News

CLAVERACK, NY -- The 72nd NYS Women’s Senior, 18th NYS Women’s Super Senior, and the 1st NYS Women’s Legends Amateur Championships will be contested at Columbia Golf and Country Club, August 19-20, 2025. 

79 players - 42 in the Senior (50+), 20 in the Super Senior (65+), and 17 in the new Legends (70+) - will play 36 holes of individual stroke play over the two days in a shotgun format.

Related: Pairings / Scoring / 2024 Recap / Past Winners

CHAMPIONSHIP QUICK FACTS

Dates: August 19-20, 2025

Host Site: Columbia Golf and Country Club, Claverack, N.Y.

2024 Champions:

Teresa Cleland of Bellevue Country Club, narrowly maintained her first rounds lead to secure her third Women’s Senior Title and back in the winners circle for the first time in 14 years. With her rounds of 78-76 she claimed the Championship by one-stroke.

Barbara Harrison of Oswego Country Club went 75-72 (+3) to take down the defending champion Karen Feldman to run away with the 16th Super Senior, and her first NYS Championship.

Divisions:

72nd Women’s Senior Amateur Championship (50+)

18th Women’s Super Senior Amateur Championship (65+) 

1st Women’s Legends Amateur Championship (70+)

Format: 36 holes of individual stroke play, played over two days. 

Eligibility: This tournament is open to female amateur golfers who are active NYSGA members that possess an up-to-date USGA Handicap Index. Golfers in the senior field must be at least 50 years old as of August 19, 2025, with a maximum handicap index of 20.0 while those in the super senior field be at least 65 years old with a maximum handicap index of 25.0. The legends field must be at least 70 years old with a maximum handicap index of 30.0.  

Age Groups: In addition to competing in the divisions above, players will also compete in the following age groups: 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+ 

PAR & YARDAGE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• 7:30am...........…….…  Registration and driving range opens

• 9:10am....................  Announcements at carts

• 9:30am..................... Round 1 (shotgun start)
  
  

• 7:30am...........…….…  Registration and driving range opens
  
  
• 9:10am....................  Announcements at carts
  
  
• 9:30am..................... Round 2 (shotgun start)
  
  
• 2:30pm..................... Awards ceremony

THE FIELD 

Past NYS Women's Senior Champions in the field

Teresa Cleland, 66, of Bellevue Country Club, captured last year's Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Ontario Golf Club by one stroke. She also won back-to-back Senior Amateurs in 2009 and 2010. Cleland has also won three Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships and has eight NYS titles total. Recently, she claimed the second alternate spot for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va.

Kim Kaul, 67, of East Aurora Country Club, finished runner-up last year in this championship, but knows how to win NYS championships with seven NYS titles to her name. She most recently won the 2025 Women’s Senior Four-Ball championship with Janice Lavigne for the third time. She previously won in 2024 and 2021. She has also won this championship three times (2008, 2015, and 2018). Kaul is a 2012 inductee of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Recently, she qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va.

Susan Kahler, 66, of Ballston Spa Country Club, this year placed third in the NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Heidi Harkins. She claimed the 2022 Women’s Senior Amateur championship at RaNic GC, along with the 2013 one at Wayne Hills CC.

Janice Lavigne, 69, of Ravenwood Golf Club, successfully defended her title and brought home the 2025 NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball at Leatherstocking Golf Course with partner Kim Kaul. She also won in 2022 and 2024. Along with that, she is the 2007 NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Champion at the Whiteface Club. Last year, she finished T4 in this championship.

Ingrid Narken, 62, of Thendara Golf Course, finished in solo third last year, two shots off the leader, Cleland. Narken brought home the 2023 Women’s Senior Amateur at the Whiteface Club in Lake Placid. In that same year, she won the Women’s Senior Four-Ball Championship with partner Sandra Jackson. This year, she placed fourth in the NYS Women’s Senior Four-Ball Championship with partner Louis-Anne Morin.

Mary Sicard, 63, of Queensbury Country Club, last year finished in solo seventh, 10 shots off the leader. Sicard won three NYS Senior Amateurs. She won at Bristol Harbour GC in 2019, along with 2017 and 2016 at Corning Country Club and the Whiteface Club. Sicard has finished in the top 10 in the last four Women’s Senior Championships.

Carina Watkins, 64, of Drumlins Golf Club, won the NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Clifton Springs Country Club in 2011. Recently, she placed solo fifth with teammate Teresa Cleland at the 2025 NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball. The year before, she placed fourth, teamed up with Cleland.

Past NYS Women's Super Senior Champions in the field

Kitty Colliflower, 72, 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.

Karen Feldman, 68, of Columbia Golf and Country Club, won the 2023 Super Senior Amateur Championship by one stroke at the Whiteface Club. She finished runner-up last year at Ontario Golf Club and looks to get back in the winner's circle at her home club this year. Last year, she was nominated and selected to join the NYSGA's Executive Committee in 2024.

Barbara Harrison, 71, of Oswego Country Club, claimed last year's super senior title at Ontario and looks to defend her title. In 2022 and 2023, she placed in the top five in both; in 2022, she was runner-up to Mary Jo Kelly. Harrison claimed a Florida State Women's Senior Amateur in 2017.

Other Players to Watch

Pennie Carlo, 60, of Kanon Valley Country Club, won the 2019 Women’s Amateur Four-Ball alongside Lauren Cupp. Carlo has also represented New York State at three U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs. Last year, she earned her third Women’s Greater Utica City Amateur title, having also won in 2018 and 2021.

Deborah Enders, 69, of NYSGA eClub - Central NY, recently placed T6 in the 2025 NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball with partner Nikki Fowler. The year prior, she placed third and four shots off the lead with Fowler.

Nikki Fowler, 56, of Stone Creek Golf Club, finished inside the top 10 a year ago with a T9 finish. Last year, she finished in seventh in the NYS Women’s Mid Amateur at Skaneateles Country Club. She placed T6 at the 2025 NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball at Leatherstocking Golf Course, with partner Deborah Enders.

Monica Hamilton, 58, of Kanon Valley Country Club. This year, she placed T6 in the NYS Women’s Senior Four-Ball championship with partner Barbara Harrison. She also placed T4 in last year's NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, nine shots off the lead. The year before, she finished solo seventh and also claimed the Women’s AIM Team title with Teresa Cleland.

Julie Hamm, 61, of Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club, last year placed inside the top 15 with a T14 finish. She also finished inside the top 20 in the two years before. She teamed up with Patty Riedel in this year's NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball and placed T8. 

Sandra Jackson, 66, of Whippoorwill Club, placed T9 at the Ontario Golf Club last year, 13 shots off the leader. She also placed T9 in 2023 at the Whiteface Club. Along with a T18 finish in 2022, she is always in the mix and looks to make a push to the top of the leaderboard this year.

Melinda Kuhn, 55, of Lakeshore Yacht and Country Club, placed 30th in this championship last year and hopes to make a push this year. She was in the top five after the first round in 2022 and ended up finishing T14.

Carolyn Mancini, 63, of Binghamton Country Club, finished just outside the top 10 a year ago with a T11 finish. The year before, she was the runner-up in the Senior field to finish two strokes behind Ingrid Narken at The Whiteface Club. Mancini was also the co-runner-up in both the 2022 tournament at RaNic and the 2019 tournament at Bristol Harbor. Recently, she claimed the first alternate spot for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va.

Patricia Mayne, 63, of Western Turnpike Golf Course, won her first state title in 2021 at the Senior Women’s Four-Ball championship with teammate Karen Feldman. Last year, she placed 20th in this championship with hopes of getting to the top this year. In 2023, Mayne placed solo eighth in the Women’s Senior Amateur at the Whiteface Club. In 2020, she also won the Schenectady Classic.

Lorraine Schunck, 64, of Thendara Golf Course, finished T12 in this year's NYS Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball championship with partner Kelly Jones. The year before, she placed T11 with partner Pennie Carlo. She is also in the Jamesville-DeWitt High School athletics hall of fame.

ABOUT COLUMBIA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Since 1919, the Club has been the social and sports center for Columbia County. Nestled in Claverack, NY, the Club is located 10 minutes from bustling Hudson, NY; two hours north of New York City; and a short drive from Berkshire County, MA. The 18-hole golf course, restaurant, swimming pool, and tennis courts attract a diverse group of people as members. The design credited to Hal Purdy (1961) and (more recently) Rick Jacobson features small undulating greens and picturesque views of the nearby Catskill Mountains. This will be the club's first time hosting an NYSGA championship.