On a mild Saturday in October 2012 the Canadians defeated the Danish to win the inaugural Friendship Classic. At the time it was an impromptu outing that required coordinated outfits, but little else. I would love to say the golf was great, but it wasn’t. More importantly was the realization that an annual golf trip needed to happen and soon.
The Friendship Golf Classic or “FGC” as most refer to it, is a yearly event held at various golf courses throughout the United States. The layout is simple; two six-man teams competing in a Ryder Cup style format. Each team consists of players located throughout the Northeast, all with ties to central PA. When determining the team members, each player was chosen based on relationships, skill and/or competitive personality.
In an effort to familiarize those new to the event with this cast of characters, each member is briefly described below.
TEAM RED
Adam Strittmatter (Founding Father): “Stritts” excitement level about a yearly group competition was the necessary spark to create the event. If only he would put in the same level of effort to plan family vacations.
Andrew Romanoski (Founding Father): “Romes” loved the idea of an event, especially if others were going to handle most of the planning.
Brian Hoffman: “Bo” was the only person Andy demanded be invited. His love of friendship, text chains and fair rulings made him a perfect fit to offset the wild and sometimes inconsistent members of the group.
Jeremy Fuhrman: Adam’s college bestie and pinochle partner, “Fuhrmy” was at the top of the list when the first invites were sent out.
Christopher Zanzarella: Another one of Adam’s besties, “CZ” was a great fit for Team Red’s personality and play. His Main Line membership sealed the deal when it came to the initial invite.
Brian Raubenstine: After year one, the FGC had two players leave and replacements were needed. “Chuck” was a logical choice due to his competitiveness and improving golf game.
TEAM BLUE
David Bushey (Founding Father): The willingness to negotiate value and a competitive personality only cemented the need for “Bush” to organize a trip.
Joshua Anderson (Founding Father): “Carl” always enjoyed the 2v2 battles between the Geese and Nightmares, so he was 100% behind a larger event. Initially hesitant on the 108 hole format, he’s come around to the quality and expectations the FGC requires.
Bryan Spamer: With his love of golf, unlimited budget and intense desire to win, “Spam” was a lock for one of the first invites.
William Reiss: Originally only the character of wild stories, “Uke” was more myth than reality when Dave pushed for him to be invited for the first trip. His wild stories now include FGC moments.
Michael Muzeka: Unknown to the group at first and expected only to be a parking lot pro, Bryan’s buddy from college has since exceeded all expectations both on the course and in group texts. Always a vocal proponent of smack talk, “Zeke” elevates his game to match.
Jeremy Gehrke: While not initially included in year one, “Gehrke” has become an integral part of the FGC. Currently the only two-time MVP, his skills and handicap have been vital to Team Blue’s success.
ALTERNATES:
Michael Grassel (Team Red): COVID caused the need for Adam Strittmatter’s replacement in FGC6. Fortunately for Team Red, “Grom” had been remote teaching for months so his golf game was in prime shape. Fortunately for Team Blue, that game was left in York County and he was unable to meet the FGC challenge. With Adam returning to the States for FGC7, “Grom” is back to playing South Central PA golf courses while wearing Adam’s FGC6 hat and muttering, “sorry Carl.”
Zachary Shepard (Team Blue): It’s hard to replace a player of Michael Muzeka’s talent, but Team Blue always knew they had a guy waiting in the wings who could provide a seamless transition. “Zach” has been itching for years to get into the FGC and all it took was a pandemic for that dream to become reality. As expected, he rose to the occasion and played excellent golf. “Zach” returns to the bench for FGC7, but everyone knows he’s only a phone call away should the need arise again.
PAST MEMBERS:
Michael Rafferty (Team Red): A Team Red original, “Raff” left after one year to pursue family and fatherly duties. Only sightings at VG or the occasional Sixers game provide insight into what he has been up to lately. Either way, he left on a high note after playing a major part in the first ever FGC victory.
Michael Udan (Team Blue): An avid golfer at the time, “Udee” had no idea what to expect before the first trip. He quickly realized that while it was a good group of guys, they were way to bro-ish for his liking and he politely declined to join in year two.
