Celebration Of Golf & Season-ending Awards

The NJSGA and the NJ Section of the PGA concluded their 2007 golf seasons with the jointly-hosted Celebration of Golf dinner on October 25th at Crestmont Country Club. The speakers were numerous and the awards were significant!

Highlighting the event was the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award to Mary Beth Childs of Lincoln Mercury. In an eloquent presentation by Jeff Liebler, past President of the NJSGA, he told how Childs saw the opportunity to support golf in NJ and convinced her management years ago to play a sponsorship role. The relationship started with the NJ Section and then was extended to the NJSGA in 1995. Since that time, Lincoln Mercury has either sponsored or co-sponsored the NJSGA Open Championship. Liebler called Childs “the patron saint of golf in New Jersey.”

Other major awards included the NJPGA Golf Professional of the Year, presented to Dan Pasternak of Panther Valley, and the NJPGA Player of the Year, Frank Esposito, Jr. of Brooklake. Esposito won the NJ Section PGA Championship at Mountain Ridge in September and finished second in the NJSGA Open Championship at Plainfield in July.

Brian Komline of High Bridge Hills was honored as the NJSGA Player of the Year. Komline led the points race with 760 points after winning the State Open in July and finishing as runner-up in the early season Mid-Amateur Championship. Komline has won the State Open twice in the last three years, and stands as only the second amateur to win this championship twice in its 87 year history. Rod Donnelly, whose company Donnelly Construction sponsors Player of the Year, presented the award to Komline.

Bill Raftery entertained the crowd as MC and Ben Del Vento spoke on behalf of the NJSGA and Mike Sparks and Scott Kmiec on behalf of the NJPGA. Congratulations to all award winners!

Handicap Service Award.

The USGA’s GHIN Service Award was presented to the NJSGA and its Handicap Director, Rich Kennedy, at the annual GHIN Users Conference last month in Denver. The GHIN “Best Service Award” goes annually to the regional golf association which provides the best handicapping service level during the golf season. The NJSGA and Kennedy were cited for their quality service in responding to member clubs’ needs, the Dell lease program, relevant web site content and the new handicap e-bulletin newsletter. Congratulations to Rich Kennedy and the staff at Golf Cottage!

As a handicap side-note, in-season score posting concluded as of October 30th for the 2007 NJSGA golf season. Remember that you may post scores for rounds played in Florida, California or any other in-season locations at the club if a GHIN computer is available or via the Internet at www.GHIN.com or www.njsga.org.