Local organization great for young golfers
By: John Beisser
In this life, invariably, we come across causes that are simply worth fighting for. On the local summer sports scene, one of those causes is the continuation of the Hillsborough Golf Association (HGA).
A summer golf association that was conceived and established some five years ago by a group of parents whose sons were members of the Hillsborough High golf team, the HGA’s mission statement reads as follows;
"The Hillsborough Golf Association (HGA) is a not for profit organization to ensure that our children within the township of Hillsborough and the surrounding communities have the opportunity to be introduced to the sport of golf and to have fun playing the game. The HGA is organized into divisional brackets based on age categories and/or ability. The HGA is managed by committee. The committee is comprised of community members of the Township of Hillsborough familiar with the game of golf."
If you are reading these words and have a son or daughter ages 12-17 (entering senior year of high school) who has an interest in pursuing the game of golf, the HGA will provide a perfect forum in helping your child develop his/her game.
"The HGA is not instructional-based," stressed Hillsborough High golf coach Paul Parker, a key figure in the HGA’s formation and management. "Its purpose is not to teach kids the skills of the game. Within the HGA, kids will learn the etiquette of the game, become more familiar with the rules and there is competition. This summer, we split them into an A and B division based on ability."
The 2007 HGA season commenced with Mattawang Open in late June and was slated to conclude with the season-ending Annual Family Scramble, also at Mattawang, this past Sunday. In between these two events were the Quail Brook Scramble, Hillsborough Country Club Shoot Out, Raritan Valley Championship, Green Knoll Classic and the Fiddler’s Elbow Raider Alumni Classic.
"It’s a great organization that offers children the opportunity to experience the game of golf at a variety of local courses," said Denise Wagner, whose daughter Kristina was a member of the Raider golf team last spring and who is one of three girls involved in the HGA. "There are other golf leagues that require children to travel great distances throughout the summer. In the HGA, all of the events take place right here in Somerset County."
Due to vacations, work schedules and other obligations, the number of participants vary from even to event.
"This summer, we had 43 kids sign up and each tournament we had at least 16 kids playing," Wagner said. "Most of the kids are from Hillsborough but we also had kids from Bridgewater, Montgomery and Branchburg."
The HGA was formed thanks in large measure to the efforts of John Tursky, John Cannon, Paul Grappone and Glen Cecchine, each of whom had sons who were competitors on the local golf scene. Parker is concerned that, as parents naturally discontinue their involvement with the HGA once their child has graduated from high school, that new and current parents of area golfers become involved in the HGA.
"It’s a lot of work and we need new parents," Parker said. "The more parents we have, the more we can spread out the work load. These parents due a terrific job organizing the events, getting the word out about upcoming events and managing the Web site. But we need more parents in order for this to continue."
The many positives that surround the HGA are overwhelming. Young area residents get a chance to learn about this great game, in the fresh air, in a nurturing and supportive environment, that also has a competitive component built in.
"It’s a lot of fun," Wagner said. "We give out trophies each event for different categories. We hand out first, second and third place trophies, plus two closest to the pin trophies and two trophies for longest drives."
"At Royce Brook (The Masters at Royce Brook), we handed out a green jacket that we picked up at an Army-Navy store."
Those interested in becoming a part of the HGA or seeking further information can send an email to info@HGAgolf.org. Further information can be accessed by logging onto www.HGA.golfreg.com.