The CSGA Links Volume 3 Issue 2 May, 2015 | Page 4

FIRST SHOT
Message from the CSGA Executive Director

T

his is the third century in which the
Connecticut State Golf Association has
conducted golf championships throughout
our state. Going all the way back to 1899, it’s hard to
believe our record of crowning state golf champions
predates the Teddy Roosevelt administration, and the
Wright Brothers’ invention of the airplane.

I’m not old enough to remember Robert Pryde,
the CSGA’s first Executive Director, but I do remember
his successor, Widdy Neale. Mr. Neale served the
CSGA with distinction for 40 years until his retirement
in 1986. With the help of his lead administrator, Terry
Calabrese, and many outstanding Rules officials, Mr.
Neale brought an exacting measure of professionalism
to every event on the CSGA schedule.

It was a joy to play CSGA tournaments “when
we were kids” back in the 1970s. My contemporaries
and fellow-competitors were guys like Fran Marrello,
Tommy Gleeton, Dave Szewczul, and Billy Hermanson,
and we couldn’t wait to tee it up in everything from a
One-Day to the Amateur or the Open Championship.

As the CSGA schedule has continued to expand
over the years, the number of people who are excited
to compete in our tournaments has also grown. Since
Mr. Neale retired 29 years ago, the CSGA has added
multiple majors including the Russell C. Palmer Cup,
Mid-Amateur Championship, Women’s Open, and
Senior Match Play.

We’ve also added a Super Senior Championship
for players 65 and older, a Father-Son Net Tournament,
the Tournament of Champions, and the Jerry Courville,
Sr. Memorial.

This year we’ll have the most One-Day
tournaments (14) in CSGA history, and we’re excited
to be adding yet another event, a Junior Four-Ball to be
played on July 16 at Pequabuck Golf Club.

Including USGA qualifiers, the CSGA will
administer 86 rounds of tournament golf spread over
58 days in 2015. That’s the most we’ve ever done, and
with that comes a significant sense of responsibility to
do our very best in conducting outstanding tournaments
that will be both enjoyable and challenging for our
competitors.

We’re ready with a great schedule of
4 | CSGA Links // May, 2015

championships.
With
awareness of the many
dedicated
tournament
administrators who have
come before us, our
fulltime staff and our
outstanding
volunteers
look forward to bringing
you another great year
of championship golf in
Connecticut.
CSGA Wins Gold
Tee Award

A

t the 2014 International Association of
Golf Administrators (IAGA) annual
conference in November, the Connecticut
State Golf Association received a “Gold Tee Award
for Tournament Operations.” It was the first year in
which the IAGA presented awards spread over five
categories. A panel of administrators from across
the country reviewed entries submitted by forty-one
state and regional golf associations. The Texas Golf
Association was the only other association to receive
the Gold Tee for Tournament Operations.

“It is gratifying to be
recognized by your peers,
by others who understand
the challenges and the effort
necessary to conduct first class
championships,” said CSGA
Executive
Director,
Mike
Moraghan. “We’ve a done a
number of things in the past
few years that have improved
our operations, and with our
staff and our volunteer officials
we have a very strong team. This award is something
that everyone involved in running CSGA tournaments
can be proud of and can share.”
~ Mike Moraghan, CSGA Executive Director
www.csgalinks.org