Russ Helwig Of Essex Fells Honored At Celebration Of Golf
Essex Fells head professional Russ Helwig, who has served at the club since 1975, was honored with the yearly Distinguished Service Award at the 11th annual NJPGA/NJSGA Celebration of Golf Dinner held at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster on Thursday, October 23.
Both associations recognized their Players of the Year and other special award recipients. Among special award winners, Andy Brock of Metuchen was named the Golf Professional of the Year and Brett Jones of Mountain Ridge is the New Jersey PGA Player of the Year.
The NJSGA honored three Players of the Year for the first time. Recognized at the event were Mike Stamberger of Spring Lake, the Player of the Year, Alice Chen of Neshanic Valley, the Women’s Player of the Year, and Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge, the Senior Player of the Year.
Baltusrol Golf Club was named the NJPGA Club of the Year while Echo Lake Country Club was honored as NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Club of the Year.
Helwig cited his former bosses, golf pros Emery Thomas of Green Brook and Dick Pierce of Echo Lake as major influences.
“I am a product of who I worked for. Dick Pierce taught me the business of golf is to be personable with people and to enjoy the game of golf,” Helwig said at the dinner. “You’ve got to truly love the game and love the people who love the game. Golf is a sport for your entire lifetime. At Essex Fells, I’m in a sphere of great people such as Ann Beard, Ed Batta and Bud Foley.”
He also thanked his wife, Suzanne, and five children, Meghan, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Benjamin and Allison.
Champions from each of the NJSGA’s 24 tournaments and from each of the NJPGA’s 10 championships were also cited.
The following award winners were also recognized at the annual Celebration of Golf.
• Golf Professional of the Year: Andy Brock, Metuchen Golf and Country Club, Edison
• Teacher of the Year: Mike Adams, Hamilton Farm Golf Club, Gladstone
• Horton Smith Award: Keith Stewart, Springdale Golf Club, Princeton
• Bill Strausbaugh Award: Joe Kelly, Mendham Golf and Tennis Club, Mendham
• Merchandiser of the Year for Private Facilities: Mike Strlekar, Montclair Golf Club, Montclair
• Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities: Joe Febonio, Royce Brook Golf Club, Hillsborough
• Player Development Award: Kevin Beirne, Eagle Ridge Golf Club, Lakewood
• Junior Player Development Award: Bill Castner, Plainfield West 9, Edison
• Patriot Award: Tom Flatt, Apple Ridge Country Club, Mahwah
• Assistant Professional of the Year: Robin Curtis, Mountain Ridge Country Club, West Caldwell
• Golf Club of the Year: Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield
• Salesman of the Year: Rick Hartigan, TaylorMade
· NJSGA Honey Gantner Award: Bob Krueger
Helwig embodies the spirit of the Distinguished Service Award which was created to honor those who have contributed exemplary volunteer service to golf in New Jersey.
Russ was elected to the PGA of America’s Quarter Century Club in 2000 for serving the association with honor and pride for 25 years and continues to serve as a role model for other PGA Professionals to emulate.
In addition to being an excellent instructor, Russ is renowned for developing top-notch assistant professionals, many of whom have moved on to become head professionals at other prestigious golf clubs. His efforts to help others grow and succeed earned him the New Jersey Section Bill Strausbaugh Award (Employment and Club Relations) in 1987, 1994 and 2000 and the Horton Smith Award (Education) in 1986.
The native of Bloomfield, N.J., has received a pair of other New Jersey Section special awards over the years; Merchandiser of the Year-Private Facilities in 1984 and Golf Professional of the Year, the most prestigious award a PGA Professional can receive, in 1987.
Russ also represented both his club and the PGA of America with his success on the golf course as well, having won the Dodge Open in 1980, the NJSGA State Open in 1980 and 1982, the New Jersey Senior Open in 1998 and 2005, the New Jersey Senior PGA Championship in 1997 and the MGA Senior Open in 1998. He has competed in one PGA Championship, one Senior PGA Championship and two US Open Championships. His great play earned him Player of the Year in 1980 and Senior Player of the Year in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
In related news, George Ancuta, PGA Professional at Knoll Golf Club West in Parsippany was recognized on the national stage, as he was named the recipient of the 2014 PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award for Public Facilities. Ancuta is the fourth NJPGA member to be named recipient of the PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award and the first section member honored nationally in the Public Facilities category.
A resident of Hackettstown, Ancuta oversees a 20-member staff, and has served on the NJPGA Board of Directors since 2010. As the 2010 and 2013 New Jersey PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year, Ancuta helped to build a premier service reputation at a facility that was Golf Digest's 2010 pick for the No. 1 municipally owned course in New Jersey. Ancuta will be recognized at the 2014 PGA National Awards celebration, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, in Indianapolis, Ind.
