NJSGA News In Brief, January, 2015
DATES AND SITES ANNOUNCED FOR 2015 NJSGA MAJORS
The 114th State Amateur is scheduled for June 2-4 at Morris County Golf Club in Morristown; the 95th State Open is scheduled for July 14-16 at Rockaway River Country Club in Denville; the 90th Women’s Amateur is scheduled for August 3-6 at Bedens Brook Club in Skillman; the 57th Men’s Senior and Super-Senior is scheduled for August-3-4 at Fairmount Country Club in Chatham; the 32nd Men’s Mid-Amateur is scheduled for Sept. 8-10 at Arcola Country Club in Paramus.
PREVIEW 2015 NJSGA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
MEMBER GOLF DAY SCHEDULE SHAPING UP WELL FOR 2015
In 2015, the NJSGA Member Golf Days will feature Trump National - Bedminster, Laurel Creek, Metuchen G & CC, Hawk Pointe, along with Hidden Creek, Rumson CC, and The Ridge at Back Brook.
The full schedule of venues and dates will be completed and announced later this winter. Please check our website, njsga.org, for more updates.
ALICE CHEN RECEIVES INAUGURAL WOMEN'S PLAYER OF YEAR AWARD
Alice Chen of Princeton, the most prolific female golfer in the history of the New Jersey State Golf Association, was formally presented the inaugural Women’s Player of the Year Award on Monday, December 22, at NJSGA headquarters at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.
Coleen Luker, chairperson of the NJSGA Women’s Committee, made the presentation. Chen edged Women’s Amateur champion Taylor Totland of Hollywood in Player of the Year points, 575-550. Chen won the NJSGA Women’s Public Links championship in 2014 and was runner-up by one shot to Christina Parsells of Baltusrol in the Junior Girls Championship, an event she won the previous two years. She was also semifinalist at the Women’s Amateur , an event she won in 2013, the year she repeated as NJSGA Junior champion.
Chen, playing out of Neshanic Valley, said her experiences in winning NJSGA championships and being part of New Jersey’s victorious three-woman team at the 2013 U.S. State Team Championship (where she tied for low individual), have led to success at the college level.
DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF STEVE FOEHL IS CELEBRATED
The distinguished 25-year career of Steve Foehl as NJSGA executive director was celebrated on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 4, at NJSGA headquarters at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.
Foehl, who worked under 13 NJSGA presidents since 1989, stepped down from his position on Dec. 31. His closest friends in golf and several family members attended the light-hearted affair.
Guest speakers included NJSGA president Frank O’Brien, former NJSGA president Ed Batta (1996-97) USGA executive director Mike Davis, Arkansas State Golf Association executive director Jay Fox, NJSGA directors Mike McAneny and Rich Kennedy, and MGA president Steven Boyd.
FRANK ESPOSITO, NEWEST FULLY EXEMPT MEMBER OF CHAMPIONS TOUR
In his wildest dreams, New Jersey’s Frank Esposito Jr., the long-time pro at Brooklake Country Club never thought he’d win two of the most important tournaments of his life in the span of a week. When the dust settled, Esposito was fully exempt for the 2015 Champions Tour and was $50,000 richer.
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 comes 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, which was worth $30,000, victory 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.
NJSGA PARTNER McRAE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT RECEIVES MAJOR AWARD
McRae Capital Management Inc. of Morristown, a long-time partner of the New Jersey State Golf Association, was named recently as one of New Jersey’s most outstanding family-owned enterprises by the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies.
In addition, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie forwarded a letter congratulating McRae Capital Management Inc. on its prestigious award. The firm was recognized along with seven other New Jersey companies.
FORMER NJSGA PRESIDENT TOM McGOVERN RECEIVES AWARD FROM STATE H.S. ASSOCIATION
Tom McGovern, former NJSGA president (2012-13), received a special sports recognition award from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association at its annual meeting on December 1 at the Pines Manor in Edison.
McGovern, the general manager of the Valley Brook Golf Course within the Bergen County Department of Parks, was cited for his contributions to golf in the county.
The NJSGA annually sponsor the NJSIAA high school boys' and girls' golf championships.
BOB ROSS GAINS RESPECT AT BALTUSROL & HAWK POINTE
Bob Ross has gained the respect of those in the golf community no matter where he has traveled. Since 1976, Bob has spent the bulk of that time in New Jersey, for 20 years as head professional at Baltusrol, followed by his current stint as Director of Golf at Hawk Pointe.
He has walked with kings, well, The King, Arnold Palmer, and even defeated him once, and been respected by all who have known him including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and many others. He’s attended a presidential inauguration (Jimmy Carter) and spent many an afternoon with Johnny McDermott, the first American-born U.S. Open champion.
Back in 1980, Ross was the first host professional to qualify in two decades for the U.S. Open championship when he did it, of course, at Baltusrol although he failed to make the cut at 76-78. To qualify for the event, he shot 144.
“It was a real thrill to play in the Open,” said Ross, who was playing in his third U.S. Open, having competed in 1962 at Oakmont and in 1971 at Merion.
HIGH MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB HAS CLOSED ITS DOORS, MAKING WAY FOR HOUSING
High Mountain Golf Club in Franklin Lakes closed on Sunday, December 7, making way for housing in the Bergen County community.
High Mountain, a semi-private course which opened in 1966, is following a nationwide trend of course closures. Apple Ridge Country Club, a private club in Mahwah and Upper Saddle River, may soon be following High Mountain into the history books. That course, which also opened in 1966, was sold in June and it most likely will be turned into a housing project within several years.
High Mountain, which was sold to Pennsylvania-based Toll Brothers developers, had been owned by the McBride (30 acres) and Galenkamp families (100 acres). The plans call for the 131-acre property to be turned into 275 homes
FINAL PHASE OF RESTORATION UNDERWAY AT SPRING LAKE
Golf course architecture firm Tripp Davis and Associates of Norman, Okla, has embarked on the second phase of its renovation and restoration of the Jersey Shore’s historic Spring Lake Golf Club. Spring Lake originally was designed by George Thomas in 1910, with A.W. Tillinghast coming in to restyle the greens and bunkers in 1918.
Davis, along with his shaper Jason Gold and golf course builder Mottin Golf, completed work on the back nine earlier this year and they now are focusing on the front nine tees and renovation and restoration of the bunkers. Additionally, the greens on the 14th and 5th holes also will be rebuilt in this second phase.
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