QUEENS COUNTY GOLF CLUB → NASSAU COUNTRY CLUB

GOLF PROS

 

C.A.W. Fox - 1896

Carl Fox arrived in New York from Scotlandon the12th of April 1894. He served as the golf professional and coach to Meadow Brook Hunt Club and that year he supervised the laying out of a twelve-hole course on the August Belmont estate at Babylon in 1895. He was appointed professional at Queens County Country Club in 1896 where he stayed for a year before joining Rockaway Hunting Club. In 1904 Fox played in a foursome match against Alex Smith who had taken over Fox's old job at Nassau and in April, Smith replaced him at Scarsdale.

Tom Warrender - 1897

Tom Warrender hailed from North Berwick. He followed Carl Fox as a professional at the nine-hole course at QCGC.

Walter E. Stoddart – 1899

Walter Edward Stoddart came from Musselburgh.After completing his apprenticeship as a clubmaker, he emigrated to the United States in 1897. His first position was at Brookline, however, the Boston Globe in April 1899 announced that he left there to become the pro at the Nassau Country Club. In April 1902 he accepted a position at Wee Burn in Connecticut.

Peter Clark - 1901 – 1902

Peter Clark was a Musselburgh man, born from a family of golf professionals famous in that section of Scotland for their golfing and club making skills. Clark came to Nassau from the Philadelphia area after three seasons in the U.S.

Peter Clark, NCC Golf Professional

Clark was known as a quiet young man and a fine and steady golfer. Nassau Country Club went through a long list of candidates before choosing Clark. He was at NCC but a year when he took the position of Por at the Century Country Club in West Chester.

Alex Smith - 1902-1908

Alex Smith (seated) outside Pro Shop

His Assistants (standing left to right)

Fred Low, Dick Clarkson, Jim Maiden

Alex Smith came to Nassau after the1901 U.S. Open and remained until 1908,when he went to take the Pro position at Wykagyl Country Club. Like many from his hometown of Carnoustie, Alex loved teaching the game to anyone eager to learn. There were numerous golf professionals who had their start under his tutelage, including World Golf Hall of Famers Jerry Travers (winning four U.S. Amateur titles and the 1915 U.S. Open), Marion Hollins (winner of the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1921) and Glenna Collett, (six U.S. Women's Amateur titles from 1922 through 1936).

Alex Smith

Jim Maiden - 1908 -1949

Jim Maiden

In 1901 Jim Maiden, then 20 years old, had come to this country to work as assistant to Smith at Nassau. Maiden was one of the key professionals who helped found the PGA of America. He was a member of the seven-man organizing committee that set up the PGA of America in 1916 and was among the PGA's first slate of officers, serving as vice-president. Later that year he became the vice-president of the PGA's Metropolitan section. Maiden was a fine teacher. One of his more famous pupils was Barbara Hutton. This was around 1928. Charlie Brett remembers her as just a "little kid" then and adds, "Her family, who owned Woolworths, had an estate at Westbury in those days. " Up to the 1917 season, Maiden charged $1 for a lesson. At that time, Nassau's Governors suggested that Maiden now charge $2 a lesson, "the Club to receive 50 cents. " Maiden was made an honorary member of Nassau in 1951. He died in 1958 at age 77.

Jim Maiden

Edward Scott -1949 - 1964

Early in1949, Edward Scott, formerly pro at Huntington Country Club, came to Nassau. Like Maiden, Scott was a Scotsman. A quiet, genial man, he had a distinct Scottish burr. He was born in Glasgow and came to this country in 1930. Scott served Nassau for 15 years. He lived with his wife "Doll "at their home in Cold Spring Harbor. In 1964, Nassau's Gordon Stott and Ed won the LIGA Amateur-Professional Best-Ball Championship at Woodmere with a 67. In September of that year, Scott retired from Nassau at the age of 62. TheBoardelectedhim to membership and accepted his resignation with regret.

Edward Scott

Harold Kolb -1964 -1997

 

Harold Kolb had been the assistant pro at Nassau since 1963. Kolb was born and raised in Bayside, New York. In his youth he caddied at the old Bayside Links, which no longer exists. Kolb's introduction to the game was unusual, to say the least. "I caddied at Bayside from 1949 to 1951, before I went to college," he says. "One of the best bags I had then belonged to Frank Costello, a Mafia boss. The usual caddie fee was $1.25 a round. He paid $25 a round!"

In 1976, he won the professional part of the Beefeater Tournament in Bermuda, a 54-hole event, with a seven-under-par 203. In the sectional qualifying for the 1980 U. S. Open, he was low scorer with 142. He has qualified eight times for the PGA Club Professional Championship, and made the cut three times. He has qualified for two PGA Senior Championships in Florida as well as the 1986 U.S. Senior Open at Scioto, Ohio. He also has played twice in what is now called the Northville Long Island Classic. An event on the Senior PGA Tour, at Meadow Brook.

 

Harold Kolb

Ralph Panetta

Ralph Panetta was never a Pro at Nassau, however, he is deserving of a place in Nassau's history of golf. He was the Club's Clubmaker and Starter. His passion and love of Nassau was remarkable. Not only was he a part of the greatest generation, but he was also an integral part of the history of Nassau Country Club.

Ralph Panetta

 

Drew Pohalski - Director of Golf 1998 - Present

Andrew Pohalski was born in Glen Cove Hospital on April 1, 1969, only a mile from the Nassau Country Club. At the age of 12, he was introduced to golf as a caddie at the Meadow Brook Hunt Club, where his father worked for 26 years. From the age of 20 to 28 he served as the Assistant Golf Professional at both The Rockaway Hunting Club in

Cedarhurst, NY and Loblolly Pines Golf Club in Hobe Sound Florida. In 1998 he was given the opportunity to interview for the Head Professional position at Nassau Country Club and was hired in February of that year. Andrew's focus has always been on teaching, junior golf, and the everyday running of the golf operation. He has been quoted as saying "My goal has always been to help make Nassau Country Club "The Premiere Family Club on Long Island."

Golf has always been a family affair. He and his wife Elizabeth have raised twelve children that have come up through the ranks of Nassau's Junior Golf Program. Two of his daughters have become members at NCC and have won multiple Ladies' Club Championships. In 2018 he was honored with the award of Junior Golf Leader in The Metropolitan Section.

 

Drew Pohalski

 

Aaron Mueller - Head Professional

Aaron rejoined the Nassau team as Head Golf Professional in 2022.Previously, Aaron held the position of First Assistant Golf Professional at Nassau to Drew Pohalski from 2015-2018. In 2019 Aaron accepted the position of Head Golf Professional at Indian Hills Country Club in Northport, New York. He held this position until his return to Nassau in 2022.Aaron also served as an assistant at Huntington Country Club where he trained under Head Professional Jim Smoot for five seasons (2010-2014). A native of West Virginia, Aaron spent his early professional years in his home state and in Florida. Seeking the opportunity to work and play in The Metropolitan Section, the best PGA. Section in America, Aaron moved to New York, landed at Huntington Country Club and settled in on Long Island. Aaron and his wife Erin have three children: Morgan, Ryan and Camden.

 

Aaron Mueller