On an October afternoon in 2005, Geneseo sophomores Nick Inzinna and Matt LaBella were pondering how they could find more people to play golf. Their brainstorming eventually led them to attempt to join the school golf club. The only problem: upon further research, they came to find out that no such organization existed.
Such was the inspiration for what is today officially recognized by the school as the Geneseo Golf Club. Inzinna and LaBella conjectured that there must have been many more students who, like themselves, were interested in finding other people to hit the links with, be it at a competitive or recreational level. Despite several interest meetings in Spring 2006 that garnered only moderate attendance, the duo was not concerned. "We knew it wasn't going to be an easy process," said Inzinna. "It required a significant amount of patience and persistence, especially in the early stages."
The idea lived on, and the effort continued. Inzinna and LaBella completed the litany of paperwork required to apply for club status, and later that semester they saw their labor come to fruition in the form of official recognition of their club by the College. "It was a great feeling," recalled LaBella, "to have all of that hard work pay off."
The remaining pieces of the puzzle began coming together shortly thereafter. In Fall 2006, more interest meetings ensued. This time, membership cards were handed out in exchange for a $5 dues payment. Soon after, a club kick-off tournament was held at Livingston Country Club (LCC), where over 20 members participated. Through the hard work of club marketing director Cynthia Chen, the organization has since reached an accord with the LCC in which their members can golf for rates around half the normal cost. "With the great deal the course gave us the membership dues easily pay for themselves in only one outing," Inzinna said.
Despite the early success, the golf club still faces many challenges. As a result of the mostly-inclement weather during the school year, golfing opportunities are very limited each semester. Furthermore, the organization has yet to develop a competitive branch to square off against other schools, resulting in an absence of Student Association funding. While he knows nothing can be done about the weather, LaBella hopes to eventually expand the golf club into one that contends with teams from other schools. He indicated that, "There are members in our club who are strong enough players to perform in a competitive setting. Making that happen is one of our primary goals moving forward."
To that end, the founders are planning on holding elections this month for leadership positions to continue steering the Golf Club in the right direction. The current membership exceeds 45 students; however, the organization is always open to new faces. For more information regarding the Golf Club, contact golfclub@geneseo.edu.