The Golfweek Amateur Tour 2012 in Metro, NY!

Metro, NY: The well-established Golfweek Amateur Tour is ready to host tournaments in Metro New York and New Jersey region. The Tour, which provides all amateurs the experience of competitive stroke-play golf, will host a 12 event local schedule that kicks of April 28th, 2012.

Founded in Charlotte, N.C., in 1995, the Golfweek Amateur Tour celebrates its 18^th season in 2012 with more than 45 Tour cities across the country. This year’s Metro NY schedule includes a 2 major tournament and approximately 11-12 one day visits through out Long Island and northern New Jersey..

“Now amateurs can play a Tour just like the pros, without the travel,” said local Tour director Tom Steinmann.  Our events are held locally on weekends, perfect for the average golfer. Our goal is to provide fun, fast, competitive tournaments with affordable pricing on the areas best golf venues. Slow play will be monitored and addressed.

The Golfweek Amateur Tour is for amateurs of all ages and abilities. Members are placed in one of five flights based on handicaps. Flights are: Championship (0-3.9 handicap), A Flight (4-8.9), B Flight (9-13.9), C Flight (14-18.9) and D Flight (19 and over).

Tournament format is gross stroke play, with USGA rules in effect. A software program and web page tracks each player’s Tour handicap to ensure participants are placed in their proper flight. Player Tour handicaps will be monitored throughout the season to field the most competitive flights possible.

Golfers may join the Tour at any time for a $99 seasonal membership fee. That  fee includes a1 year subscription to GOLFWEEK magazine, quality Tour Golf Shirt, Tour hat, Tour card and  a goody gift bag . Membership also allows members to play in local tournaments, as well as any other Golfweek Amateur Tour events around the country.

Tournament entry fees for the Metro NY Golfweek Amateur Tour range from only $110-$150 for single day events. Those fees include cart and green fees, range balls and the Prize pool. There will also be separate sponsored par- three contests and an optional skins game at each event. Crystal trophies will also be up for grabs for the winners of each flight at every Tournament. Results and points standings are posted within 48 hours at www.amateurgolftour.net.

Golfers who qualify receive invitations to the 2012 Golfweek Amateur Golf Tour Championship 54 hole event, Oct. 21-23rd at Palmetto Dunes Resort and Palmetto Hall Plantation in Hilton Head, S.C. The 2011 results are now posted on the web page in which over 600 qualifiers competed on 7different golf courses.

For info, call Tom Steinmann at (516)-360-7368,  metrony@amateurgolftour.net  or visit www.amateurgolftour.net.

		2012 METRO NY SCHEDULE
DATE								ENTRY FEE
04/28/12		ATLANTIC CITY CC – Northfield, NJ						$150.-
		“Joint Event with Philly Metro Tour”				11AM
05/05/12		LONG ISLAND NATIONAL GC						$120.-
			Riverhead , NY		11:00am
05/20/12	**Sunday**	CEDARBROOK COUNTRY CLUB						$135.-
			Old Brookville, NY		12:30 PM
06/02/12		BETHPAGE “OPEN” 2012 – RED Course					Includes Lunch	$150.-
		Bethpage State Park , NY			11:00am
06/09/12	2 Day	GREAT GORGE GC			10:00am		Double Point
06/10/12	Event	WILD TURKEY GC			10:00am		Event	$265.-
		Crystal Springs Resort – Hamburg, NJ
		“Joint Event with Philly Metro Tour”
06/24/12	**Sunday**	WILLOW CREEK GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB						$125.-
			Mt. Sinai, NY		11:00am
07/07/12		LA TOURETTE GOLF CLUB						$120.-
			Staten Island, NY		10:00am
07/21/12		BETHPAGE STATE PARK – BLUE Course					Includes Lunch	$150.-
			Bethpage, NY		11:00am
08/04/12		HERON GLEN GOLF CLUB						$110.-
			Ringoes, NJ		11:00am
		“Joint Event with Philly Metro Tour”
08/25/12		TIMBER POINTE GOLF CLUB					Includes Lunch	$120.-
			Great River, NY		11:00am
09/08/12		WINDWATCH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB						$125.-
			Hauppauge,NY		11:00am
09/22/12		“METRO NY TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP”					Double Point	$120.-
			Long Island National GC				Event
			Riverhead, NY		11:00am
### Tournament Entry Fee Includes -Greens Fee,Cart, Range Balls & Prize Fund ###
	***Registration Closes 5 Days Prior to Tournament Date***

THE 1ST LONG ISLAND NATIONAL HICKORY OPEN

The 1st Long Island National Hickory Open will take place September 17 -18 in Riverhead, NY at the beautiful Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed course – Long Island National.

If you have never experienced Hickory Golf…..Golf the way it was played 100 years ago.  You really do owe it to yourself to check it out.  It is the most fun I have ever had on a golf course.  Every shot is struck with 100 years of golfing history….as you will be playing with ORIGINAL pre-1930 hickory clubs.  ( Inexpensive rental sets are available for everyone).  It is golf, the way is was meant to be.  Played from approximately 6,100 yards…the course will still provide a fun, challenging experience for all players.

As a golfer for over 40 years, and a tournament player for over 20 years, I plan on making this event a very fun, entertaining, enjoyable time for all.  Beautiful, large antique trophies and medals will be presented.  Proceeds from the event will go to various children’s golf charities including The First Tee of Metropolitan NY.

I am looking forward to seeing some of my Golf Channel friends and making some new ones at the tournament.  Please feel free to call Brian Schuman at 516-369-2195 or email me at brianschuman@gmail.com for more information.

To learn more click this link  to view the tournament flyer  LONG ISLAND NATIONAL HICKORY OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLYER, or visit the tournament website at:  www.longislandhickoryopen.com.  The web site is being updated daily with new information.

I hope you can join in the fun!

The NYLGC Invites to you a Golf Outing at Hollow Brook Country Club, Westchester, New York — Saturday, July 16th. Sign up Today!

Courtesy of the NYLGC

The New York Lawyers Golf Club (“NYLGC”) is very happy to announce that it has secured the Club to play at the absolutely gorgeous, private club, Hollow Brook Country Club, in Cortlandt Manor, NY (northern Westchester County).  As you know, getting to play at private clubs for any group is always a challenge, particularly on the weekends, but, we will be playing on Saturday, July 16th in the afternoon.

The price to play is $200 a player.  This amount also includes a beautiful lunch before our golf, and then drinks and snacks after the round.  The lunch will consist of a seafood station and a carving station, dessert, sodas and beer.  Lunch starts around 12:30 p.m. and then our round will start around 2:00 (shotgun start).  I understand that this is a little pricier than we normally play, but playing at this private club should be worth it.

The one caveat that I have to say is that I will require everyone to pay in advance.  You can pay by credit card through PayPal – the cost via PayPal is $207 ( the extra $7 charge is the PayPal fee) – or you can mail a check to:

The New York Lawyers Golf Club
18 W. View Drive
Upper Brookville, NY 11771

We are fairly limited in space so please put this on your calendar and sign up to play.

If you have any questions please contact Scott Segal as follows:

www.nylgc.com
scott@nylgc.com
(917) 282-1888

I look forward to seeing you on the 16th!

This just in! – Golf Outing At Clearview Golf Course, NYC – June 24th

St Lukes, where my son goes to school, has their annual fund raiser golf outing tomorrow, June 24th, at Clearview Golf Course starting at 12:30PM.   About 60 golfers. $75 includes golf, lunch, soda and Cervesa.  Would love to have you and any players you would like to bring.  Your support would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dennis Katsefes
917-364-3276

MCCA’s 8th Annual GCI Diversity Leadership Summit, Doral Resort & Spa, Miami Florida (Thursday, April 14, 2011 – Saturday, April 16, 2011)

(Used with permission of the MCCA)

Every spring, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (“MCCA”) hosts The General Counsel Invitational (“GCI”) Diversity Leadership Summit.  This three-day event is held at the Doral Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida.

The purpose of the GCI, according to MCCA, is to be “the sole fundraiser for the MCCA Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program through which MCCA distributes over $160,000 in scholarships annually to outstanding students to pursue careers in law.”  Who is Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr.?  Mr. Johnson is a former executive director of MCCA whose efforts, aimed at improving diversity in the legal profession, helped found MCCA in the mid-1990s.

The GCI combines the camaraderie and competition of golf with educational panels geared toward the issues facing in-house counsel.

But, notwithstanding the above, MCCA welcomes everyone to the event (“This event is open to all that would like to attend!”) and offers great opportunities for business networking.

(Used with permission of the MCCA)

The marquee golf event of the GCI is the Lawyers’ Cup Challenge, now in its 5th year.  This year’s Lawyers’ Cup Challenge will be held on Thursday, April 14, 2011 on Doral’s Gold Course.

To learn more about attending MCCA’s 8th Annual General Counsel Invitational Diversity Leadership Summit and participating in the Lawyers’ Cup Challenge, visit MCCA’s website at http://www.mcca.com/golf.  You can also visit them on Facebook to see photos from past GCI events.

REAL COMPETITION FOR REGULAR GOLFERS – An Interview with Paul C. Gomez, Tour Director, The Golf Channel Amateur Tour, Arkansas

(Courtesy of Paul C. Gomez, Tour Director, The Golf Channel Amateur Tour of Arkansas)

Unlike some amateur competitions that impose a handicap threshold for competing and, in the process, eliminate the vast amount of otherwise willing golfers, The Golf Channel Amateur Tour (“GCAT”) (http://www.thegolfchannel.com/amateurtour) welcomes all golfers, regardless of handicap.  Instead, the GCAT levels the competition’s playing field by assigning flights to golfers of the same general playing ability.

The GCAT categorizes its flights as either Open Flights or Senior Flights (50+) and, within in these two master flights, golfers are then flighted according to their handicap.  There are six such flights:  Championship:  0-3.9; Palmer: 4.0-7.9; Hogan: 8.0-11.9; Sarazen: 12.0-15.9; Jones: 16.0-19.9; Snead: 20.0-(+).  The Senior Tour is flighted with the same handicap range, but the flight names are qualified by the category:  Senior Championship, Senior Palmer, Senior Hogan, Senior Sarazen, Senior Jones, and Senior Snead.

The GCAT boasts tours all over the U.S. and culminates in a national championship annually.  This year’s national championships – the 2010 National Championship and the Sr. 2010 National Championship – were held in Florida, over the course of several days in late September, and spread out over some amazing courses:  TPC at Sawgrass – Stadium Course; St. John’s Golf & Country Club; TPC at Sawgrass – Valley Course; and World Golf Village – Slammer & Squire.

To learn more about the GCAT from a particular tour’s perspective, The Fourth Tee interviewed Paul C. Gomez, Tour Director for The Golf Channel Amateur Tour of Arkansas (“GCAT of Arkansas” or “Tour”).

Paul C. Gomez, Tour Director, The Golf Channel Amateur Tour of Arkansas (Photo Courtesy of Paul C. Gomez)

THE FOURTH TEE: Welcome to The Fourth Tee and thank you for talking with us.  I guess, the first logical question is:  How long have you been playing golf?

PAUL GOMEZ: I started playing golf as a boy, but gave it up for tennis. After college I picked up the sticks again and was terrible. I stayed that way a long time. I now play to a 5.6 index.

TFT: For someone who stayed terrible for a long time, The Fourth Tee says a 5.6 index is an outstanding achievement.  Since you’ve been playing, have you played in any competitions (golf outings don’t count) in GCAT and otherwise?

PG: I have always played competitive golf – whether it’s a weekend round with my foursome, or an official event.  I started playing the GCAT a few years ago and thoroughly loved the experience.

TFT: What is it that drew you to the GCAT?  What makes it different than any other amateur competition?

PG: I loved the idea of playing only against a small range of golfers of similar ability.  It was like being a member of multiple golf clubs with an already arranged match every time I played.

TFT: How, why, and when did you become Tour Director of the GCAT of Arkansas?

PG: In 2008, my wife’s parents settled in Rogers, Arkansas, and we decided to help them move in.  She was about ready to leave New York City.  It so happened there was no GCAT in Arkansas so I started inquiring and they were interested in starting one here.  The fact that I’d played on the tour was an advantage!  So we moved here in January of 2009 and I immediately started the Tour.

TFT: In which Arkansas city is your Tour based?

PG: I live in Rogers which is part of the larger region called Northwest Arkansas.  It is part of a region of at least half a million people.  Consequently, it is the center from which I started growing the Tour.

TFT: Are Tour competitions limited to just that city, or do you mix it up?

PG: We play all over the state, and parts of Missouri (Branson) and Oklahoma.

TFT: How long is your season?  When does it restart?

PG: We start as soon as it’s warm enough – middle March.  We play through October.  We have a couple of “silly season” events through the winter if the weather allows.

TFT: How large is the membership of your Tour? Compared to other tours in the country, how does it rank in size?

PG: We have approximately 60 members.  We are just starting our third year.  Some tours are very large (New York, Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth).  Our Tour is fairly average size.

TFT: What is the most challenging course you’ve held a GCAT of Arkansas competition on to date?

PG: Challenging is in the eye of the beholder right?  Objectively (by the numbers), the Payne Stewart Golf Club in Branson is very challenging.  It’s cut right out of the Ozarks and is a beautiful course with tremendous elevation changes and amazing greens.   We also play a private course in Ft. Smith called Hardscrabble which hosts a John Daly event.  It’s a classic golf course designed by the same architect that designed Colonial golf club, home of Ben Hogan!

TFT: For our readers in your geographic range, how can they learn more about GCAT of Arkansas?  Is there a website?

PG: Our website can be found on the main GCAT site – www.gcamtour.com – from which a drop down menu locates our Tour.

TFT: Does the GCAT of Arkansas have its own championship event?

PG: Yes, we have a year end, two day event every year!  At the end, we crown a flight champion per flight.

TFT: Has any of your Tour members made a strong showing at the national championship?

PG: Yes, we’ve placed as highly as 8th in a flight, 10th, and 12th.

TFT: Finally, what is the ratio of male to female members on your Tour?

PG: I have a host of female golfers ‘on the edge’ of joining – but they keep waiting on each other to join!  Frankly, the Tour is male heavy.  We do have women who play around the country – with several competing at nationals.   We are making a concerted effort to reach women by standardizing teeing grounds.  It’s a challenge to create an equitable competitive environment where men and women can compete equally.

TFT: The Fourth Tee thanks you again for granting this interview.

PG: Best of luck to you and to your readers!

TFT: Thank you!