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Golf
Senior Golf Association experiencing resurgence
Membership back in full swing
The Arizona Senior Golf Association has more than 100 members for the first time since COVID-19. (Metro Creative)
Posted
The Arizona Seniors Golf Association (ASGA) experienced a recent resurgence in membership, back to pre-COVID levels.
At the end of last year’s tournament schedule, several members of the Valleywide golf group put a plan together to resurrect the ASGA, according to a press release. The group had 35 members during the pandemic but is now above 100 with 101 members.
The non-profit organization has existed since 1959 for senior golfers to play at clubs with friends and new acquaintances around the Valley. Members have the opportunity to win team prizes and individual awards for skins and closest to the pin, and play in the finest private and public clubs in the Phoenix area.
Fountain Hills resident Gary Ray and his friends Scott Thompson and Ron Helle helped breathe life into the resurgence effort last year. Ray is now the ASGA president, and he received help from former board members Ken Welch, Steve Davidson, Don Sathern, Tom Rhoades and Scott Voyles.
Ray made rounds to courses around the Valley to enlist support, and Helle, a certified public accountant, developed the new financial structure of the ASGA. Thompson created a website to provide information and allow people to join the organization and register for upcoming tournaments.
Members must be over 50 years of age and have a United State Golf Associaition (USGA) Handicap Index to join. The ASGA hosts several events from November to May each year, and members can pick and choose which events to play in.
The ASGA averaged 68 golfers at its first two events in the 2024 season, the press release continued. The organization will next hold tournaments at Arrowhead Country Club in Glendale on Monday, Feb. 5, and at Oranage Tree Resort in Scottsdale on Monday, Feb. 19. The association has eight more scheduled events in March, April and May.
Annual membership dues are $100, and each event has its own additional costs. Some events will have a lunch and/or dinner afterward, and all events will have 18 holes of golf. Excess funds are donated to charities such as the Arizona Junior Golf Association and various disabled veteran groups.
The goal of the ASGA is to make the best experience for senior golfers. They hope to continue to bring in new members and are seeking sponsors willing to help rebuild the organization, including contributions of prizes for future tournaments.
Visit azsga.golfgenius.com to learn more and register for the ASGA. Interested golfers can also view the calendar of events for the rest of the 2024 season.
