Alison Cress
When Alison turned eight years old, her mother decided to take up golf. Her athletic mother thought she should be old enough to join her. Unfortunately, not being a recipient of title nine, she wasn’t afforded the opportunity to play high school or college golf. But loving the independence and singular non-team nature appealed to her. She remained close to her mother and truly enjoyed golfing with her and her friends.
Currently, Mrs. Cress resides in Jupiter, Florida and Canton, Ohio, where she is a member of Brookside Country Club.
Allison gives back to the game in many ways:
- She founded, organized, and ran the Babe Zaharias Golf Classic. This twenty-six-year endeavor was the largest fundraiser of its kind for the American Cancer Society. She also serves them as a national keynote speaker.
- Alison has served on the boards of Ohio Girls Golf Foundation, Franklin County’s American Cancer Society, The Country Club at Muirfield Village, and the Columbus Dispatch Charities Golf Scholarships.
- Member of the Nike Golf Player Staff Board
- Current member of the Golfweek Magazine Course rating panel
Allison Reifers - Cress playing record
- 1991 Women’s Ohio State Amateur Champion
- Three-time winner Women’s Ohio Senior Amateur
- Ohio Women’s Golf Association Stroke Play Champion (Eight-Times)
- Franklin County Women’s Amateur Champion ( Nine-Times)
- Ten-time participant in U.S.G.A. national competitions
- Over thirty private club championships
- Inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame, Ashland, Ohio
Aaron Crewse
Golf was a family affair for Aaron. His parents introduced him to the game at a young age. Aaron remembers around the age of five or six riding with his parents in the golf cart over at the old Bob- O –Link golf course. Aaron would hop out of the golf cart at the 150 yard marker and play in from there.
He studied under golf professional Mr. Don Miller at The Congress Lake Club. Success at Lake High School propelled him to the pinnacle of college golf at Duke University. When asked about his favorite foursome and where he would want to play, his response was to play golf with his high school
- Four time High School First Team all-Conference recipient
- Four time all-County recipient
- Four time all-district recipient
- Two time Ohio High School first team All-Ohio
- 989 American Junior Golf Association – First Team Academic All-American
- 1989 American Junior Golf Association – Second Team All-American
- 1990 – 1994 Duke University Varsity Letter Award recipient
- 1994 Duke University Senior Co-Captain
- Eight time U.S.G.A. National Qualifier
- U.S.G.A. Junior Championships (Three Times)
- U.S. Amateur Qualifier (Two Times)
- U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier (Three Times)
- 2009 Summit County Amateur Champion
- 2015 Stark County Amateur Champion
- 2022 Summit County Senior Amateur
Tom Laubacher
Tom Laubacher Whether competing at the high school level or the United States Senior Amateur, competition holds Tom's love and respect for the game. Tom did not come from a golfing family. However, at about forty-five years old, his father began playing golf. He became intrigued enough to join Canton’s Holiday Country Club. Tom was introduced to golf there when he was six or seven years old. This was where golf’s life lessons of humility, character development, honesty, and perseverance began. Tom believes you can learn much about a person's character through golf.
- Central Catholic High School Four-year letterman
- University of Cincinnati Golf Team (Title IX restrictions ended the team after one year.)
- 2016, 2018, 2021 United States Senior Amateur Qualifier
- 2017, 2018 Senior British Amateur qualifier top 30
- 2018, 2019 Ohio Senior Amateur runner-up
- 2020 Ohio Senior Amateur Winner
- 2021 Ohio Senior Amateur top 10
- 2020, 2021 Picard Cup Winner ( Two man Team )
- 2021 NOGA Matchplay Winner
- Club Championships from Club Walden and Aurora Country Club
- Shared Course record holder Aurora Country Club (with Charles Coody, Bruce Devlin, Gary Trivisonno, and Arnold Palmer
- Member of Society of Seniors
Ralph "Sonny" Santangelo Jr.
Ralph began playing golf with his father, Ralph Santangelo Sr., at Tam O’Shanter Golf Course. His dad was his inspiration, winning the Stark County Amateur and the Stark County Open in 1954. Sonny’s love for the game developed while playing golf with his dad after dinner. They would go to Tam O’Shanter and play as many holes as daylight would allow. Sometimes, they would complete their round in the dark. He loved hitting the ball into the night, knowing the only way it could be found was by the feel coming off the clubface.
Ralph Jr. gave back to the game by being one of the three founders of the Stark County Amateur Golf Hall of Fame. Don Nist and Greg Schorsten partnered with Ralph to honor the incredible talent of golfers found within Stark County. Playing golf for three years at Glenwood High School’s golf team prepared him for playing golf four years at the University of Toledo.
Sonny joins his father as a member of the Stark County Amateur Golf Hall of Fame!
- Two-time Northeastern Ohio Junior Champion 1963, 1964
- Midwest District Junior Champion, Columbus, Ohio 1965
- Midwest District Junior, Gary, Indiana third 1966
- Stark County Jaycee tournament runner-up
- SCAGA Best-ball winner Stark County Junior Tournament Two-Time Runner-up
- Competed in:
- Stark County High School Team Championships
- Westfield Junior Matchplay
- Akron District Matchplay