RDGA Spotlight Feature – June 2024
INTRODUCING: THE RDGA HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2024
By DAVE EATON
On the evening of Tuesday, July 16, a special commemoration will take place in the main ballroom of Irondequoit Country Club.
That evening, the Rochester District Golf Association will proudly announce the third induction class of its Hall of Fame in what has become an annual highlight of “Championship week” – during the RDGA District Championship John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial.
This year’s class includes four individuals – and one family – who have made a lasting impact on the local golfing community, due to their dedication, skill, leadership and philanthropy.
Joining the RDGA Hall of Fame on that evening will be Frank Commisso – the long-time Head Professional at Irondequoit; Ann Kerwick – one of the winningest female amateurs in Rochester’s long history; Jim Mrva – the retired Head Pro of Monroe Golf Club and one of Rochester’s most highly honored club and teaching professionals; Donald Ross – the World Golf Hall of Fame member and preeminent golf course architect of the early 20th century who designed six golf courses in the Rochester area; and the Thaney Family, whose members have shared a long history with the RDGA, going back to the very beginnings of the District.
But – more on our inductees below. First – a bit about the criteria required for individuals and families to enter the RDGA Hall of Fame.
The criteria for RDGA Hall of Fame induction, as approved by the RDGA Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, includes:
- Contributions made by a candidate contributing to the enhancement of the sport of golf through playing, teaching, coaching, maintaining/managing, educating, writing or advocating for an extended period of time.
- Candidates who exemplify the spirit of the game of golf.
- The Achievements of candidates are sustainable over time.
- Eligibility can also include candidates who have, by virtue of name recognition, brought honor, distinction, and/or have favorable contributions to golf in the Greater Rochester area.
On the evening of July 16, each inductee, or their representative, will receive a special medallion inscribed with their name – and all inductees will be introduced by individuals that are well known to the local golfing community or who have a special connection to the inductee.
Upon announcing this year’s inductees, Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Mark Battle said, “On behalf of the entire RDGA and the RDGA Hall of Fame Committee, we are indeed proud and honored to pay tribute to our Third Class of Hall of Fame inductees. Each has made meaningful and significant contributions to our sport both on and off the golf course. The Thaney Family, Donald Ross, Frank Commisso, Ann Kerwick and Jim Mrva. I could not imagine a more deserving class of inductees.”
The RDGA welcomes inductees, their families, friends – as well as members of the public – to attend this year’s Hall of Fame Induction Celebration at Irondequoit Country Club at no charge, although a donation to the RDGA Foundation – in support of the Foundation’s many junior golf initiatives – is recommended. Although attendance is free, pre-registration for this year’s ceremony will be required – registration for the event will open the week of June 17.
“Please join us at Irondequoit Country Club on Tuesday, July 16th for this wonderful celebration of golf in Rochester,” added Battle. “Space is limited and the cost is being underwritten by the RDGA. However, offsetting donations are always welcomed. We hope to see you for this wonderful occasion.”
CLICK HERE to register for your complimentary admission to the 2024 RDGA Hall of Fame Induction Celebration at Irondequoit Country Club on Tuesday, July 16!
As for this year’s honorees – here is a look at each member of the RDGA Hall of Fame, Class of 2024:
FRANK COMMISSO (Teaching Professional) – Considered by many to be the “dean” of Rochester-area Club Professionals, East Rochester’s Frank Commisso began working as a caddie at Irondequoit Country Club when the club was only four years old – and he was only nine. Thirteen years later, at the height of the Great Depression and FDR’s first term as President, Commisso became Irondequoit’s Head Professional – a post he would occupy for nearly five decades and nine Presidential administrations, finally stepping down in 1980 after 48 years on the job. In the years between, he was elected President of the Western New York PGA Section, as well as National Vice President of the PGA of America and a three-time winner of the WNYPGA Professional of the Year award. On the golf course, Commisso was an 11-time WNYPGA Section Champion, an 8-time WNYPGA Senior Champion and a 2-time WNYPGA Super Senior Champion – and qualified to play in 10 PGA Championships and 8 U.S. Open Championships. In 1986, Commisso became a charter member of the WNYPGA Section Hall of Fame. Upon retirement as Irondequoit’s Head Professional, Commisso continued to work in his favorite role – as a teaching pro – introducing the game to many golfers, young and old, and helping to make the game more fun for countless others, until he passed away in 1995 at age 84. Today, an annual scholarship at Irondequoit bears his name, as does its state-of-the-art practice facility – a fact that would have, no doubt, made him smile.
ANN KERWICK (Amateur Golf) – When Ann Kerwick began her professional career as an executive at Stromberg-Carlson in the mid 1970s – and began to rise through the ranks at a time in which it wasn’t easy to do so for women – she also began to rise through the ranks of local Rochester area women’s amateur golf associations. Kerwick’s early successes in golf included winning the Durand Eastman Women’s Golf Association Championship five times in seven years, between 1969 and 1975. But it was Kerwick’s record in Women’s Rochester District Golf Association Championships that established her as a force to be reckoned with. In 1970, Kerwick won her first WRDGA Championship title, and over the next three decades she would remain among the top contenders every year, battling the likes of Anne Ralph, Tanya Durni and Tammy Blyth – eventually winning her seventh and final WRDGA title in 1999. Kerwick’s seven WRDGA Championships would remain the second most in the District’s history (second only to Jean Trainor’s 24 WRDGA titles), until that number was equaled by Christy Schultz in 2007 and bested by Jenna Hoecker just last year. In later years, after stepping away from competitive golf, Kerwick again broke barriers as she did at the beginning of her professional career, becoming the first female Club President at Brook-Lea Country Club.
JIM MRVA (Teaching Professional) – Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, the name Jim Mrva became synonymous with Monroe Golf Club. Just as Monroe Golf Club had come to be known as one of the Rochester area’s most prestigious and sought-after private golf clubs, so too had Mrva become known as one of the most accomplished PGA Head Professionals in the country and the go-to teaching professional to fine-tune your game to its peak potential. After an early stint as Head Professional at Yahnundasis Golf Club in Syracuse, Mrva began his tenure as Head Pro at Monroe in 1983 – a title he would maintain for the next 36 years, until his retirement in 2018. During his years at Monroe, Mrva earned many professional superlatives and playing accomplishments. On the golf course, he won several top Western New York PGA Section titles, including the Western New York Open, the WNYPGA Match Play Championship (twice), and the WNYPGA Senior Championship (twice). As a member of the WNYPGA Section Board of Directors between 1984 and 2005, Mrva would serve in every leadership position, ultimately becoming Section President. As a PGA Professional, Mrva’s focus was always on the cornerstones of growth-of-the-game initiatives – junior golf and education – which formed the basis for many awards over the years, including Junior Golf Promoter of the Year, the Horton Smith Award for Education (twice) and the WNYPGA Community Service Award – and eventually the WNYPGA Professional of the Year in 1998. The highlight of Mrva’s career came in 2010, when he was named the National Professional of the Year – the highest award presented by the PGA of America. In his final year as PGA Head Professional at Monroe, Mrva served as host pro for the 2018 RDGA District Championship John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial during which, he was presented with the RDGA’s Gentleman of Golf award.
DONALD ROSS (Architect / Legacy) – As of this year’s induction class, famed golf course architect Donald Ross becomes the first non-Rochester native to join the RDGA Hall of Fame – but for good reason, as we shall see. Born in Scotland in 1872, Ross grew up around some of the most famous golf courses in the world, including Royal Dornoch and St. Andrews. As both a professional and a student of the game, Ross earned his credentials through hard work and study, winning several titles as a player – but eventually honing his skill as a designer of golf courses. Moving to America at the turn of the 20th Century, Ross established a portfolio of designs that resonate to this day, including many that have hosted major championships, such as Oakland Hills in Michigan and several in the Pinehurst, North Carolina area – including the famed No.2 course – host of this year’s U.S. Open. Known for using as much of the natural terrain as possible, one of Ross’ hallmarks was not “moving dirt” to create his golf course designs. Other elements of his work included elevated tees and target green complexes that required most golfers to reach the greens on the fly, rather than merely running the ball up to the green. His most widely known trademark is the crowned, or “turtleback” green, most famously seen on Pinehurst No. 2. It was during a relatively short period of time in the Rochester area that Ross designed no less than six courses that have stood the test of time: The Country Club of Rochester (Ross updated the original design in 1912); Irondequoit Country Club (1916); Monroe Golf Club (1923); Oak Hill Country Club, East & West (1924-26); and Brook-Lea Country Club (1926). Aside from the Pinehurst area, Rochester can claim the highest number of Donald Ross-designed golf courses within a single metropolitan area.
THE THANEY FAMILY (Overall Contributions) – Through the years, there have been a handful of local families who have contributed to the rich tapestry of the Rochester golfing community in many ways, through leadership, generosity, activism and participation – or a combination of all those attributes. The Thaneys are one of those families. In fact, beginning with the earliest years of the Rochester District Golf Association, there have been several members of the Thaney clan who have served as President of the Association. Elmer Thaney was President of the fledgling RDGA from 1936 to 1939, followed by Ed Thaney Sr. in 1960, then William Thaney Sr. in 1977. William’s son, Bill Thaney Jr., then served as District President in 1988, and, most recently, Tom Thaney, in 1993. Ed Thaney has been an active volunteer in golf administration for many years – serving on the USGA Regional Affairs and Senior Amateur Championship Committees to this day. Among his many duties as a local representative of the USGA, Ed volunteers to help administer USGA Qualifiers held in the Rochester area each year. In 2015, Ed was recognized by the USGA with their Ike Grainger Award for service. One other member of the Thaney family who remains active in the community is Tim Thaney – a past president of Oak Hill Country Club. As an active member of the club’s Board of Governors, Tim Thaney has served on tournament committees overseeing some of the club’s most recent major championships, including the 2019 Senior PGA Championship and the 2023 PGA Championship, and led the committee in charge of the major East Course restoration project prior to the 2023 PGA Championship.