Columnist Peter Benton: Volunteers behind success of junior golf

Peter Benton

Wednesday, March 31, 1999 | 9:26 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Twenty years ago, local professionals Joe LePire Jr., Scotty Greer and Tim Webster, along with caring parents such as Buzz and Verna Marcinko, Joe LePire Sr., Marry Ann Contino, Jerry Clark and Jay Love, recognized the need to set up an organization for youngsters to learn about and play golf.

Thus evolved the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association, which in that same year (1979) set up a 15-tournament schedule for the then 40-odd children interested in pursuing the sport.

The growth of this organization has been rapid.

From 175 juniors in all age brackets competing on but one course back in '85, we now have 550 youngsters playing in 60 designated tournaments on numerous local layouts.

In 1991, the board of directors of this nonprofit entity voted unanimously to open an office and hired as its director Jane Schlosser, one of the many volunteer parents who, up to then, had been assisting in the running of the SNJGA.

Because of the large number of youngsters now participating, and with so many different levels of players, it has been necessary to create four different summer "tours" -- the regular tour, qualifying tour, 11-12 tour and the peewee tour, with the various age groups being expanded from the previous four to nine.

There have been many worthy volunteers and parents who have given so freely of their time.

So, to the likes of Rich Fite, Ann and John Sunstrum, Debbie Davis, Lynne Hunter, the various board members and others volunteers, plus executive director Jane Schlosser: Many, many thanks for a job well-done and for making the SNJGA what it is today.

* CC RESULTS: Format of play in last week's Men's Guest Day at the Las Vegas Vegas Country Club was as follows: Holes 1-6, best-ball of twosome; holes 7-12, Chapman; holes 13-18, scramble.

Winning overall honors with a score of 57.95 was the duo of Ray Demman and guest Frank Zemel.

Chuck Weigman and Dene Krametbauer took the honors in the Buckeye flight, coming in with 62.75.

Allen Vogel-Neal Ruby shot 61.4 to win the Husky flight while Chuck Deaner and Larry Kulp prevailed in the Spartan flight. Their score was 60.8.