey of 52,000 golfers with 76% in favor of the new system and a further 22% saying they were willing to consider its benefits. Focus groups were also held in different regions of the world to elicit detailed feedback on the features of the new system, which have contributed to the finalized Rules of Handicapping.

The World Handicap System will unite the golf world under one single set of handicapping rules and will be governed by the USGA and The R&A, with support from the existing six handicap authorities.

We look forward to bringing our readers more information on the new system as it becomes available this year. Watch our website, www.njgolfnews.com for updates.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Heard Around the States Rock Spring Golf Club Opens for Public Play

After more than 90 years as a private country club, Rock Spring Golf Club at West Orange in West Orange, New Jersey is now New Jersey’s newest public golf facility. The KemperSports-managed property, which was acquired by The Township of West Orange in April, will become one of only two public golf courses in the United States designed by legendary architect Seth Raynor.

“We are excited to open the course to the public and honored to have KemperSports as our partner in this new venture,” said West Orange Mayor Robert D Parisi. I invite all community members to visit and experience this great new addition to our community!”

Designed by Seth Raynor and Charles “Steamshovel” Banks, Rock Spring at West Orange first opened for play in 1927. The 6,600-yard par-71 course sits on a rolling, tree-lined site and features many of Raynor’s trademark design elements with truly unique and creative green complexes. The property also features a clubhouse with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, Cable Lake and Second Mountain. In addition to daily fee play, the property will offer annual passes and host golf outings.

“We are proud to partner with the Township of West Orange to bring this unique golf experience to the community,” said Steve Skinner, CEO of KemperSports. “We encourage residents to experience the property during the grand re-opening festivities – it’s truly a special place.”

S O D U K U P U Z Z L E

The Next Phase of Renovations Underway at The Shore Club Work is well underway in the second phase of the revitalization of The Shore Club, formerly Wildwood Gold & Country Club, located in Cape May County.

Club members will soon enjoy a completely redesigned restaurant and casual dining experience, updated men’s and women’s lobby lounges, improved golf course bunkers, and a host of fun events.

Since the club was “relaunched” last year, membership has increased by 50% across all categories with families driving the growth. The club’s Full and Intermediate Golf Members may now add their children up to age 24 at no extra charge and also have reciprocal privileges at 250 courses around the world and in the United States, including the TPC network. The Shore Club also features Social Memberships for only $155 per year.

“It has been an eventful spring here at The Shore Club,” says Kelley Nigra, Shore Club General Manager. “From the continual clang of hammers to the constant new faces coming in looking to join the Shore Club family; our 2019 season is shaping up to be quite impressive. It seems as if every time you walk through our doors there is someone or something new to see.”

Nigra, who started at the club earlier this year, transitioned to The Shore Club from Morningstar Golf & Hospitality.

Nigra joined Morningstar in 2016 as the Corporate Director of Food and Beverage for the golf management company’s portfolio of public and private properties. Morningstar supervises The Shore Club’s overall strategic and operational direction and her extensive knowledge of food, beverage, and member service will benefit the club. Her new responsibilities include supervising the extensive renovation and rebranding of the club’s member dining and bar areas, working with the golf staff on the next phase of the course’s bunker restoration,

enhancing catered events, and expanding the club’s social calendar.

Earlier this spring, The Shore Club began renovating MacKissic’s, the club’s main dining area, converting it from a pub to a coastal chic, casual café and bar that better aligns with the club’s new look. This will allow the club to offer a robust social calendar with barbeques, music on Fridays and theme dinner nights.

Members will also see refurbished men’s and ladies lobby lounges featuring new flooring, tile, paint, fixtures, furniture, and countertops. These projects complement the already completed modernization of the club’s main entrance and its expansive Grand Ballroom.

On the course, The Shore Club is completing the next phase of its bunker restoration with Holes No. 1, 6, and 9 slated for improvements. The club will also roll out its six-week Ladies Spring Tune-Up program, offer a Ladies 9 & Wine, begin its packed seasonal tournament schedule and feature a nine-hole Couples League this summer.

The club is also adding new junior programs with a new summer camp program and instructional sessions.

Beginning in June, Tuesdays will once again be “Family Night” at The Shore Club where both parents and kids experience a little instruction, a little golf, and then grab a little bite to eat.

“There’s a great deal of excitement around here these days,” says PGA Director of Golf Fred Riedel, “In my 17+ years at this facility, I have not experienced a more positive vibe. This place has always been special and will only become more so as we move forward and I am blessed to be part of it.”

With so much happening, it’s never been a better time for the entire family to join The Shore Club.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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Want to Improve Your Golf Game? Think Art, too

By Sean Fawcett

Believe or not, golf and art are firmly connected.

Whether you have a healthy appreciation for painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, cooking/ baking, music or any other creative discipline, it can be a huge benefit for any golfer aiming to improve their game.

First off, one of the building blocks of golf is architecture, which of course, is a form of art. As an analogy, if a golf hole is like a painting, than golf courses, like those designed by architects like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Ben Crenshaw, who are also all-time great players, are galleries. A golf hole is a canvas built with dirt, grass, water and sand. To me, playing a round of golf can feel like going to a museum.

For example, golfers have to read the slope and the grain of the greens. Understanding (reading) the wind, and other factors help them make better club selection choices and.

The golf swing is meant to be rhythmic. The shifting of weight and turning create a power move that works best in a “three-step sequence” requiring both accurate timing and a flow to produce a maximum speed at impact to hit the ball to accelerate both far and straight. This move in the golf swing makes golf like a dance. A slower two count backswing, which loads up the power at the top while maintaining balance, sets up a quicker, one count, downswing which, with good timing and balance, ends with the player’s belly to the target and a controlled finish.

You don’t have to be a great dancer or a musician, but having an appreciation for music can definitely help, and certainly improve, a golf swing’s sequence, timing and balance.

Many golfers, especially professionals, like all other athletes, are performance artists. Most of us will never play for a televised audience, but all sports, no matter if we play on our own, or within a team against another team, are, without a doubt, a Art also encompasses visualization. Visualization training is crucial for a golfer to “see” a shot before performance art. we even hit it. The book (and movie), Seven Days in Just like singers and musicians, who sing with their Utopia, shows the player is literally asked to paint a voices and or play instruments, playing good golf hook shot around a tree before actually hitting the requires patience, practice and dedication. Musicians shot. The act of painting, and visualizing, helps a and singers often train like athletes do. You will find golfer to do something before doing it. Thinking out most dancers are in incredible shape. Just think of a shot, like a hook around a tree, makes the brain how much energy Bruce Springsteen puts into one and the muscles think they’ve already done the shot of his long concerts, which often can run between before, which makes the body then complete the shot three and four hours. Professional tour golfers, and easier. Visualization builds confidence and playing even many amateurs, spend hours rehearsing and good golf, like shaping shots like hooks around trees, practicing their shots just like musicians, singers and needs a lot of confidence. dancers rehearse their songs and routines.

Art is creative and develops creativity and Amanda Robertson, a professional golfer who imagination. The short game demands lots of is working towards the LPGA Tour and currently creativity, imagination and feel. The creativity and plays on The Cactus Tour, Canadian Women’s Tour visualization golfers need to play and score better and LPGA Symetra Tour, is also a classically trained can be accentuated through artistic endeavors. singer. She believes her singing and writing have helped in her golf game. “Many great golfers are also Art helps golfers develop better visualization, very artistic. There is a very strong link between golf balance, coordination and probably most importantly, and art that golfers at any level can benefit from in patience. It requires dedication and a quiet learning space, which golf is all about too. There are lots their games.” of ways to become a good golfer, but a healthy You can learn to become a better golfer by reading appreciation of the arts, will definitely help any what other golfers, typically the top professionals golfer to become even better. and their teachers, have written about improving their game. Reading is very important for golfers.

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OUR REOPENING IS COMING

OFF TO THE RACES ACROSS 1. Goes with flows 5. Worry excessively 9. Occasional heart condition 13. Well-____ machine 15. *War Admiral’s 1938 experience 16. Sudan’s neighbor 17. a.k.a. Pleasant Island 18. Great Salt Lake state 19. Marching band member 20. *Unlikely champion during Great Depression 23. Shiny wheel part 24. Religious Wednesday 25. Don’t just stand there!

27. A cool ____, as in money 28. Come off 30. Type of cabbage 33. Never without “n” 35. Infection of the eyelid, pl.

38. Ethiopian currency 39. Sea swallows 41. Arm bone 42. Best of the crop 44. Aid in crime 45. Away from wind 46. Sourly 48. Snakelike reef dweller 50. Winter glider 51. ____ as a fiddle 52. Peter of the Lost Boys 53. *”The Most Exciting ____ ____ in Sports” 59. December 24 and 31 61. Bear’s hang-out 62. Retire from military 64. *Official flower of the Kentucky Derby 65Attention-getting interjection 66. Napoleon’s stay on St. Helena, e.g.

67. Bear constellation 68. Play on words, pl.

69. *Between walk and canter

DOWN 1. Longest division of time 2. Objectivity preventer 3. Like most-desired ribbon 4. Evening in Roma 5. Turn red 6. Co-eds’ military org.

7. Isaac’s firstborn 8. Informal wear 9. Part of play 10. *____ Downs 11. Olden day women’s riding garb 12. Dutch cheese 14. Home to Burj Khalifa 21. Florida Key, e.g.

22. Steeped beverages 26. Opposite of potential 27. Caribbean rattle 28. *Race, literally 29. European sea eagle 30. *Official Kentucky Derby broadcaster 31. Lungful 32. *Second leg of the Triple Crown 34. Calf at a grocery store 36. Between NE and E 37. Sigma Alpha Epsilon 40. Beer garden mug 43. Catcher’s catcher 47. Drooping neck skin 49. Chopin’s composition 50. Relish tastebuds’ sensation 51. Law business entities 52. Paddington Bear’s homeland 54. Pearl Harbor island 55. Demeanor 56. SMS 57. Chieftain in Arabia 58. Aria, e.g.

60. Poseidon’s domain 63. *Trifecta or Exacta

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SPRING/SUMMER 2019