Photo courtesy of the MGWA
The Metropolitan Golf Writers Association honors GlenArbor Golf Club as the club of the year during its 71st National Awards Dinner.
GlenArbor Golf Club will receive the 2023 Metropolitan Golf Writers Association Club of the Year Award at its 71st National Awards Dinner on Wednesday, October 11. The dinner will be held at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor.
Established in 2003, GlenArbor is one of the youngest of the 42 clubs to be recognized as the MGWA Club of the Year. The club’s record of service to the game, however, belies its age.
GlenArbor founder Grant Gregory focused the club on a mission with four key pillars: the traditions of golf with an emphasis on camaraderie and friendly competition, continued stewardship of the land as illustrated by its dedication to conservation, a commitment to giving back through charitable partnerships, and a continuous lifetime of learning.
“The Gregory family put their trust in me and my staff to create a unique and environmentally conscious course, that was steeped in tradition and tucked away from distraction,” says Hall of Fame champion Gary Player. “I was elated to learn the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association gave GlenArbor the distinguished honor of being named its Club of the Year. Many congratulations to everyone involved that makes this place so special. They are all true stewards of the game we love.”
Key to GlenArbor’s stature is the golf course that Player describes as “my masterpiece.” The legendary champion created a course that emphasizes natural beauty while presenting golfers of every level with exciting challenges. The 7,100-yard track rolls and turns through woodland, wetlands, and dramatic elevation changes that call for both draws and fades, length and finesse. Greens are expansive but demand a keen eye and masterful touch.
In addition to the championship course, a world-class short game teaching facility, also designed by Player, and a state-of-the-art teaching center set the standard for such facilities in the metropolitan area. The club’s nationally-recognized staff of PGA professionals, led by PGA Tour Champions competitor Rob Labritz, is dedicated to game improvement for players of all levels. GlenArbor’s innovative Prodigy program has produced many competitive young golfers over the years.
The property in Bedford is blessed with unspoiled wetlands, natural grades, and abundant wildlife, all carefully preserved by the club in a manner that was recognized by the MGA Foundation with the 2010 Arthur P. Weber MGA Club Environmental Leaders in Golf Award.
GlenArbor’s beautiful and challenging golf course has been the site of numerous MGA championships including the Mid-Amateur championship, as well as professional charity golf events like the annual Berenberg Invitational, which recently raised more than $1.5 million for the University of Nebraska Buffet Cancer Center for the cure of pancreatic cancer. The event draws a pantheon of legends of the game including Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, as well as the tournament founder, Gary Player.
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The GlenArbor clubhouse was built on the site of the Harold T. White estate, known as “Lakeover.” Harold White’s wife, Ruth Underhill White, was the 1899 U.S. Ladies Amateur Champion, and her trophy is on display in GlenArbor’s clubhouse, another demonstration of the club’s commitment to permanently protect the property’s historic roots. The classic facility, designed by Mark Finlay, looks as though it could have stood sentinel while George Washington’s troops marched through the property, yet has all the amenities desired by discerning modern golfers.
The MGWA National Awards Dinner honors the sport’s champions and contributors while raising millions of dollars for beneficiaries including Caddie Scholarship programs in the Metropolitan New York area, the MGA Foundation, and the Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship at Columbia University. Larry Nelson (Gold Tee Award), Gil Hanse (Paul Dillon Distinguished Service Award), Jimmy Roberts (Lincoln Werden Golf Journalism Award), Julio Ugaz (Mary Bea Porter Award), and the Youngs (Cameron, David, and Barbara), MGWA Family of the Year, are among others who will be honored at the dinner.
Tickets to the dinner are available here: MGWA.
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