21st Frank H. Chapman Memorial Cup Super Senior: Cobblestone Creek

Donatoni repeats, earns sixth title

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Darkness hates to see Don Donatoni turn the lights on.

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His half-caff blend of coffee drips from his coffee machine before the roosters even care to cackle. With just under four hours from his 8:10 a.m. tee time in the 21st Frank H. Chapman Cup Super Senior Tuesday at Cobblestone Creek Country Club (par 70, 5,980 yards), his round in theory begins when that last drip of coffee hits his glass.

“I have been doing the same three stretches for the past 30 years,” Donatoni, 78, of West Chester, Pa., said. “I have a little makeshift gym in the lower level of my home. I do whatever I can to help my core strength and maintain any speed I have. As you get older your flexibility drops off as well as your swing speed.”

The snap of his athletic bands and ting of his weights echo in the Super-Senior legend’s home inside Hershey’s Mill Golf Club. The sound is similar to the clinking his crystal trophies make when he touches them. As he wraps up his 20 minute routine, Donatoni grabs a donut and hits the road.

“I have to be committed to doing everything I can to be in the best shape I can be,” Donatoni said. “Playing good golf means too much to me to not put in the work. Today, I woke up at 4:30 and went through my routine. I must have a coffee and eat something. Since the drive was long and I haven’t been to Cobblestone Creek before, I needed to get on the road. You can’t take chances with traffic leaving the city.”

Donatoni’s preparation once again paid off for his sixth Chapman Super Senior title after a 1-under-par 69 Tuesday at Cobblestone Creek. His round was the only one under par in his three-shot victory.

“It is awesome to win again,” Donatoni said. “The feeling never gets old. We are all here to have a good time but we all try to win. You are not going to win every year and you want to do the best you can. To come out on top against so many talented and younger players means a lot.”

Winning is not new for Donatoni in the Senior and Super-Senior ranks. But Cobblestone Creek was foreign to Donatoni.

“The most difficult thing about playing a new course for the first time is getting comfortable with the sightlines,” Donatoni said. “I felt like I was able to work my way around the course well. When I missed greens, I felt like I was in a good spot to recover. Not being familiar with the greens leaves a lot of uncertainty with landing spots and slope.”

Donatoni chirped three birdies on the day. On No. 5 (par 5, 505 yards), he smoothed a 58-degree wedge from 65 yards to six feet. 

On No. 9 (par 4, 357 yards) he clanked in a 15-footer after muscling a pitching wedge from 120 yards. An eight-footer on No. 15 ended his birdie trifecta. Tuesday’s putting statistics were a 180-degree flip from what 2026 has brought Donatoni. He said he’s been putting into a cup the size of a needlepoint. A usual strength turned to a weakness.

“For 25 years, I have used the claw to putt,” Donatoni said. “But this offseason I thought I should change to left-hand low because I was rolling it well on my putting mat. I’ve struggled all season. Then I played with Glenn Smeraglio and Rick Umani at the Warner Super Senior at LuLu Country Club last week. I missed a four-footer for par on No. 17 and they both gave me the business and asked why I stopped clawing after all the success I’ve had. On the last hole I had a 12-footer for birdie and made it using the claw. I feel like I can start the ball on line better. Sometimes you need to be nudged.”

Donatoni’s longevity in the game is a case study on what hard work and a commitment to golf can do. No shortcuts taken and no days off. Even with a full tournament schedule. Tuesday was Donatoni’s 447th round of golf shooting his age. 

“When the Brewer Cup was at Huntingdon Valley Country Club in 2021, I walked to the range before match play and there was one open spot. The spot was next to Gordon Brewer, the tournament namesake. I asked him if he kept track of how many rounds where he shot his age. He said, ‘Absolutely, I do.’ At that point he estimated in the 800s. From that point on, I continued to count. I know I have a long way to go but I enjoy the chase.”

Father time, much like darkness, hates to see Donatoni. But as long as there is a bit of caffeine in his coffee drip and motivation, he will continue to chase hardware and red numbers.

“For me it’s dedication to practicing when you can,” Donatoni said. “Each time you tee it up you are playing against the best players in your age category. I know I need to play my best to win. Plaques and trophies are great but I enjoy the guys more than anything. We all want to beat each other. The competition is what keeps the juices flowing.”

Super-Senior Silver Cross Update – With just two rounds to go, Donatoni leads by one shot at 2-over-par 143. Donatoni fired a 74 in the Warner in addition to his 69 in the Chapman. The Super-Senior Amateur Championship Aug. 11-12 at Little Mill Country Club (White/Blue) represents the final two rounds that comprise the award.

Frank H. Chapman, a Whitemarsh Valley Country Club member, served as the Association’s secretary-treasurer for 23 years. He died on June 7, 1955 at the age of 88. It is held in his honor.

To meet the needs of its members, GAP separated a Super-Senior Division from its traditional Chapman Cup counterpart.

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 140,000 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.