Golfweek golf instruction: How to hit a stinger in 30 seconds
Professional Long Driver Avere Dovsek gives a few tips on how to hit a stinger in less than 30 seconds.
A family that has been digging in the dirt for decades will be honored with the Deane Beman Award.
The MacCurrach Family, which has had three generations in golf course construction and agronomy, will receive the honor on Feb. 11, 2026 at the Deerwood Country Club at the 10th annual Celebration of Golf Banquet, presented by Circle K.
The family includes the late Allan MacCurrach Jr., and his wife, Carol MacCurrach Taylor, their daughter Jennifer MacCurrach, their son Allan MacCurrach III, and their grandson Allan “Sonny” MacCurrach IV.
Allan MacCurrach Jr. was the first employee Deane Beman hired when he became commissioner of the PGA Tour in 1974, as the Tour’s first staff agronomist. MacCurrach was charged with improving course conditions and setting agronomic standards at more than 100 facilities across the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour during a career that spanned three decades.
His son, Allan MacCurrach III, founded MacCurrach Golf Construction at the age of 22 after working for TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course architect Pete Dye at the age of 14 when the Stadium Course was under construction.
The company has built 45 new golf courses, restored 45 classic courses and renovated more than 300 others. His son, Sonny MacCurrach began working for the company at the age of 14
Among the new courses MacCurrach Construction has built: Slammer & Squire, Palencia, Atlantic Beach, Amelia National, Eagle Landing, Windsor Parke, LPGA International and the Streamsong Resort course.
Renovations include Timuquana, Pablo Creek, the Omni Amelia courses, Jacksonville Golf and Country Club, Jacksonville Beach and Deerwood.
Jennifer MacCurrach, a former University of South Florida player who went on to the LPGA and Ladies European Tour, was the founder of the PGA Tour Junior Golf Foundation of North Florida (now known as the North Florida Junior Golf Foundation) and is the CEO of First Tee–Greater Austin, Texas.
Proceeds from the Celebration of Golf banquet go to the Jacksonville Area Golf Association Charitable Trust, which annually awards scholarships to college-bound First Coast students affiliated with JAGA and its 41 member clubs. Since 1974, the Trust has awarded approximately $2 million in scholarship grants to approximately 400 college-bound students who call Northeast Florida home.
Tickets, both individual and for tables, are on sale at jagagolfbanquet.com. Past banquets have sold out quickly.
The Deane Beman Award was established in 2015 to recognize those individuals who have made a significant, long-term impact on or through the game of golf on the First Coast.
Dennis Walters to perform
World Golf Hall of Fame member Dennis Walters brings his skills and spirit to the JAGA Family Championship at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club on Dec. 20.
Walters will perform his variety of trick shots and inspirational story on the first tee between 12:15-1 p.m., between the morning and afternoon shotgun starts for the tournament. Admission is free.
Since suffering a broken spine in a 1974 car accident, Walters has performed more than 3,500 exhibitions. He is also in the PGA of America Hall of Fame and was awarded the USGA’s Bob Jones Award in 2018.
Information on playing in the Family Championship can be found at jaxareagolf.org.
Sawgrass Country Club tops TPC Sawgrass
Mixed doubles partners Joe Arnett and Fran Mirmina of the Sawgrass Country Club won all six of their nine-hole matches to lead their club to a 53-31 victory over the TPC Sawgrass in the annual Sawgrass Cup.
Each match was worth one point for winning the front nine, one for the back and one for the entire 18 holes.
Arnett and Mirmina defeated Robert Savarese and Lynn Augenstein 1-up, 1-up and 2-up in the first round; and 3 and 1, 3 and 2 and 4 and 2 in the second round.
Two other Sawgrass teams, Joe Cronauer and Gregg Dieboldt; and Helen Short and Debra McDermott won their two matches by combined scores of 5-1.
JAGA raises more for students
The 22nd JAGA Scholarship Trust Classic on Nov. 24 at Deerwood netted $20,000 for JAGA’s 51-year-old scholarship program that provides funding for area college-bound students.
Chris Henderson, Casey Katz, Lenny Schonfeld III and Len Schonfeld Sr. won the captain’s choice format with a 54. Cary Helton, Don Poag, Dillon Board and Kyle Rogers were a shot behind.
