Shackamaxon Pair Share Medalist Honors At Open Qualifier At Suburban
Joe Bush of Shackamaxon will be returning to Galloping Hill Golf Course, the place where he learned to play the game of golf.
“I grew up there. I’ve played hundreds of rounds of golf there. I was a ranger there at age 17 and I’ve won club championships there. It will be great to go back to Galloping Hill for the State Open,” said Bush, whose 3-under-par 68 shared medalist honors with 19-year-old Danny Harcourt, who plays out of Shackamaxon, at the NJSGA State Open qualifier on Tuesday, June 21, at Suburban Golf Club in Union.
The NJSGA Open is set for July 11-13 at Galloping Hill, the first county-owned facility to host a State Open.
On Tuesday, the low 22 golfers plus ties who shot 73 or better qualified for the State Open. Following Bush and Harcourt was pro Vince Ramagli of Essex Golf Center with a 69. Amateurs Dawson Jones of Jumping Brook and Stuart Greenberg of Shackamaxon were next at 70.
“My putter was working today. I hit my irons well and I wasn’t in a lot of bad spots,” said Bush, who has been at Shackamaxon for four years. “I think if I can continue to putt well, I’ll play well at Galloping Hill.”
Bush, 48, played five years on the mini-tour circuit, even winning an event on the Teardrop Tour worth $12,000 back in 2000. He has been an instructor for the past 17 years, working at Branchburg Family Center before coming to Shackamaxon.
A former punter and place kicker for Hofstra University, his 52-yard field lasted for a long time as the school record.
“There’s something about placekickers and being good in golf,” he said, noting the golf success of NFL kickers Al Del Greco and Jay Feeley. “In my four years at Shackamaxon I think I’ve seen Danny Harcourt practicing there every day. He’s a great kid.”
Harcourt, who lives in Fanwood and attended St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, birdied three of his final nine holes against no bogeys.
“I was making putts everywhere. I practiced my putting a lot after not making the cut for the State Amateur,” said Harcourt, who shot 71-79 in the Amateur. He did qualify for the Ike on May 24 at Echo Lake and will attempt to qualify for the Met Amateur July 6 at Raritan Valley and the U.S. Amateur at his home course on July 14.
As a freshman at Gettysburg College, he became the No. 1 man on the golf team, winning the Gettysburg Invitational, and was T-1 at the Centennial Conference Championship at the Bridges G.C. in Abbotstown, Pa., and also, the Dickinson Invitational.
“My strengths are my driver and wedges. I practice my short game every day. In the winter, we have a trackman at school and I used that every day. By springtime, my ball-striking was much improved,” he said.
