Wisconsin State Golf Association
The Wisconsin State Golf Association (WSGA) is a 501[c]6 organization comprising over 400 member golf clubs located in the state of Wisconsin and approximately 60,000 individual golfing members. The WSGA is directed by a statewide Board of Directors including officers, active past presidents and volunteer Associate Directors who donate their time and services while paying their own expenses. The daily affairs of the WSGA are managed by a full-time executive director, department heads, and an administrative staff; augmented with part-time seasonal help.[1]
Mission statement
The Wisconsin State Golf Association was formed and exists for the general purpose of promoting and conserving, throughout the State of Wisconsin, the best interests and the true spirit of the game of golf. Included within the general purpose are:
- To cooperate with and assist the United States Golf Association and other recognized golf associations in the promotion and advancement of the game of golf.
- To hold a Wisconsin amateur championship each year and to promote and sponsor such other tournaments as may be approved by the Board of Directors.
- To establish or adopt and maintain a uniform handicap system and a uniform system for measuring and rating individual golf courses.
- To promote and assist in funding of scholarships for caddies, or other approved golf-related individuals or purposes, either alone or in conjunction with other golf associations.
- To do and perform all other related acts necessary to carry out the general purposes and the foregoing specific purposes. This may include promoting and sponsoring of golf trips for the benefit of members of association clubs and courses.[2]
History
In 1901, nine clubs organized to form the Wisconsin State Golf Association. Spurred by an ongoing desire for competition, these clubs created the nucleus of what would become today's WSGA. The nine clubs making up the association consisted of Janesville Sinnissippi GC, Milwaukee CC, Maple Bluff CC, Kenosha CC, Riverview CC in Appleton, Oshkosh CC, Schagkticoke CC in La Crosse, Racine CC, and Tuscumbia CC.
Hamilton Vose of the Milwaukee CC was the first WSGA President and also won the first WSGA Amateur Championship held at the Sinnissippi GC in 1901. As the association grew, the tournament schedule was expanded. A father-son (Pater-Filius) event was established in 1911 and a Yule Cup team championship was first held in 1916. The Junior Championship started in 1924. In 1968, the WSGA and the WPGA founded the Nelthorpe Cup matches named for the long-time Westmoor CC golf professional, Burns O. “Blackie” Nelthorpe.
It wasn’t until 1971 that the WSGA initiated its next major state championship- the Bestball (Four-Ball) event. The following year, 1972, the WSGA Governor’s Cup Championship was formed for members between the ages of 40 and 55.
In 1975, the WSGA Match Play Championship was “re-instated” after the State Amateur and the State Junior had been changed to Stroke Play in 1971. Then, in 1981, the first WSGA State Senior Championship was played at Blackhawk CC in Madison, followed by the WSGA State Senior Bestball Championship which began in 1986 at the Chenequa CC in Hartland. The WSGA Net-Partners tournaments and a Net-Partners Championship were introduced in 1995 to offer another dimension in the expansion of the WSGA competitive tournament program. In 1997, the WSGA inaugurated its newest event, the Director’s Cup Championship, a tournament for members between the ages of 25 and 40, at South Hills CC in Fond du Lac. Finally, in 2000, the WSGA started the Wisconsin 2-Man Team Championship to add a little more of a spectrum of golf championships for its members.[3]
Staff
Executive Director: Rob Jansen
Director-Rules & Competitions: Bill Linneman
Asst Director-Rules & Competitions: Geoff Pirkl
Director-Communications: Aimee Linneman
Director-Handicapping & Course Rating: John Warren
Director-Member Services: David Cohn
Financial Bookkeeper: Marilyn Karinen
Financial Secretary/WGCSA Assistant: Linda Scheffler
Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame
The WSGA established a Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame in 1964 to honor distinguished amateurs for their significant contributions to the game of golf in Wisconsin. The five charter members of this elite group, all "legends" who made their "mark" in Wisconsin amateur golf circles, were E.P. "Ned" Allis, Dick Cavanagh, Lynford Lardner, Billy Sixty, Sr., along with, and Wilford Wehrle.
In 1975, the WSGA Hall of Fame Committee changed the induction policies to allow professionals, women and public Links players to be considered for the Hall of Fame. The first female to be inducted was Joyce Ziske Malison. In 1980, Archie Dadian of Whitnall Park GC, became the first public links player to be elected to the Hall of Fame. At present, plaques of all inductees, which outline their achievements along with an engraved likeness, are on display at Golf House of Wisconsin in West Allis.
The WSGA Hall of Fame Committee is composed of WSGA directors, golf professionals, women representatives, public links players and media delegates, who meet annually to review candidates. Candidate consideration is extended to individuals with outstanding golf records, and to those who have made exceptional contributions to the game of golf. All candidates must be at least 40 years of age and must receive at least 75% of the committee's votes.[4]