Affable Van Patten Golf Club Director of Golf Bob Kennedy’s favorite part of his multi-role profession is watching customers enjoy arguably one of the most challenging sports ever invented and helping them get better at playing it.
The 56-year-old veteran club professional gets plenty of opportunity to do both at one of the busiest courses in the Capital Region. It’s even more enjoyable that he gets help this summer from a couple of skilled family members.
“We’re probably on pace to do 70,000 rounds this season, and we do 75 outings. We probably host 60 different weekly leagues. The days go by very quickly,” he said.
A native of Manchester, Vermont, Kennedy fell in love with golf very early. He went to Kents Hill School and then to Burr & Burton Academy before moving on to Washington College, where he graduated in 1992.
“I fell in love with the game when I was a caddie at Equinox Country Club,” he said. “I played for the varsity team in high school, and we were the Vermont state champs. I also played lacrosse in high school and in college.”
Kennedy has served as a head pro three times and as an assistant pro at about a half dozen courses here and in Florida over the last 30 years. He first moved to the Capital Region as the head pro at Van Patten GC from 2011 to 2016. He then had the same role at Van Schaick Island CC in Cohoes for seven years before returning to Van Patten last summer.
“I really like the interaction with all the people who come here, and I enjoy seeing everyone so excited when they are playing this game. I like running tournaments and giving lessons the most,” he said.
Kennedy has a staff of roughly 12 people — including his two daughters, Cambell and Charlee — at the 27-hole layout.
“Both of my daughters played for the Shenendehowa boys team before the school started a girls’ team, and both were part of the very first Shen girls’ team,” Kennedy said. “Charlee just graduated from Assumption, where she played golf, and now she’s considering following in my footsteps. She works for me and gives lessons. She also helps Tracie [NENY PGA executive director Tracie Warner] over at her office at Eagle Crest GC. Cambell will be a junior at Le Moyne this fall. She’s the one who has been doing videos of her explaining how to play different holes on our course.”
Kennedy is very proud of building up the junior program at Van Patten GC.
“We’re very excited about the junior program we’ve created, because that’s where growing the game comes from,” he said. “My daughters are a big part of that junior program.”
Besides the junior program expansion, Kennedy is most proud of several improvements on the course, including the completely new seventh hole, the rebuilt 10th tee in front of the clubhouse and plenty of new sand in all of the bunkers.
“We also have two simulators in the clubhouse along with an extremely successful restaurant. We are constantly getting compliments on our food, and more and more people are coming to our restaurant,” he said.
Kennedy said there is also a plan to add a brewery on site.
“It’s a multi-year project, and our owner has been investing quite a bit in all of our operations. That’s what makes it so exciting to work here,” he said.
Kennedy doesn’t get to play much these days.
“My rounds of golf are with my family or with our members,” he said. Kennedy tries to spend as much time with his family, including his wife, Natalie Jacobs Kennedy, and son Coby, who will be starting his senior season on the Shen football team this fall.
JUNIOR LEAGUE CHAMPS
The AndersMattson 13U team and the Brookhaven GC 17U squad won NENY PGA Junior League championships recently at Eagle Crest Golf Club.
The teams played in a two-person scramble of pairings in a stroke play format, with teams sending four pairings each and then totaling the lowest three group totals for a cumulative score. There are 41 PGA sections. The top teams from each section championship advance to the Northeast Regionals at Webster Golf Club. The twelve regional champions then advance to the national championship.
The AndersMattson team consisted of Josh Nawrot with Brian Nawrot, Elliot Meyers with Chris Mondella, Marcus Hakewill with Brady Smith and Oscar London with Hailee Riley. The Brookhaven GC squad included Carson Vavasour with Liam Cooks, Hadley Gowan with Zachary Cogan, Shaelyn Vavasour with Brynn Denis and Shane Burns with Anthony Angelo.
CHIP SHOTS
Jim Fazio, 96, a regular competitor in Schenectady Classic events for many years, died earlier this month in Jacksonville, Florida. The Pittsfield, Massachusetts native attended both Tulane University and UMass. He was an accountant and auditor for the U.S. Department of Defense for three decades. The Korean War veteran split his time between Jacksonville and Scotia in his later years, when he competed in numerous local golf events. He was a former Schenectady Super Senior champion and recorded eight career holes-in-one.
The New York State Golf Association has announced that Debbie Austin (player), Moira Dunn-Bohls (player), Ed Furgol (player), Craig Harmon (PGA Professional), Wayne Levi (player), Sherrill Sherman (contributor) and George Zahringer (player, contributor) have been elected into its Hall of Fame and will be inducted Nov. 7 at Yahnundasis Golf Club.
Jane Fanning (East Berne), heading to Kenyon College, Kieran Cummins (Latham), set to play for Fordham University, and Sienna Wheeler (Schenectady), headed for Bryant College, each won $2,500 Doug Evans NENY PGA Junior Tour scholarships.
NEWGA’s Team Play (one gross and one net of four counts per foursome) is set for Wednesday at Wolferts Roost Country Club. The NEWGA Senior Championship will be played Sept. 2 at Van Patten Golf Club.
Glens Falls Country Club hosts the NENY PGA Assistants Championship Tuesday.
Susan Kahler’s victory in this week’s NYS Women’s Super Senior Amateur gives her five state titles. She also won a pair of NYS Women’s Senior Amateur tournaments and teamed up with her brother, Gary, to capture two NYS Senior Mixed Team crowns.
Former NEWGA titlist Kim Skiba won The Edison Club women’s club championship for the fifth time, and Eric Spoth captured the men’s club championship.
Zack Brandstandt won the men’s title at the Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course City Championship recently. Pete Bennice took the senior men’s crown, while Mary DeRose won her second women’s division title.
Matt McGarvey won the men’s senior gross club championship, and Carol DiFabio took the women’s senior gross club championship at Shaker Ridge Country Club.
Allan Windover won the men’s senior club championship at the Country Club of Troy.
At Hiland Park CC, Dave Arakelian won the senior men’s club championship and Maddie Oliver won the women’s club championship.
Eagle Crest Golf Club hosts the 32nd annual Clifton Park Elks 2466 Charity Golf Tournament Sept. 7. The Best Ball Scramble event has an entry fee of $100 and includes golf, cart, steak or chicken dinner, beer wine or soda (at the Clifton Park Elks). Registration deadline is Sept. 4. Make checks payable to Clifton Park Elks #2466 PO Box 220, Clifton Park, NY 12065. For more information, contact Todd (518-729-8673) or Steve (518-867-9258).
The #StaysToEndAlz Golf Tournament, to support Alzheimer’s research, education and local programs for families affected by the disease, is set for Van Patten Golf Club Sept. 26. Entry fee is $150, which includes golf, cart, breakfast, dinner and drinks. Register at staystoendalz.orgevent/2025-golf-tournament.
McGregor Links CC hosts a local qualifier Monday for the NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship Sept. 26-28 at the CC of Troy. Competitors must be NYSGA members, have a USGA Handicap Index of 8.4 or less and be at least 25 years old as of Sept. 26.
Van Patten Golf Club hosts a Charity Golf Outing to benefit the Saratoga County Animal Shelter Sept. 13. Entry fee is $125 and includes golf, cart, lunch at the turn, cocktail hour, raffles, prizes and an appearance from retired WTEN weatherman Steve Caporizzo. For more information, contact friendsofscas.org/golf-fundraiser.
Airway Meadows will host the ninth annual Ballston Spa Alpine Ski Booster Club Golf Tournament Sept. 26. Entry fee is $100 per person or $400 per group of four. Entry fee includes golf, cart, lunch, beverages, snacks and dinner. Registration will be at 11:45 a.m., followed by a shotgun start. Mail payment and team entry info to Mark Buffaline, Ballston Spa Ski Team Booster Club, 109 Golffinch Lane, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.
Van Patten Golf Club’s Glow Golf four-person scramble is set for Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. It’s a nine-hole event using glow-in-the-dark golf balls. Entry fee is $75, which includes golf, cart, two glow balls and tournament prizes. The festivities begin with a kickoff party at 6 p.m. Contact Van Patten GC for more information.
The Double H Ranch and the NENY PGA Reach Foundation are partnering to auction Ryder Cup tickets, with proceeds benefitting both charities. The Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 23-Sept. 28 at Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale. For more information, contact the NENY PGA at The Nest at Eagle Crest Golf Club, 1012 Route 146A, Clifton Park, NY 12065 or visit the section’s Auction page.
Schenectady Municipal Golf Course will host the Schenectady City School District Athletic Hall of Fame Golf Tournament Sept. 13 at 9 a.m. (8 a.m. registration). Hole sponsorships and tee signs are available for $100. Sponsors will also be mentioned in the 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame and Reunion Dinner program. The format will be a four-person modified scramble. Entry fee is $520 per foursome and includes golf, cart, awards and buffet. The field is limited to the first 28 foursomes. Make checks payable to SCSD Athletic Hall of Fame and mail them to Bob Pezzano, 1916 Baker Avenue, Niskayuna, NY 12309. For more information, call 518-346-9297.
The rescheduled 22nd annual Glens Falls Lions Club Swing for Sight and Sound will be played at Airway Meadows GC Oct. 11. Entry fee is $100 per person for this team event, and the fee includes golf, water, soda and hot dog at the turn, followed by a kielbasa and chicken barbecue. Contact Scott Rager (518-798-3143) for more information.
HOLES-IN-ONE
Niskayuna senior Will Souza, son of Ballston Spa CC teaching pro John Souza, aced the 135-yard 13th hole with a 50-degree wedge at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course during the first day of tryouts for the school team.
Also at Schenectady Municipal GC, Ed Knapp hit a 9-iron for a hole-in-one on the third hole.
