Metropolitan PGA
Newsletter
July 2, 2014
PGA Dues
If you missed the June 30th deadline make sure you pay your 2014-15 PGA Dues
immediately to avoid further penalties and possible suspension.
Tragedy
It is with great regret that we notify you of the passing of Justin Fonseca. He was the
victim of a car accident on June 20th. Justin was a very active participant on the Met PGA
Junior Tour and had recently begun working as an assistant professional under Darren
Goralski at Island Hills.
Rob Corcoran Headed to Valhalla
The Grand Strand and the Myrtle Beach venue at The Dunes and Grande Dunes Resort
proved to be a worthy venue for the Professional National Championship. While eight
players made the cut, including Matt Dobyns who had to withdraw after two rounds to
come home for the early arrival of Michael Parker Dobyns, only Poxabogue teaching
assistant Rob Corcoran earned a spot at the 2014 PGA at Valhalla with his tie for 12th
finish. Rob Labritz, returned to form after thyroid surgery but missed the top 20 by a
stroke along with Winged Foot’s Grant Sturgeon who was hoping to return to his native
Kentucky. Anthony Casalino also made the 54-hole cut and finished tied for 55th. Mark
Brown, Darrell Kestner and Mike Gilmore survived the 36-hole cut but finished outside
the top 70 after three rounds.
Field Nearing Capacity for Pinehurst Pro-Am
The images and excitement of the recent US Open at Pinehurst certainly helped promote
our upcoming Met PGA Pro-Am at this hallowed resort on Nov. 2nd – 5th. Right now
there is a race to get deposits in for the limited field of 24 teams that can be accommodated for our rounds at #4 and #8 and a practice day on Sunday. Our final round will of
course be on the famed #2 when the field will experience the significant changes witnessed for both the men and women during the recent Open Championships.
Lincoln Met PGA Section Championship Pro-Am
at Glen Oaks Club on Aug. 11th
- Lottery Deadline is July 10th
Professionals must enter the Championship Pro-Am to be eligible for the lottery for spots.
All entries must be received by July 10th. Because Glen Oaks has 3 great nines that will
be used for the Championship, we also have the luxury of seeing how many teams we
need to accommodate before determining our final format. If the turnout is as strong as
we anticipate, we will have a double shotgun using all three nines with separate divisions. This will allow for multiple teams from the same club although shotgun priority
will still be assigned initially on the basis of 1 preference per club. The Pro-Am will be
Monday, August 11th at Glen Oaks Club and will not only be a tune-up for the 2014 Lincoln Met PGA Championship but will also be our fund-raiser for Junior Golf.. We know
our field will be tremendously impressed with the changes at Glen Oaks for the Lincoln
Met PGA Championship Pro-Am presented by Ernst & Young, MasterCard, Mohegan
Sun, and Peter Millar.
METROPOLITAN PGA
OFFICERS
Heath Wassem , Fenway GC
President
Brian Crowell, GlenArbor GC
Secretary
Carl Alexander, GC of Purchase
Treasurer
Stuart Waack, Silvermine GC
First Vice President
David Jones, Silver Spring CC
Second Vice President
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Shawn Baker, Greens at Half Hollow
Michael Breed, Michael Breed Golf Academy
Mike Diffley, Pelham CC
Dave Fusco, Patriot Hills GC
Robert Gick, Sand Point GC
Jamie Kilmer, Wheatley Hills GC
Rob Labritz, GlenArbor Club
Cory Muller, CC of Darien
Sean Quinlivan, Piping Rock Club
Michael Shank, North Shore CC
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Chris Case, Mount Kisco CC
Joe Felder, Griff Harris GC
Bobby Heins, Old Oaks CC
Tom Henderson, Round Hill Club
Ben Hoffhine, Wykagyl CC
Greg Hurd, North Hempstead CC
Jim Smoot, Huntington CC
Staff Members
Charles Robson, Executive Director
Kelli Clayton, Membership Director
Jeff Voorheis, Tournament Director
Dan Frankel, Tournament Administrator
Dan Kiley, Tournament Administrator
Tony Murrell, Controller
Emily Powers, Communications Administrator
www.met.pga.com
METROPOLITAN SECTION NEWSLETTER
JULY 2, 2014 ~ PAGE 2
PGA Championships - Deadlines Coming in July
Hopefully all our members are aware of the following 5:00 pm deadlines (in addition to the June 30th deadline for payment of
PGA Dues):
 July 8th – Deadline for the Met PGA Professional Championship on July 14th - 16th at Brae Burn CC and Fairview CC (final
round at Brae Burn)..
 July 15th – Deadline for the Qualifying for the PGA Senior Professional Championship on Sept. 10th and 11th at the Met PGA
Seniors Championship at Pine Hollow. This is to enter the National Championship Qualifying. Entry for the Section Championship, held concurrently, will be separate.
 July 22nd – Deadline for the Metropolitan PGA National Car Rental Assistants Championship at Bethpage Red on Sept. 2nd
& 3rd. This is the deadline for all apprentices and assistants who are eligible to enter the Section Championship.
Tam O’Shanter and North Hempstead CC
Next on the Lincoln Race for the Lease Pro-Am Schedule
Registration will open on July 7th for the Lincoln Pro-Am at North Hempstead. This will be an afternoon shotgun
so the field will be limited. We have filled the afternoon shotgun at Tam O’Shanter for the July 7th Pro-Am but the
club has allowed us to add a morning shotgun so teams may still enter the next Lincoln Pro-Am event. North
Fork, Cold Spring and Harbor Links currently hold the top 3 positions in the Race for the Lease.
Met PGA Assistants Championship to Boost 2014 Met PGA Junior Golf Fundraisers
After the deadline for entries for our 2014 Met PGA Assistants Championship and the National Car Rental PGA Assistants Championship presented by Cobra Puma we will be sending out information on the raffle tickets and another promotion of our Junior
Golf fund-raisers. Thanks to a number of our supporting clubs and the active Assistants Junior Golf Committee, we have already
gotten off to a great start to try and reach our goal of raising $100,000.00 for Junior Golf this year.
Met PGA Club Association Tops 100 Already
Thanks to the more than 100 clubs who have already joined our 2014 Met PGA Club Association. The listing of clubs is
included in the Newsletter. If your facility has not yet joined and you need additional information, please contact the Met PGA
Office. We truly appreciate the support of the club community for our efforts in education, employment, communications and
growing the game.
APAWAMIS CLUB
ARDSLEY CC
ASPETUCK VALLEY CC
ATLANTIC GC
BEDFORD G & TC
BIRCHWOOD CC
BRAE BURN CC
BRIDGE, THE
BROOKVILLE CC
BURNING TREE CC
CASPERKILL GC
CENTENNIAL GC
CENTURY CC
CHERRY VALLEY CLUB
CRAB MEADOW GC
CREEK, THE
DARIEN, CC OF
DEEPDALE GC
DORAL GC
DUTCHESS G & CC
EAST HAMPTON GC
ELMWOOD CC
FAIRFIELD, CC OF
FAIRVIEW CC
FENWAY GC
FRESH MEADOW CC
FRIAR'S HEAD
GARDEN CITY GC
GARDINERS BAY CC
GLEN OAKS CLUB
GREENS @ HALF HOLLOW GC
GREENWICH CC
GRIFFITH E. HARRIS GC & RANGE
HAMPTON HILLS G & CC
HOLLOW BROOK GC
HUDSON NATIONAL GC
HUNTINGTON CC
HUNTINGTON CRESCENT CLUB
INDIAN HILLS CC
INNIS ARDEN GC
INWOOD CC
ISLAND HILLS GC
LAKE ISLE CC
LAUREL LINKS CC
LEEWOOD GC
LONG ISLAND NATIONAL GC
MAIDSTONE CLUB
MANHATTAN WOODS GC
MEADOW BROOK CLUB
METROPOLIS CC
MIDDLE BAY, THE GC at
MILL RIVER CLUB, INC.
MOUNT KISCO CC
NASSAU CC
NATIONAL GL OF AMERICA
NEW CANAAN, CC OF
NISSEQUOGUE GC
NORTH FORK CC
NORTH HEMPSTEAD CC
NORTH SHORE CC
NOYAC GC
OLD OAKS CC
OTTERKILL CC
PELHAM CC
PINE HOLLOW CC
PIPING ROCK CLUB
PLANDOME CC
PURCHASE, THE GC OF
QUAKER RIDGE GC
ROCKAWAY HUNTING CLUB
ROCKLAND LAKE STATE PK GC
ROCKRIMMON CC
ROUND HILL CLUB
RYE GC
SAINT ANDREW'S GC, THE
SANDS POINT GC
SEAWANE CLUB
SEBONACK GC
SEDGEWOOD GC
SHINNECOCK HILLS GC
SHOREHAVEN GC
SILVER SPRING CC
SILVERMINE GC
SIWANOY CC
SOUTH FORK CC
SOUTHAMPTON GC
STANWICH CLUB, THE
SUNNINGDALE CC
TAMARACK CC
TRUMP NATIONAL GC
TRUMP NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
TUXEDO CLUB, THE
WACCABUC CC
WEE BURN CC
WEST HILLS CC
WESTCHESTER CC
WESTCHESTER HILLS GC
WHEATLEY HILLS GC
WHIPPOORWILL CLUB
WILLOW RIDGE CC
WOODMERE CLUB, INC.
WOODWAY CC
WYKAGYL CC
METROPOLITAN SECTION NEWSLETTER
JULY 2, 2014 ~ PAGE 3
Head Pro Support Exceeds $8,000.00 for Assistants Contribution Fund
A special thanks to all the head professionals who contributed to this year’s Assistants Contribution Fund, most of whom submitted payment with their tournament dues. To date we are just over $8,100.00. The support of the head professionals helps our
Assistants Tour to provide a payout of 40% of the field as opposed to 33% in each of their events. This commitment and assistance to the apprentices and professionals working on the development of their competitive games has traditionally been a significant addition to the Tour.
Pro-Junior Returns to Lake Isle
Join us on July 31st at Lake Isle CC as Dave Stevenson and his crew put on one of the most fun days of the year! Each team consists of one professional and three juniors ages 7– 18. The format for the day is Best Ball of Four - Net & Gross Division. Sign up
now the event is filling fast!!
For Sale
Any Professional wishing to make $500.00-$5,000.00 each season selling high quality white and color used golf balls
with no investment, please contact Tom Lupinacci 904-233-1023. Tom also has hit away golf balls @ .15 each. Free
delivery for orders over 3000 balls. Tom is also looking for golf antiques i.e. ceramics, medals, statues and unusual wood shaft
golf clubs. Tom also has very good used factory white range balls @ $3.00 per doz. Free delivery for orders over 3,000 balls.
Tom also has wonderful golf artwork for sale for tournament prizes. Tom is looking for used yellow factory range balls in good
condition! Tom is also looking for pre 1925 US Open winner signatures!
Stay Tuned for Details on 4th Annual Met PGA Golf Night at Citi Field
We are working on some new additions and ideas for our annual trek to Citi Field and our Met PGA Golf Night in conjunction
with the New York Mets. Our target is the last week of August as a “farewell to summer.” Our hope is to still provide the teaching nets and on-field ceremony but to amp up the social inclusions. We are still working with the Mets sales force and hope to
have more information, dates and details determined by mid-July’s E-Updates.
4th of July Celebration Kicks Off Folds of Honor Awareness Campaign
Dan Rooney and Tony Biata have asked us to make sure our PGA Professionals are aware that they are invited to several very special events at Liberty Landing Marina on July 4th and a VIP and Sponsor Celebration on July 7th. While
we understand that this is an incredibly busy time for our members, this will be a very special occasion and more than 100,000
people are expected. Click here for more details.
Many professionals have also asked how they can support Ray Ford and the Rolling Hills Pro-Am on Aug. 4th. Last year’s event
raised almost $90,000.00 for the Folds of Honor. Click here for more details.
While Patriot Golf Day is advertised as being over Labor Day weekend, we would suggest that our professionals consider using
the upcoming 4th of July holiday as an appropriate time to promote the Patriot Golf Day and Folds of Honor Foundation. We
owe so much to those who have served and helping to honor their sacrifice and educate their legacy is the least we can do.
Six New Members Welcomed to Met Section
Our congratulations on completion of their PGA requirements and attaining PGA membership to the following: Chris Bastow, A8 assistant to Mark Mielke at Mill River; Mark Carter, A-8 assistant to Michael Adkins at Hay Harbor Club on Fisher’s Island;
Mary Gradle, A-20 PGA Member working for POLO Golf / Ralph Lauren; Justin Lawler, A-8 assistant for Rick Hartmann at Atlantic Golf Club; Armando McLaughlin, A-8 assistant to Mike Laganza at Shorehaven Golf Club and Daniel Pintauro, A-8 assistant
to Jeff Warne and Darren DeMaille at The Bridge. We are pleased to add these six new PGA Members to our roster and congratulate them on becoming PGA Members.
METROPOLITAN SECTION NEWSLETTER
JULY 2, 2014 ~ PAGE 4
New Arrival
It must have been a scary ride home for Matt Dobyns from Myrtle Beach when he learned that his wife Laurie was ready to deliver their 2nd child prematurely. He got back in time for the birth of Michael Parker Dobyns at 2 pounds, 8 ounces on June 24th.
The Drs. are optimistic that everything will be fine and we wish everyone the very best in trying to get back to normal in the
days ahead.
Industry Updates
We wanted to share this news and note from Sun Mountain regarding a recent change in their sales representative:
Dear MET Section Golf Professionals,
Effective immediately, Sun Mountain would like to officially announce that Sande Baum will be the new independent sales representative covering the MET section. Sande has a 25 year history representing some of the finest clothing brands in the industry. Sande can be reached at 201-446-0701 or at [email protected]
We appreciate your support of Sun Mountain and we value our relationship with you!
Paul Branlund
Eastern Sales Manager
[email protected]
615-545-3923
Dean Middleton is proud to announce that he is now representing Cleveland Golf/Srixon, Sunice, and Laser Link Golf. You can
contact Dean at 203-943-4994 or by email at [email protected]/
Chris Boland is also the new Tour Edge representative for our section. You can contact Chris at 203.305.0976.
First Tee Looking for Donations of Range Balls and Mats
The First Tee of Metropolitan New York is looking for any donations of used range balls and mats for their facilities in the area.
If you have anything and would like to help, please contact Barry McLaughlin at 347 242-0256.
Golfzilla for Rent
If any of our professionals or their facilities have a special event and would like to rent the Play Golf America Golfzilla, Jonathan
Gold will make it available. The rental charge is $150.00 per event and because of its size and vulnerability there are some very
important limitations on rental and use. Click here for the rental agreement and operating instructions as well as a You Tube
video set-up demonstration.
Newsday Teaching Tips
Though space limits the addition of teaching tips for most of Mark Herrmann’s golf columns in Newsday we are still accepting
teaching tips from our PGA Professionals on Long Island for possible future use. If you haven’t sent anything in yet, please send
a 50-75 word tip to [email protected].
METROPOLITAN SECTION NEWSLETTER
JULY 2, 2014 ~ PAGE 5
THANK YOU 2014 PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Adams Golf Kirk & Matz Ahead Tricia Lee Anheuser Busch Lenox Advisors Associates Golf Car Service Lincoln Bermuda Tourism Mastercard Bobby Jones Mercedes Benz Bushnell Middleton Golf Group/Tour Edge Callaway Mizuno Carr Golf Mohegan Sun Casa de Campo National Car Rental Club Car NIKE Golf Cobra/Puma Golf Oakley Cutter & Buck ‐ Paul McManus OMEGA Donald Ross Sportswear Peter Millar Empire Casino PGA National Resort & Spa Ernst & Young PGA Tour EZ‐GO PING Fairway Golf Car Polo Fit Golf Premier Payments Flight Scope River’s End Trading Company Golf Buddy ‐ Brooks Brothers, Page & Tuttle Golf Performance Center‐Roger Knick Summit Brands Golf Genius Software Sun Mountain GolfMax/Golf Pride TaylorMade ‐ adidas Heritage Creations Terry Murphy ‐ Fairway & Greene J. Lindeberg Titleist/Footjoy Michael Hebron Treiber Insurance Jani‐King Villas of Grand Cypress JBA Awards Wheels Up Powered by Tour Golf
METROPOLITAN SECTION NEWSLETTER
JULY 2, 2014 ~ PAGE 6
PGA News and Notes
Jeff Price, former President and Publisher of Sporting News, who also served as president of SI Digital, has been named the Chief Commercial Officer of the PGA of America. We also had the pleasure of getting to know and work with Jeff when he headed up sponsorships for MasterCard more than a decade ago………. The PGA of America is awarding President Bill Clinton its 2014 PGA Distinguished Service Award for his lifetime love of golf and his commitment to health and wellness. Since 2012 the Clinton Foundation has
partnered with Humana, the PGA Tour and the Desert Classic Charities to present the Humana Challenge. The Humana Challenge has
showcased the long-term health benefits of simple lifestyle and behavioral changes. Clinton is the 3rd former President to receive this
award…… The PGA Expo in Las Vegas returns to the Venetian Hotel on Aug. 18 - 20 providing opportunities for education, to network, the Demo Experience and the Las Vegas Fashion Week……PGALinks is a virtual wealth of information. Use the Digital PGA
Membership and Golf Directory at www.pgamemberdirectory.com. Check out the 2014 Compensation Survey Results. Download the
free PGA Magazine app through the Apple or Google app stores. Visit the PGA Member Shop for PGA of America, PGA Championship
and Ryder Cup Merchandise.
Women’s Stroke Play
With continued sponsorship from Michael Hebron and a PGA member bonus pool provided by the PGA Tour, the Met PGA Women’s
Stroke Play will be played on Monday August 18th at Woodway Country Club. This event is 36 holes played on one day and is one of
the primary factors in the Woman’s Player of the Year race. Entry fees include cart and lunch. PGA members are asked to encourage
your PGA, LPGA, and non-affiliated assistants and teachers to go to met.pga.com or call the office to register.
Newest Quarter Century Member
CongratulaƟons to Life Member Charlie Stucklen, PGA on his recent election to the Quarter Century Club membership in
the PGA of America. Charlie joins an elite group of professionals who has completed 25 years of service to the
Association as a PGA Member.
Volunteers Needed
The US Women's Amateur is being held at Nassau Country Club August 4th – 10th and are looking for volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering please click here http://2014uswomensam.com.
Junior Clinic Conducted by Assistants at Patriot Hills
Following play at Patriot Hills Golf Club, Metropolitan PGA assistant professionals hosted a golf clinic for the young boys and girls of My Healthy Community, a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against childhood obesity. Ron Gerhold, assistant professional at Patriot Hills, befriended Karim
McFarlane, founder of My Healthy Community, over a shared passion for the
cause. Both men believed a junior golf clinic served as an ideal avenue to
continue educating these young individuals about the importance of maintaining a happy lifestyle and to introduce them to the game of golf.
The kids enjoyed the opportunity to smash a few drivers while also learning
the importance of speed on the putting greens. The Assistants Association
would like to send a very special thank you to Karim McFarlane and the boys
and girls of My Healthy Community. Your energy and excitement made the day one to remember.
Employment Update
We have the following General Manager position available:
 Pine Ridge GC in Coram, NY is seeking a General Manager—Click here for more info
We have the following Head Professional positions outside the section available:
 Echo Lake CC, in Westfield, New Jersey is seeking a Head Professional—Click here for more info
 Southern Hills CC, inTulsa, OK is seeking a Head Golf Professional—Click here for more info We also have a contact for a summer golf camp position:
 Summer children’s camp job in the northeast/ 8 weeks from mid-June. Salaries plus travel expenses, private quar-
ters, room and board. Contact Jerry Halsband at [email protected]. CampCoachRecruiters.com Tel: 914 4222545.
METROPOLITAN SECTION NEWSLETTER
JULY 1, 2014 ~ PAGE 9
Lincoln Women's Met Open Championship
Mon, Jun 30 - Tue, Jul 1 at Waccabuc Country Club
Click Here for Results Lincoln Pro Am Series Results June 16th @ Huntington Click here for
standings
Click here for
standings
Assistants Tour Results June 2nd @ Redding June 9th @ Patriot Hills June 16th @ Garden City June 30th @ Century Long Island Open
The Bridge
June 3-5, 2014
Click here for Results