SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — Perhaps even more important than the opening of the high school golf season in the area, the Star Beacon Invitational also has proven a benefit to golfers who have been able to use the game to further their educations and even pursue the game in college.

The greens fees supplied by the Star Beacon to cover the participants’ entry into the tournament has been funneled back to the Jyurovat family, owners of Maple Ridge Golf Course. They have in turn used that money as the basis for the funding of the Ronald Jyurovat Memorial Scholarship Fund, to honor the late patriarch of the family.

This year, scholarships valued at $600 were awarded to Jefferson graduate Shelly Ford, who is headed to Cleveland State University to pursue a nursing degree and play Division I golf for the Vikings, and Geneva graduate Kyle Kapudjija, who plans to study construction engineering at the University of Toledo.

Both recipients found it a strange experience to be back at the same setting in a different light than when they had played there just a year ago. They were even planning to take in a bit of the tournament as spectators Monday.

“It is kind of strange,” Kapudjija, who came to the course with his mother, Denise Wilson, and stepfather Jeff Wilson, said. “Usually, I’d be out there lugging a pack by now. I am going out to ride around a bit with Coach (Brad Ellis). I know he has a young team this year because we lost five of six lettermen from last year.”

“It’s a weird feeling being out here in a dress and not golf gear,” Ford, the daughter of Jeff and Mary Ford, said. “But it is nice to be back here. I have a lot of good memories (including winning medalist honors for the girls tournament in 2008 and 2009).”

Ford is getting psyched up to head to Cleveland State to begin her college golf career.

“I’m leaving for school Aug. 28 and classes start Aug. 30,” she said. “Then we play for the first time at the Youngstown State Invitational Sept. 6 and 7. We start practice Aug. 28.”

Kapudjija is heading to Toledo even sooner, although he’s not planning on playing golf, at least this season.

“I move in Aug. 17 and classes start Aug. 23,” he said. “I won’t play golf my first year, but maybe I will in the years to come.”

Both were excellent students in high school. Kapudjija finished just beyond 4.0 on Geneva’s honors scale, while Ford was just a little below the 4.0 mark.

They are grateful to have earned Jyurovat Scholarships. The awards will be useful.

“The money is going into a savings account,” Ford said. “It will help pay for a car eventually and an apartment.”

“Probably a lot of it will go toward buying some books,” Kapudjija.



Newlywed game

Conneaut boys golf coach Mike Trinko came to the tournament with a new status — as a married man. He and his fiancee, the former Laurie Giacomuzzi of Erie, were married June 5. They have known each other for three years.

“I’m getting used to it,” the 46-year-old Trinko said. “Ninety-five percent of it has been good. It’s nice to have somebody to do things with.”

They are already beginning their first project as a married couple.

“We’re building a big garage,” Trinko said.



New kid in town

Edgewood coach George Martello is the newest member of the fraternity of boys golf coaches.

“(Athletic director) Dave Melaragno talked to me about the job after the fall sports banquet last year,” he said. “I got the job kind of late.”

He has already found there is much more to high school coaching than meets the eye.

“I found out there are a lot of hoops to jump through,” he said. “You have to take an online test, you have to take a first aid course and there’s a whole bunch of other stuff.”

Then there’s Martello’s day job to consider.

“I teach at the (Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School) in the Youth Opportunity program,” he said. “It’s helping out students who have dropped out of high school to get the (General Equivalency Diploma). Those classes are in the morning, so I’m having to give up work for (the Star Beacon Invitational) and the morning matches.”

Martello feels he is fortunate to be familiar with the golfers he has inherited.

“I used to sub teach about four years in Buckeye (Local Schools), so I’ve had a lot of the players in class,” he said.

Martello has several goals with this band of Warriors.

“I’m concentrating on the etiquette and rules of the game,” he said. “It’s a young team with only one senior (Matt Buehrle), so I’d like them to know the proper way to play.

“I’m a big fan of the short game. I’ve told the boys if they’re within 150 yards of the green, they should be able to get the ball in the hole within three shots. A lot of people don’t hit greens in regulation.”

He is pleased with the response of the Warriors so far.

“A lot of the kids have worked hard on their games over the summer,” Martello said. “I’m pretty optimistic about the season.”

He had one goal for Edgewood at the Star Beacon Invitational.

“My goal was to improve on last year’s 401,” Martello said. “I want to better it by at least 30 to 40 strokes.”

The mission was accomplished. Edgewood finished with a 362 to place eighth.



Taking over

Golf isn’t an easy sport to play, let alone teach. However, there is always somebody willing to try and do so.

This year, three area girls teams will be breaking in fresh faces among the coaching crowd.

Scott Landis has taken the helm at Jefferson, Matt Heath is the new sheriff at Lakeside and Jen (Lundblad) Irwin is steering the ship at Perry.

Though Irwin has never run her own program, she has coached before. Teaching has been part of her upbringing.

“To me, (coaching) is not that difficult,” Irwin said. “I was raised on how to teach. It’s difficult this year. I have brand-new players. I have girls shooting 38s and 40s and I have girls taking Xs on holes.

“The hardest part is going from one end of the spectrum to the other. I enjoy (coaching). It’s what I grew up with being one of the assistants at Walden Village Country Club.”

Irwin coached junior varsity boys golf at Perry last year and has coached the freshmen girls basketball team at North.

“I enjoy teaching girls a lot more than boys,” she said. “The boys think because I’m a woman, I don’t understand. You have to be more straight on with the boys. You have to tell them this is how it is, period.

“With girls you have to take a different approach. You have to be easier. You have to take it step-by-step-by-step. That’s the difference.”

Landis, who is an avid sports supporter in Jefferson, is now seeing athletics from a little different perspective.

“You do see it from a different viewpoint when you’re not part of the game,” he said. “But being around the game all this time, I see so many things I did and I started to remember that. I try and pass on help.”

Landis uses the game to teach the Falcons golf is more than just a game.

“Golf helps you learn more life lessons,” he said. “It teaches honesty and about working hard. Those are things you can use the rest of your life.”

Heath is coaching for the first time, but he has a good groundwork for passing on the game.

“I’ve traveled the country and took lessons from the top professionals in the sport,” Heath said. “So I’m pretty experienced with what ails you. And I’m a teacher, so that helps.”

Heath has taken a different approach to teaching the game.

“We have Hula Hoops we use and sponges,” he said. “We do all kinds of things to keep it different and keep them guessing.”  



Snakebit

With just one event in the books for the 2010 season, Landis has already experienced his share of bad karma.

Just days before the Star Beacon Invitational, Landis’ most experienced golfer, Bree Bodisch, was in an ATV accident. She has three breaks in her spine and a broken collarbone. She also has a herniated disc.

“(The other players) are all talking about her,” Landis said. “They are thinking about her. I guess they all want to touch base and see how she is doing.

“The team said a little prayer out there on the putting green before they went off. She was the topic of the message, I’m sure.”

Bodisch has a long road to recovery, but has taken positive steps in the early days of it.

“The last I heard she was having another surgery today,” Landis said. “She had a surgery Sunday. Her mom said they hope to have her up and walking after the surgery. I’m encouraged, but it’s got to be a long road to recovery.”

During the Invitational, Landis had a golfer, Amanda Thompson, have to withdraw from the event after just five holes after being affected by the hot, humid weather.

“The girl just couldn’t take the heat,” Landis said. “She had three bottles of water in five holes. I’m not sure what else she could do.

“It was funny. On the hole before, I asked her if she needed water and if she was OK. The next thing I know, after I walked away, the girls came running and brought me back.

“She was leaning against a tree and she just didn’t look good.”

It was a tough loss for the Falcons.

“Through five holes, she’d probably have been our fourth, maybe even our third golfer,” Landis said. “She was really playing well.”