NJSGA News In Brief
NJSGA GOLF SUMMIT ON TAP FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
Donna Coyne, president of Club Mark Corporation and executive director of Professional Club Marketing Association is among four featured speakers for the annual New Jersey State Golf Association Golf Summit on Wednesday, March 18, at the NJSGA Headquarters at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.
The Golf Summit, conducted in collaboration with the N.J. PGA Section, the N.J. Club Managers Association, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of N.J., and the N.J. Golf Course Owners Association, is considered the premier event in the state for networking and discussing hot-button topics among those in the golf industry.
The Golf Summit, sponsored by Block Vision, welcomes all members, officials and staff from any private or public golf facility in New Jersey, as well as members of golf-based associations in the state.
Coyne, who in 2006 was recipient of the Gary Player Black Knight Educator of the Year Award, will speak on the topic of “Marketing Your Club.”
She will be joined by Jim Hankowski, partner in Condon O’Meara McGinty & Donnelly LLP, who will discuss “Current Financial Trends in the Country Club Industry.”
Frank Ferrugia, Esq., and Paul Marzell will address “Update on Property Taxes and Strategies for Lowering Your Assessments” aimed at country clubs.
The Golf Summit begins at 2:30 p.m. for registration and networking, then includes a welcome from NJSGA president Frank O’Brien..
REGISTER FOR NJSGA GOLF SUMMIT
Following the final presentation, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
The registration fee for the Golf Summit is $35, which includes the reception and all handout materials.
NJSGA, NJPGA DONATE $10,000 FOR GOLF TEAM AT ST. BENEDICT'S PREP
The New Jersey State Golf Association and the New Jersey Section of the PGA have combined resources to restart a dormant golf program at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark.
The boards of both the NJSGA’s Youth Foundation and the NJPGA’s New Jersey Golf Foundation have each donated $5,000 for a $10,000 total contribution to fund this spring the golf program at St. Benedict’s which has lain dormant for the past 12 years.
“This is a wonderful collaborative effort by both boards who care so much about golf in New Jersey and the young men at a school like St. Benedict’s Prep are the beneficiaries,” said NJSGA president Frank O’Brien.
“We feel very gratified about this situation, in getting the program off the ground and help St. Benedict’s We feel it is a privilege,” said O’Brien, himself a St. Benedict’s alumnus.
Most of the seed money for the program will be spent for transportation and a coach’s salary. Donated clubs are being accepted.
“We’re excited because of the collaboration of the NJSGA and NJPGA to help St. Benedict’s and we hope we will be able to work together in the future to benefit golf in our home state,” said Chris Hunt, executive director of the N.J. Golf Foundation which sponsors a program called, “Golf in Schools,” that is offered to more than 100,000 New Jersey youngsters.
The St. Benedict’s team has been offered free practice time at both the Essex Golf Range in Roseland and the Weequahic Golf Course in Newark. The associations are in the process of finding a golf course to host home matches for the six-man team.
It is expected a PGA member will be recommended as coach for the St. Benedict’s team.
“We think that will be a huge benefit to the program,” O’Brien said. “Our contribution is for one year. We would love to see alumni become involved for sustainability of the program,” O’Brien said.
2015 NJSGA CHAMPIONSHIP REGISTRATION AVAILABLE
Registration for 2015 New Jersey State Golf Association Championships is open. The 2015 schedule includes 24 championship competitions for Women, Men, Juniors and Seniors at some of New Jersey’s most prestigious clubs. Highlights on the Men’s schedule include the Open Championship at Rockaway River, the Amateur Championship at Morris County, the Four-Ball Championship at Forsgate (Banks Course) and the Mid-Amateur Championship at Arcola. The Women’s schedule features the Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championships at Bedens Brook and the Four-Ball Championship at Copper Hill. Please visit www.njsga.org for details and registration, and be sure to enter early as many NJSGA championships fill quickly.
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS
Are you interested in the Rules of Golf? Are you interested in the “behind the scenes” aspect of conducting a golf championship? If so, joining the NJSGA Tournament Committee may be for you. The NJSGA is actively seeking volunteers to assist at our championships and qualifying events throughout the state. Extensive rules knowledge is NOT necessary; training and educational materials will be provided. All that is required is a willingness to learn, desire to give back to the game of golf, and ability to work cohesively with other committee members. Please click below for more information and a volunteer application.
https://www.njsga.org/about-us/volunteer-with-the-njsga/
ANNUAL NJSGA RULES OF GOLF SEMINAR SET FOR WEDNEDAY,APRIL 22
Once again, the NJSGA will be conducting a Rules of Golf seminar for New Jersey golfers and club members. It will be held on Wednesday, April 22 at the Galloping Hill Golf Course from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The fee is only $35.00 and includes a Rules of Golf book, breakfast, lunch, and all materials. The seminar covers rules situations often encountered in regular club play, and it provides a perfect opportunity for all golfers as well as club board / staff members to improve their Rules knowledge. While not intended to be a complete review of the Rules, many different aspects will be covered with an emphasis on common situations. To register for this always-popular seminar, please click link.
https://www.njsga.org/handicapping/seminars/NJSGA-Golf-Rules-Seminar/
ADRIAN "BUD" FOLEY, FORMER NJSGA PRESIDENT, PASSES AWAY AT 93
Former NJSGA president Adrian M. 'Bud' Foley Jr., one of New Jersey's leading lawyers for six decades, passed away on Feb. 9, 2015, three weeks after his 93rd birthday.
Foley was a prominent attorney in state legal and political circles, was a gubernatorial appointee who led the New Jersey Constitutional Convention and oversaw early financing for Giants Stadium,
Foley influenced the revision of NJSGA by-laws to remove any reference to public or private facilities within the membership of the NJSGA. In addition, Bud was active at the state and national level as a member of the USGA Regional Affairs Committee.
“Bud was a major contributor in building the foundation on which the NJSGA stands today .His contributions to our Association both in time and treasure were enormous,” said Frank O’Brien, NJSGA president.
Foley served as legal counsel for the NJSGA since the 1980s. He was a member of the Essex Fells Country Club since 1959 and served on the board of trustees for six years. His personal mission was to encourage juniors and children to participate in golf at the club, at which he was highly successful.
Foley (NJSGA president 1986-87) was co-recipient of the 2013 NJSGA/NJPGA Distinguished Service Award along with Robert “Bob” Cronheim (president, 1992-93) at the Celebration of Golf.
BROOKLAKE'S FRANK ESPOSITO MAKES CHAMPIONS TOUR FULL-TIME DEBUT
Frank Esposito Jr., of Brooklake, a two-time winner of the NJSGA State Open and runner-up in 2014, is playing as a full-time rookie on the PGA Champions Tour and made his full-time debut at the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla., on Feb. 6.
Esposito next plays on the Champions Tour on March 20 in the Tucson Conquistadores Classic. In his second appearance on the Champions Tour in the second week of February at the ACE Group Classic, Esposito finished T29 and earned $11,588.
Esposito, who lives in Monroe, N.J., was the only player to post four sub-par rounds and capped a brilliant two weeks of golf with a 1-under-par 71 for a 72-hole total of 11-under-par 277 to win the 2014 Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament at Orange County National (Panther Lake Course) in Winter Garden, Fla., on Friday, Nov. 21.
The victory came less than a week after the two-time NJSGA Open champion won the Senior PGA Professional National Championship in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and received a check for $20,000.
The Champions Q-School victory, which was worth $30,000, gave him (as one of the top five finishers) fully-exempt status on the Champions Tour through the re-order in the 2015 season, while the next seven players are conditionally exempt.
WORLD INVITATIONAL FATHER & DAUGHTER INVITES NEW JERSEY FAMILIES
New Jersey golf families should note the Eighth World Invitational Father & Daughter Tournament which this July takes place at world famous Waterville Golf Links in County Kerry, Ireland, a course redesigned by Tom Fazio.
The Father & Daughter Tournament is the brainchild of Marty Carr of Carr Golf Travel. Carr is the son of Joe Carr, “the Bobby Jones of European golf,”who won three British Amateurs, 40 tournaments, and was the first Irish player in the World Golf Hall of Fame as well as the first Irish president of the R&A in 270 years.
Some 26 years ago, Marty Carr put together the first World Invitational Father & Son Tournament. It is a sellout year after year.
Now, the World Invitational Father-Daughter (July 23-26, 2015) continues to thrive, but New Jersey families have an opportunity to take part in the event. Last year, 24 families from five different countries took part with an Italian Father & Daughter winning the championship.
VISIT WORLD INVITATIONAL FATHER & DAUGHTER WEBSITE:
