Chapel Beach Club Wins the Triple in the Beach Club Challenge

Clean Ocean Action (COA) held its Third Annual Ocean Golf Classic on October 7, at Rumson Country Club.  Nearly 90 players from the local area, northern New Jersey, and New York teed-off in warm autumn temperatures and under crystal clear blue skies for a great day of golf.  The field competed for awards and hole-in-one prizes and concluded their round with a cocktail and dinner reception hosted in the Rumson Country Club Pool House overlooking the Shrewsbury River.  Despite being postponed one week due to inclement weather, support for a clean ocean followed through.

“The remains of Hurricane Jeanne brought torrential rains that soaked the grounds of the club, postponing the event.  Several holes where literally under water.  We saw several ducks swimming at the fourth hole,” said Ginny McDonald of Rumson, event committee member. 

Jeannette Yorke, Committe Co-Chair, said, “The day of the rescheduled event was a great day of golf and support for the ocean.”

The Beach Club Challenge, a tournament within the tournament, drew competitive foursomes from six local beach clubs, but were no match once again for Chapel Beach Club who captured their third title and took home a commemorative Ocean Golf Classic Trophy and flag to fly for the 2005 summer season.  The winning beach club team, with a gross score of 65, edged out the team from Waters Edge Beach Club by a four-stroke margin.

The support this year from sponsors was generous and contributed to the overall success of the event.  The combined efforts of those who value a clean ocean helped make the tournament possible: The New York Mercantile Exchange as Event Sponsor; Chapel Beach Club, Matzel & Mumford, Lawes Environmental Services, Info Technologies Inc., and H.L. Jamison Insurance Group as major sponsors; and many local businesses, committee members, and volunteers.  Special thanks to Committee Co-Chairs, Jeannette and Tom Yorke who went above and beyond to make this event a success for the ocean.

That evening, players enjoyed dinner and a silent auction with items donated by local businesses and friends of the ocean.  Chris Moore won the 50/50 raffle and generously donated a portion of his winnings back to COA.  After a successful event and fun day of golf to benefit the ocean, golfers and committee members were already discussing plans for next year’s tournament -- to be held September 29, 2005, at the Navesink Country Club.