AGC Newsletter
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 4—OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013
FIRST TIME’S A CHARM
Angelo III follows in Uncle’s Footsteps, Becomes AGC’s 2013 Club Champion
A
NGELO LUPPINO III was
invited along when his father
and uncle started playing at
Anglebrook 15 years ago, but as pre-teen,
the game just didn’t move fast enough
for him.
“I was all about baseball at the time, and
a few years later I transitioned to lacrosse,”
said the first-year member. “Golf just didn’t
grab me initially.”
But following his graduation from RPI
a few years ago, where he attended on a
lacrosse scholarship and studied business,
the game practically swallowed him whole.
“Something clicked,” said Luppino, who
after just two and a half years of playing golf
regularly, became Anglebrook’s 2013 club
champion last month. “Now it’s my dream
to play for a living, to have my family and
friends see me play on TV every weekend.
The game has a hold on me now, and I want
to find out what my potential is and see how
far I can take it.”
He may have started slowly in 2011 when
he started playing regularly, but has since
enjoyed as rapid a rise as any golfer ever has.
“That first year I started out shooting
120, and got down to the low 80s by the
end of the year,” he said. “I’ve always been
a strong ball striker, but the strides I’ve
made on my short game this year are what
has turned me into a low single-digit. Even
in just my few years of playing, I’ve learned
you aren’t always going to hit it long and
straight. You’ve got to be able to scramble
and have a chance to get up-and-down
from some tough spots. That’s been the big
difference for me this year.”
Luppino has enjoyed a breakthrough
year in golf this season. He qualified for
the club championship by firing a 70 in
LUPPINO LEGACY CONTINUES: Angelo Luppino III rose from the ranks of beginner to Anglebrook club
champion in an astonishing two a half years.
“I’ve always been a strong ball striker, but the strides I’ve
made on my short game this year are what has turned me
into a low single-digit.”
early September, and earned the right to
go head-to-head with two-time defending
champ Dan Wolfman in a match play round,
which he won 5 & 4. His path to the club
championship, ironically, began postgraduation, while job hunting in a woeful
economy. “My dad (Angelo Jr.) and my
uncle (Carmine, AGC’s 2010 club champ)
really taught me to play, but they tell me I
have a natural swing,” he said. “I gave job
hunting a few months before I decided to
join the family business. In landscaping and
masonry, work slows down in the winter, so
my dad and I have spent a lot of time at the
—Angelo Luppino III
range in Elmsford and usually wind
up going somewhere warm over the winter
as well.”
While he’s enjoyed learning the business,
learning to manage a staff and deal with
the company’s clients, he can’t deny his
dreams—which also include lush fields of
well-manicured turf.
“I enjoy the outdoors rather than being
in an office,” he says. “Golf is really all I
want to do.”
Based on what he’s accomplished in two
and a half seasons, there’s certainly no
telling what the next few years will bring.
(See “Club Champion” on page 3)
PAGE 2
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 4
Geese Patrol Earns Overdue Kudos
T
HERE’S NO DISPUTING THE
FACT THAT REFERRING
TO DOGS AS “MAN’S BEST
FRIEND” MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
But what about calling them a “Golfer’s Best
Friend”? If you’ve read the current issue of
The Met Golfer, you might go along with
that theory. After seeing the double-page
spread about the geese-patrolling dogs at
Anglebrook, more and more members and
guests are tipping their golf caps to our two
big media stars, Blitz and Cuda. Blitz is a
border collie with one green eye, one blue—
and a steely-eyed look of determination
is his eyes. Cuda, on the other hand, is a
French Bulldog who would get by on his
cuteness alone—yet he refuses to stand idly
by and let Blitz have all the fun.
The Place For Aces
The Leaves Fall, and So Does the Ball
J
OHN BUETI GAZED INTO HIS
CRYSTAL BALL and on the first
par-3 of the Saturday morning round
declared to no one in particular “I feel
a hole-in-one coming.” Twelve holes later,
longtime member Carmine Luppino made
a prophet out of him.
Luppino struck a seven-iron into a stiff
breeze on No. 17 from the magenta tees, and
with a little coaxing, guided his shot into the
cup for his first ace in 15 years, and his first
at Anglebrook. His shot landed behind the
hole and spun back into the cup. Although
Luppino urged the ball to “go in” while it
was in the air and tracking to the pin, he
never saw it fall into the jar. The group
ahead of him, however, included George
Ponte, and based on the ovation that came
from the “gallery,” Luppino knew a lively
grill room party was just a hole away.
Luppino’s previous ace came at the now
defunct Silo Ridge, just three years after
he started playing, back when he needed a
7-wood on a longer par-3. Luppino, AGC’s
Club Champion in 2010, took up golf at
41 and made that first ace three years later.
After his brother Angelo made a hole-inone on No. 8 a few years ago, Carmine felt
his turn was coming. A self-taught golfer
who has never had a lesson, Luppino has
had a slew of close calls, but never found the
bottom of the cup here at AGC.
Ironically, Bueti was playing in his group
for the ace Luppino made a decade and
a half ago. “I called that one, too,” said
Bueti. “From a seven-wood to a seven-iron,
Carmine has sure come a long way.”
•••••
Jimmy Leidel thought the seven-iron he
hit on No. 5 was a bit chunky, but his father
Peter wouldn’t let him give up on it.
“When I first hit the shot, to be honest
It wasn’t until reading about what the dogs
do here that it occurred to many regulars
that they’ve never seen any geese on our
240 acres.
Quick said the adulation of the dogs goes
back even further than the positive press
they’ve received.
“All of the women members are
enamored of him,” said Quick. “Everyone
always says hi to Cuda and starts talking
to him—I’m an afterthought whenever
he’s around.”
Management has also taken a shine to
the staffers—and for good reason. Neither
dog has ever called in sick, or done anything
other than loved every minute of every day
here. But please, no autographs or photos
with the dogs during working hours.
I didn't hit it as clean as I wanted,” said
Jimmy. “I actually thought I hit too far
behind the ball, but when the ball landed
on the center of the green, I thought I’d set
myself up to make a par. The pin was front
right, and my dad urged me to watch it,
thinking it would probably roll back down
toward the hole.”
The five to 10 seconds it took to watch the
ball roll downhill and toward the cup were
high drama, but when it slid into the hole,
high fives were everywhere on hole No. 5.
“It was an ironic way to make a hole-inone since initially I wasn’t happy with the
shot,” said Jimmy, a second-year member
through his father’s corporation. “My first
four holes hadn’t been too encouraging, but
it was an awesome feeling to see it fall into
the cup. Sometimes it’s better to be
lucky than good.”
And let that
be a lesson to
you, young man—
always listen to
your dad!
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 4
PAGE 3
Strnad Shines
at Member-Guest
I
T WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT
IN AGC HISTORY to see the main
dining room overflowing with glowing
members and guests, 88 strong, who came
together to comprise the largest MemberGuest in the history of the club.
Prizes were awarded to the top three low
net teams and the top two low gross teams,
but clearly everyone who participated
emerged a winner. Between the golden
weather, the creative golf course set-up,
and the tangible camaraderie that filled
the room, it was one of those times when
members and guests wanted to squeeze
every last bit out of the day.
Chris Strnad took his place in the
winner’s circle three times, capturing long
drive (at approximately 281 yards), closestto-the-pin (6’-8”) and pacing his team—
with Nick Greato, Tony Procops, and Matt
Minerva— to victory in low gross (136).
The team of Angelo Luppino Jr., Angelo
Luppino III, Bob Reby and Dave Zullin
followed closely behind for second place in
the low gross with a 138.
Low Net was won by the team of member
Larry Feuerman, and guests Irv Schulman,
Ken Cabrera and Jim Roche, with a 119.
That bettered the 121 posted by member
Brian Maini, and guests Mike Trainor, Nick
Palumbo and Frank Petrocelli. Finishing in
third, after a tie-breaker, was Bob Weiner,
Tom Munafo, Jeffrey Ram and Mike
DelVecchio, also with a 121.
The field was a significant jump over
last year’s showing of 72 players. Many
thanks to all the members and guests who
participated. Photos of each foursome
will be sent to every member over the next
few weeks.
The team of Chris Strnad (left) captured low gross at the Member-Guest with a 136, while the team
of Larry Feuerman (right) won low net with a 119.
CLUB CHAMPION
Favorite Course Other Than
Anglebrook: Hudson National
Golf Index: 0.6
Dream Foursome: “The guys I play
with most times out, my father, my uncle
Carmine and John Bueti.”
Angelo Luppino III At-A-Glance
In his Bag: Taylor Made R-11 Driver and
fairway woods, a RocketBallz 4-Hybrid,
Titleist AP2 Irons, Titleist Vokey Wedges
and a 20-year-old PING putter.
Favorite Tour Player:
Fred Couples
Favorite Sports Team:
New York Knicks
Favorite Hole at AGC: “I love No. 10.
Who doesn’t love making an eagle or
a birdie?”
Golf Highlight Other Than
Winning Club Championship:
“The Albatross (or double eagle) I made
on No. 2. I holed out a six-iron from
190 yards out.”
PGA Tour Player
Tees Up at AGC
C
AN YOU IMAGINE TEEING
UP AT ANGLEBROOK FOR
THE VERY FIRST TIME,
shooting a 66 and not having the lowest
round in your group? That’s exactly what
happened to Morgan Hoffman, a PGA
Tour player from northern New Jersey
who played here in mid-September.
Hoffman was outdueled by one of the
country’s top amateurs, Max Buckley, who
fired a 65. Their round was delayed more
than an hour with a rain and lightning
delay, and by the time they got back to
it, the softer greens allowed them to fire
right at the flagsticks.
“I’d heard a lot about Anglebrook prior
to playing here and it lived up to all the
hype,” said Hoffman, who left Oklahoma
State University after his junior year to
turn pro, and has won more than $1.2
million in prize money this year on the
PGA and Web.com tours. “I loved all the
par-3s and the par-5s and the greens
were just perfect. With so many birdie
opportunities, it’s a tremendous course
for match play. Although we played the
tips, it also struck me as a great course
from every set of tees.”
Buckley is a 23-year-old from Rye
whose 65 bettered the amateur course
record of 66—although his round will be
considered “unofficial” since it wasn’t set
in competition. The recent graduate of
Southern Methodist was also head-overheels for Anglebrook. “I loved it,” he
said. “It’s been a long time since I played
a course in such incredible condition—
especially the greens. There wasn’t too
much risk off the tee, but with all the
movement on the greens, it really puts a
premium on your iron play.”
Although the two arrived and departed
anonymously, the group did nothing
short of play the greatest match in the
history of the club.
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 4
Anglebrook Golf Club
P.O. Box 700, Lincolndale, NY 10540
P (914) 245-5588 F (914) 245 5592
To:
Club News
& Notes
Changing Times
Bag Storage
Club Closed
2014 Dues
Although there’s still plenty of time to shoot
a career round, the sun is coming up later and
days are getting shorter. And thus, we went
to 7:30 a.m. tee times for the weekend of Sept.
28-29 and we’ll drop back to 8 a.m. for the
weekend of Oct. 5-6 and for the balance of
the season. Weather permitting, our final day
of golf for 2013 will be Sunday, Dec. 1.
There will be no tee times Tuesday morning,
Oct. 1, until 1 p.m., as we conclude the Met
Mid-Am. The club is also closed for the day on
Wednesday, Oct. 2. Please adjust your playing
schedules accordingly.
Members are reminded to collect their clubs,
shoes, or other items they may need from the
clubhouse prior to the conclusion of AGC’s
16th season. The administrative offices are
open throughout the off-season, MondayFriday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. On behalf of
the entire staff, thank you to all our members
for a wonderful season.
Annual dues for Full members are payable by
the end of January. Members will see those
charges listed on their member statements in
December and again in January. Dues not paid
by Jan. 31 will be subject to a $1,500 late fee.
Holiday Parties
Get a jump on the holidays and throw a
bash for your family, your friends or your
co-workers here before we put the key in the
clubhouse door for the final time in 2013.
Leave the cooking to Chef Quattrocchi, and
the post-party cleanup to our staff. No party is
too big or small for us!