The Princeton PacketJuly 12, 2001

CVCC golf pros to play 100 holes for charity Bowman, Vernon still seeking sponsors

Date posted online: Thursday, September 20, 2007 2:48 PM EDTBy: Justin Feil

It isn't unusual for runners to raise money for a worthy cause by completing a marathon. There are organizations like The Leukemia Society that sponsor training groups year-round.

It isn't so common for golfers to try to do the marathoning, but that's just what Allan Bowman and Jim Vernon intend to do July 23 at the Cherry Valley Country Club.

Bowman, the director of golf at CVCC, and Bowman, the head golf professional there, will attempt to complete 100 holes in one day - a true marathon of golf, and it's for a very good cause. They've been signing up sponsors, club members at $1 per hole and corporate sponsors at $5 per hole, and all benefits go to the New Jersey Professional Golfers Association to be earmarked for junior golf.

"We wanted to grow our junior program," said Bowman, who also is an integral part of organizing and promoting the Montgomery High/CVCC Tournament that allows local high school teams to compete at the prestigious course in the spring. "We wanted to be able to give back to our junior program. We wanted to reach the inner cities. We don't have the resources to give everyone clubs, but golf pros are always happy to give their time. We figured it was a good way to raise some money for junior golf."

"You have to keep promoting the game so you have members in the future," added Vernon. "It might seem selfish, but it's why all golf pros get in the business. We love golf. We love to do what we do and we want other people to enjoy it, too."

While they've already raised more than $15,000 from sponsors for what they're calling the Junior Golf Marathon, Bowman and Vernon aren't putting a cap on the amount they can raise. Interested persons can call Bowman at 466-4464 to inquire about sponsoring the pair.

They'll tee of at 6 a.m. that Monday, when the CVCC course is generally closed for maintenance, in hopes of finishing nearly six rounds of golf before the sun goes down around 8:30 p.m.

"It should just be Allan and I on the golf course," Vernon said. "He and I can easily go around in two hours. It's not easy though. I've probably played 54 in a day, but that was at least 10 years ago."

"If we hit it straight, it's easy," said Bowman, who played 44 holes in a day earlier this year in Mexico but can't remember ever playing even 50 holes in a day. "If we have to start looking for golf balls, we'll be in trouble."

Bowman and Vernon will have some help in moving around the course quickly. Two people who brought them corporate sponsorships came up with an idea the CVCC pros couldn't pass up.

“They said, 'We'll up our corporate sponsorship and we'll race you if we can play,'" Bowman said. "So we have one (golfer) from Brite-Way and one from Merrill Lynch.

"We're not going to play together, but hopefully they don't pass us."

But just the fact that two CVCC members were willing to make an extra step is exactly what Bowman points to when he talks about the club's commitment to junior golf.

"This really started out as an opportunity for junior golf," he said. "It's really about the Cherry Valley members who've gotten involved. It's only members that had donated the money. It's about them giving back to the community, giving back to the state. I really want to thank the members for stepping forward."

He and Vernon haven't even run an all-out campaign. They have a simple bulletin board that explains the Junior Golf Marathon and they've sent flyers to members. But the idea has spread quickly, and CVCC members have stepped forward to get involved. Many of the residents of the CVCC complex plan to follow the pair's progress from their backyards July 23 and cheer them on. And the hope is that the Junior Golf Marathon does not remain such a unique idea.

"In a couple weeks, we'll present a check to the New Jersey PGA and we'll challenge other clubs," Bowman said. "Will you do it for your club? Will you do it for junior golf? It will be interesting to see who steps up.

"There are a ton of charities we could do it for," added Bowman, who came to CVCC after stints at two previous clubs with strong junior golf support. "Junior golf happens to be one we're really tied to. One of the things in the PGA is to promote the game of golf. This really does it."

With two CVCC pros organizing it, it's made it easier to collect pledges, and it will be easier to complete the golf marathon.

"I'm his right-hand man," said Vernon of getting involved from the get-go. "Instead of it being the drudgery for one person to do it, I think it will help. It's easier to get the word out with two of us."

And with a partner right there, it should keep the pace of the game moving and the game a lot easier. But with both of them playing roughly twice as many holes as they have in

any one day previously, it's going to be quite a test.

"We'll know what we shot," Bowman said. "We'll start out slow and we'll probably tail off in the end. In the last two rounds, it could get ugly. Assuming we survive it, I'm looking for at least 10 golf pros to step forward and do it next year.

"I've never done it before. My first thoughts are going to be, 'Where's the Advil?' when I'm done and, 'How bad will I feel Tuesday?'"

Bowman's fears echo those of any marathon runner. But just as a worthy cause can push marathoners beyond their limits, the CVCC pros are hoping that a hefty check for junior golf will help keep them going July 23.