PISCATAWAY, N.J., August 10, 2015… The New Jersey PGA Section Hall of Fame will welcome three new members in 2015 with the induction of Baker Maddera, Mark Schaare and Doug Steffen. The NJPGA Hall of Fame, which was established to recognize the most accomplished players and leaders from the New Jersey Section, now has a total of 34 inductees.
Maddera, Head Professional of Rock Spring Club in West Orange for the past 26 years, has been a PGA member since 1987 and has embodied excellence both in his play and through his service in golf. On the links, Maddera was the winner of the 1987 NJPGA Assistant’s Championship, 1988 Assistant’s Match Play Championship, 1996 NJPGA Match Play Championship and 2002 NJSGA Open Championship. He also competed at the national level in seven PGA Professional National Championships, five Senior PGA Professional National Championships and three U.S. Opens.
In addition to his tremendous tournament resume, Maddera has been recognized with three NJPGA Section annual awards. In 1997, he was given the highest possible honor at a Section level as the recipient of the NJPGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. Maddera also won the NJPGA Horton Smith Award in 1994 and 1995, which recognized his strong desire for the lifelong education of PGA Professionals. Maddera served on the NJPGA Board of Directors from 1991-2002 and was President of the John Caliendo Shore Winter Golf League from 2001-2008.
Schaare is currently instructing in Port St. Lucie, Florida, but has a rich history in New Jersey, serving in the past as a Head Professional at Knob Hill Golf Club in Manalapan, Glenwood Golf Club in Old Bridge and Battleground Country Club in Manalapan. The three-time NJPGA Player of the Year was the winner of the 2000 Ricoh Charity Clambake, 2005 Charity Classic, 2008 Charity Clambake and 2008 Match Play Championship.
Steffen, the third member of the 2015 Hall of Fame class, is the Head Golf Professional at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ. From a service standpoint, he is a six-time NJPGA Section annual award winner – including the 2008 NJPGA Golf Professional of the Year – and was the recipient of the 2007 PGA of America National Merchandiser of the Year Award.
Among his achievements on the links, Steffen has participated in three Major Championships in the 1975 U.S. Open, the 1984 PGA Championship and the 2007 U.S. Senior Open. By next year, his club will also have hosted two PGA Championships during his tenure, as Baltusrol will be the home of the 98th PGA Championship in July 2016.
PGA Professionals are admitted based on criteria that includes playing accomplishments and service achievements. This includes Major Championship victories, Senior Major Championship victories, Section and National level positions served and any NJPGA or National annual awards received. All applicants were nominated and were subsequently considered by an 11-person Hall of Fame Committee and the Board of Directors.
Maddera, Schaare and Steffen will be officially inducted into the NJPGA Hall of Fame later this year, and the NJPGA Hall of Fame will be located at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster, recently announced as the home site of the Section’s new corporate headquarters.
NJPGA
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. The NJPGA is one of 41 geographic sections throughout the country and has been in operation since 1925. In 2012 and 2015, the NJPGA was the recipient of the Herb Graffis Award, presented annually to a PGA Section that shows extraordinary or exemplary contributions in player development and growth of the game programming. For more information on the NJPGA please visit http://newjersey.pga.com/.
Contact:
Jared Minski (Jared@mastrocomm.com)
Ari Edelman (aedelman@mastrocomm.com)
Mastro Communications, Inc. @ 732-469-5700
