From the Executive Director by Vaughn Kezirian W
Northern California is a Special Place for Golf
hat a place this is that we call home. For those of us who
live and play golf in
Northern California, it doesn’t get any better. We’re fortunate to have not only a multitude of great golf courses in the region, but some of the best venues on the planet. From the Central Valley to the Redwood Empire, down to the Bay Area and Monterey Peninsula, and back up to the heights of the Sierra, golf abounds in Northern California. In the past five years, we’ve had
U.S. Opens at Pebble Beach Golf Links and The Olympic Club, a U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Corde- Valle and a U.S. Junior Amateur at Martis Camp. This year, we’ll have the U.S. Senior Open at Del Paso Country Club and the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at The Olympic Club. There are amazing professional tour stops too, with the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced GC, the
Frys.com Open at Silverado, the World Golf Championships-Match Play at TPC Harding Park and The Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and our own Poppy Hills. Whatever your level of play is,
be it a pro or amateur, beginner or avid enthusiast, it is special to be a part of the greatness that is golf in Northern California. Over the last 10 years, I’ve been
fortunate enough to spend a lot of time traveling and enjoying golf in the region, and I always walk away enamored with the variety of venues that the northern part of the Golden State has to offer. The difference in topography makes every outing a one-of-a-kind adventure. As part of its goal to promote the
game, the NCGA offers its mem- 10 /
NCGA.ORG / WINTER 2015
bers the opportunity to participate in events or outings where they can take advantage of most, if not all, of the prime sites in the region. But it’s not just the courses that
make Northern California golf shine. It’s also the clubs and the people. The system of clubs that supports
the NCGA is what makes the As- sociation what it is today, and what it’ll be in the future. The vitality of those clubs stems from its members, who support those clubs and take the initiative to be leaders—whether they are private, public or associate clubs. The club officers are the fabric of
the tapestry, and the volunteers help keep things running smoothly. With- out the dedication of the club officers and the volunteers giving their time, golf would not be what it is today. On behalf of the NCGA, I want
to thank all of the member clubs that hosted USGA, CGA and NCGA qualifiers this past year. Without the use of their outstand-
ing championship facilities, and the individuals associated with them, the largest tournament program con- ducted by a regional golf association would not exist. The experience is gratifying, be-
cause we start with marvelous venues that can only be enjoyed thanks to the countless people involved in making the final product its best. What a privilege it is to be a part
of such a grand game with its out- standing sense of tradition. We are excited and positive about the potential for growth in the game in 2015. The region has survived one of the longest droughts in our history, and we have learned to manage our resources to accommodate the whims of Mother Nature. Happy New Year to you all! Hope you spend as much time enjoying our great game as you can.
NCGA GOLF
The official publication of the Northern California Golf Association Volume 35, Number 1
Editorial & Business Office Northern California Golf Association 3200 Lopez Road, Pebble Beach, CA 93953 P: (831) 625-4653; F: (831) 625-0150
NCGA.org;
ncgainfo@ncga.org
Editorial Staff Scott Seward – Editor & Publisher
Kevin Merfeld, Richard J. Cerame, Jerry Stewart, Laurie Lee
Advertising Managers Tom Black, Jim Whittemore
Contributing Writers Bradley S. Klein, Ron Kroichick, Frank LaRosa, Katherine Marren, Brian Murphy, Cate Ritter, Alan Shipnuck
Contributing Photographers/Illustrators Joann Dost, Aaron Olson, Dan Vasconcellos
NCGA Staff Vaughn Kezirian – Executive Director, NCGA Adam Heieck – Executive Director, NCGA Foundation
Alex Anderson, Tina Anguish, Toivo Betancourt, Jim Brady, Jeff Burgess, Richard J. Cerame, Kelly Cimino, Ben Coronado, Jim Cowan, Darin Dodd, Ryan Dunham, Ryan Farb, Mark Fitch, Aana Fitzgerald, Lenny Fudenna, Martin Fuentes, Svetlana Gavrilenko, Evelyn Gomez, Otis Goodwin, Jeremy Gray, Ryan Gregg, Aaron Hartesveld, Maryjane Hatch, Joe Huston, Rick Leoncio, Michael Lowe, Kevin Merfeld, Helen Nicolayev, Lindsey Novitzke, Malinda Oliver, Jean Quismundo, Rick Rangel, Sam Staton, Scott Seward, Jerry Stewart
NCGA Board of Directors Lee Gidney (President), John A. Ronca (Vice President), Patrick N. Quinn (Secretary/Treasurer), Brian D. Morse (Immediate Past President)
Stacey Baba, Brad Bell, Thomas E. Bone, Thomas H. Carter, John A. Dodsworth, Gary Fox, Robert J. Goldstein, Samuel A. Gross, Susan Morse, Michael J. O’Donnell, David L. Pearson, Gail A. Rogers, Michael W. Weeks, Richard M. Wise, Paul F. Yost Jr.
Golf Courses Owned by the Northern California Golf Association Poppy Hills Golf Course P: (831) 622-8239; F: (831) 626-5421
PoppyHillsGolf.com;
info@poppyhillsgolf.com 3200 Lopez Rd. Pebbel Beach, CA 93953
Poppy Ridge Golf Course P: (925) 456-8202; F: (925) 455-2020
PoppyRidgeGolf.com;
info@poppyridgegolf.com 4280 Greenville Rd. Livermore, CA 94550
NCGA Golf (ISSN-1524-4385) is published quarterly by the Northern California Golf Association, 3200 Lopez Road, Pebble Beach, 93953. All rights reserved, including right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Members pay an annual subscription fee of $1. Printed in U.S.A. Please send change of address notice on Member Change form (available at your club). Periodical postage paid at Pebble Beach, CA and additional mailing offices. Advertising contained herein does not constitute endorsement by the Northern California Golf Association. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NCGA Golf, P. O. Box NCGA, Pebble Beach, CA. 93953-1157.
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