DENISE CALLAHAN
Denise began her golf career at the age of thirty-six. Even though she became involved with golf later in life, she used her athleticism to become a champion golfer.

She played in the 2001 USGA Women’s Senior Amateur, qualifying for match play. In the same year, Denise qualified for the USGA Women’s Mid Amateur. She holds women’s course record at Tam O’Shanter (Hills) with a 65 and a 68 at Arrowhead (The Fairways). She won the 2012 Harder Hall Invitational in Sebring, Florida, the 2012 Ohio Women’s Championship, and the 2013 Ohio Senior Championship. She has had two holes-in-one up to this point. In addition, she won several club championships at Edgewood, Tam O’Shanter, and Arrowhead.

Denise was a tremendous student athlete in her younger days. She won nine varsity letters at Perry High School in volleyball, basketball, and track. She scored forty-one points in one basketball game and was named All Ohio. She was in the top three percent of her class academically, and is a member of the inaugural class of the Perry Athletic Hall of Fame.

She graduated with distinction from Ohio Northern University with a pharmacy degree, and is a member of the ONU Athletic Hall of Fame. While attending Ohio Northern, she earned ten varsity letters in volleyball, basketball, and fast pitch softball. She was an All American and Academic All American in both volleyball and basketball at ONU. Denise was the first woman at ONU to score 1,000 career points in basketball, before the three point line was instituted.

Denise is a pharmacist and Health Alignment coach, residing in the Canton area, with her two feline “boys” Churchill and Horatio. 

 

ROBERT ‘’BOB” FIGURELLA
Bob began his golf career in his home town as a caddy at Yankee Run Golf course in Brookfield, Ohio under head pro and caddy master Ben McMullin from 1952-54. From 1954-61, he worked with the grounds crew at Yankee Run under Bill McMullin. In 1961, Bob completed the Turf Grass Management program at the University of Massachusetts.

Bob was the assistant Course Superintendent at Acacia Country Club before becoming Course Superintendent at Spring Valley Country Club in Elyria, Ohio and Fairlawn Country Club in the Akron area.

In 1969, he began a thirty-eight year career as Course Superintendent at Canton Brookside Country Club. While at Brookside, the club hosted many events, including the Member/Guests, the Ohio Women’s Open, and the Ohio Senior Championship.

Bob is the former Vice President and board member of the Northern Ohio Golf Course Superintendent Association of America, where he served as chairman of the Education Committee. Bob received the 2001 Ohio Turf Grass Foundation Professional Excellence Award and the 2007 Mal McClaren Award.

Following his tenure at Brookside Country Club, he worked for BASF and Turf Grass Inc., serving golf courses. In 2014, Bob retired and now lives in Jackson Township with his wife, Fran. He has two daughters, Tracy and Jennifer, three sons, Mark, Ronald, and Matt, and six grandchildren. 

 

MIKE ROSSETTI
Mike became interested in golf as a teenager, while playing with his father, Gaetano Rossetti. While attending McKinley High School, he played first string football for four years. He played offensive guard, defensive tackle and kick-off team. After high school, Mike worked at Republic Steel and began playing golf seriously.

Mike won and played in many golf tournaments.

  • 1965 SCAGA Carling Open
  • 1966 Stark County Open
  • 1966 AIGA Best Ball with Vic Nicodemo
  • 1967 Finished second in an 18-hole play-off to Don Nist for SCAGA Genesee Open
  • 1969 Best Ball with Frank Fonte
  • 1971 Four Winds Pizza Oven Open
  • 1977 Skyland Pines Club Champion Medal Play
  • 1977 AIGA Best Ball with Dave Ford
  • 1977, 78, 79 Walter Hagen Memorial Best Ball
  • 1981 Polski Open in South Carolina
  • 1982 AIGA Best Ball with Jim McFarren James
  • 1982 SCAGA Best Ball with Pat Addessi
  • 1983 SCAGA John Ofer Tournament of Champions
  • 1983 Pizza Oven Best Ball
  • 1983 Giannetti Memorial Best Ball

Mike won a Best Ball at the Pines Julie Fe Golf Course with Julie Chirumbolo, the SCAGA 36-hole Champion of Champions, Italian Invitational Class Champ and the Shady Hollow Canton Open.

Mike still enjoys playing golf and has had the pleasure of playing golf in Ireland. He has eight holes-in-one, with the latest one being celebrated this past spring.

Mike is retired and lives in North Canton with his wife, Dee, has two sons Mike and Rick and three grandchildren. 

 

EVAN B. SCHILTZ
Evan B. Schiltz had a life-long career in golf, which included significant accomplishments in virtually every decade of his life. Born in New Berlin, Ohio (North Canton) in 1914. Evan first became known to local golfers when he won the 1930 County Junior title in his teens. In his late teens and early twenties, he led the Mt. Union College golf team which, when coupled with his All-Ohio Conference basketball performance resulted in his induction into the Mt. Union Athletic Hall of Fame. Evan went on to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1933, and won the Stark County Amateur Championship in 1936 and 1946.

In 1947, Evan began ten years as a teaching professional, with his first year at Orchard Hills, and then nine years at Edgewood, all while continuing his full-time career at The Hoover Company. Evan regained his amateur status after retiring from professional golf to concentrate on family, business and a wide variety of public service activities.

In his fifties, Evan began a stretch of four Brookside Country Club Championships between 1968 and 1975. Reaching senior status in his sixties, he won the Great Lakes Senior Championship. Evan scored his first hole-in-one in his seventies, and repeated this stunning feat at age eighty-two.

Evan Schiltz passed away in 2000, just four days short of his eighty-sixth birthday. Combining his championship caliber play with his teaching of the game and community leadership, he left behind a legacy of both skill as a player and an ambassador for the game. Evan is survived by his wife, Eva, and two sons, Evan of Columbia, South Carolina and Tim of Delaware, Ohio. 

 

ANGELO (ANGE) SPITALE
Ange Spitale was involved in amateur golf in Stark County for virtually all of his life, both as a fine player an as a volunteer for the Stark County Amateur Golf Association (SCAGA) and the American Italian Golf Association (AIGA).

For thirty years, Ange served on the Board of Directors for both SCAGA and AIGA. He was the only man to be President of both organizations in the same year and was one of the founders of AIGA.

In 1960, Ange won the Tiger Town Open. He was the 1961 and 1962 WHBC Golfer of the Year. In 1959, he finished second in the Stark County Amateur losing in a playoff to fellow HOF member, Crist Fostines. Ange also won numerous club championships at Tam O’Shanter and Highland Hills (Skyland Pines) golf courses. Ange had eight holes-in-one throughout his golfing career.

Ange joins son, Jay Spitale and nephew, Sam Spino in the Stark County Amateur Golf Hall of Fame.

His immediate family includes his wife, Cecelia, sons Jay, Angelo and Vince, and daughter Teresa all of Canton.