Dan Juffey Named 2025 Honey Gantner Award Recipient
KENILWORTH, N.J. – Long-time New Jersey Golf volunteer Dan Juffey has been named the 2025 Honey Gantner Award recipient, presented annually to a NJ Golf volunteer who displays exemplary service and commitment to the organization.
“I am just totally flabbergasted beyond belief,” said Juffey. “When I sit back and think about who the past recipients are and to now be thought of in the same light, I’m quite pleased with myself. It’s always great when the volunteers get recognition. We’re all a family, all very proud of what we do.”
Juffey has been a dedicated NJ Golf volunteer since 2013, starting as a pace-of-play marker before quickly expanding his involvement. Over the years, he has served in nearly every volunteer capacity, including starter, rover, scorer, forward observer, and rules official. Known for his personable and welcoming nature, Juffey is often one of the first faces competitors see at tournaments. He greets players with a smile, explains local rules, and, true to form, can usually be counted on for a good-natured joke before they tee off.
By now, Juffey knows many New Jersey Golf competitors by name, and vice versa. His presence at the first tee has become a familiar and comforting part of the championship experience. He is typically the first to arrive at the course and one of the last to leave, embodying the quiet dedication that makes NJ Golf events so successful.
“I’m proud of the fact that I’ve kind of taken Bob Krueger’s place,” Juffey reflected. “He was the guy when I started, and now I know all the players—the ones you can joke with and the ones you can’t. It means a lot to me that they know me too.”
“Dan has truly become one of the faces of New Jersey Golf,” said NJ Golf Executive Director Kevin Purcell. “He’s at nearly every event, rain or shine, and he treats every player with the same warmth and enthusiasm. His tireless dedication, his love for the game, and his ability to make competitors feel welcome embody the very spirit of the Honey Gantner Award.”
A golfer for more than 50 years, Juffey says his motivation has always been to give back to the game. “When I first started volunteering 13 years ago, that was the whole idea,” he explained. “I’ve always been on one side of the game as a player, but now I’m on the other side, and I’m having just as much fun helping players and running great tournaments. Without the volunteers, there are no tournaments, and we’re all proud of that.”
The Honey Gantner Award, named in honor of longtime NJ Golf volunteer Honey Gantner, is presented each year to a volunteer who demonstrates outstanding service, commitment, and contributions to the organization. The award will be formally presented to Juffey at the annual Celebration of Golf, held in collaboration with the New Jersey PGA at Canoe Brook Country Club on October 30.
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