9 minute read

A Stroll Through History

from Apawamis Now Winter 2022

by Apawamis News

from Apawamis Now Winter 2022, page 22

From the Archives: Famous Arch...

Apawamis Now Winter 2022 Edition

BY JAMES ONDO, PGA, HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL

Of all of the traditions we are fortunate to celebrate at Apawamis, there may be no more important tradition than championship golf. Championship golf is embedded in the DNA and culture of our Club and golf program. Apawamis has one of the richest traditions of championship golf that you can find at any club in the United States. Not only do we possess a wonderful tradition as a venue for hosting championship golf events, but we also have a tremendous history of a strong playing membership and professional staff. Let’s take a brief stroll through our history…

CHAMPIONSHIP VENUE

From our founding in 1890, Apawamis has played an integral role in the history of American golf. The proof lies in the Club’s willingness and ability to host significant events through the years. Hosting the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1911 was a major highlight at a time when the U.S. Amateur was considered a “major” and one of the most important golf tournaments in the world. Harold Hilton not only won the 1911 U.S. Amateur at Apawamis, but also won the British Amateur in the same year—being the only British player to accomplish this feat. Hosting the 1911 U.S. Amateur brought all of the game’s greats to Rye, NY, including notable players such as Francis Ouimet, Chick Evans, and Walter Travis. Hosting an event of this prominence is certainly a highlight of our history and put Apawamis on a path to hosting significant events in the future.

Some of the other prominent events we have hosted in our history include the following:

• 1901, 1909, 1915, 1920, and 1950 Met Amateur

• 1903-1905 Women’s MGA Championship

• 1905-Present U.S. Seniors’ Golf Association Annual Championship

• 1909 & 1928 NCAA Championships

• 1911 U.S. Amateur Championship

• 1912 Met Open

• 1935, 1966, 1972, 1985, 1991, 2003, and 2006 Met Junior Championship

• 1970 U.S. Girls’ Junior

• 1971 Met Senior Amateur

• 1978 Curtis Cup

• 1980, 2002, and 2015 Westchester PGA Championship

• 2005 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

• 2020 Westchester Open

More recently, in 2021, Apawamis held the Women’s Met Open, hosting the finest professional and amateur players in the region. The event was won by Ami Gianchandani, a junior at Yale University, with a two-day total of 1-under par.

In 2022, we are scheduled to host the New York State Open Qualifier at the end of June. These events are a great way for Apawamis to give back to the golf community, showcase our wonderful facilities, inspire our members to compete, and continue to build our championship heritage. I look forward to working with the Golf Committee to continue adding to our history by hosting significant events in the years to come.

MEMBER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Apawamis has a remarkable tradition of members playing at an elite level throughout the many generations in our storied history. Allie Reid, our five-time club champion, is currently carrying the Apawamis torch on the national golf scene. Allie has qualified for the 2016 and 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships and certainly has a bright future ahead. Sam Lerner and Jeff Pike qualified for the 2020 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, to be played at Philadelphia Cricket Club, which was unfortunately canceled due to COVID.

Allie and our current generation of competitive golfers follow in the footsteps of some legendary Apawamis figures who were accomplished players and made significant contributions to the game of golf. A few of our Apawamis members who excelled in championship golf include the following individuals:

• Findlay Douglas: 1898 U.S. Amateur Champion, 1901 & 1903 Met Amateur Champion, President of the USGA (1929-1930), 1959 USGA Bob Jones Award Recipient, six-time Apawamis Club Champion

• Genevieve Hecker: 1901 & 1902 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion, published “Golf for Women” in 1904 – the first book ever written exclusively for female golfers

• Ellis Knowles: 1907 Intercollegiate Champion, multiple time U.S. Amateur contestant, six-time U.S. Seniors’ Champion, Crump Cup Champion, 16-time Apawamis Club Champion

• Leonard Martin: 1931 Met Amateur Champion, six-time Apawamis Club Champion

**Father-Son Tournament at the Garden City Club: (L to R) R.N. Martin, Leonard Martin, Jess Sweetser, and George Sweetser. Picture courtesy of USGA2. Miller Barber3. Willie Anderson4. Gene Sarazen**

• Jack Selby: 1948 Masters Tournament Participant, five-time Apawamis Club Champion

• Marion “Sis” Choate: 1963 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Champion, 1974 Curtis Cup Captain, 22-time Apawamis Club Champion

• Jean Crawford: 1965 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion, 1962, 1966, and 1968 Curtis Cup Team Member, 1972 Curtis Cup Captain, 13-time Club Champion

• Tom Fox: 1974 U.S. Amateur Contestant, 2014 New York City Senior Amateur Champion, 1978 Apawamis Club Champion

• Mark Mulvoy: 1999 U.S. Senior Amateur Contestant, Former Editor of Sports Illustrated and author of four golf instruction books, 1977 Apawamis Club Champion

• Tod Pike: President of the MGA (2019-2020), eight-time Apawamis Club Champion

We are fortunate to have an amazing roster of members playing at a high level at Apawamis and abroad, with the list of accomplishments too long for this article. It is fun to watch our current generation teeing it up in competitive events, at Apawamis and around the country each season. It is also a blast watching our next generation learn valuable skills throughout the season in our incredible junior golf offerings, including our AJGA/Elite programs, PGA Junior League, and Interclub teams.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

We also boast a proud lineage of former golf professionals that have honed their games at Apawamis over the last 125 years. There is no doubt playing our challenging golf course prepared these professionals to play at a higher level on some of the biggest stages in golf. I am sure putting on our quick and undulating greens on a daily basis made it easier for these professionals to make putts when it mattered most! Below are some of the professionals who have found success during and after their tenure at Apawamis:

• Willie Anderson (Head Professional 1902-1905): Four-time U.S. Open Champion, Member of the World Golf Hall of Fame

• Gene Sarazen (Former Caddie): Winner of the career “Grand Slam”, seven-time major champion, World Golf Hall of Fame Member

• Jack Patroni (Head Professional 1946-1971): 1964 Met Open Champion, Member of the Met PGA Hall of Fame

• Miller Barber (Assistant Professional 1961-1962): 11-time PGA Tour Winner, 24-time Champions Tour Winner, two-time Ryder Cup team member

• Frank Cardi (Head Professional 1971-1988): 1952 Ohio Amateur Champion, President of the PGA of America 1979-1980, PGA of America Hall of Fame Member

It is special to see the shared success of our members and professionals in championship golf events over our long history at Apawamis. For many, “championship golf ” may not be teeing it up in a USGA National Championship or winning the Club Championship. Your high-level golf experience may be participating in the Governors’ Cup, WMGA Matches, or Junior Club Championship. It does not matter what the event or venue may be, if you are willing to go out and play as hard as you can and post a number next to your name on the scoreboard after your round, I have the utmost respect for you. Sometimes golf can be hard; competitive golf is that much more challenging.

However, there is nothing better than executing on the golf course when it matters most. Whatever your “championship golf ” may be, my hope is that you work as hard as your time allows to give you the best chance of performing your best!

The support that the membership, Board, and Golf and Green Committees have shown with capital improvements to our golf facilities have put us in a great position to provide our membership with amazing playing conditions on a daily basis and give us the ability to host more significant championships in the future. I do not want to speak for Mike, but I know he wants to create the best championship venue possible at Apawamis. I see how excited he and his team get when preparing for events like the Westchester Open, U.S. Seniors’ Championship, or Men’s and Ladies’ Club Championships.

Our professional staff thoroughly enjoys and takes great pride in working with all of our members to elevate their games to the next level, including our junior athletes who are looking to become the next “Sis” Choate or Ellis Knowles. We are also committed to working on our own games to honor the legacy that our previous professionals have created through the years.

January 2022 marks the beginning of my tenth season at Apawamis, and I could not be more grateful to be your golf professional. I got into the “golf business” because I love to play golf (especially competitive golf), I love to teach golf, and I genuinely enjoy people. Thank you for making it so easy for me to fit into the tremendous culture that we all share at Apawamis. I greatly appreciate all of your support and thank you for continuing our strong tradition of championship golf at Apawamis. I am looking forward to another great year with all of you—and I look forward to watching you tee it up in your next “major”!

This article is from:

Apawamis Now Winter 2022

by Apawamis News