NORWICH— On Friday, June 12, Dick Rivanera and Brendon Elliott were inducted into the Greater Norwich Golfers’ Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at the Canasawacta County Club in Norwich.

Dick Rivanera-Afton Golf Club, Super Senior golfer

Rivanera was introduced to the game of golf at age 12 by his father and spent most of his time at the Afton Golf Club. Dick won the Chenango County inaugural high school golf championship in the late 70s before graduating from Afton in 1975. From there he went on to play at Delhi Tech after high school and then became actively involved in playing in TCGA tournaments as well as Broome County Championships. He won the Club Championship at Afton more than a dozen times and as a senior player, he continues to be active in the sport.

He most recently golfed at the Tuscarora Golf Club on May 11, where he shot a one under par 70 yo win the super senior division.

The only thing missing for Dick Rivanera is that he would love to hit his first hole in one to fulfill his long-time golfing career.

Congratulations, Dick.

Brendon Elliott- Husband, Father, Mentor, Expert PGA Professional

Alike Rivanera, Brendon Eliott also discovered his love and passion for the game of golf when he was 12. Born and raised in Norwich, NY, he did spend some quality time at Canasawacta Country Club but first picked up a golf club at the Riverbend Golf Club in New Berlin.

Elliott was a proud member of the Norwich Varsity golf team where he “demonstrated his early promise as a competitive golfer.” He faced adversity with a hip and foot injury but continued to give it his all and make a name for himself even after school.

Elliott became a PGA Professional, where he spent 13 years as Golf Professional and General Manager at the Winter Park Golf course in Winter Park, FL and spent seven years as an Educator and Director of Career Development at the Golf Academy of America campus in Orlando.

In 2008, he created Little Linksters to introduce the game to children aged three to eight years of age in Central Florida and beyond. His work was featured in national golf publications and he has appeared on national radio shows and on the Gold Channel.

In 2017, he won the PGA of America’s highest honor in the area of youth player development.

After selling rights to Little Linksters in December 2024, he launched his new academy and brand BE A GOLFER in January 2025 to reach competitive teen golfers.

“This innovative coaching platform represents the evolution of his teaching philosophy, which centers around a passionate commitment to nurturing young talent and instilling a lifelong love for the game of golf. Elliott effectively combines traditional in-person coaching with modern remote online golf learning techniques to support competitive teen players in Central Florida and beyond.”

As Elliott could not be there to accept his award, Patti Giltner accepted it in his place.

Elliott posted on his Facebook page: “Humbled and blessed…Thank you to all those at The Canasawacta Country Club for this honor!”

Congratulations, Brendon.

-Information from Greater Norwich Golfers’ Hall of Fame