EARLY YEARS

 

       A Tournament Committee organized the Father and Son Golf Association, originally known as “Pater et Filius Golf Association”, with the first tournament being held in 1915. This first event was an alternate shot, best ball net of father and son partners. It was held at Sleepy Hollow, and drew a field of 202, (sons included, presumably), and was won by Charles D. and Everett B. Cooke (of Arcola) with a 90-12-78.

       The name was changed to the less pretentious “Father and Son Golf Association” with incorporation in New York in 1921 “to encourage friendly competition in golf among Father and Sons and to hold a golf tournament each summer”.

       The tournament gained in popularity, peak attendance being 256 in 1926. The annual tournament was held at Sleepy Hollow until 1922, when it moved to the Nassau Country Club for one year, and back to Sleepy Hollow the next, before finally settling at Garden City Golf Club in 1924. In 2001 the tournament was held at Meadow Brook Club and has alternately been held there, Round Hill Club, Somerset Hills CC, Bedford Golf & Tennis and Country Club of Fairfield. In future years the event may be held at other fine courses in the metropolitan area.

       The low gross winner was added in 1921, won that year by Allan T. Haight and Richard A. Haight of The Round Hill Club. The modern low gross record is 70, shot by Richard Remsen, Jr. and Richard P. Remsen in 1975.

       A putting contest was held from 1927 to 2010, the record low of which was 30 achieved by many fathers and sons. In 1927, a longest drive contest was initiated, with the title going to Jess Sweetser with a drive of 242 yards. Sweetser was a son, so the event was modified to include a prize for Fathers over 50, the record appearing to be held by Temple Emmet with a drive of 251 yards. Fathers under 50 were also added, the title going to H.B. Hollins in 1929 with a drive of 259 yards. The Sons, however, were represented by drives of 293 yards (Jess W. Sweetser in 1929), and in 1930 by Kenneth B. Bourne the son of Alfred Bourne, a charter member and a member of Garden City Golf Club, with a blast of 328 yards! Evidently the fathers had had enough for this was dropped in 1932.

       Over the years the records indicate that the all time low net winner was J.R. Lowell (Sr and Jr) of Piping Rock, with a round of 89-25-64. Perhaps this was their career round, or their handicap may have been subsequently trimmed, as they do not reappear as winners.

       The Three Generation contest was added in 1963, and the best score so far is 135, shot by William S., John B. and Barrett Beinecke in 2001.

       The members were drawn from golf clubs all over the metropolitan area and around the country.

 

We are greatly indebted to our friends at Garden City, who were our hosts for over 80 years. Francis M. Bacon and William Fellowes Morgan, the latter a charter member of our organization, were both subsequently Presidents of Garden City. In  more recent years John Betz, past President of the Father & Son and Peter Gall, past Tournament Chairman, both long time members of Garden City, served for years with great distinction on our Board of Governors.

       George Sweetser and his son Jess, mentioned earlier, were one of a number of well known competitors. Jess played on six Walker Cup teams, won the British Amateur in 1926 at Muirfield, and beat Bobby Jones 8 and 7 in the US Amateur semi finals in 1922 with a 69 at The Country Club. The Sweetsers won the low gross in this Tournament in 1927 with an 83, and came in second in 1937 for Low Net, having carded an 83-15-68, to Richard Remsen and Richard Remsen Jr. who won with an 82-16-66.

 

THE TOURNAMENT

 

       The annual tournament is held on a Monday or Tuesday early in June, with each team of a father and one son playing alternate shot. The Board of Governors assigns handicaps to each team, based on USGA handicaps, adjusted for performance in past tournaments as well as other relevant information. The sons commence by driving on the first hole, each drive alternating thereafter, regardless of who holed out on the previous hole.  In recent years the Governors have reduced the field in order to speed play and to have the field complete in reasonable time, as a result the event has been heavily over subscribed.

      The tournament brings together teams of all ages and from various clubs and locations; as once stated by the Board, “ your committee feels that as the age of sons competing varies in years from 12 to 50, the emphasis must be on friendly competition and not on the high quality of golf.”

       From time to time various changes have been recommended, but the traditional elements of this event have been strictly maintained. A minute of a Board of Governors meeting in 1971 noted that “The Board expressed its strong recommendation that cold lobster be reinstated on the menu.”

       The spirit of the tournament is conveyed in a letter written in 1930 by Delos W. Cooke, Tournament Chairman:

“For one thing, the annual tournaments of the Father and Son Golf Association are devoid of monotony.

The sons (not the fathers) are always a year older.

In each son lies the hope of victory.

In each annual endeavor lies the prospect of an achievement well worth preserving.”

 

     As the Annual Tournament was started as a contest for the net best ball, and the low gross was added several years later, the team with the low net score shall be considered the Tournament Champion and will be listed on the Hoyt Cup, with the low gross winners receiving a separate prize. If the same team has the best scores for both the net and gross, it will be awarded the net prize only.  In the event of a tie winners will be determined by a match of cards in accordance with USGA rules; as regards to the second and third place winners, prizes will be awarded to all of the tied teams.

 

 

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

     Election to the Association is by invitation only, rather than a proposal system. Members who wish to suggest a candidate should write to the Chairman of the Membership Committee, giving the full name and address of the father and his sons, together with birth dates and handicaps. The addresses of the sons should be included, and Club affiliations, as well as a short list of Governors and members whom the candidates know well. Step sons are not eligible, and a candidate would ordinarily be from an MGA club, but may be from outside the New York area or from anywhere in the country, as we are truly a national organization.