The second annual Nick Gaudino Memorial Youth Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, July 21 at the Bloch Memorial Golf Course at Wheeling Park. This competition is part of continued efforts to promote youth golf for boys and girls in the Ohio Valley and is offered in cooperation with the Wheeling Park Commission and Dan Ackerman and his staff at Oglebay Resort.
The event is sponsored by the members of the Gaudino family in memory of Nick Gaudino and his wife Alice who raised four young men (Dave, Tom, Greg & Mike) who have gone on to have successful personal and golf careers.
Mr. Gaudino was a resident of Triadelphia, WV who caddied for several years at the Wheeling Park Golf Course. An interesting sidelight to his work there was the fact that he was involved in the famous Fourth of July caddies strike of 1939 at Wheeling Park when the caddies walked off the job to get their fee increased from 20 cents to 25 cents for caddying 18 holes. (The strike lasted one day and the fee was increased to 25 cents)
A few years later, he was drafted to serve in the army in WWII and made four amphibious landings in the south pacific Rising to the rank of corporal, on his fourth landing, he was seriously wounded resulting with him being multiplied handicapped throughout the rest his life. He spent three years recovering in an Army hospital. Despite that, he played golf (mostly one-handed) for more than 30 years as a member of the Wheeling Park and Oglebay Golf Clubs. He worked as an accountant at the Scott Lumber Company and he and his wife Alice raised a foursome of boys who also caddied and played golf on the local and/or national level.
Play will begin on that day at 11:30 am for players entering grades 8-12 in the fall and players entering grades 7 and under at 12:15. All players should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to their starting time.
There will be three grade divisions each for boys and girls 7th grade and under, 9th grade and under, and grades 10th – 12th Awards will include trophies for 1st place and medals for 2nd & 3rd place.
Rules for the event include:
- Players will play from tees appropriate for their grade level.
- Players 7th grade and under can ride a cart with their parents(must pay cart fee) all other players must carry their own bag (or use pull cart).
- Maximum 9 strokes per hole.
- Preferred lies will be played for all grade levels.
Following the event, a snack will be provided to all participants sponsored by Greg Gaudino in cooperation with DiCarlo’s Pizza of Wheeling
Applications are available at local golf courses or by e-mailing David Gaudino at David.gaudino54@gmail.com. A limited number of players may enter the day of the event but must arrive by 11 am that day.
