2nd Widdy Neale Scholarship Tournament
Playing a Donald Ross Classic for a Very Good Cause
Article by John Torsiello - CyberGolf.com
I recently played one of Donald Ross’s better layouts (at least that’s the opinion of experts on course design) and it was all for a good cause. Three buddies and I took part in the Connecticut State Golf Association’s annual Widdy Neale Scholarship Tournament at the Country Club of Waterbury. The CSGA has really been at the forefront of promoting the game among the young and has, since 1954, given out a whopping $2.4 million in scholarships to 524 high school seniors (including about $100,000 in 2013). Although the program was originally organized to bene?t caddies, the applicant pool was later expanded for graduating seniors employed at CSGAmember clubs in various capacities (golf shop, caddies, clubhouse workers, grounds staff, etc.) who have worked for at least one golf season and continue to be employed in the current year. Depending on a recipient’s academic good standing and ?nancial need, the scholarships may be renewed three additional years. The CSGA began awarding college scholarships nearly 60 years ago by deriving funds from a one-dollar charge included in the handicap fee. The CSGA member service fee continues to be the primary source of scholarship funds. CSGA executive director William (Widdy) Neale, and scholarship committee chairman and in 1962-63 CSGA president James Killington, are credited with convincing the CSGA’s executive committee to establish the fund, which was incorporated as a not-for-pro?t, charitable organization in 1985-86 and named for Neale, a Yale graduate, career Yale sports administrator, and CSGA executive director from 1946 to ‘86. Another important source of funding is a “donor recognition” program for individual contributions. The contributing levels include Bronze for $50 to $199, the Silver for $200 to $999, Gold for $1,000 to $4,999, and Platinum for $5,000 and above. All donors have their names published in the CSGA magazine, and receive scholarship bag tags. At the Silver level they receive CSGA Scholarship Fund golf caps; at Gold a scholarship is awarded in their names; and Platinum donors are recognized at the CSGA’s Annual Meeting. The 2013 tournament raised several thousand The Widdy Neale Scholarship Fund is dollars for the fund and we had a chance to especially grateful to the Connecticut golfers hear from several recent scholars ??&V6??V?G2??r??6???VvR??v2??&W76VBv?F?F?Rv??'F?6?FVB???W"gV?G&?6??r?WF??r??6?&7FW"?bF?R??V?r?V?v??7??R?F?RVwW7B?F???BF?F?R42?bvFW&'W'?f?"v?R?bv??b7v?2W?V??'???WF?v??F?V?"7W?'B?B??7?F?G???F?R6??GV7Bv???F??VB&?GV7F?fR?B7V66W76gV??fW2??b??F?W"7V66W76gV?54tWfV?B?v?WF?W"??F?Rv??b&?fW76????"??F?W"?F?6???????66???'6??6??"6&VW"??Bv2?V7W&RF??fVRF?&V?^??B7V6?v?'F???BfV?W&&?R6W6R??BvRv?B6??6RF???v??FW&gV?&?fFR6?W'6RBF?R6?RF??R?F?&?WBv???v??6?GVF????( ???( ????6???V7F?7WB7FFRv??b76?6?F???