History
The origin of the Anthracite Golf Association has been traced to a group of meetings conducted at the Fox Hill Country Club. Hosted by legendary men like Don and Pooch Allan, John Moore, Dr. Ben Marshall, Sam Spencer, and Frank Cummings, the fledgling organization had immediate credibility. The purpose of the AGA, as clearly stated in the by-laws of the organization, was to conduct tournaments for members of the clubs belonging to the AGA, promote the sport of golf and good fellowship, and in all ways, further the best interests of golf.
We know by their many golfing victories that these men had competitive golf on their minds when they formed the AGA. But, fortunately for all of us, they also made room for good fellowship in all of their golfing events. These gentlemen loved the game and were determined to promote it at every opportunity. They saw the need to form an organization that would oversee all of the competitive events in the area. And so, the AGA was formed.
Initially, the AGA was merely a scheduling body. Area clubs would contact the association at yearly meetings to assign their golfing events to specific weeks throughout the summer. Many of the same players were asked to compete in these tourneys, so a conflict in dates would sometimes occur. This would not be in the best interests of the AGA clubs, so the executive committee made the necessary schedule changes with the full support of the member clubs. As the years passed, the AGA began to conduct its own events, starting with the Coal Scuttle Championship. Later, they created a Junior Championship and the George Montgomery Senior event.
The Association was content to perform its scheduling responsibilities in relative obscurity until John Moore was elected AGA President. Mr. Moore, an avid golfer, began to reorganize the executive committee. Through his efforts and the collective wisdom of gentlemen like Paul Fahringer, John Spencer, Larry Kramos, Vaughn Carson, Florian Hines, and Bob Spencer, the AGA was poised to make a radical move into the future. Mr. Moore expanded the size of the executive committee, adding men like Rollie Schmidt, Joe Cominsky, and Vince Scarpetta, Sr. to that impressive group. From that moment in time, the AGA began to revise its operations with an eye toward increasing golfing events in Northeastern PA. Happily, their plans have come true. Our golf schedule is ever growing and improving.
The AGA currently provides many other services in addition to scheduling and running golf events. These include USGA slope ratings, golf scholarships, and an incredibly successful Junior program. The AGA is 50 years old and still growing!
To learn more about the AGA, call (570) 383-GOLF today.