Schaller Jr. becomes Twaalfskill Club pro
Three-time Ulster County Men’s Amateur golf titlist Jeff Schaller Jr. has added a new title to his resume — club pro.
The Herdegen champ recently became the pro at the Twaalfskill Golf Club.
“We’re very excited about having Jeff as a pro. He comes to us with a great resume,” said Twaalfskill President Jim Baker Sr. “He brings a lot in terms of helping the youth in the area.”
The 25-year-old Schaller, a Kingston High and Concordia College graduate, signed a contract last month.
“There’s been talk over the years about getting me up there, but this year it actually transpired,” he said. “I’m at a point in my life where I had to decide if I’m going to sit in a cubicle for eight hours a day and crunch numbers or I am going to be around a game that I so desperately love.
“After doing a lot of thinking and confiding with my family and friends, this is the decision that I have made. I’m so honored to do it at my home course, the place where I grew up and I’m looking forward to (writing) the next chapter at Twaalfskill.”
Schaller, who began playing when he was 10, has been a lifelong Twaalfskill member.
“My dad and mom (Jeff Sr. and Suzanne) have been members all their lives,” he said. “My dad has had a family golf membership since I was born. My sister (Alyssa) has been life guarding up there since she was 14 years
old and I’ve been working in and out of the pro shop since I was about 16.
“With mom and dad being members, it’s a very close-to-home place.”
Schaller had been an assistant pro at Twaalfskill. He headed south the last two winters, working at golf courses. One of his other jobs was at the Golf Channel.
“I’ve tried different things but, ultimately, it has always led back to golf and I think it’s because it’s been such a huge part of my life,” he said. “I really gained some knowledge on how to play golf down there. I had an excellent coach and then when I came home I also had good mentors around me.
“There was my father and Bill Reynolds, the old pro at Twaalfskill. Family, close friends and coaches have all made me realize that whether I’m playing it or working in the industry,
I’m happier being around the game. I think that’s ultimately what chose this career path I’m taking.
“I want to thank Bill Reynolds for taking me under his wing the last few years. He’s shown me the ropes. He’s been a huge help and really opened up my eyes on how to run an operation. It’s not just him. It’s along the lines of (pros) Judd Noto (Woodstock), Chad Maes (Wiltwyck) and John DeForest Sr. (Rondout), these people who I’ve become very close to.
“Everyone has different perspectives on working in the industry, but one thing they’ll tell you is about waking up and being around the game that you love is not something you can say when you go to work every day, which is great.”
Schaller, who first played in the Herdegen when he was 13, won the prestigious Ulster County amateur championship three times in four years. He first captured the title in 2012, then went back-to-back in 2014 and ’15 before turning pro.
“I can’t say enough of the
Herdegen Tournament,” he remarked. “Growing up, that was a huge part of basically learning how to play the game. It was one of the first tournaments I qualified for and I worked my way up the ranks until I was actually competing in the tournament.
“What a great thing it does for Ulster County and the golf community. It’s a great tournament. If you’re an avid golfer or just like the game, I suggest you try to get that handicap down and play in it.”
Although there’s a couple of feet on snow on the ground, Schaller is excited about the upcoming season.
“It’s weather pending, but I think all the courses are looking to get going first week of April,” he said. “Hopefully, we get a couple of warm days here and in the next few weeks and it melts a lot of this snow.
“Luckily Twaalfskill has given me a great opportunity to represent the club throughout the northeast in all these events I play in and, when I’m not playing
in an event, I’ll be working at the country club helping setting up tournaments, doing the leagues, giving lessons.”
“A big thing we’re trying to focus on,” he added, “is working with the youth. I really want to bring the game of golf back to the Hudson Valley and the Kingston area. A big person who has been involved with it throughout the years is Mrs. (Joanne) DeForest.
“I want to help her expand on that, because I think it’s great to get the youth involved. In other areas of the country and world-wide it’s very popular. In the Hudson Valley, I think that we could use some more youth around the game and get kids more involved.”
“It’s not as expensive a sport as it use to be. It’s more affordable now than ever,” said Schaller, who noted that Twaalfskill has the “best rate for a private club in the area” with a full golf membership at $1,620 and a senior rate of $1,542.
“We got 380 total members as of right now going into this season and that includes 120 full golf members. We have a strong member base as of right now, but we’re looking to bring new members on board,” he said.
“We really want to show people how fun of an environment Twaalfskill is. It’s not all about playing golf. We got a pool. We got a nice bar and restaurant. We’re very socially active,” Schaller said.
“You can go up there and have a great time whether you play good or play bad or don’t play at all. It’s a good place to bring kids. It’s a good place for them to get started, learn the game. It’s a good place for a parent and a child to go out together, really spend some quality which is something that built my friendship with my father.
“Him taking me out on a golf course and spending two, three, four hours out there a day or maybe a couple days a week. We still do it to this day. He started taking me out there when I was 10 and we’re still doing it here 16 years later which is something that is really memorable and that I cherish.”
Schaller is looking forward to junior clinics that might also include some of his contemporaries, mentioning Andrew DeForest, Chris Ferraro and Doug Kleeschulte.
“When I host these youth clinics, I would like to get some of those guys involved,” he said. “I think that will draw these kids out: young guys who have played professionally and have been around the industry since they were 10 or 11 years old. I think that will bring more kids in, working with the younger guys.
“We have a lot of long outstanding members who are very loyal to the club,” Schaller said about Twaalfskill. “Not only are they loyal, but they’re also interested in new, bright ideas to generate more money and to bring more golf to people around the community.
“I like to think of Twaalfskill as a little hidden gem.”