1996 NewsPeople

Timothy T. O'Neill of the Country Club of Darien recently attended a meeting of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Public Relations Committee in Lawrence, Kan., to discuss issues that promote the value of the superintendent to the golf course and to the game of golf.

Mike Bailey, head pro at Wethersfield Country Club in Wethersfield, is the 1996 Connecticut Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year. Other Section Special Award winners include: Ron Beck, Crumpin-Fox Club, Bernardston, MA, Teacher of the Year; Jeff Swanson, Cedar Knob Golf Course, Somers, CT, Junior Golf Leader; Gary Reynolds, Hartford Golf Club, West Hartford, CT, Bill Strausbaugh Award; Rob Barbeau, Old Lyme Country Club, Old Lyme, CT, Horton Smith Award; Mickey Hawkes, Madison Country Club, Madison, CT, Merchandiser of the Year (private); Jim Casagrande, Westover Golf Course, Ludlow, MA, Merchandiser of the Year (public); Dave Mihalko, Active Member, Assistant Professional of the Year; and Jack Harris, retired Titleist Sales Representative, Ernie Saybarac Award. In other Section news, Dan Harder has been named teaching professional at Raceway Golf Club in Thompson, CT....Joe McLaughlin has become an assistant golf professional at Ellington Golf Center in Ellington, CT....Chris Tremblay has resigned as head professional at Pequabuck Golf Club in Pequabuck, CT.

William "Billy" Mitchell of Innis Arden Country Club in Old Greenwich is winner of the PGA of America's Bill Strausbaugh Club Relations Award....John Reeves of Greenwich shot 68-70-69-76--283 at the recent PGA Club Pro Championship at La Quinta, Calif. Reeves finished 12 strokes behind the winner and took home $815.

Connecticut qualifiers for the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship on Sept. 24-29 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., include Lisa Griffin of Greenwich, Leela Narang of Westport and Wendy Cimoch of Cromwell....Robert W. Fiondella, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Company, has been named Honorary Chairman of the 1997 Canon Greater Hartford Open. Ann M. Parizo, has been selected as 1997 Assistant Tournament Chairwoman and will be Tournament Chairwoman in 1998. Both appointments were announced by 1997 Tournament Chairman John P. Bates.

Julie Totten, who has worked in hospitality at Tumble Brook Country Club in Bloomfield, CT, and at the Golf Club of Avon in Avon, CT, is the recipient of a $2,500 scholarship from The Club Foundation, the charitable arm of the Club Managers Association of America. Totten is a senior at the University of New Haven.

Pat Aldrich has been named co-head professional at Sharon Country Club in Sharon, CT, along with Harold Lachioma....Bob Meheran and Tim Quirk have been named co-head professionals at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford, CT....David McGoldrick, former head professional at D. Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course in Fairfield, CT, is assistant professional at the Country Club of Fairfield. The new head professional at Wheeler is Greg Balevendar....Dan Malarney has been named head professional at Leisure Resort at Banner Lodge in Moodus, CT....Tex Kane is the new teaching professional at Hunter Golf Course in Meriden, CT....Paul Ferrone has been named head professional at Klein's Golf Range in Madison, CT....Hope Kelley has become the assistant professional at Tower Ridge Country Club in Simsbury, CT....Trinity College graduate Marty Parkes has been named the director of communications for the United States Golf Association. Parkes will lead the communications department in disseminating authoritative information on the game of golf. He will oversee and have responsibility for the media relations effort, the publication of Golf Journal, the USGA's official magazine, and the Members program. Parkes is former manager of Green Section communications for the USGA.

Michael Wallace, Certified Golf Course Superintendent at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury, CT, and Scott E. Niven, Certified Golf Course Superintendent at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT, are members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America's Membership Committee, which met recently to review association membership policies and discuss several long-term issues affecting the organization.

Heather Daly-Donofrio of Southport, CT, shot a 79 during the 1996 U.S. Women's Open Championship Sectional Qualifying on May 13 at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT, to earn an alternate's slot....Also earning an alternate's slot was Middlebury, CT, native Caroline Keggi, now of Scottsdale, Ariz., who shot 72 during sectional qualifying at Arizona Country Club in Phoenix, AZ, on May 13.

The Conference and Show Committee of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America met on April 23 to review the success of the Association's 67th International Golf Course Conference and Show, with Michael Wallace, Certified Golf Course Superintendent at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury, CT, and GCSAA Director, chairing the meeting....Les Kennedy Jr. Certified Golf Course Superintendent of the Country Club of Waterbury in Waterbury, CT, is on the Tournament Committee of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, which met April 15-18 in Irvine, CA, to finalize recommendations for the 1997 members-only golf championship and to preview courses for the 1998 tournament.

Jack Morrison is the new General Manager at the TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell....Bill Shaw, formerly of Bear's Paw in Naples, Fla., has been named head professional at New Haven Country Club....Ron Dellostritto is now the head professional at Brownson Country Club in Huntington. David Mihalko is the club's assistant golf professional, and Terry Crawford is the new General Manager at the club....Don Parson has changed from teaching professional to head golf professional at Grantmore Golf Range....Bob Doty has become the head golf professional at Ellington Golf Center....The new head professional at Skungamaug River Country Club in Coventry is Richard Nelson.