GRCC named PGA’s Club of the Year for 2017

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Glen Ridge Country Club held a party on Friday, Sept. 15, to celebrate having been named the NJ Professional Golfers’ Association 2017 Club of the Year. The club has recently completed a $12 million upgrade of its facilities that included a new Golf and Tennis Pro Shop.

The NJPGA also awarded the GRCC golf pro, Tommy Monteverdi, the Horton Smith Award.
This award is given to a PGA professional for their excellence in teaching golf and golf-enrichment practices to other professionals.
In a telephone interview earlier this week, Michael DeRosa, GRCC president, said he was extremely proud of the membership for supporting the master plan that renovated the club. And members, he said, are especially proud to bring their friends and family to the club. The membership of the club has increased from these visits, according to DeRosa.

Monteverdi said the award he received is one of the biggest annually
given out by the NJPGA.
“It is for the continuing education of the NJPGA golf pro,” he said.
Monteverdi is in his fifth year at GRCC and in his third year on the NJPGA board of directors. He is also the NJPGA curriculum chairman and put together the curriculum for teaching pros. The subjects taught include best practices for member/guest events; wage and hour requirements to better manage facilities; new technologies; best practices in merchandising; and the golfer’s short game.
“At the end of the day, the NJPGA puts together a wonderful curriculum with the best and the brightest golf professionals,” he said. “We are looking at the amount of time members use the club.”

Monteverdi said he felt it was his responsibility to educate the members and to keep them engaged.
DeRosa believes that the golf pro is meeting that challenge.

“Tommy Monteverdi has done a tremendous job in engaging the children and mothers,” he said. “He makes golf a family experience.”