John Kennedy, a mainstay of golf in the metro area as Director of Golf at Westchester Country Club in Rye, will retire at the end of the year. Club President Thomas Rosato announced the change to the club’s membership on July 25.
“We have been extremely fortunate to have had John with us so long,” Rosato wrote. “He has one of the finest reputations in the golf forld and has served both us and the golf community with great honor.”
Kennedy has been at WCC for 26 of his 40 years in golf. He’s been honored extensively by the PGA of America, the Met PGA Section, and many other organizations. This past spring, he received the Sam Snead Award from the Met PGA, which recognizes the pro’s contributions to the game of golf, the PGA, and Met Section. He has been voted the Merchandiser of the Year by the Met Section twice and received the Bill Strausbaugh Award for his contributions as a mentor for more than 100 local pros over the years and for community service. In 1997, he was named the Met PGA Professional of the Year. He’s also the author of two books about golf and life lessons that can be learned through the game.
Nationally, Kennedy was honored by the PGA of America with the Horton Smith Award in 2010, which honors individuals for outstanding contributions to PGA Education. He also received the national group’s Patriot Award in 2012 for service to the military and veterans, in addition to establishing Golfers in Support of the Troops Foundation in 2008, which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to distribute clothing, baby furniture, and other needed items to U.S. troops and their families. He also works tirelessly coaching and teaching the game of golf to wounded veterans.
Two years ago, Westchester CC honored Kennedy by christening the club’s new Golf Learning Center in his name.