Professionals & Staff
Thomas Hurley
General Manager
A 30-year veteran of the golf and country club industry, Thomas Hurley was named General Manager of Fiddler's Elbow in July 2011. Prior to Fiddler's Elbow, Hurley came from Cherry Valley Country Club in Skillman, N.J., where he was General Manager & Chief Operating Officer for the last seven years. Earlier in his career, he spent two years as Club Manager at Cherry Valley and executed the successful opening of its golf clubhouse. In 1998, he was recruited as Chief Operating Officer by Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown, N.J., where he served as the driving force behind the major development, reconstruction and renovation of the club's facilities. He left Spring Brook CC in 2004 to return to Cherry Valley CC, where he helped facilitate the club's transition to member ownership.
Hurley's first stint as a general manager occurred during his tenure at the Ashbourne Country Club in Cheltenham, Pa., which followed his promotion from Food and Beverage Director.
While attending Fordham Preparatory School (Bronx, N.Y.), Hurley spent the summers working numerous positions at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. He went on to serve as the Food and Beverage Steward at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, N.Y., and later accepted a steward position at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., where he was eventually promoted to Beach Club Manager.
Brendon Steidle
assistant general manager & Controller
At Fiddler's Elbow Country Club, Brendon Steidle manages the financial operations, along with information technology and human resources. He joined Fiddler's Elbow Country Club as Assistant Controller in 2000 and was promoted to Controller in 2003.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Brendon earned his BA in Business Management from Gettysburg College. He has been an active member of the Mid-Jersey Chapter of the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) since 2000.
Prior to joining Fiddler's Elbow, Brendon served as Controller for a small military contractor in Pennsylvania.
ALLISON GARBER
Membership & Marketing director
Allison Garber joined the staff of Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in Fall 2010, At the time of change and transition for Fiddler's, Allison brings with her an extensive and varied sales and marketing background. Previously, she was Director of Sales and Events at Cenergie, where she built and served the client base and consulted on the direction of this high-end spa and wellness center, focused on the overall health and fitness lifestyle.
Allison has also held positions as Regional Sales Manager for Chelsea Sourcing International and in the retail arena for Liz Claiborne/Kayser Roth and Saks Fifth Avenue buying program.
DAVE BRODERICK
DIRECTOR OF RACQUETS
Dave comes to us from the Short Hills Club where he has thrived since 1999 and was Head Professional for more than 18 years overseeing all tennis, paddle and squash programs. Previous to Short Hills his resume also includes being Head Platform Tennis Professional at the highly respected Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange. He has held the position of Platform Tennis Instructor at Beacon Hill Club, Head Tennis Pro at Glen Ridge Country Club and Assistant Head Tennis Pro at Canoe Brook Country Club. David is listed among Who’s Who of American Athletes having been named a Division III Tennis All-American and NJAC First Team All-Conference while at Rowan University. He is certified with a P-1 rating by both the United States Professional Tennis Association and the Professional Platform Tennis Association, and is highly involved in the local and national racquets communities. David was the President of the NJ Junior Tennis Association from 2008 to 2012. He earned Master Racquet Technician status with the United States Racquet Stringers Association. David has been elected a member of the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) Executive Board for 5 years. He is involved in the decision making about Grand Prix events along with being handed the challenge of creating a Men’s and Women’s B Ranking System for the APTA’s season long points system. Previously he has also taken on the task of hosting and being the Tournament Director of the Short Hills Invitational as well as the Junior Paddle Nationals for the APTA that take place every February. Locally, David is on the Board of the New Jersey Men’s Platform Tennis Association (NJMPTA), and is also a Men’s League member. David participates in the weekly winter league matches as well as playing in the NJMPTA League Classic where he has made it to the Semi Finals of the Championship for the last 2 of 3 years, while his team has won the A division for the last 3 years. He has been ranked in the top 8 paddle teams in NJ for the last 15 years.
GEORGE DEITZ
Perhaps George is best known for his long tenure as Director of Golf at Canoe Brook Country Club, but his resume includes a stint as Head Assistant Professional at Baltusrol, and Head Professional at Bay Tree Golf Club in Winter Haven, Florida, Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown, and Cohasset Golf Club in Massachusetts. George’s journey to becoming an accomplished golf professional began when he discovered the game as a caddy at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Born and raised in the neighboring town of Lewisburg, he taught himself how to play golf on the exceptional courses of the five-star resort, and discovered his passion for the game. He would later return to The Greenbrier as an Assistant Professional after college. George was mentored at Baltusrol by one of the great club pros of all time, the legendary Bob Ross. That experience included managing the corporate merchandising operations during Baltusrol’s hosting of the 1993 US Open Championship Tournament. Through the years, George has become one of the more well-known and respected professionals in the New Jersey PGA section. Under his directorship, Canoe Brook was named many times to the Platinum Clubs of America, an achievement we know well here at Fiddler's.
MATT WILLIGAN
DIRECTOR OF GROUNDS AND FACILITIES
[email protected]
Matt oversees the day-to-day conditions of our three golf courses. Prior to joining Fiddler's, Matt was the Assistant Superintendent at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, PA where he helped oversee the successful development and implementation of their Master Plan which included fumigation and regressing of all playing areas and the reconstruction of all sand bunkers. Matt is a native of Albany, New York and a graduate of Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management program.
MICHAEL WEISSHAUPT
EXECUTIVE CHEF & FOOD AND BEVERAGE DIRECTOR
[email protected]
Michael joined Fiddler’s Elbow as Executive Chef in October 2012. He comes to us as a well-known, highly regarded Executive Chef not only in the tri-state area, but internationally as well. His early career began in the Black Forest region of Germany where he attended culinary school before an apprenticeship in Switzerland. After moving to the United States, Michael worked at many acclaimed restaurants including The Manor in West Orange, The View atop the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville and Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ. We are truly delighted to have him on our team. His fresh take on traditional dishes and immaculate presentation will not disappoint. Please be sure to stop by the Club and enjoy one of his delicious creations.
Patricia "trish" Olsen
Human Resources director
Trish joined Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in October of 2020 bringing her vast experience and knowledge of the hospitality industry and Human Resources. Trish graduated from Plattsburgh State University with a bachelor's degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. She has worked in hotel operations as a Server, PBX Operator, Front Desk Agent, and Front Office Manager. Her administrative experience includes Payroll, Accounting and of course, Human Resources. Trish has worked in prestigious hotel properties such as The Langham-New York, the Omni Parker House-Boston, Trump Soho, Embassy Suites-Battery Park City and a handful of Hilton hotels. Trish brings her passion for people to our staff and strives to enhance the employee experience for everyone from their first day here to their last. We want all staff members to feel supported and to be proud of working at Fiddler’s Elbow.
matt merrill
Matthew Merrill, from Albany, NY, is a seasoned club professional who has over twenty years of delivering the highest quality of service, creating lifelong memories, and has an unrelenting passion for exceeding member expectations. Matt takes tremendous pride in leading teams to success. His ability to connect with others, and lead with integrity, character, and charisma make him the perfect person to continue with customs and traditions carried on by Fiddler's Elbow. In his role, Matt oversees the front-of-house clubhouse operations. Working closely with the Executive Chef / Director of Food and Beverage, Matt ensures excellent food and beverage service throughout the club.