Member Golf Day Season Concludes at Crestmont Country Club
PHOTO: From left, Best-Ball-of-Four winners, Felix Nihamin, Joe Keiser, Ben Keiser and Jason Engel
The NJSGA Member Golf Day program put the wraps on its eighth season – the most successful season to date.
“2018 was easily our best MGD season to date. We learn and improve with every year, and this year it all came together with both a great schedule and great courses,” said Rich Kennedy, NJSGA Director of Handicapping and Member Benefits. “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback.
“There is little question why the events are so popular -- the clubs support us so well in their presentation and in making our participants feel special and welcome. Our participants truly are treated like members.”
The NJSGA conducted a record 13 MGDs throughout the state from May through October. The season ended with the final MGD at Crestmont Country Club in West Orange, featuring a Best-Ball-of-Four competition. For the year, 10 of the 13 MGDs were sold out and nearly 1,500 golfers took part in the events.
Crestmont C.C. Winners
The MGD at Crestmont awarded prizes in the Best-Ball of-Four competition for the top three teams overall (regardless of gender) as well as an additional prize for the best scoring women’s team not placing in the overall flight.
The winners of the overall event were brothers Ben and Joe Keiser of Hominy Hill Golf Course, Felix Nihamin of North Jersey Country Club and Jason Engel of Galloping Hill Golf Course, who shot a net 59, one stroke better than Andrea Emma and Hyun Kang of the Warrenbrook Women’s Golf Association and Yvonne Stark and Lynn Southcott of New Jersey National Golf Club.
Third place belonged to the team of Stuart Goldstein of Darlington Golf Course and Michal LaMotta, Jeff Baldutto and Alex Krasnomowitz, all of Upper Montclair Country Club, who combined for a net 63.
Women’s Flight winners at net 65 were Kathy LaPier and Julie Hermiston of Warrenbrook W.G.A. and Hilary Abramowitz and Sonia Viglianti of Rutgers Golf Course.
A Successful Format
“The Best-Ball-of-Four event is something new for us, taking over the for Best-Ball-of-Four championship that the NJSGA no longer conducts. The NJSGA Board of Trustees felt that because it was a net championship it lends itself better as a Member Golf Day event.
“While the NJSGA has added other events like the Senior Interclub and the N.J. Corporate Challenge, the Board of Trustees still felt there was a need for this type of competition,” Kennedy said.
“In fact, next year we will offer Best-Ball-of-Four competitions in both the spring and the fall.
Kennedy noted that the 2019 season will set another record with 15 Member Golf Days, beginning with a spring Best-Ball-of-Four at Green Brook Country Club in North Caldwell on May 8, 2019.
“The interest is clearly there among NJSGA members,” Kennedy said.
“We really liked playing in the Best-Ball-of-Four event. It’s a great team event,” Ben Keiser said. “It allows everybody to contribute to the team with their own game. Some guys are hitting it longer and some guys have a better short game.”
Keiser and his partners will have the chance to win again in 2019 – twice!
