Club Spotlight: OCSGA - 50 Years of Greatness

August 10, 2016

By Mary Goodwin

The year 2016 marks the 50^th Anniversary of the Orange County Seniors Golf Association, or OCSGA, an affiliate member club for seniors in the OC comprised of men from 23 private country clubs around the county. They all share one common interest – experiencing new courses and meeting new friends.

The OCSGA was founded in 1966 by Cecil Crew and Tom Davidson, both members of Yorba Linda CC. Once retired, they decided that while they loved the routine of playing their home course, they also wanted the opportunity to play other private courses in the area and had time available to do so.

It took a few years for the concept to really take off, starting with only a few members, but over the years the OCSGA has grown to be a prominent SCGA affiliate club with nearly 200 members who actively participate in member tournaments.

“The OCSGA enables men and couples in Orange County to meet new people and create friendships they would not have found otherwise,” said Jerry Braga, president of the OCSGA. “It’s about camaraderie. We mix-up foursomes every tournament so everyone gets to know one another.”

The club hosts events locally in Orange County, but also has various golf destination trips to places like Costa Rica, The Caribbean and the ever popular Hawaii trip, which sees extraordinary participation.

Tournaments at PGA TOUR courses are especially well liked. Last year, the group visited The Greenbrier in West Virginia with an astounding 130 members for five-days of travel and golf. Local tournaments, such as Santa Ana CC, usually bring in 100 to 140 members for the day.

OCSGA’s focus is to hold balanced events that host a full-field while always working within the means of the association to ensure all members receive a top-notch experience. This dedication to running unique, well-planned tournaments has created a loyal membership with several members staying with the club for decades.

OCSGA’s longest standing member is Wayne Searcey of Santa Ana CC. Searcey, 90, has been a member of the club for 28 years and he is still playing (and winning!) regularly.

“Building friendships is especially important among retired folks," said Braga, commenting on the importance of community building among seniors. "The kids are out of the house and finding new friends becomes limited.”

Outside of the astounding golf-travel experiences and local tournaments, the OCSGA has made a commitment to charity both in and out of the golf industry.

An annual tournament and auction is held to raise funds for the SCPGA Junior Foundation, bringing in roughly $35,000 a year for the organization.

“We are committed to helping build the infrastructure of the game and that is what funding for the SCPGA Junior Foundation does,” said Braga.

A fun couples holiday tournament is also held each year featuring a scramble game. All participants bring unwrapped gifts to contribute to the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots toy drive. A Marine is present to collect the gifts and it is an all-around enjoyable way to conclude the year with fellow OCSGA members.

In '16 and '17, OCSGA will host member tournaments at nine local country clubs as well as travel to Chateau Whistler in Vancouver, Fairmont Orchid on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii and the Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Looks like they are off to a great start towards another 50 years!

To learn more about affiliate clubs and how to form your own, please follow this link.