New Jersey State Police Golf Club Builds Connection Beyond the Badge

KENILWORTH, N.J. –– When George Fernandez and Christian Pryzbyla qualified for the 94th New Jersey Four-Ball Championship, they thought they were simply earning a chance to compete and relive the spirt that once fueled them as college athletes. Instead, the duo discovered their success had become a source of pride for a growing New Jersey State Police Golf Club built on camaraderie, competition and connection. 

“It felt like we were representing something bigger than ourselves,” Przybyla said about the pair’s time playing in the championship.  

Neither had previously competed in a New Jersey Golf event, but competition was nothing new. Fernandez won a Big East Championship as a baseball player at Seton Hall University in 2011, while Pryzbyla earned National Association of Basketball Coaches honors during his collegiate basketball career at Hilbert College. After spending the past winter refining their golf games, the two coworkers, who first made a connection while working together in the training unit, decided to test themselves in the 94th New Jersey Four-Ball Qualifier at Oak Hill Golf Club on April 27th.  The duo, a pair of New Jersey State Troopers, punched their ticket to the championship with a round total of 2-under par 70.  

“Golf gives us a chance to compete again,” Pryzbyla remarked. “Playing in the Four-Ball qualifier and then in the championship was probably the closest feeling I’ve had since playing college basketball. You get that same adrenaline, that same elevated heart rate, and the opportunity to compete against really good players.”  

When it came to competing in the Four-Ball at Little Mill, the timing felt perfect for Fernandez and Pryzbyla to introduce the team and share its mission with a wider audience.

“The golf team is still growing,” Fernandez added. “We’re trying to build awareness, raise money, and create opportunities. Qualifying helped bring attention to the team.”  

While the New Jersey State Police had long supported athletic competition through teams in sports such as hockey, basketball, and the softball team that Fernandez was a member of for many years, golf had never been one of them. The idea to create a golf team had been brewing in Fernadez’s mind for many months, and with the leadership and help from fellow trooper Mike Kraft, the New Jersey State Police Golf Club became reality in the winter of 2025. 

Kraft has long been surrounded by sports, with his love for golf forming at 14-years-old. A former football player at Sacred Heart University, he later coached at Widener and Villanova, and spent time as a scout with the New York Giants. His passion for golf and background in leadership made him a natural fit to help bring the club to life alongside Fernandez.  

"As a State Trooper, that’s what we want. We want leaders and people who can do the right thing and step up when leadership is needed,” Kraft said. “That’s part of the reason I jumped on this opportunity. It takes a lot of time, but I enjoy it.”  

During the team's first charity outing at Spring Lake Golf Club, the then 53-person team raised $25,000 to help provide scholarships and aid to wounded troopers and their families. Now partnering with the Liberty National Foundation, the club hopes to expand those efforts.  

“Our unions already do a lot of great charitable work,” Kraft said. “We’d like to contribute through our own organization as well. The most rewarding part of this team would be raising money and being able to write checks to families who truly need help.”  

Today, the New Jersey State Police Golf Club, which runs under Triangle Athletics, boasts 60 members from Troops A, B, C, and D, representing regions across North, Central and South Jersey. Its accessibility has fueled much of that growth.  

“There’s a place for everyone,” Kraft said. “You don’t have to be the greatest athlete to participate.”  

The statewide makeup of the club allows troopers from different stations and assignments to connect through a shared passion for the game.  

“You get to hang out with people that you never thought you would,” Kraft said. “It gives you more camaraderie because now you’re getting everybody involved.”  

Through community events, charitable initiatives and simply being visible on the golf course, the New Jersey State Police Golf Club provides an opportunity for people to see troopers in a different light, not just as law enforcement. For Kraft, Fernandez, and Pryzbyla, the team’s greatest accomplishment is its ability to inspire others to get involved in the game and create connections through golf.  

“We’re hoping to grow the game of golf by introducing it to young people in urban areas who might not otherwise have access to it because of the cost,” Kraft said. “We’d like to work with schools in Newark, Jersey City, and similar communities. Introducing the game to those kids and creating those opportunities could be one of the most rewarding things we do.” 

“I hope people see ordinary adults, dads, sons, and members of the community all playing a game they love,” Fernandez said. “Maybe another trooper sees what we’re doing and decides to pick the clubs back up after years away from the game.”  

If sharing the team’s story inspires even a handful of troopers to dust off their clubs and return to the course, Fernandez considers that a success.  

“Golf is a great outlet, and competition is important. Having a hobby is important. If our team helps grow interest in the game, that’s a great byproduct of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Fernandez continued.  

“I’m still relatively new to the State Police, and through golf I’ve met troopers from all over New Jersey that I otherwise never would have met,” Pryzbyla remarked. “Golf really brings people together.” 

As the club continued to grow, that’s exactly what Fernandez, Pryzbyla and Kraft hope it will continue to do, bring troopers together through competition, service, and a shared love of the game.  

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