Well Played
Crystal Springs puts on Major eff ort to make NJ Law
Enforcement Open golf tournament a Master-ful event
Open, in addition to the pairing of Unity
Tour Executive Director Harry Phillips and
Tour executive Matt Palardy. The NJ State
Police and the NYPD also entered teams.
Six teams made the cut for the playoff, cre-
ating a raucous yet appropriate climax for
an event that has become a major happen-
ing for law enforcement golfers. It’s a tradi-
tion unlike any other, a day for the masters
of this domain.
“I’ve never been involved in something
like that playoff with 12 people teeing off
All departments that entered the event had fl ags
made with their patches.
Mark Dubois (left) and Dan Dubois of the Wayne Police Department show the championship trophy
they won at the 2018 NJ Law Enforcement Open.
■ BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
■ PHOTOS BY JIM CONNOLLY
Nearly 100 cops gathered around the tee and green at the 18th hole of Ballyowen Golf
Club at the Crystal Springs Resort in far north Sussex County on July 10 to put their own
special finishing touch on the NJ Law Enforcement Open. The playoff to this second an-
nual festival of law enforcement appreciation, which also raises money for the Police
Unity Tour, featured six two-player teams competing on one final hole to win the tour-
nament.
In golf, such a playoff following 18 holes of grueling play would generate little more
than oohs and aahs from the viewing gallery. But this was law enforcement officers play-
ing golf, and the 100 officers – most of them NJ State PBA members – offered cajoling,
barbs and comments like “don’t choke” or “the guy in the stripes swings like my mother”
as those in the playoff were in the midst of a backswing off the tee or mid-stroke of a putt.
More than 25 PBA Locals sent teams to play in the second annual NJ Law Enforcement
60
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ AUGUST 2018
and 100 people cheering, yelling and en-
couraging,” stated Wayne Local 136 mem-
ber Mark Dubois, who combined with his
brother, Dan, to card the low round of the
day, a 2-under-par 70. “Definitely an in-
tense moment.”
As Morristown Local 43 member Mat-
thew Rawding, who teamed with Bobby
Edwards to get into the playoff with the sec-
ond low round, a 71, observed: “Some of the
cheering wasn’t pro tournament level. But it
was all good fun.”
From Phillips’ point of view: “It was crazy.
People screaming and making fun of any-
thing they could pick out.”
All fore law enforcement
So it was an opportunity for members to
let loose, to let their hair down and enjoy a
day devoted to law enforcement courtesy
of Crystal Springs Chief Marketing Officer
Chris Mulvihill, who decided to create an
unprecedented day of food, fun and golf af-
ter seeing a social media post bashing law
enforcement about 18 months ago. That
he had New Jersey’s No. 1-rated public golf
course and one of its finest resorts to offer
made for a bundle of appreciation that law