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Allied Association of the MGA

History

 

History of the LIGA

 

 

The Long Island Golf Association was organized in 1922. Founded by some of the area’s leading amateur golfers and others with a high interest in the game, the LIGA conducted three championship events in that first year, the Open at Cherry Valley, the Amateur at the original Lido Club and the Junior at Oakland. 

People like John Montgomery Ward from Garden City Golf Club, the Association’s first President and a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame, John N. Steams, Jr. of National Links and Piping Rock, Dr. A.T. Haight of Lido, Gardiner White of Nassau, the 1921 Metropolitan Amateur Champion, Grant Peacock of Garden City Golf Club and others gave their active support to the fledgling organization and were rewarded by its steady growth.

In the early years names such as H. W. Maxwell, Jr., Eddie Driggs, Neal Fulkerson, Jr. and those of professionals like Willie Klein of Garden City, Gene Sarazen, Macdonald Smith began showing up at the top of the scoreboards. Later years saw Mal Galletta, the Strafaci brothers, John Humm and Bob Murphy take their places as the top amateurs on Long Island. No one dominated the LIGA Amateur Championship as did Gene Francis. In the twenty-six year period starting in 1962, Gene won the Amateur seven times, finished second four times and was the medallist on four occasions. In his career Gene also found time to win the Richardson Memorial and the Long Island Junior Championship.

On the professional side, Long Jim Barnes, Joe Turnesa, Jay Hebert, Shelley Mayfield and Tom Nieporte had their names engraved on the Open Championship Trophy. Beginning with the 1939 championship, and discounting the three year period during World War II when no tournaments were held, Al Brosch of Bethpage, and later Cherry Valley, won a total of ten Open titles through 1959, a record that still stands.

The 1990’s produced a number of fine Amateur champions, among them John Baldwin, Mal Galletta III, Phil Gutterman, and Ken Bakst. The Open Championship has been captured by Bruce Zabriski on four occasions in recent years. Other winners such as Tom Sutter, Rick Meskell, Rick Hartmann, Darrell Kestner, Mike Meehan, Mark Mielke and Bob Rittberger read like a “Who’s Who” of professional golf on Long Island.

The LIGA is proud to have been associated with these fine champions, as well as with all of the competitors in our events over the years. Our tournament program has continued to grow to the point where we now run a total of thirteen championships.

Because of the work on the part of a host of tireless volunteers, who have contributed so much of their time and energies toward making the LIGA a viable concept over the years, our organization is in excellent condition today. We have a group of dedicated sponsors to whom we are most thankful. Our member clubs have continued their financial support and have also made their venues available to us for tournament play.

Finally, we have the members of the golf clubs on Long Island who have participated in our competitions and who, by their presence, have elevated our tournament program to heights never anticipated in 1922. We are grateful to all these people for their contributions to our success, and we thank them sincerely.

Looking to the future, we are rededicating ourselves to the principals espoused by the founders of the LIGA, “promoting the game of golf and forming a closer relationship between the clubs and the players on Long Island.” We have the resources in place to produce a high quality product for all our constituents, and the will to deliver.  

Established 1900 & Earlier

CLUB

COURSE

Rockaway Hunting Club

1878

1916

Meadow Brook Club

1881

1955

Westhampton Country Club

1890

1916

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

1891

1931

Maidstone Club

1891

1896

Nassau Country Club

1896

1899

Gardiner's Bay Country Club

1951

1896

Garden City Golf Club

1899

1899

Huntington Crescent Club

1884

1896

     

Established 1901-1910

CLUB

COURSE

Inwood Country Club

1902

1902

National Golf Links of America

1904

1911

The Woodmere Club

1908

1910

Piping Rock Club

1909

1912

Huntington Country Club

1910

1910

 

 

 

Established 1911-1920

CLUB

COURSE

North Fork Country Club

1911

1911

North Shore Country Club

1913

1912

Wheatley Hills Golf Club

1913

1914

St. George's Golf & Country Club

1915

1917

Cherry Valley Club

1916

1907

North Hempstead Country Club

1916

1916

Garden City Country Club

1916

1917

Bellport Country Club

1916

1916

Engineers Country Club

1917

1918

Hempstead Golf & Country Club

1920

1921

 

 

 

Established 1921-1930

CLUB

COURSE

Brookville Country Club

1922

1922

The Creek Club

1922

1923

Fresh Meadow Country Club

1922

1923

Rockville Links Country Club

1922

1924

Southward Ho Country Club

1923

1923

Glen Oaks Club

1924

1925

Lawrence Village Golf Club

1924

1924

Village Club of Sands Point

1924

1924

Southampton Golf Club

1925

1925

Deepdale Golf Club

1926

1956

Seawane Club

1927

1927

Sands Point Golf Club

1927

1928

Island Hills Golf Club

1927

1927

North Hills Country Club

1927

1927

Montauk Downs State Park

1927

1927

Plandome Country Club

1929

1931

 

 

 

Established 1931-1940

CLUB

COURSE

Bethpage State Park

1934

1923, 1935, 1935, 1936, 1958

 

 

 

Established 1941-1950

CLUB

COURSE

Cold Spring Country Club

1947

1923

Peninsula Golf Club

1947

1947

Glen Head Country Club

1948

1924

South Fork Country Club

1948

1948

 

 

 

Established 1951-1960

CLUB

COURSE

Pine Hollow Country Club

1955

1955

Port Jefferson Country Club

1955

1924

Lake Success Golf Club

1956

1956

Muttontown Club

1960

1962

 

 

 

Established 1961-1970

CLUB

COURSE

Island’s End Golf & Country Club

1961

1961

Old Westbury Golf & Country Club

1961

1962

Noyac Golf Club

1963

1964

Tam O'Shanter Club

1963

1963

Mill River Club

1964

1965

Crab Meadow Golf Club

1964

1965

Hampton Hills Golf & Country Club

1965

1965

Indian Hills Country Club

1965

1965

Nissequogue Golf Club

1967

1967

Glen Cove Golf Course

1970

1971

 

 

 

Established 1971-1980

CLUB

COURSE

Smithtown Landing Country Club

1971

1971

Pine Hills Country Club

1974

1974

 

 

 

Established 1981-1990

CLUB

COURSE

Hamlet Windwatch Golf Club

1990

1990

Atlantic Golf Club

1990

1992

 

 

 

Established 1991-2000

CLUB

COURSE

Nassau Players Club

1993

-----

Hamlet Golf & Country Club

1994

1994

Colonial Springs Golf Course

1995

1995

Harbor Links Golf Course

1999

1999

Long Island National Golf Club

1999

1999

 

 

 

Established 2001-2010

CLUB

COURSE

The Bridge

2001

2001

Friar’s Head

2002

2002

Laurel Links Country Club

2003

2003

The Greens at Half Hollow

2003

2003

Hamlet Willow Creek Golf & CC

2005

2005

Pine Ridge Golf Club

2006

2006

Sebonack Golf Club

2006

2006

 

 

 

Established 2011-2015

CLUB

COURSE

The Golf Club at Middle Bay

2015

1931