SBJ P.O. Box 766 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
VOL. 28 NO. 05
HH The Business Newspaper of Saratoga County HH
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
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GLENS FALLS, NY 12801 PERMIT #600
JULY 2023
www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
PSG Golf Moves Instruction, Game Simulator Fans Can Sign Up To Tour Horse Breeding Business To Maple Avenue In Saratoga Farms After Breakfast At The Race Track
Mike Gerarde has opened an indoor golf facility at 615 Maple Ave., Suite 2, in Saratoga Springs, along with business partner Jeff Boss. The facility has simulator machines and a bar. BY CHRISTINE GRAF Less than one year after Mike Gerarde established PSG Golf, he and partner Jeff Boss have opened an indoor golf facility at 615 Maple Ave., Suite 2, in Saratoga Springs. PSG Golf offers golf lessons to students of all ages and skill levels, and their new facility features two golf simulators, a TopGolf simulator, an indoor putting and chipping green, and a bar. Gerarde, a Glens Falls native, began playing golf about 10 years ago while a student at Syracuse University. After graduating and joining his family’s payroll company, Keena Staffing, he found himself entertaining clients on the golf course. “The connections you create through the golf course are invaluable, and that’s how I got
Courtesy PSG Golf
the idea to start a golf lessons business,” said Gerarde. “A lot of people that I worked with or that I knew didn’t want to get out on the golf course because they thought they weren’t good enough.” After becoming certified as a golf teacher, he established PSG Golf in July 2022. The business is named in honor of his father, Paul Stephen Gerarde, who passed away when Gerarde was 10. Before opening his own facility, Gerarde taught lessons at the Luxury Box in Queensbury and Tarks Indoor Golf Center Saratoga. He then partnered with Jeff Boss, a Capital Region native who has been golfing since he was 10. “Jeff is a tremendous golfer,” said Gerarde. “He was an accountant in Albany, and when I Continued On Page 15
Fans gather at Saratoga Race Track for the popular breakfast event offered by NYRA. This year, a tour of a horse breeding farm will offered three days a week. The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) plans to significantly enhance opportunities for fans to experience the Saratoga Breakfast And Breeding Farm Tour package, which debuted to sold out crowds each Friday in its inaugural season last year. The track opens Thursday, July 13. The tour this year will be offered every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the Saratoga meet and feature two active thoroughbred breeding farms. The tours will accommodate up to 52 guests each day beginning Friday, July 14, and concluding on Friday, Sept. 1. The tours will be offered every Wednesday at Song Hill Thoroughbreds, 290 County Road 75 in Mechanicville, and every Thursday and Friday at Old Tavern Farm, 45 Brown Road, in Stillwater. The package, presented by the Capital Dis-
Courtesy NYRA
trict Transportation Authority (CDTA), features a buffet breakfast at Saratoga Race Course; the opportunity to watch the thoroughbreds during morning training; a round-trip, trolley ride from Saratoga Race Course to the farms; a 60-90 minute guided walking tour of the breeding farm; and admission to Saratoga Race Course. The package is $85 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available on a firstcome, first-served basis and may be purchased at NYRA.com. “Last year’s inaugural Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm package was such a huge success that we have expanded it to three days per week and added a second thoroughbred breeding farm to accommodate demand,” said NYRA Vice President of Communications Pat McKenna. “The Continued On Page 7
Summer Concert Series Returns To Congress Former CEO Of Girl Scouts Of Western New Park Featuring Local, Regional Bands York Is Named New CEO At Double H Ranch The Saratoga Summer Concert Series has returned to Congress Park for the 2023 season. People can attend the free shows, bring blankets and chairs, find a spot on the lawn, and enjoy some of the area’s favorite performers. This family-friendly concert series is a program of the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center in partnership with Discover Saratoga and the city of Saratoga Springs. “We’re thrilled to once again bring you the Summer Concert Series,” said Darryl Leggieri, president of Discover Saratoga. “We have an eclectic mix of great local bands this year. The concerts are familyfriendly and welcoming to all, showcasing the amazing artistic talent we are so lucky to have in Saratoga Springs.” The Saratoga Summer Concert Series will take place Sundays in July and Tuesdays in August. Shows begin at 7 p.m. at the War Memorial in Congress Park and each concert will be approximately 90 minutes. Inside the Heritage Area Visitor Center, located at 297 Broadway, will be the concert rain location. Dates and performers include:
July 23 – Skippy and the Pistons, an eight-piece classic rock horn band, celebrating 48 years together. July 30 – Proudest Monkeys Band, a Dave Matthews Band cover jam band formed in 2017 in the Capital Region. Aug. 1 – MPThree, made up of Mark Pierre and Scot Chamberlain, both life-long Capital District residents and local performers. Aug. 8 – Betsy and the ByeGons, playing pop music from the 50s through today. Aug. 15 – Rustic Spirit with Pete Jones on lead guitar, who is a member of The Blues Hall of Fame and has shared the stage with Artimus Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd and has opened for Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, and many others. Aug. 22 – Garland Nelson and Soul Session presented by Saratoga Automobile Museum. Soul Session is a high-energy musical ensemble that crosses many genres and earned them the distinction of 2019 Eddies award winner as “Best Band in Capital Region.” Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the state Council on Continued On Page 14
The Double H Ranch, a nonprofit organization providing specialized programs and year-round support for children dealing with life-threatening illnesses announced the hiring of Alison Wilcox as CEO. Wilcox will be following in the footsteps of Max Yurenda, who retired after 30 years leading the organization founded by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and businessman and philanthropist Charley Wood. “Alison has a wonderful passion for the mission of the Double H Ranch and a respect for our culture. Her experience developing leadership skills for young girls; financial management; and organizational development will inspire the Double H Ranch to grow upon its reputation of excellence as one of the premier non-profits in the Capital District and North Country. By working with our great Double H Ranch team, I am confident Alison will bring great enthusiasm, energy, and engagement in her new role,” said Charlie Crew, the facility’s board chairman. Wilcox has over 20 years of global experience in nonprofit leadership and board governance and has been the CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York for the past four years, and she was COO for three years. Prior to that, she was a senior strategy advisor to Girl Scouts of USA, lead development specialist at Delaware North Companies and the senior vice president of program and membership of Girls Scouts of
Alison Wilcox is the new CEO at Double H Ranch, replacing Max Yurenda. Courtesy Double H Ranch
Western New York. Double H’s board of directors retained the executive search firm Lindauer to conduct a nationwide search following the announcement of Yurenda’s retirement in June of 2022. Continued On Page 13