Letter to the BrigantineNOW Editor from Maryann Kozack >>
Last weekend, sports legends; Bernie Parent, Warren Sapp, Irving Fryar, and 3 Philadelphia Eagles QBs: Ron Jaworski, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb were among the golfers at Jaworski’s Celebrity Golf Challenge held in Galloway, NOT BRIGANTINE.
This charity event, held every year, won’t ever be held in Brigantine.
Those looking to promote Brigantine, help business, increase the dry Real Estate market, and help support the golf course our taxes pay for….. can thank Mayor Phil Guenther, Council members Andy Simpson, Young Vince Sera and Karen Bew.
Maryann Kozack
READ FULL STORY in Press of Atlantic City
Maryann,
Even if Mr. Jaworski’s group would have received the agreement, it is likely that the event would never had been played at Brigantine anyway. The event has historically been played at Atlantic City Country Club, the premier golf course in the area. After an ownership change at ACCC, the event was moved to BHP, which in my opinion makes sense with the Jaworski group having a stake at BHP. While the logistics of Brigantine make total sense, the course and size of the clubhouse do not make sense for such a high profile event when you would also have BHP as an option. This is not to say Brigantine is a bad course, not at all. It is easy to say that if Jaworski would have gotten the agreement, the event would have been played at Brigantine, but as someone that has run numerous outings, given the choice to host the event at ACCC, BHP or Brigantine, Brigantine would be my third option all things considered. Could it have happened, sure. But not likely.
Jaws can buy and sell Guenther and Co for a profit, 5 times over!
Jaws eats big fish in small ponds!
mike,
Apparently you did not see Mr. Jaworski’s TV interview during last months Philadelphia Soul indoor football game in AC. for the record, Mr. Jaworski owns the Soul team, yet another event drawing people to our immediate area.
While you are comparing courses, think about the fact that the temperature here was a delightful 15 degrees cooler here Tuesday than offshore in GALLOWAY. The size of our “clubhouse” had nothing to do with the event, the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders and band played outside, in fact nothing about the event is conducted indoors except maybe bathroom breaks.
This rejection of the Jaworski deal is and was bad. No one can spin it otherwise.
Mary Ann,
I am very familiar with Mr. Jaworski’s involvement with the Soul as well as his current golf interests across Pa and NJ, in addition to the previous courses that he has managed. Do I think having the Jaworski group managing the course would be a bad move? Hard to tell. Nothing is guaranteed with anything regardless of a person “status”. Do I think the possibility existed that he could have done good things, absolutely.
However, just because he might have been awarded the Brigantine lease, this does not guarantee that the tournament held at BHP would have come to Brigantine. I love the Brigantine course, but in all fairness, it does not have the accommodations or course condition that BHP offers. This is not a reflection of Brigantine, just that BHP is in better shape as a whole which is due to It being a newer course as well as having a higher maintenance budget to work with. Jaworski has done a very good job at BHP as the course was in very good shape prior to the tournament.
I keep seeing the Guenther, Simpson, Sera and Bew being blamed for Jaworski not being awarded the lease agreement. If I am correct from what I have read, the initial management agreement with Meadowbrook Golf ended in December of 2012. If so, that left two years for the previous majority to secure an agreement with a reputable management company, whether Jaworski or others.
And as someone who has run numerous golf outings in the Tri-State market, both small and large, I have never once used the potential temperature at a course as a deciding factor in where the event should play.
I applaud your passion for your cause/fight, but in my opinion, you thought that this event would have been held at Brigantine is misguided.
Absolutely the blame is laid at the feet of the Republican majority.
You state that the Meadowbrook agreement was over in December 2012. Democrats took majority in 2013. First job was to get a new non-partisan city manager. Then a “golf course committee” was set up and an RFP went out. if you follow our city council meetings, an agreement with Jaowrski was to be executed in December 2014. And lo and behold, in January 2015, the Republicans took majority and shot it down.
You are the second person to say we could not have accommodate the Celebrity golf tournament. I understand that the tournament was played outside, and the band,
festivities. Awards, etc and cheerleaders were all outside too.
While I applaud your civil manner in a town of nasty partisanship, it seems to me your reasoning is misdirected, not mine.
I watched an ESPN television interview with mr. Jaworski who, with his family, was eager to become part of a beach community and regretted Brigantines decision.
Bottom line: it could NOT have been held in Brig this year but I’m certain his tournament would have been held here once he got the course up to PAR.