Philadelphia CC foursome take Senior Four-Man Team

  WALLINGFORD, Pa. – The Philadelphia CC squad of Donald Ashley, Mark Shuman, Richard Smith and former Springhaven Club member Michael Nilon fired 11 birdies and only one bogey to card a 10-under-par 130 at the 18^th running of the Senior Four-Man Team at The Springhaven Club (par 70, 6,241) Thursday.

  “The greens don’t put anything like they used to,” said the longtime member who admits to still having some familiarity of the course despite the renovations. “I think they only changed four or five holes but it’s a different golf course than it used to be.”

  Added Nilon, “I was a member here for 30 years and lived just down the street. I’ve played here since I was 10 years old.”

  But Thursday’s effort came with some added team success as the group of four made birdies when they needed to, including triple-birdie efforts on hole Nos. 9 (par 3, 142 yards) and 12 (par 5, 500 yards).

  “We all contributed equally as far as birdies go,” Ashley said. “It was a good solid round of golf by all of us.”

  The group beat out last year’s champions Mike Rose of Philmont CC, Carl Everett of Merion GC and Neil McDermott of Llanerch CC who brought on Don Donatoni of White Manor CC for Thursday’s event. The quartet, who finished two strokes back in second place with a 7-under-par 133, would have won their third straight Senior Four-Man Team title.

  Andrew Guinan, an Applebrook GC member who grew up playing The Springhaven Club, and fellow Springhaven Club members Patrick Close, John Turner and Michael McNichol rode their local knowledge to fire a 5-under-par 135 and finish alone in third place.

  “What stood out for us today was that John shot 1-under par on his own ball,” joked Close of Turner’s 69. “Drew shot even par, so they were hard to help.”

  Michael Izzo, Jr. of Woodbury CC teamed with James Quigley, James Jennings and Art Gallagher of Wedgwood CC to take the net division with a 21-under par net total of 119.

  The event’s format was two best gross and two best net scores, with handicaps set at 90 percent of individual course handicaps.

  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 135 Member Clubs and 60,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.