Golf is a social sport. Once you’ve teed off, you get to spend the next 3 – 6 hours (depending on the course you’re playing) with three other like-minded souls: those who share your passion for golf.
Golf is social in so many ways. Depending upon how you’ve planned it, you could be golfing with three of your buddies, or with three complete strangers, or some iteration of these two extremes. Either way, you get to share the triumphs and tragedies of your game while building connections with others.
Indeed, to expand the sociability of the golfing experience, many join country clubs. These are clubs with real estate. Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of the golfing public doesn’t have the wherewithal to sink thousands of dollars to bind themselves to the privilege of playing a particular golf course. Luckily for the rest of us, there is the option of playing a broad cross-section of public and semi-private courses while enjoying the benefits of the less expensive option of being members in clubs without real estate.
Clubs without real estate refer to the many golf clubs and associations that have no tie or affiliation to a country club. These clubs afford their members the benefits of the sociability that golf offers, on and off the course, coupled with the thrill of playing multiple golf courses.
One such club without real estate is the New York Lawyers’ Golf Club (“NYLGC”). The Fourth Tee recently conducted a Q&A with its founder, Scott Segal.
Scott Segal (center), founder, NYLGC, flanked by two members. (Photo Courtesy of Scott Segal)
THE FOURTH TEE: Welcome to The Fourth Tee. We’re excited to learn more about the New York Lawyers’ Golf Club. Clearly, since you are the founder, you must also be an attorney. What kind of law do you practice and how long have you been practicing?
SCOTT SEGAL: I practice what I like to call “HR law.” HR stands for Human Resources. I am able to help my clients with all aspects of their human resource departments, including employment and labor law issues, employee benefits and compensation. I have been practicing now for 15 years mostly with the mega-firms, but I went out on my own in 2009 and haven’t looked back.
TFT: Congratulations on your practice. We wish you tremendous success. When did you start playing golf, and what led you to create the NYLGC in 2000?
SS: My dad and my uncle started teaching me golf when I was 11, or so. I started playing with them every Sunday morning when I turned 12. As to the formation of the NYLGC, I created it to mirror a similar club that I belonged to while living in Washington D.C. When I moved back to NY, there wasn’t anything similar where people could compete in friendly tournaments at different golf clubs. So, the NYLGC was formed.
TFT: It would appear from your website that you don’t have to be a lawyer to join the NYLGC, or play in its monthly tournaments. Is that correct? Or are there limitations in the fine print?
SS: Ha! Those sneaky lawyers and their fine print. Well, over the years, it has gotten to the point where many people have heard about the Club and wanted to join. Whether they be friends of people who were in the Club or who found us on Google, many of them weren’t lawyers. So, I decided to “open” up the Club. Plus, since this is also a form of networking, it made sense. So, you don’t need to be a lawyer to join. Also, about the website, I tried to update it last year, and it didn’t work out so great – all of the internal links to the other pages went missing. I will try to get it fixed before too long.
TFT: Did the NYLGC start out exclusively as a lawyers-only golf club? And, if so, when and why did you open it up to non-lawyers.
SS: Even the first year when I opened the NYLGC, we had non-lawyers participate. Back then, it was definitely lawyer-heavy. Now, it is about a 50-50 split between lawyers and non-lawyers.
TFT: On average, how many members do you currently have, and what is the male to female ratio?
SS: That is something that has really changed over the course of the years as well. We have averaged about 30-50 members over the last several years. In the beginning, there were a lot more male players. Over the last five years or so, the split has become a lot more “even.” We get a lot of women from the local EWGA chapters who participate in both clubs.
TFT: EWGA being the Executive Women’s Golf Association (for our readers). What other types of professionals are represented in NYLGC’s membership?
SS: We have all sorts of professionals in the Club. Last year, another group became sort-of an “affiliate” of ours – which is comprised of all MBA holders. So, now we have traders, bankers and corporate executives. We have people who have their own companies. It really is a good mix of people. We also get people of all abilities to play. We have members who shoot in the 70s as well as people who shoot ummmmm… much higher than that.
TFT: Your website states that the NYLGC is “an accredited golf club with the Metropolitan Golf Association and the United States Golf Association.” For our readers who don’t know what that means, please explain.
SS: Only accredited golf clubs can give out “official” handicap indexes to its members. The reason that this is important is that it allows members of the NYLGC to compete in other non-NYLGC tournaments and use their handicap index without question.
TFT: When does your season run?
SS: I used to start the season in March and run it through October. Well, the weather rarely cooperated in March – so I started running the tournaments in April. Even then, we have had a few postponements due to cold. But, I try to set up the 1st event at the end of April and the last tournament at the beginning of October to try to avoid those 40 degree days.
TFT: What are some of the favorite / repeat courses of the NYLGC and why?
SS: We have probably played at least 25-30 different clubs over the years. But, based on my enjoyment of certain golf clubs, as well as the opinions of our members, a few that I come back to year after year are Patriot Hills Golf Club, which is a beautiful course along the Hudson River. Most of the tees are elevated and it runs around a private school that was closed. We also enjoy Wild Turkey Golf Club in New Jersey. It is always in good shape and a very enjoyable course.
TFT: You have a tradition of holding your end-of-season championships at the Long Island National Golf Club in Riverhead, NY on Long Island’s North Fork. What is it about this course that makes it the ideal choice for your championship tournaments?
SS: The course in October is usually in pristine shape. It is a bit difficult when the wind is blowing, but it is a beautiful course particularly with the leaves changing color and all. The course has always treated us well and gives us a nice deal. Plus, we always have a nice hot buffet lunch at the end of the round so it is a nice way to close the year.
TFT: How would you describe the culture of the NYLGC?
SS: The NYLGC is a great group of people. Many of them have been members since the beginning. Most of them are easy going and are there to enjoy each other and a fun round of golf. I have become friends with so many of the members. I think that is a good indicator of how enjoyable the Members are.
TFT: What can we expect by way of course-line up in the NYLGC’s 2011 Season?
SS: I haven’t created it yet – or set the dates. But, you can expect a return to our favorite courses. I am always on the lookout for new courses to play. Last year, we even got to play a private club in Westchester, which was really great.
TFT: What are some of the benefits of becoming a member? How does someone become a member?
SS: The best thing about becoming a member is that you get to play in 7 tournaments at all these different courses. If someone joins a private golf club – it is all good, but you are stuck playing the same course over and over again. With the NYLGC, you will play seven amazing courses in the tri-state region with a great variance in size and shape of the courses. Plus, joining the NYLGC will save you tens of thousands of dollars as opposed to the private courses. Ha ha. To join, just send an email to scott@nylgc.com and let me know you are interested. The cost of membership is only $100 for the year and that includes your membership in the Metropolitan Golf Association. I also provide the ability to pay by a credit card if you need.
TFT: We hope that we have enlightened our readership on the New York Lawyers’ Golf Club and, hopefully, as a result, you will be acquiring some new members!
SS: I hope so too. I really enjoy running the NYLGC and meeting new people. Feel free to email me (scott@nylgc.com) or stop by the New York Lawyers Golf Club’s Facebook page. Thank you.
