News

ITHACA, N.Y. – The upcoming 2022 New York State Women’s Senior & Super Senior Amateur Championships are set to challenge many of the best senior women amateur golfers around the state over 36 holes of stroke play from August 23-24 at RaNic Golf Club in Ithaca, N.Y.

Related: Championship Home / Pairings / Scoring / Past Winners / Program

More than 90 players will be divided into two divisions: Senior (ages 50-64) and Super-Senior (ages 65+). The championship begins on Tuesday with 18 holes of stroke play in a shotgun format beginning at 9:00 am. Wednesday, the field will play another 18 holes of stroke play in a shotgun format to decide champion in both divisions (Senior & Super Senior) as well as age division winners, for both gross and net. If a tie for either championship exists after 36 holes, a sudden-death playoff will determine the winner.

CHAMPIONSHIP QUICK FACTS

Date: August 23-24, 2022

Host Site: RaNic Golf Club, Ithaca, N.Y.

2021 Champions:

Kim Kaul of East Aurora Country Club (Senior)

Mary Jo Kelly of Wolferts Roost Country Club (Super Senior)

Format: 36 holes of stroke play, played over two days in a shotgun format. 

Par and Yardage:

Senior Division - Green Tees 

OUT: 2,674 yards / IN: 2,674 yards
TOTAL: 5,532 yards, Par 72

Super Senior Division - Red Tees

OUT: 2,462 yards / IN: 2,595 yards
TOTAL: 5,057 yards, Par 72

Schedule of Events:

Monday, August 22

• 8:00am.............… Registration opens
• 9:20-1:20pm....... Practice round tee times
• 6:00pm............... Cocktail reception 
• 7:00pm............... Contestant dinner

Tuesday, August 23

• 7:00am.............… Driving range opens
• 8:40am.........….… Announcements 
• 9:00am….........… Round 1 (shotgun start)

Wednesday, August 24

• 7:00am.............… Driving range opens
• 8:40am.........….… Announcements 
• 9:00am….........… Round 2 (shotgun start)
• 2:00pm............... Awards ceremony

The Field  

Past Women’s Senior Champions in the Field

Tammy Blyth, of Monroe Golf Club, made par on the second hole of a playoff to win the 2018 NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Thendara Golf Club over Kim Kaul and Sue Kahler. The three past champions finished the 36-hole tournament tied at 156. She finished T5 in the 2019 championship. 

Teresa Cleland, of Bellevue Country Club, took home the NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur title in three consecutive years from 2011-13 at Rome CC, Seneca Falls CC, CC of Ithaca, respectively. Cleland also won the Women’s Senior title consecutively in 2009-10 at Thendara GC & Ontario CC. More recently, the Syracuse native has collaborated with Carina Watkins to win back-to-back NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball (2018 & 2019), making her a seven-time New York State champion. The Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame Inductee has competed at the national level numerous times including USGA Women’s State championships, U.S. Mid-Ams and US Women’s Senior championships, and recently qualified for the 2022 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur in what will be her eleventh appearance. Cleland was the runner-up in the 2021 NYS Women’s Senior.

Susan Kahler, of Ballston Spa Country Club, won the 2013 NYS Women’s Senior Amateur. She also has two NYS Senior Mixed Team titles (2013, 2014) under her belt, where she won with her brother, Gary. Kalher won the 2021 NEWGA Senior Championship and the 2022 NEWGA Championship. She has won 21 club championships at Ballston Spa and is currently an assistant women’s golf coach at Union College.

Kim Kaul, of East Aurora Country Club, is a three-time NYS Women’s Senior Amateur champion (2008, 2015, 2021) and took home runner-up honors in the 2015 and 2018 NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur. A member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, Kaul has been named Buffalo District Golf Association Player of the Year three times and placed second in the 2005 NYS Women’s Amateur. She qualified this year for the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship, and won the NYS Senior Mixed Team and NYS Women's Senior Four-Ball with partners.

Mary Sicard, of Queensbury Country Club, won her third NYS Women’s Senior Amateur championship in 2019 at Bristol Harbour. Her other two titles came in back-to-back in 2016 & 2017, in her first two years competing in the field. 

Sue Sims, of Skaneateles Country Club, is a three-time NYS Women’s Senior winner. She captured her titles in back-to-back years in 1993 and 1994. She added another in 1996 and now competes in the Super-Senior division.

Carina Watkins, of Beaver Meadows Golf Club, was the 2011 champion at Clifton Springs Country Club. Watkins also won the 2018 & 2019 NYS Women’s Senior Four-Ball Championships with partner Teresa Cleland.

Past Women’s Super Senior Champions in field 

Kitty Colliflower, of Oak Hill Country Club, won her first state title in the 2019 Women’s Super Senior Amateur championship. She placed third in the 2018 championship. She won the 2018 Rochester District Golf Association Women’s Open. She also qualified for the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball championship in 2015 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Sharyn Costello, of Cornell University Golf Course, is a three-time NYS champion and the only player to win the Women’s Senior and Super Senior in the same year. In 2012 at Shorewood Country Club, Costello finished three strokes ahead of the field with a 157 (+7). The following year, the Ithaca-native won her second consecutive Super Senior title at Wayne Hills Country Club.

Mary Jo Kelly, of Wolferts Roost Country Club, is the defending NYS Women’s Super Senior champion. She won the NYS Women’s Amateur in 1980 at Foxfire GC and was runner up at Kingswood Golf Course in 1999, having had major success on the local level. She’s been women’s club champion over thirty times at Wolferts Roost and has won six Northeastern Women’s Golf Association (NEWGA) championships. In 2015, Kelly earned a berth into the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur at the Hillwood CC in Nashville, Tenn.

Other NYSGA Champions in Field

Pennie Carlo, of Crestwood Golf Club, captured her first NYS title in 2019 at the Women’s Four-Ball Championship at Ravenwood Golf Club with partner Lauren Cupp. She qualified for both the 2019 and 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur out of Tuscarora Golf Club. 

Karen Feldman, of Olde Kinderhook Golf Club, teamed up with Patricia Mayne in 2021 to capture her first NYS title at the Senior Women’s Four-Ball championship at Lakeshore Yacht and Country Club. 

Patricia Mayne, of Western Turnpike Golf Course, won her first state title in 2021 at the Senior Women’s Four-Ball championship with teammate Karen Feldman. She finished T5 in the 2019 championship and T6 in 2015 and 2021. She’s earned other top ten finishes in the past as well, placing T-5 in 2014 and T-6 in 2013. 

Others to Watch in Senior Division

Sandra Jackson, of Whippoorwill Club, finished in fifth in the 2018 championship at Thendara. She qualified for the 2014 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Hollywood Golf Club in New Jersey. In the 2019 championship, she finished T12. 

Christy Malo, of Park Country Club, finished sixth in the 2019 NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur. In 2020, she was the runner-up in the Buffalo District Golf Association Women’s Individual Championship.

Carolyn Mancini, of Binghamton Country Club, finished fourth in the 2019 championship, and was co-runner-up in the 2018 championship. She finished in a three-way tie after 36 holes at 156 with Tammy Blyth and Kim Kaul. She qualified for the 2022 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur this year but was unable to compete in the championship.

Mary Scatena, of Pinehaven Country Club, won the 2019 Schenectady Classic in a playoff over Nancy Kroll. She finished tied for third in the 2021 championship. 

Penny Schiek, of Hiland Park Country Club, finished tied for runner-up honors in the 2019 championship at Bristol Harbour. She teamed up with Kelly Dempsey to win the net title at the 2019 NYS Women's Four-Ball Championships.

Heidi Vittengl, of Glens Falls Country Club, was inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association in 2018. She competed in this year’s NYS women’s Mid-Amateur and placed 19th in last year’s Women’s Senior.

Others to Watch in Super Senior Division 

Deborah Enders, of the NYSGA eClub – CNY, was the runner-up in the 2021 NYS Women’s Super-Senior.

Kathy Harkins, of Ballston Spa Country Club, won the 2016 Northeastern Women’s Golf Association championship. She finished fifth in the 2021 Women’s Super Senior.

Jo Ann Shupe, of Beaver Meadows Golf Club, finished tied for third in the 2019 championship. She also won the Super Senior title in the 2020 in the Rome City Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament. 

Lynn Quinn, of Clifton Springs Country Club, finished in fourth place at the 2021 championship. She is one of the golf coaches at Hobart and William Smith. She won the 2011 Finger Lakes Women's Association championship and captured the 2010 Women's Rochester District Golf Association senior championship.

RaNic Golf Club

RaNic Golf Club was founded in March 1900 by a group of leading Ithaca business associates and distinguished professors at Cornell University. The first Club President, W.D. Bancroft, a professor from Cornell, wanted a club like the ones that were being built at that time in Corning and Elmira. Professor Bancroft and the founding members were able to rent land from Cornell and build a clubhouse and 9-hole golf course on what is now Wyckoff Avenue.

During the first half of the 1900s, the clubhouse and golf course changed locations several times in the Cayuga Heights area, moving from Wycoff Avenue to Highland Avenue. In the 1920s, the Club moved again to Triphammer and Jessup Roads and built an 18-hole course. In 1958, the Club sold some of its land to Cornell and built a new clubhouse, swimming pool, and the present-day golf course where it is today. Geoffry Cornish, our course architect, was one of the premier designers of the time. For additional recreation, tennis courts were added in the 1970s.

Many prominent people have either played or have been members at the Club. What has enabled RaNic Golf Club to flourish as well as it has for over 100 years is the make-up of the membership. The Club has always had something to provide to its members — banquets, catering, dining, fitness center, golf, pickleball, shopping, social events, summer camps, swimming, tennis, and more.