KINGSTON, N.Y. — Competitors in the 2025 Ulster County Men’s Amateur Golf Championship (the Herdegen) will be tackling a new lineup of courses this year.
The Herdegen will kick off its 74th renewal with its qualifier at The Swan Country Club in Saugerties on Saturday, June 7. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, June 8.
A field of 54 players and ties after the qualifier (including 21 exempt players from 2024) will advance to the first round at Kingston’s Twaalfskill Club on Friday, June 20 and then proceed to the second round at Apple Greens Golf Course in Highland on Saturday, June 21.
Following a 36-hole cut, the field will shift to Kingston’s Wiltwyck Golf Club for the final round on Sunday, June 22.
Dean Palen, who took over as the Herdegen’s tournament director for the 2003 tournament, said the Herdegen is returning to the former Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club Village for the first time since Chris Ferraro won the county championship in 2013 with the Saugerties course as part of the 54-hole rotation.
The Swan reopened in 2024 after being closed since the spring of 2020 at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twaalfskill, which had been regularly hosting the qualifier, was shifted into the 54-hole rotation after Woodstock Golf Club asked to step aside for at least a year. Apple Greens and Wiltwyck have served as the final two courses in the 54-hole course rotation in recent years.
Applications for the 2025 county championship will be distributed at local golf courses and driving ranges starting on April 21. Returned applications to the Herdegen must be postmarked on or before Wednesday, May 28.
Ben Fox of Saugerties won his first Herdegen title last year with an exciting one-stroke victory Joey Manginelli of Apple Greens. Three-time (2009-211) champion Doug Kleeschulte Jr. of Wiltwyck finished two behind Fox in third place.
Tournament chairman Jim Baker and Palen were interviewed by the Freeman on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming tournament.
“The rotation has stayed the same for a period of time, simply because we’ve lost so many great courses in the area,” Baker said. “With The Swan closing and Rondout (Country Club) closing for a period of time, we were kind of locked in with a rotation. We were blessed that these people supported the rotation.”
But when The Swan reopened last year, Baker said he and Palen visited the 18-hole Saugerties layout.
“We drove around there in the fall and quickly realized it was tournament ready,” Baker said. “To give it (the Herdegen) a challenge a bit, we’ve changed the rotation some and the qualifier will be at The Swan. We’re really excited about the possibility of having a little different competition and perhaps a little different field of players with what The Swan will bring in as a qualifier.”
Baker said the Herdegen committee is hoping to draw some of the players who regularly play at The Swan and that area of the county into the field.
A year ago, the qualifier at nine-hole Twaalfskill drew a field of 67 entrants. A total of 39 golfers qualified with the cut falling at 11-over-par 81.
“The nine-hole course was somewhat challenging to manage that level of participation,” Baker said. “To have the qualifier at an 18-hole course can make it smoother for the folks who are running the tournament as well as the participants. That was the process, in addition to trying to change the field up a little bit.”
Palen said the Herdegen feels fortunate to have the participation of the area’s courses and he said tournament founder Charlie Tiano was wise to have the Herdegen in the month of June.
“That’s when our golf courses are in the best shape,” Palen said.
Originally Published: April 3, 2025 at 4:08 PM EDT
