Bucks County Golf

Winning a club championship, whether a men's or a women's title, takes a weaving of skill and luck. Clearly skill is number one, as one has to have the playing ability to bring home a championship, but luck is also involved in any sort of competition.

Some players have a knack for getting in position to win, and then winning, a club championship.

When you see the name of a club champion, you know it's a strong player. But winning multiple championships can be the difference between a good and great player.

Keith Wilson knows a thing or two about winning club championships in Bucks County. Wilson claimed six men's titles at Hi-Point Golf Club before it was transformed into Spring Mill Country Club. Wilson then moved to Bensalem where he garnered 11 more crowns.

Those 17 titles sits him atop my record books, but others have also won multiple titles and some like Wilson have even claimed them at multiple courses.

Bob Kotz has the most titles at a single club, having earned 14 at Trenton Country Club. Dennis Konczyk claimed 11 championships at Torresdale-Frankford,  Don Everett captured 10 crowns at Northampton Valley Golf Club while Tom Bartolacci, Jr. earned five at Yardley and five at Saucon Valley and will defend his crown this year.

Several women have captured at least 10 crowns in their careers. Sue Harrigan won 13 consecutive titles starting in 1977 at Northampton Valley, while Shortie Brown earned 10 crowns at Trenton and Mary Thomas captured 10 championships at Doylestown. Sue Sawyer and Barbara Nini each have 10 Yardley championships.

Other women with a number of championships include Sue Kusche Pregartner, who claimed four titles at Trenton and four more at Doylestown, and five-time champions Mary Beth Driscoll (Bucks Club), Dale Wright (Jericho National), Ann Donnelly and Roe Kozub (Bensalem), Nancy Franko and Dorothy Anderson (Trenton) and Carolyn Forcina (Yardley). Cheryl Seamans earned four crowns at Spring Mill.

Among men, Jim Craig earned two titles at Northampton Valley then six at Spring Mill. Frank Corrado earned four championships at Trenton and three at Jericho National, while Wayne Bartolacci claimed four titles at Yardley before moving up River Road to Jericho National where he claimed two more.

Naz Gagliardi is a six-time winner at Bensalem and Kenneth Wolcott a six-time champion at Trenton while John Giordano earned four titles at Northampton Valley and another at Trenton. Mike Minter is a six-time winner at Trenton.

Other past multiple champions include John Sauers and Mike Laudien (Middletown), Rich White (Jericho National), John Nottage, Jr. and Jim Donegan (Northampton Valley), four apiece, while three-time winners include Matt Foust (Bensalem), Erv Munsell (Neshaminy Valley), Eric Radick (Spring Mill), Paul Rogowicz and Jeff Muhlbauer (Yardley), Christian Bartolacci (Jericho National) and Terry Sawyer (Trenton).

Both Zachary Herr (two at Jericho National) and Jackie Rogowicz (Yardley) captured club championships before their 14^th birthday, while James Bea (2-Spring Mill) and Jonathan Radick (2-Northampton Valley) were teenage winners at their clubs. Each player will defend their crowns this summer.

Tim Hager claimed the last four titles at Lookaway and Steve Arnold won two titles at Yardley, but both young guns are pursuing professional careers in mini-tours in the South. Hager is competing on the Hooters Tour while Arnold is honing his game on the e-golf Tour. Other club champions who turned club professional include Christian Bartolacci, Mike Laudien and Bill Walker, Jr.

The Cavalcade of Bucks County Champions, many of whom have excelled at state, regional and national levels, shows the depth and competitive nature of area golf. Who will be the winners in 2010?

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