Oscar L. Mestre
A return to normal in 2021?
Here we go again. We hope.
GAP begins its 124th season with an added level of excitement and the return of the BMW GAP Team Matches. More than 5,000 golfers compete in the traditional season-opening event on three concurrent Sundays (April 18 & 25 and May 2). The Matches have, and always will be, a little about golf and a lot more about the camaraderie. For me, it’s always special when you visit a club and see some friendly, familiar faces you have known for years. That, unequivocally, is the best part of the Team Matches (and I’ve played in them since high school).
As all of us continue to deal with COVID-19, the Association plans to return to a normal Tournament Schedule with qualifiers and full fields. A huge thank you to all GAP Member Clubs for making their courses accessible. Our 2021 Major venues are spectacular. This will be the first time the Country Club of York holds a GAP Major. It won’t be the last.
Middle-Amateur Championship – Lookaway Golf Club
BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship – Cedarbrook Country Club (The 1912 Club, qualifying only)
Open Championship – Country Club of York
Joseph H. Patterson Cup – Manufacturers’ Golf and Country Club.
Also, I would be remiss not to recognize our corporate partners. Thank you BMW, Callaway and Provident Bank for your support of amateur golf.
Make sure to take a few minutes and look at the 2021 schedule on page 46. There are many playing opportunities for all categories, all ages and all skill levels. And if tournament golf isn’t your thing, we have 35 Member Play Days – relaxed and enjoyable golfing opportunities – set for 2021.
Late August gives the area the ability to witness the PGA TOUR in person once again. The BMW Championship is set for Aug. 26-29 at Caves Valley Golf Club, a new GAP Member Club. The best 70 players on the PGA TOUR are in for a treat.
Congratulations to Schuylkill Country Club on turning 100 years old. Also, I would like to personally congratulate WGAP’s new President Denise Viola on her election. Denise took the time to sit down for a Q&A with the GAP Magazine, and we look forward to working with Denise and the WGAP in the future.
Lastly, this issue’s feature article focuses on GAP brothers — Brotherly Love. Having lost my older brother when I was 8 (he was 12), may have been the single most important reason I started playing golf with my father. I missed growing up with my brother Luis, but I benefited greatly from the brotherhood and camaraderie found in GAP competition. I have had several Overbrook “brothers” and two of them are featured in the pages to follow: Andy and Ray Thompson. The Thompsons treated me as you would expect most “older brothers” to and took turns beating me like a drum on the golf course. More importantly, they always made time to help any player, like me, who was trying to get better. I am sure many Overbrook members will join me in saying, “Thank you Andy and Ray.”
Enjoy the GAP Magazine, and I hope to see you on a golf course soon.
