About the NJSGA
The New Jersey State Golf Association is a non-profit organization of public and private clubs and courses dedicated to the service of golf in New Jersey. Founded in 1900, our mission is to promote and preserve the traditions of the game of golf in the State of New Jersey. 124 years later, this fundamental principle continues to guide the NJSGA.
Today, more than 260 member clubs, courses, and organizations represent nearly 75,000 members of the NJSGA. Most importantly, due to the variety and quality of services provided to our member clubs, courses, and golfers, the Association continues to grow.
In accordance with the mission statement, the New Jersey State Golf Association is dedicated to serving golf in New Jersey. We are proud of our diverse tournament schedule, which includes 25 State Championships for golfers of varying backgrounds and skill levels. The NJSGA also provides handicapping service through the USGA’s Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN). In addition, we are proud of our Caddie Scholarship Foundation, which has provided over $18 million in college tuition grants to over 3,400 deserving caddie scholars from our member clubs, since its inception in 1947. Our Youth Foundation also supports the growth of golf in New Jersey; our affiliation with The First Tee is aimed at making the game accessible to future generations of New Jersey golfers.
NJSGA History
On June 1, 1900, ten New Jersey golf clubs came together over dinner at Essex County Country Club to choose the officers who would preside over the first official New Jersey amateur golf championship. L.H. Graham of Baltusrol Golf Club was chosen as President and L. St. Clair Colby of Essex County Country Club was elected Secretary. The clubs represented at this first official meeting were Baltusrol Golf Club, Morris County Golf Club, North Jersey Country Club, Yountakah Country Club, The Englewood Golf Club, The Golf Club of Lakewood, The Golf Club of Montclair, The Hillside Golf and Tennis Club of Plainfield (now known as Plainfield Country Club) Essex County Country Club and the Jersey City Golf Club. Today, six of the ten founding clubs remain in existence: Baltusrol, Morris County, Essex County, Plainfield, Montclair and North Jersey.
One of the main objectives of the newly formed NJSGA was to conduct championships exclusively for New Jersey golfers. The first tournament, the New Jersey State Amateur Championship, was held in September of 1900 “on the links at Essex County Country Club” and was won by Archibald Graham of North Jersey Country Club. For the next 18 years, the Amateur remained the only championship conducted by the NJSGA until 1919, when the first NJSGA Junior Championship was played. In 1921, a third event was added to the championship schedule when the New Jersey State Open was conducted for the first time, representing the only NJSGA event open to both amateur and professional competitors. This remained the case until the Senior Open was added to the schedule in 1989.
1947 was also a milestone year in the history of the NJSGA as the Caddie Scholarship Foundation was created. Almost immediately, the CSF became one of the most impactful and recognizable programs administered by the NJSGA. In the ensuing 75 years, the Foundation has awarded more than $17 million in scholarships to deserving youth caddies.
The Association experienced a major expansion of its services in the early 1980’s when it began to offer handicapping and course rating services to its member clubs. For several decades now, handicapping fees have represented the primary source of revenue for the Association. In 2018, the NJSGA was certified by the USGA as one of 59 Allied Golf Associations authorized to administer the USGA Handicapping and Course Rating Systems and “enhance the golfer experience at the state and local levels”.
In 2007, the NJSGA significantly expanded its championship offerings following a merger with the Garden State Women’s Golf Committee resulting in the addition of the Women’s Amateur, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, Junior Girls and the Women’s Public Links championships to the tournament schedule. Shortly thereafter, the Association welcomed its first female members to the Board of Trustees.
In 1993, the Association established its second charitable foundation with the creation of the NJSGA Youth Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than $675,000 to deserving youth organizations throughout the state.
The most recent historical milestone occurred in 2013 when the NJSGA moved to its current headquarters location at the Galloping Hill Golf Course facility in Kenilworth. The move was preceded by many years of planning with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and was spearheaded by the efforts of NJSGA Past Presidents John Murray, Robert Cronheim and Adrian M. "Bud" Foley. In 2021, the conference room at NJSGA Headquarters was dedicated to the memory of John Murray in consideration of the pivotal role he played in not only the development of the headquarters facility, but in many other aspects of the Association’s growth into the organization it is today.
Past Presidents
2023-present - Rod McRae, Baltusrol G.C.
2021-23 - Michael McFadden, Manasquan River G.C.
2020-21 - Eric Houseknecht, Hamilton Farm G.C.
2018-19 - William E. Frese, Rock Spring C./Montclair G.C.
2016-17 - Daniel J. Meehan, Spring Brook C.C.
2014-15 - H. Frank O’Brien, Plainfield C.C.
2012-13 - Thomas J. McGovern, Hackensack G.C.
2010-11 - John B. Murray, Spring Lake G.C.
2008-09 - Benjamin M. Del Vento, Rock Spring C.
2006-07 - Jay S. MacNeill, Plainfield C.C.
2004-05 - Jeffrey M. Liebler, Suburban G.C.
2002-03 - Dr. Donald K. Brief, Green Brook C.C.
2000-01 - Gene E. Benzenberg, Ridgewood C.C.
1998-99 - Thomas E. Berberian, Forest Hill F.C.
1996-97 - Edward J. Batta, Essex Fells C.C.
1994-95 - Thomas S. Paluck, Baltusrol G.C.
1992-93 - Robert D. Cronheim, Deal G. & C.C.
1990-91 - A. R. Matregano, Ridgewood C.C.
1988-89 - David S. Chadwick, Upper Montclair C.C.
1986-87 - Adrian M. Foley, Essex Fells C.C.
1984-85 - Edward J. Simmons, Spring Lake G.C.
1982-83 - Homer O. Lichtenwalter, Jr., Baltusrol G.C.
1980-81 - C. Russell Griffin, Manasquan River G.C.
1978-79 - Stanley H. Doggett, Jr., Morris County G.C.
1976-77 - Edward D. Comer, Navesink C.C.
1974-75 - David M. Johnstone, Montclair G.C.
1972-73 - Maurice E. Guerriero, Spring Brook C.C.
1970-71 - Joseph H. McCabe, Jr., Baltusrol G.C.
1968-69 - Dr. B. Edward Morrison, Colonia C.C.
1966-67 - Robert H. Miller, Montclair G.C.
1964-65 - John C. Hickey, Spring Brook C.C.
1962-63 - George E. Davidson, Forest Hill F.C.
1960-61 - Robert J. Jacobson, Hollywood G.C.
1958-59 - Frederick M. Compher, Suburban, G.C.
1956-57 - Richard C. Fowler, Rock Spring C.
1954-55 - Martin Issler, Essex County C.C.
1952-53 - S. Waldo Thompson, Montclair G.C.
1950-51 - W. Halsted Taft, Montclair G.C.
1948-49 - Stephen Berrien, Upper Montclair C.C.
1946-47 - Dr. Stephen G. Lee, Canoe Brook C.C.
1944-45 - Theodore O. Rudd, Montclair G.C.
1942-43 - Clayton Ferris, Braidburn C.C.
1940-41 - Dr. R.R. Lauckner, Canoe Brook C.C.
1938-39 - Robert H. Lansdell, Hackensack G.C.
1937 - Harris B. Fenn, Forsgate C.C.
1935-36 - Curtis W. McGraw, Springdale G.C.
1933-34 - Louis P. Christenson, Montclair G.C.
1932 - Jerome Travers/Louis P. Christenson, Montclair G.C.
1931 - Jerome D. Travers, Upper Montclair C.C.
1930 - Fred Connell, Glen Ridge C.C.
1928-29 - Stacey Bender, Shackamaxon C.C.
1927 - A.D. Swords, Morris County G.C.
1926 - Jay R. Monroe, Baltusrol G.C.
1924-25 - Harry Y. Barrow, Baltusrol G.C.
1922-23 - Charles P. Eddy, Arcola C.C.
1920-21 - Edward P. Holden, Jr., Madison G.C.
1917-19 - Nathan S. Schroeder, Englewood G.C.
1915-16 - William Watson, Baltusrol G.C.
1913-14 - Morgan K. Smith, Morris County G.C.
1911-12 - Frederick H. Thomas, Morris County G.C.
1909-10 - Harry V. Keep, Englewood G.C.
1907-08 - Leighton Calkins, Plainfield C.C.
1905-06 - Percy Jackson, Yountakah C.C.
1902-04 - Lionel H. Graham, Baltusrol G.C.
1901- Paul Wilcox, Montclair G.C.
1900 - Lionel H. Graham, Baltusrol G.C.