The CSGA Links Volume 4 Issue 6 October, 2016 | Page 4

FIRST SHOT Message from the CSGA Executive Director - Mike Moraghan CSGA Continues to Grow T here was a time when the Connecticut State Golf Association was run exclusively by men from private clubs operating in the best interests of men from private clubs. Over time the CSGA’s organizational structure changed to include representation from public golf courses. Today in fact, three of our eight Executive Committee members, Stan McFarland (Manchester), Shelly Guyer (Oak Hills Park) and Judy Smith (Orange Hills) come from public courses. Recent past president, John Marion hails from Norwich Golf Course, site of our 2017 Public Links Championship, and staff member Bill Bigler, our Director of Club Relations, plays his golf at Rockledge, site of this year’s Father-Son Net Championship and next year’s Mixed Team Daniela Lendl, CSGA Director of Women’s Golf 4 | CSGA Links // October, 2016 Championship. These key people and many others play significant roles in the golf community at large as well as at their home courses. Shelly Guyer manages the cityowned Oak Hills Park Golf Course in Norwalk, and Judy Smith manages her family-owned Orange Hills Country Club in Orange. The CSGA’s shift some years ago to represent all golf course operations in our state was a logical if not overdue development, especially so given that there are actually more public golf courses than private clubs in Connecticut. Having the public golfer represented in our operations is not just window dressing. The primary beneficiaries of our successful effort in 2015 to thwart the State Legislature’s attempt to raise an additional $14 million in golf taxes were the men, women and children who tee it up at public courses. We will continue to fight for reduced property taxes for all golf courses, and while other golf associations have dropped their Public Links Championship we remain committed to crowning a champion of public golf each year. And now, just as years ago there was a transition within the CSGA to include and celebrate public golf, there is a similar transition happening in regards to women’s golf in Connecticut. With Daniela “Crash” Lendl joining our staff, the CSGA has for the first time in our 117year history, a “Director of Women’s Golf.” In addition to her duties as Official in Charge of our fourteen One Day Tournaments, Crash will be the lead official in our growing list of women’s championships. www.csgalinks.org