This article was originally featured in the February/March edition of The Met Golfer.
EASTCHESTER, N.Y. (March 4, 2022) — Since 1994, GOLFWORKS, the MGA Foundation’s cornerstone program, has done many things. It has introduced young adults to the sport of golf, provided meaningful paid internships each summer, developed positive skills for interns, and enabled clubs to interact with their communities in a beneficial way. And in the case of GOLFWORKS alumni Morgan Goodman and Richard DiPasquale, the program also served as an inadvertent matchmaker.
Related: Feb/Mar Met Golfer | GOLFWORKS
Now a couple living near Los Angeles, Goodman and DiPasquale met for the first time when they were both part of the GOLFWORKS program at Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, N.Y. The two Eastchester natives were students at the Kevin Chin Golf Academy based out of Lake Isle, and then transitioned to the role of instructor in the same program. Their backgrounds in the sport were very different.
“I grew up in a golf family,” says Goodman. “Both my grandparents on my dad’s side play, my dad and all my cousins do as well. I have a picture when I was three holding a golf club with my grandfather.”
For DiPasquale, the introduction to golf was more gradual. “Not many people in my family played,” he says.
“My dad was a very casual golfer and I played mini-golf, which I loved, when I went down to the shore to visit my grandparents, but I didn’t really start learning the sport until I was in fifth grade.”
Both honed their skills under the tutelage of Kevin Chin at Lake Isle.
“They are as good as they come,” says Chin. “They came to my program as little kids and then stayed on to work it for a few years as instructors. What stands out to me was how sweet they both were.”
Goodman and DiPasquale spent four years together in the GOLFWORKS program. They then went their separate ways to college: Rich attended Manhattan College, while Morgan ventured to the Philadelphia area for four years at Villanova. They both landed back in the Met Area with jobs after college, and that’s when a friendship born on the course turned into a relationship off the course.
“It’s funny how we met,” said Goodman. “We actually bumped into each other on the train. Rich was late and took the wrong train, I took a different one than usual, and as fate would have it we ran into each other then…. We talked about the last time we saw each other and some of the fun times at Lake Isle.”
Now, roughly five years after that day on the train, the two have established careers, a strong relationship, and a new home on the West Coast. Rich works as an engineer for Jaros, Baum and Bolles, while Morgan has stayed closer to sports, currently working for Octagon, a sports marketing agency. Both have carved out a successful career path early in life, and Rich says a big part of that stems from things they learned in the GOLFWORKS program.
“First of all, golf teaches you so much about life lessons,” he says. “It’s such an individual sport, truly the only sport that is 100% individual and that lends itself to learning a lot about yourself when you play. I would say that Lake Isle and our experience there definitely helped us learn a lot of lessons on the course, but more importantly off the course.”
With Lake Isle holding such a special place in their hearts, the two make a point to return there as often as they can. It’s harder now with them being based on the West Coast, but a trip back to see their families in Eastchester always means a visit to Lake Isle.
“It’s so great to go back and see everyone that meant so much to us and still mean a lot to us,” says Goodman. “We have a great relationship with Kevin and have seen him at the club and gone out to lunch with him a few times as well.”
“Just a huge thank you to the Lake Isle staff, Kevin and also Dave Stevenson who is the head pro there,” says DiPasquale. “What Kevin and Dave have done with that community, turning a pretty nice town course into a spot that we will always remember, it’s really incredible.”
Rich and Morgan’s visits to Lake Isle don’t just end with pleasantries; they carry on to the course. The couple continues to play golf together like they did before they were a couple; they don’t play serious matches, they say, but there’s always a little something on the line.
“We’ve had a lot of shared experiences as a couple, but those shared experiences with Kevin and the GOLFWORKS program are just as special as anything else,” says Goodman. “It’s such a great program [and] we were really happy to be a part of it.”
Rich says the GOLFWORKS program and his bond with Morgan make Lake Isle one of his favorite places to be.
“There are just so many memories there,” says DiPasquale. “I really can’t say enough good things about Lake Isle and the people there.”
For DiPasquale another memory stands out as well, a more individual memory: “I actually have two hole in ones in my golf career. Both of them have come at Lake Isle. One on hole seven and one on hole 14.”
“I always joke that it would be great if I could get one at Lake Isle too,” Goodman adds.
Ten years after they first met, Goodman and DIPasquale are still creating memories on and off the course.
