The Ellwood City native, who still resides there with his wife Leona, is a 1957 graduate of Penn State University, following a stint in the United States Air Force. His first newspaper job was with the Ellwood City Ledger. Upon moving to the "P-G" in 1964, he covered many sports including all three Pittsburgh's professional sports teams--Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins, plus college sports with Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Duquesne. He retired from the Post-Gazette in 2001, and he has stayed active with numerous freelance articles, features, and books. (more)

A player must have an account established by the Association in order to enter a WPGA Championship Online. (more)

The "mid-am movement" started about thirty years ago, as it became increasingly apparent that college golfers dominated amateur golf. Championships for golfers past college age began, and the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship began in 1981, followed shortly by state and regional mid-amateur championships. (more)

Penn State Nationally Ranked
On the strength of two victories last Fall and other top finishes, the Penn State golf team has been ranked as high as #18 in NCAA Division I golf in 2007-08 as the Nittany Lions head into the second half of the season. 

Local Penn State golfers in the starting line-up include Robert Rohanna, senior, Waynesburg, recipient of the Frank Fuhrer, III, Collegiate Player of the Year Award, the past two seasons, Harvin Groft, State College, senior, and Jimmy Markovitz, Bridgeville, sophomore, who was injured last month and will not be able to play the rest of the season.  Freshman Brendan Borst, Pittsburgh, 2006 WPGA Junior Champion, is also a member of the team.  For more information, Penn State’s web-site, is www.psu.edu.
 

The “kinder and gentler Rules,” include Rules 4-1 and 4-2, where the penalty for disqualification has been limited to playing a stroke with a non-conforming club (4-1), or playing a stroke with a club whose playing characteristics have been changed.  The penalty for carrying such a club is the same as having too many clubs, so 4-1, 4-2, and 4-4 have similar penalty statements for the first time. 

Another key change is reduction of the penalty when a player’s ball is stopped or deflected himself, partner, or either of their caddies or equipment.  It’s now one stroke is all forms of play rather than loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play.

More information on the Rules can be found on the USGA’s web-site, www.usga.org
 

About ten years ago, I received a videotape from Pittsburgh broadcast station WTAE of a Rules incident in a match between Steelers radio broadcasters Bill Hillgrove and Myron Cope.  It was a charity match of some sort. 

Hillgrove’s ball came of rest on the lip of the hole, and fell in fewer than ten seconds.  Hillgrove asserted he made four.  Cope thought it was more than that, probably many more.  I called the producer informing him that Hillgrove’s score was four since according to Rule 16-2.

A few days later, Myron Cope called the WPGA office at his sputtering best.  I heard a few “hmm haa’s” and “double yois” in his diatribe, but I explained the Rule indicating I was making a ruling on an incident not to favor anyone involved.   

The colorful and quotable Myron Cope passed away in Mount Lebanon on February 27 at age 79. 

During the WPGA Centennial year, 1998-99, Hillgrove was the “voice over” on two videotapes the Association assembled for the celebration.  The one about our great players will be updated for future use.

Since the USGA Handicap System was updated and published on January 1, 2008, this will be a very busy year for the association. All clubs using the USGA Handicap System are required to attend a Handicap Chair Certification Program conducted by either the WPGA or the United States Golf Association during the time period 2008-2011. All clubs presently certified and licensed must attend one of these seminars before 12/31/08. The Handicap Committee encourages all WPGA Member Clubs to attend one of these seminars in 2008. The seminars will be scheduled in the spring and fall. A representative from any club may also complete the program online on the USGA website (click here). Results will be sent to the Association. Clubs will also need to resubmit a club licensing application to verify compliance with the USGA Handicap System. Information will be forthcoming.

Each club must also complete and submit the WPGA Club Licensing Agreement yearly. This is part of the Association's ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of the USGA Handicap System in our jurisdiction as implemented by its Member Clubs. The licensing form can be found here (click here).

This year will also be a very busy one for our course rating teams. Presently there are 34 courses that are scheduled to be rated. When complete, updated information can be found on the WPGA Course Rating Update page (click here).
 

Another information program includes publications:  Green Operations annually, Private Club Operations in odd numbered years, and Public Course Operations in even numbered years. 

WPGA staff members stay current on golf business trends by interaction with organizations like the Club Managers Association of America, National Golf Course Owners Association, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, PGA of America, and their local affiliates, plus National Golf Foundation, National Club Association and United States Golf Association. 

Frank B. Fuhrer, Jr.
Frank B. Fuhrer Teams

PNC Bank