Message from the Executive Secretary

The Free State Seniors Golf Association is the oldest senior golf association in Maryland. We are very excited about what this year holds for all of us. You can show your commitment for the 2024 season by renewing your membership. Please send a check made out to "Free State Seniors" to 37 Hayride Lane, Taneytown, MD, 21787. The dues are just $65. Your prompt response and commitment to the Free State Seniors Golf Association enables us to not only run the current season, but it also allows us to plan for next year. Thank you to all who participated in our 2023 schedule. If you were unable to play last year, we hope that you can join us in 2024. We have a very exciting schedule with some new courses and a return to some old favorites. Please check out our 2024 schedule in the Tournament section of this website. We are all looking forward to our opening tournament when Free State travels to Rolling Road Country Club. We hope this schedule will work for everyone and we have scheduled a mix of private courses and public courses. We have also tried to cover most regions of the State. In 2018 the Free State Board decided that members could choose the tees that they felt best suited their games. This decision was well received by the membership, and we will continue this policy in 2024. The Free State Board of Directors established Super Seniors tees for use in all our tournaments. This allows any member whose age and handicap, when added together equals a total 85 or more, to play from the forward or senior tees. Anyone can play these tees, but if they do not meet the criteria, they will not be eligible for any gross prizes. The Free State Board of Directors also established a Legends set of tees for any member aged 75 and above, whose age and index equals a total of 90, to play an even shorter course, when available. The Board hopes this decision will encourage some of our older members to continue playing in our tournaments. We will monitor the tee selections available at each tournament site and try to offer a variety of tees that suit the needs of all our members. Please continue to recruit new members to the Free State Seniors Golf Association. We are always looking for a few more good men to replace those who leave for various reasons. Anyone applying for membership this winter will be admitted into the Association before the beginning of the golf season in 2024. As always, our best recruiter is YOU! Please share your experiences with your friends and all qualified members at your club and encourage them to join our organization. If you have any suggestions or ideas that you feel will improve our Association, please contact me or any member of the Board of Directors. Thank you for all your cooperation and support during 2023. I believe we are all looking forward to a great season on the course this coming year!

Coronavirus Update

As we begin the 2024 golf season, we continue to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. The safety of our membership is a top priority, and as such, we will continue to follow the guidelines put in place by our state and by local communities. We ask that as you play our tournaments that you continue to follow the recommended precautions put in place to keep you and those around you healthy.

Freestate Board of Directors

You can view the Board of Directors in the link above, along with Committee assignments. Our board works hard to represent you. We are happy to recognize our new officers, President Tony Errera, 1st Vice-President Bob Linkous, 2nd Vice-President Kevin Allis, Secretary Al Schwarzschild, and Treasurer Al DeLeon.

Potomac Challenge

The Potomac Challenge was held at Piney Branch Golf Club in Upperco, Maryland this past October. The Free State Seniors Team defeated the Northern Virginia team by a score of 22 ½ – 7 ½ . This is our fifth win in the past six years. We are very proud of our team and thank them for their participation in this event.

Wally Engle Match Play Championship

Congratulations to the University of Maryland Golf Club and the members of their team for winning the Free State Mach Play Championship for a second consecutive year. The University of Maryland defeated Piney Branch Golf Club in a very exciting and close match. Thank you to all the players who represented their clubs during the season. This event has been very popular, and the matches have been a lot of fun and have fostered some great competition.

Player of the Year

Our 2023 Players of the Year were Gary Abel (Glen Riddle Golf Club), Paul Beck (Turf Valley Country Club) and Tony Errera (Turf Valley Country Club).