THE JOURNAL NEWS: Golf Show is back with a new focus
GlenArbor head pro Brian Crowell and Manhattan College men's coach Frank Darby team up for On Course, a show they host on Sirius XM's PGA Tour channel. They will sharing their expertise March 12 and 13 at The Journal News Golf Show. (Photo: Courtesy of Frank Darby.)
Golfers have spent the last several weeks taking note of the dormant grass.
The fact that our precious rolling landscapes are not buried under a blanket of snow inspires optimism. We’re still at least a week or so away from setting foot on the local courses, but there is an option to satisfy the urge.
After taking a year off, The Journal News Golf Show is back.
The primary focus on Saturday and Sunday at the Weschester Marriott in Tarrytown will be education and inspiration.
“Our objective this year was to significantly raise the bar relative to consumer experience,” said George Troyano, president and publisher of The Journal News Media Group. “Aside from moving to a fresh venue, our attendees can expect the show to provide a more interactive experience. Attendees will have the opportunity to test out the latest equipment under the watchful eye of Met PGA professionals and learn from educational seminars. We expect this year’s show to be our best to date.”
The show runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $10 at the door and parking is free.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital is on board as presenting sponsor.
The Metropolitan Golf Association is back with a strong lineup of industry leaders on the MGA Education Stage. Brian Crowell, Steve Scott, Bill Smittle, Kirk Oguri highlight the list of notable instructors on hand for workshops. Gene Westmoreland is covering the rules, Frank Darby will talk college and recruiting and Karen Young will be giving a golf-centric yoga demonstration.
A number of club professionals from the Met PGA have volunteered to give 10-minute lessons in the ballroom. Golfers will be able to hit balls at inflatable stations and should bring their smartphones to record a swing video.
Home Green Advantage will be providing several custom putting greens where golfers can get advice from a professional or take part in a contest on to benefit the MGA Foundation.
The Executive Women’s Golf Association is again hosting the Women’s Networking Breakfast on Saturday morning. This year’s speakers are Kyla Basso, the vice president of sales and marketing at Edgewood (N.J.) Country Club and Elis Gaudet, the president of Executive Golf International and author of the golf and lifestyle book, Two Good Rounds. Tickets are $30 and include breakfast, admission to the show and a gift from the MGA.
Empire City Casino will be on hands with a few games of chance and Leros Point to Point is sponsoring the Leros Lounge where attendees can relax and recharge electronics while sampling wine from local vineyards and enter to win a Leros Wine Tour.
The list of vendors is wide-ranging.
“Our show is a celebration of the high quality of golf in the Lower Hudson Valley,” golf show manager Kate Keller said. “Everyone who attends will experience hands-on, interactive exhibits. We have presentations from leaders in the golf industry and there will be dedicated activities from women and juniors.”
Golfers will be able to swing new clubs from Callaway, Titleist and Srixon/Cleveland both days of the show. A rep from Taylor Made will be on hand Sunday for demos.
A special round-table discussion about college and the recruiting process will take place on Sunday at 11:15 a.m., featuring Darby, who is the men’s coach at Manhattan College, Ambry Bishop, who is the women’s coach at St. John’s and Chris Case, the head pro at Mount Kisco Country Club who graduated from the Professional Golf Management school at New Mexico State University.
