Jim Smith Jr. said he "can't imagine a better place" to work than Philadelphia Cricket Club. Jim Smith Jr, the COO/director of golf at Philadelphia Cricket Club, says his career is a classic case of being in the right place at the right time while having great mentors and members looking out for him. Smith’s first job was as an assistant pro at Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. Head pro Fred Philipps and lead assistant John DiMarco “taught me more about how to be a good golf professional in one year than some folks get in a lifetime,” he said. Smith with wife, Kathy, and grandchildren, Milo and Lily. While employed at Riverton, Smith was a member at the Abington Club, a nine-hole course in his hometown of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. The pro there, Greg Costa, pulled Smith aside one day and shared the news that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Costa asked if he could recommend Smith to the owner, Dan Duffey, to replace him. “I was 23 years old and hardly ready to be a head pro, but I figured if they were willing to put ...