DiSantis, a generous supporter of junior golf, is being honored by the Carolinas Golf Association by having a tournament named for her.
The tournament, to be played in early May, will be called the Vicki DiSantis Junior Girls Championship, according to the CGA.
Players of Year: The Carolinas Golf Association has named its Players of the Year, and the Richard S. Tufts Awards will be presented during Carolinas Golf Night at National Golf Club Friday night.
The awards are presented to the No. 1 golfers based on CGA rankings in six categories at the end of the calendar year. The categories are men, women, senior men, senior women, junior boys and junior girls.
Paul Simson will receive the men’s Player of the Year Award for the second time. The Raleigh insurance executive won the Carolinas Amateur and the Stocker Cup championships, tied for fifth in the Carolinas Mid-Amateur and USGA State Team championships, tied for 10th in the Keith Hills Amateur, tied for 11th in the North Carolina Mid-amateur and tied for 13th in the North Carolina Amateur.
Simson, who won the award in 1998, also captained the Carolinas team to a win over the Virginias at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach in October.
Maggie Simmons, a 21-year-old Raleigh resident, is the Women’s Player of the Year. She won the North Carolina Women’s State Amateur, was second in the Western Amateur, fourth in the Eastern amateur and tied for 17th in the Trans National held at Mid Pines.
David Strawn, a 56-year-old Charlotte attorney, is the senior Men’s Player of the Year. He tied for second in the National Senior Hall of Fame tournament in High Point. He placed third in the Yeamans Hall Senior Amateur, fourth in the North Carolina Senior, qualified for match play in the U.S. Mid-Amateur, tied for 19th in the Carolinas Mid-Am and for 20th in the North Carolina Amateur.
Patty Moore, a multiple Moore County Women’s Amateur champion from Charlotte who also owns a home in Pinehurst, retained her title as Carolinas Senior Women’s Player of the Year.
Moore, 55, won the Eastern and North and South Senior events, tied for second in the Carolinas Senior, tied for fourth in the North Carolina Women’s State Amateur, tied for ninth in the Carolinas Women’s Match play, tied for 13th in the Western Senior, qualified for match play in the Women’s Mid-Amateur, and tied for 17th in the U.S.. Senior Women’s Amateur.
David Chung, a high school sophomore in Fayetteville, is the junior boys’ Player of the Year. Chung won the N.C. Junior Championship and tied for third in the U.S. Junior Amateur.
Chung was also the runner-up in the 2004 U.S. junior and was a member of the All-Carolinas Junior Team in 2004.
Amber Littman, a high school junior from Stoney Creek, is the junior girls’ Player of the Year. She won the N.C. Junior Girls Championship and the Junior Girls Championship of North Carolina, finished second in the Carolinas PGA Westfields Championship, ninth in the N.C. Independent Insurance Agents Championship, and advanced to match play in the USGA Girls Junior Championship held in Boise, Idaho.
Adds Client: Golf management firm Signet Golf Associates of Pinehurst has added Pine Island Country Club in Charlotte to its client portfolio.
Signet will provide a complete package of management services at Pine Island, which is slated to re-open this summer with a new 25,000-square-foot clubhouse, a newly renovated golf course and practice facility and the addition of a junior Olympic-sized pool.
Pine Island, which was built in 1968, was recently bought by longtime member Larry Griffin Sr., and his sons, Mike Griffin and Larry Griffin Jr. The Griffins have contributed a significant amount of time and capital to revitalize the facility in western Mecklenburg County.
“There is a lot of excitement and a tremendous potential at Pine Island because of the investment the Griffin family has made in its future,” said Peter Dejak, managing partner of Signet Golf Associates.
“Peter Dejak was instrumental in the golf course renovation and that went well, and Signet has done several re-grand openings. They bring a lot to the table,” Griffin said. “Obviously they can help us with a lot of things that we are not as familiar with, such as food and beverage. They have the experience and the right people to take us to that next level.”
“We will be able to provide the entire country club experience and it will be first-class,” Dejak said. “Signet Golf really enjoys that type of situation where we have the tools to provide the ultimate in service to the members.”
Pine Island plans to open its clubhouse, pool and practice range in early June, with the golf course opening shortly thereafter.
For information on Signet Golf Associates, the phone number is 692-5003.
