Black Oak, Arcola, Baltusrol, Plainfield In Hoffman Cup Finals

Hoffman Cup Semifinal results, May 9:

Black Oak Golf Club (8) def,. Knickerbocker Country Club (4)

Plainfield Country Club (7.5) def. Manasquan River Golf Club (4.5)

Arcola Country Club (11.5) def. Echo Lake Country Club (.5)

Baltusrol Golf Club (10) def. Montclair Golf Club (2).

Congratulations to the 2015 Hoffman Cup Finalists:

- Defending champion Black Oak Golf Club

- Plainfield Country Club

- Arcola Country Club

- Baltusrol Golf Club

Championship to be played at Morris County Golf Club on Sunday, May 31.

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PREVIEW ARTICLE:

The 2015 Red Hoffman Cup Matches will commence Saturday, April 25, as 32 mainly northern New Jersey clubs square off to lay claim to having the premier collection of golfers in the region.

The scratch event will culminate a month later on May 31 at Morris County Golf Club with the Hoffman Cup Finals. Until then, each match features seven amateurs and one professional from each club competing against another in a two-man, four-ball, match-play format.

Started in 2005, the Matches are named after the longtime dean of New Jersey golf writers, Arthur K. “Red” Hoffman, who covered the region’s golf like a blanket for 60 years. The Matches’ mission is simply to “foster interaction and friendly competition among Northern New Jersey golf clubs.”

Play starts with eight groups, each containing four clubs. Each club competes against the other three clubs in its group using a Nassau point system. After three matches, the club with the most points within each group advances to the semifinals to play another group winner. The four semifinal match winners then move to the HCM Finals.

The format changes in the finals to 18-hole, two-man, four-ball medal play. The club with the lowest total captures the Hoffman Cup for the year. This year’s finals at Morris County will be played as it peaks just two days before the start of the NJSGA 114thAmateur Championship.

Two-time defending champion Black Oak Golf Club is in great position for a three-peat, with a strong cadre of fine players led by captains Brian Komline and Michael Deo. Manasquan River Golf Club fell short in the finals last year by only two shots, but always fields a great squad.

Former champs Baltusrol Golf Club (2011, 2012) and Montclair Golf Club (2006-2010) are perpetually strong and could easily slip back into the winner’s circle. Another team that should be considered in the mix is Arcola CC, which has recently amassed an impressive collection of scratch players, including NJSGA Mid-Amateur Champion Trevor Randolph.

The First Tee Initiative is the HCM’s effort to support New Jersey’s four First Tee chapters. Each team captain is encouraged to “pass the hat” among his team members for a donation to The First Tee chapter of his team’s choice. Last year’s total donation to all four chapters came to over $20,000, with Canoe Brook setting the pace for the second year in a row with a $2500 donation.

“These matches have quickly become an institution among the premier golfers in New Jersey,” says HCM Director Kevin Casey. “It’s important that we recognize our good fortune by giving back to the game that has given us so much. Providing support to our local First Tee chapters is a great way to do that.”

HOFFMAN CUP MEMBER CLUBS: