Jim Nantz coined the catch phrase “The Masters. . . a tradition unlike any other.” This phrase has become synonymous with great golf. While the CT-A Annual SigEp Golf Tournament may not have the same panache as the Masters, it has been providing great memories for nearly 40 years.
To help celebrate this time-honored tradition, the Fall 2024 Alumni Profile is dedicated to the following four brothers who have been most responsible for keeping this tradition alive: Dave Estes ‘84, Rick Baran ‘86, Paul Summers ’87, and Paul Langella ‘89.
THE EARLY DAYS
As Dave Estes recalls, “It all started in 1986-1987, toward the end of my time at UConn. There were several of us who played golf, including Chip Hunziker, Scott Soule, and Mark Gambardella. “ Dave explained, “I had been golfing since I was a child, and had played in numerous golf tournaments, so I decided to start a SigEp tournament.”
The first venue to host the tournament was the Skungamaug Country Club in Coventry, CT. As Dave recalls, “It was close to where I lived in Vernon, not far from UConn, and it was cheap!” It also helped that the club gave the inaugural group of 30 golfers a package so they could play 18 holes and then dine on a buffet lunch.
Like all good events, the golf tournament was quick to adopt its own traditions. With tongue in cheek, Dave and his wife, Jackie, went to Goodwill and bought a dark green sports coat for $2. Jackie embroidered SigEp on the breast pocket, and that coat became the coveted “Green Jacket” awarded to the low scorer of the tournament.
Dave remembers well. “It was no mistake that the green jacket was a 42 long, as that was my size and I think I won it the first 8-10 years.”
Other traditions that continue today include the high scorer award for the player who took the most swings to finish the course. The original award was an old, stringless, wooden tennis racket. Early recipients of this coveted award included Mike Antonini and Jon Currey.
Other awards are given to the person with the longest drive and the shot closest to the pin. These awards often come in the form of coolers, digital items, nylon bags, tee markers, company swag, snacks, and coveted UConn sportwear. All these awards are donated by generous brothers, who have included Mark Gambardella, Angelo Tebano, Ron Nault, Barry Musco, Jim Donahue, Steve Chaneles, Paul Langella, Jay Kogan, Sean Fallon, Brian Fitzgerald, and others.
THE MIDDLE YEARS
Over the years, the tournament moved from Skungamaug to the Twin Hills Country Club, also in Coventry. It was there that attendance continued to grow to over 40 players once the word got out.
It was also at Twin Hills where the legend of the “swimming golf cart” was born. As Dave recalls, “We had a good 4-5 year run at Twin Hills, which ended abruptly when one group of alums crashed their cart into the pond.” Rumor was that too many refreshments were involved, but no charges were ever filed following an extensive investigation. At last check, L Scott Taylor, Brian Fitzgerald, and Randy Hurt were unavailable for comment for this story.
In 1996, Dave, Jackie, and their growing family moved to Vermont. That is when Rick Baran, who helped Dave manage the tournament for a few years, asked Paul Summers to take over. Mark “Lapdog” Lapham was another key helper for the tournaments over the years.
Dave concluded, “I’m really glad the tournament has survived and has helped bring brothers together for so many years. “
THE LATER YEARS
Since 1996, Paul Summers has been at the helm of the tournament, with some help from Paul Langella during that time. Paul Summers explained how the tournament has changed over time. For example, “The tournament included other venues such as the Avon Blue Fox Run Golf Club in Avon, the Tunxis Golf Club in Farmington, and the Portland Golf Course in Portland, which is where the tournament is currently played.”
Paul likes the Portland Golf Course because “the course is very flexible and allows everyone to pay on their own.” Paul added that, “this is important in case golfers have to cancel their tee time, which happens from time-to-time.”
Paul also explained that he no longer relies on a manual mailing list and snail mail to get the word out. Now he uses Constant Contact and Mail Chimp, which makes it easier to keep his mailing list current. He is also now posting the tournament dates on Facebook and the CT-A website.
Paul notes that these new ways of communicating have helped attract more undergrads and recent grads, which helps keep the tournament alive.
In 2019, the tournament format also changed, making it more of a social rather than competitive event. Back in the day, players played their own ball, and now the tournament follows a “scramble” format, which means each team plays the best shot. This newer format makes it tough to award the Green Jacket to a single player, so other criteria are used to hand out awards, including closest to the pin, longest drive, new golfers, and the brother who traveled the farthest (a.k.a. the Man Mile Award).
WHAT’S NEXT
Over the years, Paul has learned some good lessons. For example, he knows he needs to pick a date that does not conflict with UConn football or a holiday. He is also now linking the tournament with the CT-A Biennial Reunion Picnic to help catch guys who have traveled. So, it looks like September will be the best month for future tournaments.
