Marine Park Seaside Links – Our Home Course Highlighted

Marine Park Seaside Links, often referred to as the Marine Park Golf Course, has been the home course of the Brooklyn Golf Alliance’s PGA Junior League Program for the past eight years. Recently featured in a New York Times spread about the Brooklyn Open Golf Tournament, MPGC’s management has been most generous and supportive of our community and our efforts to recruit, encourage, and train youngsters from the South Brooklyn community to understand and develop skills as golfers, teammates, and good citizens.

To date, our Spring and Summer programs have touched over 500 youngsters, ages 8 -14. As The New York Times narrative details, this unique facility provides an ideal setting for engaging our participants in a “real world” golfing experience. Practice areas for full swing, putting, and chipping, in addition to the course itself, they have allowed our instructors to introduce the world of golf to youngsters, many of whom have never visited a golf course. As we like to say, “Is the next Tiger Woods or Michelle Wie in Brooklyn?” 

Read The New York Times Feature here…

2024 PGA Junior League Program

Partnering with Millennium Development (Bergen Beach Youth Organization) and hosted by the Marine Park Golf Course,  we just completed the Spring session of this year’s PGA Junior League instructional program. By all accounts it was the most successful effort since our first year program in 2018.

 Our cohort of 35 youngsters, ages 8 -14, recruited from local public and private schools, was fully subscribed. Six consecutive Tuesday afternoon sessions commenced on May 7, with the culminating final session and family recognition ceremony taking place on June 11th. Our summer program, populated by another group of 35 youngsters, largely new recruits, begins on July 9th for six consecutive Tuesdays through August 13th. 

Thanks to financial support from NY City Councilmembers Farah Louis and Mercedes Narcisse, as well as sponsorships by the PGA Junior League and Bical Auto Mall, we can provide a full complement of new,” kid-sized” youth golf clubs as well as innovative game equipment that served as additional motivation for the participants. As well, with the critical support of the PGA Junior League, we were able to offer our program at no charge.

Instruction was led by our PGA carded pro, Sal Frasca, most aptly aided by our instructors, Tony Mancini, James MCElhattan, Jesse Hotle, and assistants, Juliana Disponzio, Jayme Eady, Tomas Giordano, Shaun O’Neill, Jaylen White. The program was ably supported by our Administrative Manager, Marisa Mamet and assistant Hazel Sundararajan.  

The youngsters were divided into groups, for each two-hour session, and rotated through each of the skills training modules. The progress of the participants was remarkable and the feedback from family members was most complementary.  Training consisted of an introduction to the sport of golf including the goals of the game, on-course and practice area safety, equipment, gripping the clubs, club selection, the swing (putting, chipping, and pitching, full swing), golf course set-up, teamwork, and golf etiquette. Thanks to the support of the PGA Junior League program, all youngsters received a “swag bag” with a personalized tee shirt and hat, a certificate of Completion and a golf medallion.

On June 11th, the sponsors hosted a “completion and recognition ceremony”, where students were recognized with Certificates, trophies, and a buffet spread.

For more information: contact Sal Frasca or Mike Weiss at:  sfrasca@brooklyngolfalliance.org or mweiss@brooklyngolfalliance.org

2023 Recognition Ceremony

Comments About Our PGA Junior League Program

Golfer age: 11
Session: Spring
Outstanding top notch professional service with Sal. Sal is a great teacher.

Session: Spring
It's so hard to pinpoint one thing. I really loved everything! It was all done with so much love and care. From my initial email to sign up to the ceremony at the end. The attention to detail. The drinking water, the unexpected gifts like a hat and t-shirt, the hugs, the high fives, the everything! The location was awesome since the parking, and the bathroom were close by and there was great shade from the sun.

I wanted to take this moment to express my deepest gratitude to the PGA Jr. League and its sponsors: Brooklyn Golf Alliance, Inc, Marine Park Golf Course, Bergen Beach Youth Organization, Council Members Mercedes Narcisse and Farah Louis, Millennium Development, Bical Auto Mall, and Robert B. Catell for their invaluable support. Your commitment to promoting youth sports and providing our children with such a memorable experience is truly commendable.

Throughout the program, our kids (age 9) were treated with utmost care, provided with top-notch gear, and guided by an exceptional team of coaches. The dedication, passion, and expertise demonstrated by the coaches were truly inspiring. Their patience, encouragement, and positive influence have not only helped our children improve their golfing abilities but have also left a lasting impact on their character development.

This journey has been nothing short of beautiful, filled with joy, growth, and cherished memories. It is thanks to your unwavering support that our children were able to participate in such an exceptional program. Your contributions have made a significant difference in their lives and have provided them with opportunities they may not have had otherwise.

Thank you for all that you do, and may your kindness and generosity continue to inspire and uplift the lives of many more young individuals in the future.

Is the next Tiger Woods or Michelle Wei living in Brooklyn?

In this, our seventh year of operation of our PGA Junior League Instructional program, we have implemented two six-week sessions of Introduction to Golf for youngsters living in the southern tier of Brooklyn. We have recruited 70 youngsters ages 8 – 14 for two groups in May/June and July/August.

Enrollment of students living, or going to school, in City Council Districts 46 or 46, on a first-come/first-served basis is managed by the Brooklyn Golf Alliance (BGA) and the Bergen Beach Youth Organization/Millennium Development (BBYO). Youngsters in either group must commit to attending all six sessions. Transportation to and from the Marine Park Golf Course at 2880 Flatbush Avenue is provided by the participant’s parent or guardian.

All equipment including clubs, balls, and practice material will be provided by the BGA and BBYO and the program is offered at no charge. Youngsters who are registered will be provided with shirts and hats and there will be a special completion and recognition ceremony scheduled at the end of each last session.  

Our instructional staff is led by Sal Frasca, a PGA-certified pro, is supplemented by additional adult golfers, assistants and volunteers. The curriculum includes an introduction to the sport of golf – the game – the equipment – the facilities and the techniques including the grip – the stance – the swing (full swing – putting – chipping). Our goal is to offer young people, who may have had little or no experience with golf, a fun-filled learning experience that will encourage them to continue to practice and play golf as a life-long sport and recreational experience.

We also include elements of safety, health, teamwork, and respect in our teaching experiences.

Financial support for the program comes from the NY City Council, members Farah Louis and Mercedes Narcisse, the PGA of America, individual donations from Board members and the public, Bical Auto Mall, and the operators of the Marine Park Golf Course.

Se the video of last year’s program below.

Donate here

PGA Junior League Completes Another Successful Season

On August 17, 2021, we concluded our very successful six-week spring/summer PGA Junior League program at the Marine Park Golf Course (MPGC). 36 youngsters were enrolled through the Bergen Beach Youth Organization and with the cooperation of the Marine Park Golf Course, and the assistance of a cadre of fantastic volunteer instructors, as the season progressed, the youngsters became more skillful and more enthusiastic. Almost every one of the participants had never been on a golf course and had no introduction to the fundamentals and the game of golf prior to their enrollment in our program. An additional feature was the involvement of the families of the youngsters, first as observers during our program sessions and, at an end-of-program Recognition Ceremony. Each youngster was presented with a Certificate of Completion and a golf medallion. We were able to raise sufficient funds, including a Parks Department Grant from our local City Councilmember, Alan Maisel, to supplement the very generous PGA subsidy/grant program. This enabled us to offer our program at no charge to our participants.

Thanks to our Board Member, Bob Rozzi and to Frank C., of La Villa Pizzeria, for supplying the food for the reception and to Mike Giordano and Steve Fabrizio for allowing us to use the great facilities at MPGC for our program.

We hope to be able to conduct this very significant program next Spring and into the Summer under the able leadership of Sal Frasca Jr., PGA level 1 pro, to Captain our effort. Our heartfelt thanks to Herb Rubenstein, our stalwart Captain for the past four years, who is moving on to his new home in Virginia.

PGA Junior League Volunteer Recognition:
Rich Centuro
Jim DeBenedetto
Lester Futernick
Bill Lang
Roman Matthews
Desmond Nation
Bob Rozzi
Reginald Swiney

Captains:
Sal Frasca Jr.
Herb Rubenstein

Program Assistant:
Harry Rodus

Bergen Beach Youth Organization:
Paul Curiale
Penny Caquias
Tiffany Wong
Linda Vu
Jasmine
Anthony

BGA Recognized as a National Youth Sports Strategy Champion

We are excited to announce that the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recognized the Brooklyn Golf Alliance as a National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS) Champion. In addition to the recognition of our youth programs, this designation will enable us to receive regular information about initiatives and resources developed by the ODPHP including fact sheets, posters, and interactive tools for promoting youth activity. We are now listed on the health.gov website (see link below) and we have permission to use the NYSS logo on all of our communications and materials.

· Learn more about what it means to be an NYSS Champion.

End of Year Message 2020

TO: Our Brooklyn Golf Alliance Family

FROM: Lou Riccio, Mike Weiss, and Herb Rubenstein

It certainly has been a difficult and unusual year for all of us. The pandemic and its impact on our health, our families, our mobility, economics, business activity, education and so many other aspects of our lives, has been significant. Obviously, due to the pandemic, we have had to rethink and retool our Golf Alliance programs but, even in the face of adversity, we have been moving ahead.

In the Spring, our Director of Instruction, Herb Rubenstein, wrote and organized a series of one hour “Introduction to Golf” lessons that were presented via Zoom, in eight online sessions, over the period of three weeks. We received PGA approval to offer this virtual instruction under the banner of the PGA Junior League. It is the first completely online program to run in this way.  

With the assistance of our Board member, Paul Curiale, Executive Director of the Bergen Beach Youth Organization, and his staff, we recruited approximately 50 middle school youngsters who participated in this unique program as part of their remote after-school activity. At no cost, the students were each provided with a plastic golf club, foam balls, instructional guides, and a PGA tee shirt. This effort could be continued, either all remote or as a hybrid with on course experience as well.

We congratulate Herb, who at the age of 67, passed all of the written and on-course tests and, in October, was certified as a Class A PGA member.

Due to the pandemic shut down, we were not able to present our outdoor summer PGA Junior League program at the Marine Park Golf Course but, hopefully, with sufficient protection offered by the new vaccines and careful management of health protocols, we will be able to restart this program for the Summer 0f 2021.

We have continued to make progress on our fundraising and resource development efforts. Thanks to the advocacy of our local City Councilmember, Alan Maisel, even in the face of major City funding cuts, we secured a $5,000 grant for this fiscal year, which will be utilized for equipment and minor instructional fees.

We acquired a new “Opti-Shot 2 Golf Simulator” which will allow us to enrich our teaching and practice program with high quality video swing tracking equipment. In addition to utilizing Opti-Shot for swing analysis, the system also provides the ability to set up competition matches for up to four individuals, at 15 of the top golf courses in the U.S.

We are in the process of updating our outreach and fundraising materials as well as the content of our website.

We are also planning an essay contest whose aim is to identify motivated young golfers who could benefit by receiving professional instruction and equipment.

We continue to pursue the possibility of hosting an LPGA/SYMETRA Tour event in Brooklyn. It would bring 144 women golf pros to our venue, the Marine Park Golf Course, for a week of pro-am and tournament play, with the proceeds going to our own BGA youth development activity.

 "Not only will this be the first professional golf event in NYC since 1939, but it will also be one more feather in Brooklyn's professional sports hat (along with the Nets and the Cyclones), and it will enhance the image of NYC as a place where golfers can enjoy the sport while living in America's premier large city. But more importantly it will support women's sports and provide for our inner-city kids activities."

 In the midst of the COVID crisis, although a number of corporate entities that we have contacted have expressed strong interest, it has not been possible to secure firm commitments for the $300,000+ in sponsorships that is required to secure a spot in the tour schedule for this coming summer. A number of these companies have asked us to get back to them in the next year. The LPGA has expressed a continuing interest, should we be successful for the Summer, 2022. If you have any ideas, or contacts, that might be helpful, please feel free to share them. With us by contact us through our website.

Thus, as the new year unfolds, we will continue to work hard to achieve our goals. Hopefully, we will see you on the links. Thanks for your support and…

Marine Park Golf Course Named a Staff Favorite by GOLF Magazine

GOLF online magazine – December 2020
Our staff's 14 favorite public courses we played for the first time in 2020

Kevin Cunningham: Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn, N.Y.
I played Marine Park for the first time in 2020, and I instantly fell in love. As a resident of New York City, it’s often easy to forget you’re living in a beach town. Not so at MPGC. The windswept, linksy course may not be directly on the ocean, but an ocean channel runs along several holes, and you can hear, feel and taste the Atlantic on every hole, with NYC’s most popular beaches waiting just down the road. Pair that with a fun layout, challenging raised greens and views of the NYC skyline, and you can see there is much to love. I must have played MPGC more than a dozen times in the last few months of the year, and I plan to beat that number next year.

…or, if you want to see all 14 courses, click here.

BGA Board Member Releases New Book

Congratulations to, Evan Mandery, our BGA Board Member on the release of his new novel, "The Professional", published by Classics of Golf. It has been very well reviewed and is a great read. The book can be ordered through Amazon.

Evan is the author of five previous books, including three novels and a textbook on capital punishment. He is a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice."

BGA Board Member and author, Evan Mandery