2021 Annual Meeting

 

The Maryland State Golf Association held its 101st annual meeting at the Argyle Country Club in Silver Spring, November 19, 2021. Among the features was the installation of new officers and directors, headed by Diane Herndon, president, from Argyle Country Club. Herndon became the first female president of the Maryland State Golf Association. As has been the custom, the meeting was held at the club of the in-coming president.

 

 

Message from President Diane Herndon:

“I am your new President and I must say the outlook for the Maryland State has never been so great.  We have a tremendous, young staff.  Kelly Newland became our Executive Director at the beginning of the year.  Elisa Hermes took over as our Director of Rules and Competitions. James Hewatt is our Director of Handicapping & Course Rating.

More recently Kevin Crowley came on permanently this fall as our Manager of Member Services and Tournaments. And, Grace Appel has agreed to work part time with us while she finishes school.  It’s so great working with young energetic people who want to learn and retain our rich history and at the same time bring us new, innovative ways of approaching many of our tournaments and other projects.

In the past, the Women’s Division was just that, a separate division under the Maryland State Golf Association. Now, we have the Women’s Committee, a vital part of our organization.  While in the past there was a need for a separate organization, that need no longer exists.  Integrating the Women’s Division will serve our members much better and allow a sort of “cross pollination”.  By that I mean, we will collaborate more; you’ll see more women helping with the Men’s tournaments and more men helping with the Women’s tournaments.

There are so many upsides to this integration, especially the sharing of the talents of each organization.

One last item I wanted to touch on is our commitment to our youth. This past year was our 3rd year as a Youth on Course organization.  If you are not familiar with this program, it enables kids to play for $5.  All they do is pay an annual membership fee of $18 and they can play at any of the courses set up in our state (they can even play when they are out of state at any other state organization that is a member).

When a junior member plays at one of our courses, they pay the $5 and the MSGA reimburses the rest of the special green fee to the course.  In our state, Youth on Course has grown from 677 members in 2019 to 1,744 in 2021.  The rounds played went from 2,700 in 2019 to 6,800 in 2021.  The MSGA raised $95,000 in 2021 to help pay for the rounds for these kids. Our fund raisers such as the 100-hole hike and on-line auctions and other donations such as from the Caves Valley Foundation enable us to put more and more kids behind a club, swinging away.  My only hope is that we can continue to grow this program and double or triple the number of kids we can get out there to play.

This was just a tasting of the things I’m excited about in the upcoming year.  I feel our outlook is bright and I can’t wait for Golf Season to begin.

In Closing, I want to thank you all for coming.  It’s been a great evening.  And, as I stand here in our 100th year as your first woman President, I can honestly say, IT’S ABOUT TIME!”

Joining Herndon as an officer is Ted Florenz, Chartwell Golf and Country Club, Vice President. Jack Barse, Columbia Country Club, will remain as Secretary, and John Pauliny, Hillendale Country Club, will remain as Treasurer.

The previously elected directors will continue to serve as directors: Cliff Paterson, Bob Stewart, Sinclair Eaddy, Jan Miller, Bob Van Namen, Mike Hinkey, Sue Daley, and Armando DelToro. Newly elected officers for three-year terms are Rebecca Krimski, Baltimore Country Club, and Randy Woods, Mountain Branch Golf Club.

Awards

 

Jim Cosgrove, Country Club of Maryland, became the tenth recipient of the Dawson Stump Award for his 40+ years of distinguished service. He served as the president of the Maryland State Golf Association in 1990.

Kevin Grady, from Catonsville, Maryland and a member of Rolling Road Golf Club earned the Player of the Year title for 2021.
Grady won the Player of the Year with 860 points, which was 320 points ahead of runner-up Charlie Winegardner from The Cannon Club. Grady earned medalist honors at the Maryland Amateur, finished second at the Maryland Open, and won the Four-Ball Championship with his partner Rick Sovero. Most notably in 2021, Grady won the 35th Maryland Mid-Amateur Championship at Country Club of Maryland with rounds of 68 and 65. This was the 3rd time Grady has won the Mid-Amateur. (2018, 2019, and 2021).

 

Peter DeTemple, from Lexington Park, Maryland and a member of Breton Bay Golf and Country Club earned the Senior Player of the Year title for 2021. DeTemple won the Senior Player of the Year with 360 points, a mere 20 points ahead of 2020 Senior Player of the Year, Vance Welch from Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club. He earned points in the following events: Maryland Amateur and Open Qualifier, Mid Atlantic Senior Amateur, Washington Metropolitan Senior Amatuer, and the Maryland Senior Amateur. Most notably in 2021, DeTemple won the 93rd Maryland Senior Amateur Championship at Holly Hills Country Club with rounds of 73 and 74.

Rebecca Krimski presented the Women’s Distinguished Service Award to Diane Herndon for her dedication and contributions to amateur golf. For eight years Herndon was on the Maryland State Women’s Division Executive Committee. For two years at a time she served as Treasurer, Vice President, President, and Past President. She was Rules Chair prior to her appointment to the Board of the Women’s District of Columbia Golf Association – She served on their board from 2013 to 2019. In 2012 she was selected to be the first female board member of the Maryland State Golf Association. She was selected to be on the United State Golf Association (UGSA) Senior Women’s Amateur Committee in 2009 and continues to serve as a Rules Expert.

Scholarships

The Maryland State Golf Association Scholarship was organized in 2006 for exclusively charitable and educational purposes, including to award educational scholarships to individuals employed by MSGA member clubs/courses and/or their children, and to students having completed their junior year of high school with a bona fide connection to the game of golf. With additional funding, the MSGA was able to award three additional scholarships in 2021.

William Kirkpatrick, a sophomore at Temple University, is studying journalism to become a creative and skilled writer/editor. He has always had a creative touch, playing music, drawing, and making videos. Will has stayed involved as a member of the Marching Band in the Pit section, Stage Crew, and the Latin Honors Society President at his high school.

Nathan Brice, a sophomore at UCLA, is a Psychobiology major who aspires to be involved in the positive application of life sciences. In high school, he attended ride-a-longs with the State Police Aviation Paramedics and volunteered with the County Rescue Squad, where he experienced the application of life sciences firsthand and sparked his interest in it. Nathan occupies his free time working at a private golf course, where he has developed a love for the sport as a result.

Grace Appel, a senior at Towson University, is studying Sport Management and Business to pursue a career in Sport Event Management. She was the 2021 P.J. Boatwright Intern at the MSGA and will be continuing to work part-time at the MSGA throughout her senior year at Towson. Grace stays involved as a member of the Executive Leadership Council in her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, at Towson, and her hobbies include golfing and boating in her free time.

The following students had their MSGA scholarships renewed: Tyler Ebersole, University of Alabama; Sarah Rose Craft, University of Georgia; William Anderson, The College of William and Mary; and Michael Weller, University of Maryland – Eastern Shore.

The David King Scholarship is awarded annually to a deserving student in the amount of $2,500. The scholarship is funded by Dave King’s financial gift to the MSGA. Mr. King won the Maryland Amateur (1969 & 1971), Mid-Amateur (1987), Senior Amateur (1999), three Mixed Two-Balls, and was a member of three Bethesda CC State Championship Teams.

This year’s recipient is Amanda Deener, a sophomore at Shepherd University, is studying history and has been named a member of the Dean’s list while staying enrolled in a heavy load of classes. Amanda has made history being a part of Shepherd’s first women’s golf team, and stays involved through her sorority community service projects, and volunteer work lifeguarding and at church camp.

In 2017, the MSGA-Women’s Division established the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. It is awarded annually to a female student who has completed her junior year of high school and has a bona fide connection to the game of golf.

This year’s recipient is Hallie Bridgers, a freshman at Alabama State University, is studying Pre-Medicine so she can one day open a clinic in a disadvantaged community. Hallie has excelled in her first semester at ASU playing Division 1 golf, maintaining a 3.5 GPA, and campaigning for the secretary position on the SGA. Outside of sports and school, Hallie stays active by traveling, reading, fishing, and dancing.

The Country Club of Maryland Scholarship is awarded to one student who has completed their junior year of high school and has a bona fide connection to golf. This scholarship is funded by the Country Club of Maryland and is awarded annually in the amount of $2,000.

This year’s recipient is Jordan Steinbach, a senior at Virginia Tech, is in the Veterinary School of Medicine studying to become a veterinarian. He is thoroughly involved in his school as a member of the Pre-Veterinary Club, BARC Club, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, as well as president of SCLA, volunteer at the VA Tech Equine Center, and Peer Academic Coach at Virginia Tech.

New in 2021 is the Hinkey/Benson Scholarship. The Hinkey-Benson Scholarship is a Family STEM Scholarship funded by Michael Hinkey and Kathryn Benson’s financial gift to the Maryland State Golf Association. It is designated to provide scholarship assistance to students with a bona fide connection to the golf industry in Maryland and awarded to students who are majoring in or intend to major in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, with a preference towards computer science and engineering students.

Sirui Xue is the first person to receive the Hinkey/Benson Scholarship. A senior in the STEM Management program at Montgomery Blair High School, plans to study computer science in college to further her interest in Artificial intelligence (AI). She was recruited by a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to work on an ongoing research project and was also accepted to the UCSB Research Mentorship Program where she worked with a mentor on AI related research. As a Co-Captain of the Code Girls club at her school, Sirui hopes to guide younger girls, like herself, who are underrepresented in this field. During her role in this club, Sirui developed a curriculum to teach women to code and helped organize the Women in STEM Seminar which took place at her school.

In addition to its scholarships, The Emmet Gary Scholarship is sponsored by the MSGA in the amount of $12,000, in addition to the MSGA Scholarships, which is presented annually to agronomy students at the University of Maryland. Many of the students have gone on to become golf course superintendents in Maryland and across the country.

Dr. Mark Carroll, from the University of Maryland spoke about the scholarships’ positive impact on students in the Turf and Golf Course Management program.

James “Jimmy” Danielczyk, a junior at the University of Maryland pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science, was awarded the 2021 Emmet Gary Scholarship. His concentration within this major is Turf and Golf Course Management. Jimmy is a graduate of Hereford High School and a resident of Sparks Maryland. This past summer, he interned at Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links in Berlin, MD. Prior to this, Jimmy spent three summers working at Greystone Golf Course in Parkton, MD.

 

Message from Outgoing President David (Moose) Brown:

“It was an honor and privilege for me to be your President in 2021 and I hope I represented the Maryland State Golf Association well. My time on this board has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Over the years, I have worked and met many passionate people in the game of golf, Golf Professionals, Superintendents, General Managers, Board Members, and Golf Administrators who work tirelessly at this game we all love so much. As a player, we can have a myopic view on golf tournaments but after my time on this board I have gained more perspective on how much work is required by our member clubs and all the Staffs and it is their efforts that make our events a success.

2021 was a return to normalcy and a celebration of the organization’s Centennial year. We were able to host all our events and brought our 3 Major Championships back to the original clubs who hosted our first Championships 100 years ago, Men’s Amateur at Rolling Road Golf Club, Men’s Open at Baltimore Country Club, and Women’s Amateur at The Elkridge Club, and with the publishing of the History of the MSGA by Mr. William K. Smith.

To all MSGA golfers: Thanks for participating in our events, handicap services, and the donations to our programs (such as YOC).

To the MSGA staff: Kelly, Kim, Elisa, James, Kevin, and Grace, thanks for all your hard work, long hours, and diligence to make this successful year.

To Diane and her incoming board: I wish you well in the year ahead. You have a lot of work to do, with the Centennial Celebration on top of full schedule of events. Good Luck. Fortunately, you have a strong and talented staff, board, and member clubs to help you achieve your goals.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not say Thanks to my wife Kate and daughter Natalie who have allowed me over the last 9 years to serve this board at their expense. They both have supported and encouraged my time and efforts with Maryland State Golf Association, and I could not have done this without them.

I will miss not being a part of the discussion anymore, but I will treasure my friendships with the Board members (past and present), staff, players, and other officials and volunteers. This has been a great ride….”

 

2021 Champions

• Men’s Amateur – Brad Whitaker (Columbia CC)
• Women’s Amateur– AnPhi Le (YOC)
• Men’s Open– Jake Griffin (Argyle CC)
• Women’s Open – Emma Jandel (p)
• Men’s Senior Open – Rick Shuller (p)
• Men’s Mid-Am – Kevin Grady (Rolling Road GC)
• Women’s Mid-Am – Amy Phelan (Worthington Manor GC)
• Men’s Senior – Peter DeTemple (Breton Bay G&CC)
• Women’s Senior – Kimbra Benson (Breton Bay G&CC)
• Junior Boys – Bryan Kim (Argyle CC)
• Junior Girls – Irene Kim (YOC)
• Men’s Four-Ball – Kevin Grady & Rick Sovero (Rolling Road GC)
• Men’s Senior Four-Ball – Mitch Wyatt & Larry Storck (Great Hope GC, Sparrows Point CC)
• Mixed Two-Ball – Sally Ratcliffe & Trevor Davis (Elkridge Club)
• Two-Woman Team – Elisabeth Herzfeld-Rice & Emily Kwak (Clustered Spires GC, Little Bennett GC)
• Two-Woman Mid-Handicap – Sue Daley & Tracy Edwards (Pine Ridge GC, MSGA eClub)
• Men’s Team Championship – Rolling Road Golf Club
• Women’s Team Championship – Argyle Country Club
• Men’s Senior Team Championship – Baltimore Country Club.