The following GAP members have accepted the challenge of playing 100 holes to benefit GAP Youth on Course.
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The 2024 GAP Youth on Course 100-Hole Hike begins at sunrise Oct. 7 at Glenhardie Country Club in Wayne, Pa. A mix of participants old and new round out this year’s roster. Here are the hikers.
Andrew Austen of St. Davids Golf Club is gearing up for his second GAP Youth on Course 100-Hole Hike (2023). Austen is an Adaptive Golfer from Radnor, Pa. who currently works as a Community Manager at The Ideal Life, a lifestyle coaching company focused on helping individuals unlock their full potential. Aside from work, he has done extensive work promoting the Adaptive Golf community. He boasts 7,700 followers on Instagram and approximately 17,500 followers on TikTok. The spring 2023 issue of GAP Magazine highlighted Austen as part of the issue’s Adaptive Golf cover story. He is also in the field for the inaugural GAP Adaptive Championship in October. Austen began his golf journey as a junior playing with his brother and dad at St. Davids. Participating in the hike is his opportunity to give back to the game.
“It is important for me to participate in the 100-Hole Hike because it’s a great cause,” Austen, 26, said. “Growing up where I did, I had the privilege of playing golf at a club. Most of the time kids and families don’t have that opportunity, so trying to do my part in growing this game to the folks who need it most is something that is very important to me. I also want to grow the Adaptive Golf community and show people that just because you’re different doesn’t mean you can’t play with everyone else. It might just look a little different, but you can still compete and play with the best.”
Dan Hershberg is the founder of the Amateur Golf Society (AGS). He is participating in his second GAP Youth on Course 100-Hole Hike (2023); representing team AGS alongside Sam Spuhler and Chill Moody. Hershberg is a long-time, Philly-based entrepreneur who enjoys introducing the sport of golf to as many people as possible.
“Golf has brought me so much joy and lessons learned on the course,” Hershberg, 40, of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “To help make the sport more accessible for everyone and eliminate barriers to entry is a wonderful cause, and I’m committed to doing my part to help.”
Andrew Knapp is a McCall Golf Club member who currently resides in Drexel Hill, Pa. He began playing golf while working as a bartender and server at Aronimink Golf Club years ago. Joy experienced while playing with fellow members at McCall is something Knapp wants others to find in their own golf encounters.
“I like to do things that most sane people would rather not attempt, and I enjoy raising money and bringing awareness to great organizations,” Knapp said. ” The opportunity to do the hike is the perfect blend of both of those things.”
Chris Napolitano currently works as a sales executive and enjoys his membership at Pine Barrens Golf Club. An avid high school baseball player, he began playing golf at a driving range located near a baseball field his team frequented. Napolitano has an affinity for youth sports and the positive qualities it teaches juniors.
“I would not be anywhere near the person I am today without the people involved and the experience I gained from playing sports as a kid,” Napolitano, 31, of Wall Township, N.J., said. “I am always looking to get involved in anything that will get more kids outside and playing together. Youth on Course provides not only that, but amazing access to golf courses, facilities and coaches. [It’s] a no brainer for me to get behind.”
Chill Moody is a dynamic Philly-based hip-hop artist and entrepreneur. A long-time golf fan, he only started playing two years ago. He’s taking on the GAP Youth on Course 100-Hole Hike Challenge alongside Amateur Golf Society (AGS) team members Dan Hershberg and Sam Spuhler.
“I believe in the mission of Youth on Course,” Moody, 39, of West Philadelphia, Pa., said. “It aligns with my ethos, and I’m more than happy to support.”
Michael Spease currently serves as General Manager of Golf Galaxy in Devon, Pa. A proud member of Coatesville Country Club, he began playing golf as a junior at a local municipal course near his family’s home. Spease enjoys traveling to destination golf courses. Some of his favorite trips have been Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, Oakmont Country Club and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Now, he’s helping to grow junior golf access.
“I’m thrilled to be participating in the hike because I love the mission. Access for kids in the game,” Spease, 60, of Gap, Pa., said. “I love this game and the life lessons that come with it. Maybe my youth experience feeds that, or maybe it’s my enjoyment of getting to play golf with my kids now and though the years.”
Sam Spuhler is our next GAP Youth on Course 100-Hole Hike participant. He is a native of the Philadelphia, Pa. area, and currently serves as the Amateur Golf Society’s (AGS) Vice President of Product and Analytics. Sam is hiking for team AGS alongside Dan Hershberg and Chill Moody. Fun fact: Sam learned to walk on LuLu Country Club’s putting green. Since then, he’s become a Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club member, continued to hone his game and thrives on sharing the sport of golf with as many people as possible through his work with AGS.
“The work that Youth on Course does to position this game in a positive way for the next generation is remarkable,” Spuhler, 35, of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “It’s an honor for me to support this great organization to ensure that today’s youth have access to this game.”
Katrin Wolfe is a passionate golfer from Johnstown, Pa., representing Northampton Country Club. She is an accomplished golfer with many title performances to her credit. In 2022, she captured the Mid-Amateur Division of GAP’s 1st Women’s Championship at Bala Golf Club. This year, her team successfully defended their title in the 6th Women’s Spring Scramble at Chester Valley Golf Club. She has also occupied a spot on the winning women’s Four-Player Team roster since 2021. Wolfe has also regularly earned spots on USGA championship tee sheets. Her most recent national championship appearance is the 2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Mass. Golf has also infiltrated Wolfe’s professional life. She currently serves as Mid-Atlantic Field Representative for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).
“I always remember golf being a part of my life. My dad loved the game and got his whole family involved. I grew up at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa. I have very fond memories of playing golf at the course and every Thursday morning participating in the junior golf program,” Wolfe, 40, said. “[It’s important] to support the efforts of keeping junior golf affordable and available to all children who want to play the sport. Playing golf was some of my favorite times growing up. I hope the future generation of golfers gets the same opportunities.”
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 110,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
