A Golf Getaway
PENN TWP — The 2019 Butler County Pro-Am Fall Classic is over.
The event itself may be just beginning.
Former Sharon Country Club and St. Jude Golf Club pro Denny Dolci and his amateur teammates — George Becker, Kevin Gagliardi, Chuck Montgomery and Nick Palombi — won the three-day best ball event with a 45-hole score of 49-under-par.
The Pro-Am — first of its kind in the county — began Monday with nine holes of par-3 golf at Conley's Resort and Golf Club, followed by 18 holes Tuesday at Cranberry Highlands and 18 holes Wednesday at Butler Country Club.
“This was an event we had to put together and get out there,” said Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau, which joined St. Barnabas in sponsoring the Pro-Am. “This showcases our golf courses to all kinds of golfers from around the state.
“We put some money into this because we believe in it. This event is going to grow. I talked to every golfer here sometime over the last three days and every one of them is excited about it.”
There were 12 teams in the field. The Tri-State PGA pros, competing for a $3,000 first-place prize, were former Butler Country Club pro Rob McClellan, Connoquenessing Country Club pro David Yokitis, Cranberry Highlands pro Shawn McCall, Gene Walter, Kevin Shields, Dennis Munko, Jim Cichra, Frank Blazewick, Tom Beeler, Steve Kusenko, Bernie Hough and Dolci.
McClellan was 6-under for the three days, beating Shields out by two strokes for the winner's purse.“I thought this was a fantastic event, the best we've (Tri-State PGA) put on all season,” McClellan said. “The interaction between the pros and amateur players is pretty special.“There was some pretty good money at stake as well. This is a good pay-out for the local pros.”The prize fund for the pros was $20,000. The amateur prize fund was paid out in Butler Country Club pro shop credit. The four winning amateur players received $750 each in pro shop credit.“I put together a team of guys I knew from Sharon and we came on down,” Dolci said. “All three of these golf courses were in incredible shape. These three days were tremendous.“My team played well. I've known these guys for 40 years or so.”Gagliardi described the three-day experience as “a blast” and said he'll come back and play next year. The 2020 Pro-Am is scheduled for Sept. 27-29, but no further details have been released.“I loved the par-3 portion at Conley's,” Gagliardi said. “I've never done anything like that. They moved the pin placement way up on the nine holes. That was fun.“This whole thing was a bargain. You pay $325 to play on three great courses, two overnight hotel stays, two wonderful dinners, getting help on your game from a pro ... It was amazing.“All of us are 100 percent in support of doing this event again,” he added.
Cohen relished the experience of playing with a club pro for three days.“I'm a terrible golfer, first one to admit that,” Cohen said. “But having a pro give me tips on my swing for three days, working with me while we're out enjoying these courses and this weather? Priceless.”David Wright, executive director of the Tri-State PGA, set a goal of getting 25 teams registered for the Pro-Am. He was not discouraged about getting 12.“Part of it is the time of year for the pros,” Wright admitted. “A lot of their assistants have gone back to college, so they couldn't get away. And the amateurs have to clear their schedules to golf three days in a row.“But word will spread as to how well this went this year. I'm confident interest will spread. I believe we will have 25 to 30 teams out here next year.”Steve Kusenko, pro at Mon Valley Country Club in the South Hills, guided his team to a 46-under-par score, three strokes behind the winners. Like Dolci, he put together a team from back home.“To a man, these guys loved it,” Kusaenjko said. “I couldn't get over the condition of the courses. One hundred percent, we'll be back.”Other amateurs in the field included Lake Arthur Golf Club general manager Scott Vice, Cranberry Township's Brent Rodgers and former Seneca Valley girls basketball coach Rob Lombardo.“It's hard for people who don't golf for a living to get three days in a row off at this time of year,” McClellan said. “But the concept of this event is great. I'm sure they'll tweak things and make it more feasible for a lot of golfers.“No doubt, this (event) got off the ground in a very positive way.”
