MGA Foundation Update
MGA Foundation Update
The MGA Foundation is in full swing for 2008 with a Spring full of activity and exciting events and programs.
Our Spring Educational Series concluded one of its most successful seasons ever, following a month-long program of educational events. These programs are designed to educate club leaders and the golfing public about a wide range of topics of interest to Met Area golfers including the Rules of Golf, handicapping procedures, new technology, key issues being faced by clubs and MGA and MGA Foundation services and programs. The MGA also participated in three successful Met Area golf shows - including one at the Jacob Javits Center on April 4-6, where a the MGA offered the use of a golf simulator which proved a big hit with the golfing public.
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The Foundation’s many junior initiatives are also off to a great start this season and will impact thousands of young lives throughout the season.
Caddie Academies
More than 500 youngsters participated in the MGA Foundation’s annual Caddie Academies at nine Met Area clubs from April 7 through April 23, 2008. Begun in 1995, these one-day, after-school programs include classroom instruction and on-course training that focuses on proper caddie technique and golf course etiquette. Held at participating Met Area courses, they are open to all Met Area youth, are free of charge, and all participants receive certificates of completion which assist the teens with obtaining employment at area golf clubs. These instructional academies are conducted by members of the MGA staff with the help of local caddie masters and golf professionals. The MGA is one of the country’s leading golf associations in its efforts to promote caddies as a vital part of the golf experience.
The First Tee of Metropolitan New York (TFTMNY) programming has begun at our five sites throughout the Metropolitan Area and expects to expose more than 3000 young people to First Tee instruction and Life Skills Training in 2008. As always, many First Tee participants will also have the opportunity to partake in special events like First Tee Days at private clubs, junior clinics and competitive tournaments, designed to broaden their golf experiences and enhance their appreciation of all the game has to offer. First Tee students are also exposed to other opportunities like mentoring, college scholarships and career training.
A few highlights from our Spring Calendar:
First Tee on NBC
On Sunday, April 27th NBC weathercaster SallyAnn Mosey broadcast her weekend weather show from Mosholu Golf Course in The Bronx, N.Y., home of The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. The show featured six two-minute spots highlighting First programming initiatives and included interviews with many of the program’s enthusiastic young participants. In spite of the damp cold weather Ms. Mosely did a great job of capturing the spirit behind this important youth initiative.
Chelsea Piers
(Picture) On Friday, May 16th the First Tee MNY hosted a charity benefit for young professionals called “19th Hole above the Hudson” at Chelsea Piers Sports Center, home of The First Tee of New York City. The event held at the magnificent Sunset Terrace ballroom at Chelsea Piers included a reception, dancing and some fabulous silent auction items with proceeds benefiting The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. About 200 were in attendance at the event which raised over $$$$ and introduced a new generation of supporters to the benefits of giving back to the game,
Deepdale Lew Rudin Charity Classic
- On Monday, May 19th Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, NY hosted the fifth annual Lew Rudin Charity Golf Classic. The event is conducted by Bill Rudin and the Rudin family in memory of their father, the late Lew Rudin, former New York City real estate maganate, one of the driving forces behind the creation of the First Tee and namesake of the Lew Rudin Learning Center at Mosholu. The event is one of the season’s most successful charity benefits and traditionally raises over $200,000 in a single day for the First Tee and for an NYU four year scholarship awarded annually to a First Tee participant.
USGA Scholar Athlete Games
- First Tee Participants Joe Lee of Mosholu and John Conlon of Eisenhower Park on Long Island were recently selected to represent NY in the 2008 USGA Scholar Athlete Games scheduled from June 28 - July 5 in Kingston, Rhode Island. Approximately 1,500 athletes representing all 50 states are projected to compete in the Games for which the USGA has provided 25 scholarships to participants involved in USGA-supported golf programs around the country. The 2008 United States Scholar-Athlete Games are operated by the Institute for International Sport (IIS). USGA scholarship winners will participate in the golf competition which will be modeled after the Ryder Cup. To supplement the friendly competition of the Games, participants will be asked to take part in educational activities and will have an opportunity to hear presentations from guest speakers former Secretary of State Colin Powell and author Elie Wiesel.
GOLFWORKS:
The MGA Foundation’s Golfworks Program is also off to a great start this season with more than 240 students and 90 Met Area clubs expected to participate in its popular student intern program. The Foundation is pleased to Welcome back HIP Health Plans as a 2008 sponsor of five Golfworks interns as well as corporate partners Astoria Federal, Wachovia Bank and MetLife. For information on how you or your group can become a Golfworks sponsor contact Jeanne McCooey at 914-347-4653.
The Foundation always like to share stories of its GOLFWORKS grads who successes underscore the positive influence GOLFWORKS can have on the lives of young people.
Alum News
Kinglsey Bayou - Forest Hill Field Club; Class of 2004 - will be working as a a full time assistant golf professional at Mountain Ridge CC in West Caldwell NJ. Kingsley a native of Liberia, was hired by Mountain Ridge professional Len Siter in 2005 after a brief meeting at the Foundation Day of Golf in 2007. Len is also helping Kingsley work toward his PGA certification. Four other interns, tktktktktktk, are currently enrolled in the PGM programs and are working towards PGA certification.
Hamilton Lopes - Mosholu Golf Course, Class of 2004 -attended SUNY Cobbleskill and received a degree in Agronomy. He is now working as assistant golf course superintendent for Craig Currier at Bethpage State Park and will be involved in the preparation of the famed Black Course course for the 2009 U.S. Open. Two other GOLFWORKS alum are currently in school studying agronomy, Thomas Gurdak and Steven LoPena (Quaker Ridge) a career path they chose as a direct result of their exposure to GOLFWORKS. In 2007 former intern Trapper Van Dunk was hired as head Golf Course superintendent at Leewood Golf Club in Eastchester NY.
Randy Taylor - Brooklawn CC, Class of 2002 - recently named as Director of Programming at The First Tee of Connecticut at Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course in Bridgeport. Randy was introduced to the game through GOLFWORKS and came back two years later to work as an assistant instructor at The First Tee in 2006. Randy will now oversee all First tee of MNY programming in Fairfield County.
HIP Intern
Patricia Leung - Mosholu GC, Class of 2007 - Patricia Leung will be working at the New York City headquarters of HIP Health Plans this summer as an intern in the XXXX department in preparation for a financial career. She was one of five students sponsored by HIP Health Plans in 2006 and 2007 and worked worked closely with The First Tee junior program on site at Mosholu. An avid golfer, she has just completed her first year at University of Michigan.
Gilbert Nunez and George Espinal – Class of 2007 will move on to internships at the FBI for the Future Agents in Training Youth Academy. Gilbert and George will be working at the Washington office to learn investigative tactics including gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and working with a team to capture criminals. Last year Gilbert worked at the Mosholu Golf Course with superintendent Bob Buckmaster. George worked at the Leewood Golf Club in 2007 for fellow GOLFWORKS alum, and Leewood head superintendent, Trapper Van Dunk.
WMGA Scholars:
An congratulations to our current interns Monica Diaz (Fairchild Wheeler, Bridgeport, Ct); Taisha Clark of Mosholu Golf Course, Bronx NY and Caityn DeWitt (Ridgeway, White Plains, NY who all just received scholarship grants from the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association. More than 30 interns have also received Scholarship grants from the Westchester Golf Association since 2002.Congratulations to all our outstanding interns.
Day of Golf
The MGA Foundation held its 14th annual “Day of Golf” outing Century Country Club on Tuesday May 20th. The event was attended by more than 100 players and raised in excess of $100,000 for the MGA Foundation’s popular student intern program. Due to the generosity of Century CC nearly all of those funds will go directly to the support of GOLFWORKS and its efforts to provide meaningful work experiences and exposure to the game of golf to more than 240 students annually. Following their round of golf on Century’s famed Colt & Alison layout in Purchase, NY participants had the opportunity to meet GOLFWORKS graduates Randy Taylor and Monica Diaz who provided guests with insight into the impact that GOLFWORKS has had on their lives
Junior Clinics
The MGA Foundation conducted the first of three annual MGA/MetLife Junior Clinics on Saturday, May 16th during the LPGA Tour’s Sybase Classic at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, NJ. Sixty kids from the The First Tee of Essex County at Weequahic Park, were treated to a one hour instructional clinic and had an opportunity to watch some of the world’s best women professionals in action. Metlife’s affable mascot Snoopy was also on hand to welcome and mingle with the days young particiants.
The next clinic is schedule for Tuesday June 3rd ay Golf House in far Hill New where 100 kids from various area youth programs will be part of a day long celebration at the grand opening of the Arnold Palmer Museum. The third clinic will be conducted on Monday, August 18th at CC of Fairfield in conjunction with the MGA/Metlife Caddie Scholarship Pro Am. These clinics are part of a joint diversity initiative with MetLife whose partnership with the MGA dates back to 1980 and is one of the longest running sponsorships in sports. Met Life also sponsors eight MGA championships including its Junior championship, the oldest junior championship in the nation.
