40th Anniversary For Galloping Hill Nine-holers

The 40 members of the Galloping Hill Golf Course Ladies’ Nine-Holers have plenty to celebrate this season. It’s their 40th anniversary.

And some founding members are still associated with the group that tees it up every Wednesday morning at the Kenilworth course.

Ann Augulis, 86, and Jackie Axelson, 81, both of Clark, started the Nine-Holers with just a foursome. Within three years, the group was up to 50 golfers.

``There wasn’t much in the way of leagues for women 40 years ago,” Axelson said. ``We started with a dedicated group of girls who just wanted to play regularly.”

Elaine Powell, 90, and Shirlee Schneider, 89, both of Union, are still with Nine-Holers. Schneider, a former bookkeeper , keeps track of player points which are used for a year-end luncheon in which prizes are awarded. Member Priscilla Young of Kenilworth does the group’s handicapping through the NJSGA GHIN website.

``Those women in their 80s who are still walking the course are pretty impressive,” said president Nancy Benz of Cranford, a Nine-Holers member for five years. ``It’s fun to be out there. The women are very passionate about the game of golf and definitely play by the book.”

Besides the Nine-Holers, Galloping Hill also hosts 18-hole women’s groups on Monday and Saturday. Union County sister course Ash Brook also has Nine-Hole and 18-Hole women’s alliances.

This past year, the gang from Galloping Hill defeated a similar group from the Rutgers Golf Course in the first-ever match-play between the two clubs. The match will be repeated this year.

``It’s really a wonderful group of ladies. We have people from all walks of life,” said Benz, a mental health counselor and the executive director of the New Jersey Counseling Association. ``One of the benefits for me is to be on the course and focus solely on golf and nothing else. I have a chance to meditate on golf.”