n Nice to see assistant professionals get their day in the spotlight Tuesday at the Connecticut Section PGA golf assistant championship event at Stonington Country Club.

September is a fun but also sometimes frustrating month for these golfers. It's fun because they finally have time to compete in tournaments yet frustrating because they've been too busy to properly prepare and be at the their best.

”It's tough,” said Andrew Gruss, a Waterford High School graduate and assistant at Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Kensington. “But obviously I don't make my living playing the game. I tend to my job. If I play, it's a bonus.”

Josh Bialowans and Kevin O'Connor, both East Lyme graduates, made Old Lyme Country Club proud with decent showings. They had hoped for lower scores but still walked away happy.

”It's nice to get back playing,” Bialowans said. “I've been working on my game as much as possible. I'm just happy to get the chance. I thank Rob Barbeau at Old Lyme for everything that he's taught me.”

Rob is the pro at Old Lyme. Take a bow, Rob.

n Old Lyme Country Club recently held its club championships for men and women. Gerry Dubey won a well-played match against Mitchell Etess, 2&1, Monday.

In a match between two familiar finalists, Pat Ermler added to her club championship victory total by beating Helene Nichols, 1-up, last week.

n New London Country Club capped off a terrific summer season with its Championship Sunday last weekend.

In the marquee events, Joey Salimeno defended his men's championship flight title, beating Tim Burrows, while Jackie Beck defeated multiple champion Sue Schmidtknecht.

Champions were crowned in several other flights: First flight, Bob MacDonald over Bill Dillon; Second flight, Don Cleary over Richard Cook; Third flight, Peter Gianakos over Dr. John Shenasky.

Jim O'Reilly won the senior club championship, beating Keith Barber.

Bob Boivin and Russ Christman combined to win the Four Ball title while Paula and Steve Santangelo took the mixed four ball.

Dr. Shenasky (super seniors), MacDonald (seniors), Nick Hedden (James L. Smith) and Jim Baxter (Quota) also won their divisions.

In the Players Championship, Salimeno (black tee/gross), Nick Spera (black tee/net), Barber (blue tee/gross) and David Tracy (blue tee/net) also won.

n Stonington Country Club recently crowned its junior champions in several divisions. Dylan Rapoport won the 18-hole title with an 85 while Christine Kong took first in the girls' tournament with an 86.

In the nine-hole competitions, Jack Ognisty shot a 58 to win the boys' division and Gabi Hoops had a 65 to capture the girls' event.

n Stonington also recently ran its senior club events. Last weekend Bill von Glahn won the senior club championship (ages 55 and over), defeating Jack Carson, 4&3. Patty van der Velde, who earlier last month won the women's club championship, added to her trophy case by winning the women's senior title, beating Mary Lou Andrias, 2&1.

In the Frisbie Cup for men 65 and over, Bob Fox shot a 138 to capture the 36-hole stroke play net event. John Urban (168) was the gross division winner. In the Halsey Cup for women 65 and over. Jan Virginski shot a 70 to win the 18-hole stroke play net division. van der Velde won the gross division with an 82.

n It would be difficult to find a better men's club championship field than the one at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme featuring Jeff Hedden, Bill Hermanson and Phil Perry.

Hermanson and Perry are multiple club winners while Hedden, the 2008 Connecticut Open champion, is a relatively new member. The 54-hole stroke play tournament came down to a playoff with Hedden defeating Perry. Both golfers shot a 69 on the final round.

”As you would expect, it was a very, very good club championship,” said club pro Andrew Campbell. “It's hard to imagine there's a club championship better contested than those three guys going against each other.”

Hermanson, by the way, has won the club title 22 times.

Best wishes to Hermanson who'll play in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at the Milwaukee Country Club in River Hills, Wi. The event starts Saturday and runs through Thursday.

n September is a busy month for Connecticut Section PGA members.

Black Hall Club in Old Lyme is hosting the Connecticut Section PGA Pro-Am Championship Monday. Kevin Shea (NLCC), Robbie Leming (Black Hall), Archie Cart (Lake of Isles), Rob Barbeau (Old Lyme), John Paesani (Norwich), Campbell (Black Hall), Tom Cutone (Black Hall) and Tom DelRosso (Black Hall) are locals competing.

The 77th Connecticut PGA Championship tees off Sept. 22-24 at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford. Patrick Boucher (Lake of Isles), Casey Roan (Shennecossett), Mike Svab (Mohegan Sun Country Club at Pautipaug), Cart, DelRosso, Paesani, Shea and Leming are expected to play in the marquee event.

n Greg Yeomans, Ledyard High School graduate and former UConn basketball walk-on, placed 15th last week in the New England PGA Championship at the Weston Golf Club. A pro at The Bay Club at Mattapoisett (Mass.), he shot a three-round total of 224 (75-75-74).

n Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton is hosting the CSGA One Day Championship Oct. 13.

n Time to sign up for the New London Country Club Men's Invitational, which tees off at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start Sunday, Sept. 28. Cost is $60 per player and includes greens fee, prizes and dinner. Cart fee is extra. Deadline to enter is Sept. 25.

Field is limited to 120 players. Format is individual gross and net…. Golfers can enter as individuals, twosomes, threesomes or foursomes with incomplete groups filled out by the tournament committee. Call the NLCC pro shop for more information at 439-1524.

n Lake of Isles in North Stonington is running a fall lesson and golf promotion. The package starts at $425 and includes a series of five one-hour lessons and a promotional card good toward the following discounts on the North Course - $75 off the posted public rate for the first round and second round free. Students will receive card, which expires Oct. 31, 2008, after first lesson. For more information, call (860) 312-2149.

n The Ben Jackson Golf Learning Center, located at the site of the former Golf Pavilion in Hopkinton, R.I. is offering an off-season segment of its player development program. Openings for new students begin on Sept. 22. The program will work on technique, timing, training and results in efficient swing skills, longer, more accurate ball flight and lower scores.

Instructor Ben Jackson has had great success working with all levels of golfers. For more information, call (860) 460-4798 or email jacksongolf@comcast.net. Check out the website at www.benjacksongolf.com

n The annual Norwich-Shennecossett Challenge Match is Saturday, Sept. 13, starting at 12:30 at Shennecossett in Groton.

n This is the final local golf page of the season.

Compiled by Gavin Keefe

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