| Winter Issue of GAP Magazine |
Richie Solano, III had chances to break through but just fell short.
Falling in the Final of Atlantic City Country Club’s Club Championship each of the last two years, Solano put in the work this season to have a chance to finally get the job done.
The only person standing in his way? His father, Richie Solano, Jr.
“We play in everything together,” Solano, III, said. “We know each other’s games so well and we play together every weekend. My dad was hesitant to even play in the club championship. I convinced him to play, and I am glad he did. Once the bracket was finished, we knew the Final was the only time we could play each other. The pressure was all on me in my semifinal match knowing he was already in the Final.”
Solano, III punched his ticket to the Final and beat his father, 5&4, for his first club championship victory.
“Winning the club championship here was a really good feeling,” Solano, III, 25, of Sicklerville, N.J., said. “I spend countless hours practicing for this event every season. Seeing the constant improvement in my game over the last couple of years has been rewarding. I am happy how far I have come in golf. I have devoted a lot of time and effort into becoming the club champion.”
Atlantic City was founded in 1897. This year was the first time a father and son made it to the Club Championship title match..
“Playing in the Final with my son was the best day that I have ever had on the golf course,” Solano, Jr., 53, of Sicklerville, N.J., said. “For me, it was an experience of a lifetime. I wasn’t expecting to make it as far as I did. There was about a week leading up to the event full of trash talk and busting chops. I wanted the parking spot you get for winning more than anything else.”
The Solanos have been members at Atlantic City for six years. But the history they created will be around for a lifetime.
“I can’t explain the feeling of what it was like,” Solano, III said. “We never played each other in competition before. Win or lose, we were both excited to be there and to make history at the club. It’s a memory we will have for the rest of our lives. We were grateful to get that far.”
To view all the 2023 club champions in GAP, click here.
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.
