Golf Association of Philadelphia

“I was extremely honored and privileged, and
I was kind of shocked when I got the call. I was
thinking, ‘Wow, there are many other guys that
could be more deserving than I am,’” said Hoff-
man, a member of Penn Oaks Golf Club. “To be
called the Volunteer of the Year in the GAP is re-
ally something special.”
The majority of Hoffman’s time – 18 years, to
be exact – has been spent as a valuable member
of the Course Rating team. His course rating days
began during the 1999 season, and he said he
enjoys his time on the course with each passing
season. The past few years, Hoffman has served
as a rating team captain, and currently leads a
team of nine raters.

John Manos, who has been the Director of Course Rating for two seasons, said when four spots on Hoffman’s team opened up before this season, he knew exactly how to fill them.

“Rather than shuffling around our teams, we gave Jack’s team four of our new raters because we knew he would take them under his wing and turn them into reliable, experienced raters by the end of the season,” said Manos.

“I really like to keep them with me at all times,
teaching them along the way. We ended up
having a great year with the new guys,” said
Hoffman, 66, of Malvern, Pa. “Sometimes I try
to think I’m a big deal because of that aspect,
but that’s not the case. We just like teaching the
new guys and helping them develop into great
course raters.”
Besides teaching and leading his team, Hoff-
man’s favorite aspect of course rating, he said, is
the ability to protect the game while also giving
back to the Philadelphia golf community.

You also may have seen Hoffman’s friendly face volunteering at one of the Association’s competitions. He volunteered at this year’s thrilling Francis

Hoffman sets Course Rating standard; rewarded with Volunteer of the Year

JACK HOFFMAN epitomizes everything a volunteer strives to be: passionate, committed and widely respected. These traits, along with his course-rating expertise and leadership, were rewarded, and deservedly so, when Hoffman was named the 2015 Golf Association of Philadelphia Volunteer of the Year.