Caliendo Winter Golf League Going Strong In 54th Season
The temperature was hovering around the freezing mark when 87 golfers in the John Caliendo Jersey Shore Winter Golf League teed off in a shotgun start on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 at the Suneagles Golf Club in Tinton Falls.
When all the golfing was done, Lou Fulgoni of Toms River was the low amateur at 78, three shots clear of the field, Mike Estabrook was the low net at 73, one shot better than George Policastro, Dan Price, Pat McMorrow and Joe Anderson. And Baker Maddera was low pro at 76, two shots clear of Stu Blasius and Todd Rickenbach.
Some players had come from as far away as upstate New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware to participate. All had paid the $40 greens fee, with the pros adding another $30 on top to vie for a cash prize.
The winter of 2014-15 marks the 54th year of the Caliendo League which is going strong. All 160 membership spots at $125 apiece for newcomers and $75 for returnees have long since been sold. The group plays every Thursday from October 30 through to the championship on April 2.
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The league was founded by Angelo Petraglia of Spring Meadow, John Cafone of Manasquan River, Andy Sikora of Beacon Hill and Roddy Newman of Homestead and originally called the Jersey Shore Winter Golf League.
Later, it was renamed for John Caliendo, a former Long Branch postal worker who ran the tournaments and computed the handicaps until 1985.
So far, only one outing has been canceled, on Jan. 8, when temperatures were in the teens with a threat of precipitation. Otherwise, members have made their way from Forsgate to Rock Spring, to Copper Hill to Greenacres to Stanton Ridge.
Through the tough times in later January and February, the action will be mostly in the far south of New Jersey, where the temps are a bit higher and the threat of snow not as much. It’s a difficult task to putt in snow.
Sea Oaks, Renault Winery, Ballamoor, Atlantic City, Seaview, Harbor Pines and Greate Bay are next up on the schedule.
“We lose on average three events per season to the weather. Three years ago, Hurricane Sandy hit us hard,” said Caliendo tournament director Marc O’Such of Point Pleasant. “So far, it’s been a good year with strong turnouts each week. The guys love to play. They plan their weeks around it.”
Members range in age from 35 and on up. Some are in sales and can plan schedules around the events. Some are retired and love the competition. Winners each week get a gift certificate for $100. The 20 or so pros each week play for a bigger cash prize. There are also end of the season winners. The championship takes place on April 2 at Suburban Golf Club. Some years, pros can win as much as $2,000 when all is said and done.
Gene Goudy, 54, of Mercer Oaks, who works in the insurance business, is in his third year. He’s a real outdoorsman who has climbed Mount Rainier and Mount Whitney and hiked the Grand Canyon, rim-to-rim, in two days.
“The only weather I don’t like playing in is when it is raining and it’s under 40 degrees,” Goudy said. “I love the competition. I tied for first place last week.”
John Daly, 58, of Brick is a retired Paterson fireman.
“I’m in my first year here. I decided to concentrate more on golf. I’m a 14 handicap now. I like the competition. I was net winner earlier in the season at Heron Glen. I love to play, you play some great courses and there are a lot of good guys out here,” he said.
Pro Joe Galan, 38, has been in the Caliendo League for more than a decade. “I look forward to each Thursday. The league overall has gotten better. The communication, the E-mails are the most important part,” said Galan, the low pro in the outing at Knob Hill.
“I grew up in the Poconos, and hated the weather. I went to work in Georgia and Florida and came back and now I embrace it. You learn how to dress for it out here.”
