I was deeply saddened to hear Philmont Country Club PGA director of golf Justin Riegel recently passed away in a tragic accident at the club. A great man and friend was lost.

Justin worked as a PGA assistant professional at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and Gulph Mills Golf Club in King of Prussia. He became a PGA head professional at French Creek in Chester County before moving on to Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley. Very involved with the Philadelphia PGA Section, in 2015 he was selected as the Section PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year

Philmont is one of the earliest golf clubs in the country. I wrote about my experience there in Global Traveler in November 2019.

On a personal level, he greeted us and made us feel like VIP guests. He gifted me the club’s 100-year centennial book, Philmont Country Club, The First Hundred Years, which I read cover to cover, and a great PCC hat and logo golf balls. He escorted us to lunch and told the team there to treat us well … which they did. He was a nice guy, and I could tell all the members thought highly of him.

Once, he met us on the 18th hole as we finished the first nine (we teed off on 10 to start). I was struggling on that hole, but he gave me encouragement for the next nine and beyond. It was a great day at Philmont, and oddly enough, it started stormy and windy but cleared up for our round last June (the weather was like fall, not summer). He loved golf, his job and the people with whom he came in contact.

GT photographer Chris Ottaunick added, “Very sad to hear; he was a very nice man and a great host at the club. As Fran said, he treated us like VIPs, giving us all a gift bag with a fabulous book on the 100 years of the club, a sleeve of PCC balls and a PCC logo hat that I will wear the next time I’m on the golf course.”

It’s a sad day, indeed. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and loved ones.

— Francis X. Gallagher, publisher