Jeffrey R. Holzschuh Named 2024 Distinguished Service Award Winner
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (November 14, 2024) – The Metropolitan Golf Association is pleased to announce Jeffrey R. Holzschuh as the recipient of its 2024 Distinguished Service Award. Holzschuh, who served as the President of the MGA and Chair of the MGA Foundation, will be celebrated for his countless contributions to the MGA and the game of golf at the MGA’s 127th Annual Meeting and Dinner, December 4 at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y.
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For more than 30 years, Holzschuh has served in a host of roles for the MGA as well as other golf organizations including the USGA, the R&A, the PGA of America, and First Tee – Metropolitan New York.
Holzschuh first became involved in the MGA in 1992 as a member of its long-range planning committee. He was later named to the Board of Directors, served as MGA president and chair of the MGA Foundation, and captained two international teams during his presidency in 2013 and 2014.
His positions with the USGA have included serving on the World Amateur Golf Ranking Committee, including three years as its chair, and the championship committee’s international team selection committee.
He is currently involved with the R&A Foundation, as a member of its Founder’s Club, and with the PGA of America, Holzschuh was a member of the President’s Advisory Committee and the Ryder Cup Committee in New York.
“Jeff is a person of incredible insight and influence who’s served as an ambassador for the game and mentored those who’ve led our organization for many years,” says Brian Mahoney, MGA Executive Director/CEO. “Jeff’s passion for making a difference has made an indelible mark on Met Area golf and me personally. Our game and organization are better thanks to our friend Shoe,” Mahoney adds, using Holzschuh’s nickname.
Holzschuh, a member at The Stanwich Club and Winged Foot Golf Club, is the chairman of institutional securities at Morgan Stanley. He’s brought his strong leadership abilities and acumen to the MGA, where is he currently the chair of the MGA’s business development committee and an emeritus member of the MGA Foundation’s Board of Directors, and has dedicated countless hours to the association.
In 2022, the Holzschuh Library opened at the MGA’s Golf Central headquarters in Elmsford, N.Y. The space serves as a special opportunity to both preserve history and celebrate the longtime support and generosity of Holzschuh. Thanks to his support of preserving the MGA’s rich history, the library is home to books, historical data, trophies, and additional resources.
In terms of his leadership style, Holzschuh is at once inclusive, candid, and action-oriented, says Michael Sullivan, a past MGA president. “Let’s make decisions, and let’s get better,” Sullivan quotes Holzschuh as being fond of saying at the board table. “Let’s not sit around and continue to debate things.”
“One thing I’d say over the 30 years that’s most impressive is, no matter what the decision was – how hard, how long it took, how much potential disagreement or consternation there might be – the answer was always, ‘What’s best for golf?’” Holzschuh says. “It was never, ‘What’s best for one club, one region of the MGA, or the MGA?’ Always, ‘What’s best for golf?’”
The MGA Distinguished Service Award, created in 1973, is presented annually to a candidate who has contributed “distinguished service to golf and its related activities, consistent with the valued standards and honorable traditions of the game.” Some of its earliest winners include Joe Dey, Harry Cooper, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and P.J. Boatwright, while names such as Dave Anderson, David Fay, Jimmy Roberts, Suzy Whaley, Jay Mottola, Jim Nantz, Dan Hicks, Mike Davis, and Al Small have received the honor in recent years. The MGA is proud to honor Holzschuh as the latest recipient of its Distinguished Service Award.