Alex Lagowitz, R.I.P.

[David_Tepper]

I have just learned that Alex died tragically Sunday morning. That is all I know right now.

[MCirba]

Very sad to hear that, David.  Thanks for letting us know.

[Will Lozier]

Very sad if this is him:

http://nypost.com/2016/05/23/man-jumps-to-his-death-after-taking-magic-mushrooms/

[Bill Crane]

Oh my god.  Just last month I spent most of the Saturday of the Princeton Invitational at Springdale walking the course with Ian and the Seton Hall team.   We talked about getting together to play golf with our sons.

What a shame.

Bill

[Brad Tufts]

Too sad.  I had the fortune of meeting Alex and his dad randomly on the range at Muirfield in 2011 during our trip.

I enjoyed his strong opinions, especially his sparring with everyone on GCA over the Apawamis photo tour!

RIP.

[Steve Lapper]

Very sad if this is him:

http://nypost.com/2016/05/23/man-jumps-to-his-death-after-taking-magic-mushrooms/

Yes, this is indeed the same Alex. He was a fine young man, a talented golfer and the apple of his father, Ian's eye. They enjoyed traveling over to Dornoch regularly and playing together locally and elsewhere constantly. My thoughts are with Ian, his wife and daughter.....Rest in Peace!

[Joe Bausch]

I had many PMs with Alex back in 2011/12 as he was starting to dig up historical info on golf courses.  It was enjoyable providing him guidance.  I just looked back at all those exchanges and how courteous and respectful he was.

RIP, AL.

[Colin Sheehan]

I was very sorry to hear the news and I'm distraught trying to relate with what his loving father Ian and the entire family are going through. I got to know Alex when he reached out to me about playing college golf and he was clearly a knowledgeable and passionate student of architecture, as much as any high school kid with whom I have corresponded. I was happy for him when he told me he was going to play for Colgate and I always enjoyed when he was in their line-up that competed in our spring event at Yale. Alex's father Ian is one of the kindest and friendliest people I have come across and his son was just the same.

[Joe Bausch]

I was very sorry to hear the news and I'm distraught trying to relate to his what his loving father Ian is going through. I got to know Alex when he reached out to me about playing college golf and he was clearly a knowledgeable and passionate student of architecture, as much as any high school kid with whom I have corresponded. I was delighted when he played for Colgate and he was in their line-up that competed in our spring event at Yale. Ian is one of the kindest and friendliest people I have come across and his son was just the same.

+1 (and more)

[astavrides]

I didn't know him, but my sympathy goes out to his family.

[Ryan Coles]

Sad to read.

What the hell are the press doing ringing his family for a quote!?

[Cliff Hamm]

I never met Alex or his father.  This is a sad story beyond belief.  It is every parent's nightmare.  To say he was too young would be trite.  But he was way, way too young.  How terribly, terribly awful. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

[JLahrman]

I'll echo Cliff's comments; I didn't know Alex or his father either but what a horrible story.

[David_Tepper]

Obituary in the Newark Star Ledger:

http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?n=alex-lagowitz&pid=180096146

[Jon Wiggett]

So sad to hear about such a young person dying like this. Just found out that my 40 year old brother-in-law suffered a near fatal heart attack last night. Brings it home how close we can be. My thoughts are with Alex's family and friends.


Jon

[Colin Sheehan]

Having received permission from Ian, I wanted to share this old email exchange with Alex from the spring of his senior year in high school. I can say he's the only high school golfer in my eight years of corresponding with them who had more interest in architecture beyond a vague curiosity.

Original Message-----
From: lagy@mac.com [mailto:lagy@mac.com]
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 11:21 PM
To: Sheehan, Colin
Subject: Raynor

Dear Coach Sheehan,

My name is Alex Lagowitz.  I have previously contacted you regarding
playing for the Yale golf team, and I respect your decision to pursue
another direction in your recruiting.  On another note, the content of
this email has nothing to do with college golf, but more to do with
golf architecture and specifically in CBM/Raynor/Banks.  Over the past
few years, I have acquired a serious interest in golf course
architecture, spawned by my quest to help rediscover the true nature
of my home course, Essex County Country Club.  ECCC was founded in
1887, and is recognized as the first club in NJ and I believe 8th in
the country.  After a couple of scrappy layouts, A.W. Tillinghast was
hired and built an 18 hole course that was considered average during
its time, especially considering the breadth of his prestigious
courses in the area such as Baltusrol, Plainfield, Somerset Hills, and
even the likes of Winged Foot, Quaker Ridge, and many more.  With
discontent in the membership, Seth Raynor was hired to completely
redesign the golf course (similarly to CC of Fairfield in that a Tilly
was converted to Raynor).  The current course was built by both Seth
Raynor and his protige Charles Banks, and features many
indistinguishable template holes.  The par 3 11th hole is a 160-200
yard par 3 Eden hole over a deep ravine.  Also included on the course
are the Short, Biarritz, Road, Hogsback, Long, Punchbowl, Alps,
Reverse Redan (par 4 similar to Fishers 12th), and a daunting 500 yard
par 4 Home hole that is considered one of the best holes in the state.
If you are wondering why I have written to you regarding this, I would
not be surprised.  Oddly enough, during some research I was doing on
Golf Club Atlas (an awesome site by the way), I came across another
site called punchbowlgolf, where I then saw your name in a post that
covered CB and a great amount of Raynor.  Again your name came up when
I played a round at my home course with Brian Leftwitch, who is a
member of The Outpost Club, who had mentioned that he had known you
either from that or from his days at Princeton.  It does seem fitting
that you are the head coach at Yale, where your home course is one of
the most respected/studied courses in the CBM/Raynor portfolio.  If
you are interested in learning more about Essex County Country Club,
or would like to talk golf, please feel free to contact me back, as
again, I have become very knowledgeable in the game and I greatly
enjoy talking and discussing golf course architecture.  If you are
interested in playing Essex County, I would gladly set up a time to
play.

Thank you for taking your time to read my thoughts and I hope you
honor my offer to play!

Thanks again,

Alex Lagowitz

p.s. I have decided to play for Colgate University next year, so do
not think at all that I am doing this regarding Yale, but instead I
have contacted you solely for the philosophy of golf

On Jan 31, 2011, at 11:30 PM, Sheehan, Colin wrote:

Alex, Thank you for the email. You are on your way to doing some serious study of the game. A point of correction, CC of Fairfield was Raynor (completed in 1921) but Tillinghast was hired in the mid-30s to move the current fourth green closer to the water, and he made adjustments to the third green in the process and altered the current sixth green. But you are a very lucky to play ECCC. I adore that course and the tree clearing has been incredible. A very good friend of mine, Eddie Brockner, was on the Yale golf team four years behind me and he's now working for the First Tee in the NYC area, along with working on the Francis Byrne next store, which ECCC sold to the county back in the early 80s, I believe. So actually, there's quite a few Raynor/Banks features remaining down the hill. I'm sure Eddie would enjoy giving you a tour of the work he has done there. You will enjoy reading the Confidential Guide to Golf Courses by Tom Doak, if you haven't already done so. Check out this link, if you haven't already done so: http://picasaweb.google.com/colinsheehan/GolfCourseAerials# Congratulations on playing for Colgate. They are coming to our Spring Opener on Saturday April 2nd. Perhaps you should come up and watch them play and see the course. I'm attaching a proof of the tournament poster. Enjoy the rest of your senior year and I'll see you in the future. Best of luck with everything. -Colin

-----Original Message-----
From: lagy@mac.com [mailto:lagy@mac.com]
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 11:50 PM
To: Sheehan, Colin
Subject: Re: Raynor

Colin,

Thanks for the response.  I have expressed to the membership extreme discontent on thier decision to sell the lower course in 1975 to the county, and almost everyone regretful of such a tragedy.  We sold it for a mere 3.5 million!  There are some stellar holes that were originally built at Byrne, but sadly over the years so much has been lost.  Imagine what a complex ECCC would be with both courses in full restoration!  Both Gil Hanse and George Bahto have done an excellent job in an extensive tree removable and restoration program, and the course is moving back to where it should be.  We almost secured a deal to host the Fed Ex Cup PGA TOUR Barclays, but due to some questions in the logistics and the obvious politics, our hopes have faded.  Gil just finished laying out our new master plan , and I have to say if it is implicated the course will be unbelievable.  I have an original drawing of the 36 hole layout the Raynor/Banks drew up in the 30s, and if you are interested I could scan and send it your way.  Regarding my research, I have read some great books: Scotland's Gift Golf (CB), Golf Architecture (Mackenzie), and a bunch of others.  I am also a member of Royal Dornoch Golf Club, and so this summer I will be taking a trip out there to play some of the original holes that were "templated", such as those at St. Andrews and North Berwick.  Its addicting yet so satisfying to delve into the true history of the sport I have learned to love.

]I will try to see if I can come up to Yale for the event, as I am eager to see the course beyond the dozens of photographs I have already studied.

Good luck to your team and thanks again for your help.

Alex Lagowitz

[Mark Bourgeois]

After reading that email exchange I feel the loss of never having met Alex.

[Rob Marshall]

Thanks for posting Colin. Great exchange. Such a shame.