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NORTH SHORE<br />
GOLFSPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
PLAYING<br />
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THE TOP 20+<br />
OF 2020<br />
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2 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
A publication of Essex Media Group<br />
The<br />
Publisher<br />
Edward M. Grant<br />
Chief Executive Officer<br />
Michael H. Shanahan<br />
Directors<br />
Edward L. Cahill<br />
John M. Gilberg<br />
Edward M. Grant<br />
Gordon R. Hall<br />
Monica Connell Healey<br />
J. Patrick Norton<br />
Michael H. Shanahan<br />
Chief Financial Officer<br />
William J. Kraft<br />
Chief Operating Officer<br />
James N. Wilson<br />
Community Relations Director<br />
Carolina Trujillo<br />
Editor<br />
Bill Brotherton<br />
Associate Editor<br />
Anne Marie Tobin<br />
Design and Layout<br />
Sean Casey<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Mike Alongi<br />
Bob Green<br />
Steve Krause<br />
Gary Larrabee<br />
Photographer<br />
Spenser Hasak<br />
Advertising Sales<br />
Ernie Carpenter<br />
Ralph Mitchell<br />
Eric Rondeau<br />
Patricia Whalen<br />
Advertising Design<br />
Trevor Andreozzi<br />
Sean Casey<br />
Edwin Peralta Jr.<br />
ESSEX MEDIA GROUP<br />
110 Munroe St.,<br />
Lynn, MA 01901<br />
781-593-7700 ext.1234<br />
Subscriptions:<br />
781-593-7700 ext. 1253<br />
01907themagazine.com<br />
04 Must-haves<br />
08 Top 20+ of 2020<br />
10 Picture perfect<br />
11 Middleton update<br />
12 The golf boom<br />
14 Kelley Greens<br />
15 Rowley's new team<br />
16 Shooting his age<br />
17 Sagamore shift<br />
EDITOR'S LETTER<br />
INSIDE<br />
18 Pro Tip<br />
20 Course record<br />
21 <strong>Golf</strong> calendar<br />
22 Shades of Green<br />
24 Course directory<br />
26 Notebook<br />
28 <strong>North</strong>ern Getaway<br />
32 Flynn still Golden<br />
BILL BROTHERTON<br />
Great <strong>Golf</strong> Boom of <strong>2021</strong>?<br />
What a year! 2020 started out so well … and then in mid-March the coronavirus pandemic arrived<br />
like a belligerent, foul-mouthed houseguest who refused to leave.<br />
Health experts were emphatic: “Wear a mask, wash your hands till they’re raw and stay at least six feet<br />
apart. And if you have a Hazmat suit hanging around, wear that too.”<br />
The state shut down businesses and schools and restaurants and sports arenas and entertainment<br />
venues. And golf courses and driving ranges! Most of us ditched the office to work remotely from home.<br />
A trip to the supermarket instilled fear in all of us.<br />
Finally, on May 7, during Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, golf courses were allowed to reopen<br />
under strict guidelines.<br />
Slowly, gradually, rules were relaxed. Restaurants offered outdoor dining. COVID-19, that houseguest,<br />
may still be around, but there’s hope thanks to companies like Moderna and Pfizer offering the promise<br />
of a return to a semi-normal life.<br />
But what an ordeal. We’ve spent many, many hours on our computers, praying it would lead us to the<br />
promised land. We’ve set the alarm for 5 a.m., rushed to our laptops and turned our attention to specific<br />
websites that we prayed would link us to some joy.<br />
But navigating the websites was annoyingly frustrating. They behaved badly. We not-so-patiently hit<br />
the refresh button hoping we could finally schedule a time. No such luck, time and again. “There are no<br />
openings” the websites taunted. Until, finally, suddenly success! We were able to BOOK A TEE TIME!<br />
Hallelujah.<br />
Wait! You thought I was talking about the difficulty of booking an appointment to get the<br />
COVID-19 vaccine?<br />
Uh-uh. Did you try to land a tee time at a public golf course last summer? You don’t know what stress<br />
is until your buddies tasked you with reserving a mid-morning tee time on a Saturday.<br />
Something unexpected happened last year when courses were finally allowed to reopen. Everybody<br />
wanted to play golf. As Mike Alongi, the sports editor of the Daily Item in Lynn, reports in this issue,<br />
the United States saw the biggest increase in rounds of golf played in nearly 25 years. All told some 502<br />
million rounds of golf were played in the U.S. And local clubs anticipate The Great <strong>Golf</strong> Boom of 2020 to<br />
continue in <strong>2021</strong>, judging from early season play.<br />
Anne Marie Tobin, <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> ’s associate editor, spent time at area golf retailers getting the<br />
scoop on products and equipment that are hot sellers and must-haves. She also writes about changes and<br />
shifts at Sagamore <strong>Spring</strong> GC, one of the <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong>’s busiest public courses, and brings us up to date<br />
on what’s up with the project at the site of the much missed Middleton GC, which closed in 2019.<br />
Also in this issue, you will meet Jim McHale, an 84-year-old who routinely breaks his age at Thomson<br />
Country Club. Kelley Greens in Nahant has a new management team: Give a warm welcome to Brett,<br />
Rhiannon and their adorable English Bulldog puppy Archie. And Toby Ahern, a respected longtime<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> pro, is bringing his expertise and a new grounds superintendent to Rowley Country Club.<br />
Let’s not forget Jake Rand, who broke a course record at Winthrop <strong>Golf</strong> Club that was set 62 years<br />
ago.<br />
Hope to see you on the course this season … if we can land a tee time, that is.<br />
Bill Brotherton is editor of <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> magazine. He grew up in Beverly, caddied and worked in the pro<br />
shop at Essex County Club, is a Ouimet Scholar who graduated from Suffolk University, has written about golf<br />
for the Beverly Times and Daily Item of Lynn. He’s retired from the Boston Herald, where he wrote about music<br />
and edited the Features section. Tell him what you think at bbrotherton@essexmediagroup.com.<br />
COVER<br />
There’s no need to wear<br />
protective clothing from<br />
head to toe to stay safe.<br />
… though masks are<br />
optional once you’re on<br />
the course.<br />
PHOTO BY<br />
SPENSER HASAK<br />
DESIGN BY<br />
SEAN CASEY
SO MANY OPTIONS TO<br />
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• New Callaway balls each year<br />
• 15 natural grass tees<br />
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• 2 Simulator studios using the latest TrackMan technology<br />
• Driving range specials and discounts<br />
• 3 PGA professionals on staff<br />
• Year-round clinics and lessons for all ages and levels<br />
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4 >>> SUMMER 2020<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> <strong>Golf</strong>’s guide to what’s hot in <strong>2021</strong><br />
Bass Rocks <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
Gloucester, MA<br />
Everything you need in a private golf and tennis membership.<br />
www.bassrocksgolfclub.org<br />
For more information please call (978) 283-1866 ext.7<br />
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
As golfers head into a second season of<br />
COVID-19, all signs indicate this may be<br />
another record-breaking season for the<br />
golf industry. Sales at many golf retailers<br />
are flourishing as players are flocking to<br />
stores to stock up for the new season.<br />
At the PGA Tour Superstore in<br />
Peabody, General Manager Greg Cosgrove<br />
said many items are flying off the shelves.<br />
"It's been crazy, we are out of so many<br />
items so early in the season," he said.<br />
One of the highest demands has been<br />
for travel covers.<br />
"From what we see, people are traveling<br />
or planning to travel again," Cosgrove<br />
said. "We've also sold out of women's<br />
packaged beginner sets, so the new-golfer<br />
trend that started last year seems to be<br />
continuing. We are seeing them and elite,<br />
skilled groups continuing to purchase, so<br />
from everything we see as a retailer, it is<br />
shaping up to be another record year."<br />
1. FootJoy PRO | SL shoe – $199<br />
FootJoy is still the biggest seller at the<br />
Superstore. Its latest style - the PRO |<br />
SL comes in several models, all of which<br />
boast 30 percent more traction points<br />
in the outer sole. The design features<br />
FootJoy's reimagined PowerHarness that<br />
wraps the foot in comfort, to better release<br />
more power into the swing. Available with<br />
or without laces.<br />
2. PGA Tour Glove – $9.99<br />
The store's own PGA brand is sold in a<br />
2-pack.<br />
3. Vokey Design SM 8 wedge – $179<br />
The Vokey Design SM 8 features a<br />
pushed-forward center of gravity to<br />
produce more consistent ball-striking and<br />
improved accuracy and ball flight.<br />
4. Mizuno Blue Ion putter – $299<br />
Mizuno M Craft Type 2 Blue Ion putter<br />
has a deep-milled face for a softer feel and<br />
roll. It comes with a custom-fit weight kit<br />
that includes a pair of three-, eight- and<br />
13-gram weights to customize feel and<br />
performance.<br />
5. TaylorMade Hi-Toe RAW<br />
wedge – $179<br />
The Hi-Toe RAW with its innovative ZTP<br />
RAW Groove Design delivers more spin,<br />
especially in wet conditions. The clubface<br />
has narrower and deeper grooves.<br />
6. Titleist T series irons – $1,325-<br />
$1,599<br />
The Titleist T100, T200, T300 and T400<br />
series offer options for players ranging<br />
from beginner to scratch.
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6 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
Visit the<br />
FAIRWAY PUB<br />
Open 11 a.m. daily<br />
Pub menu<br />
Daily specials<br />
directions | rates | history | course layout<br />
Welcome<br />
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!<br />
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Open daily year round,<br />
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7. PING G425 hybrid – $269<br />
Designed for all golfers, the new PING<br />
G425 has been a customer favorite when<br />
it comes to hybrids. Its new face design<br />
(Facewrap), promises to deliver more<br />
distance and higher launch. The club also<br />
sports a new three-circle system on its<br />
crown, which PING says serves as a visual<br />
cue to improve alignment. The club is<br />
available in lofts from 17 to 34 degrees.<br />
8. Titleist TSi2 driver – $549-$749<br />
The new Titleist TSi2 driver pushes the<br />
aerospace boundaries with a sleek design<br />
touted as the longest and straightest<br />
Titleist driver. The secret begins with the<br />
clubface, which is made with ATI 425<br />
aerospace titanium, which is stronger and<br />
more durable compared to traditional<br />
titanium alloys.<br />
9. Callaway Soft X ball – $48/dozen<br />
The Callaway Chrome Soft X is a top<br />
seller.<br />
10. Ecco BIOM Hybrid shoe– $199<br />
For women, the BIOM Hybrid is casual<br />
in style and billed as the industry's first<br />
hybrid performance shoes in that the<br />
spikeless soles allow the shoe to be worn<br />
stylishly on and off the golf course.<br />
11.Titleist and TaylorMade balls –<br />
$48/dozen<br />
Titleist Pro-V1 and Pro-V1x are top sellers.<br />
The TaylorMade pix ball has been big,<br />
so big they’ve sold out. "They have the<br />
special alignments on it and come in<br />
orange gray, the Rickie Fowler colors."<br />
said Cosgrove.
NORTH SHORE GOLF
8 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
Top 20+ of 2020<br />
The pandemic summer of 2020<br />
was filled with challenges and bad<br />
news. But golfers at <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong><br />
clubs, both public and private,<br />
overcame numerous obstacles to<br />
perform at their best. With an assist<br />
from local PGA professionals and<br />
general managers, we were able to<br />
compile this list of <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> <strong>Golf</strong><br />
magazine’s Top 20+ of 2020.<br />
Without further ado, we announce<br />
the top male golfer and top female<br />
golfer at these <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> courses,<br />
as recommended by their pro and/or<br />
club manager.<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Course Men's Player Women's Player<br />
Bass Rocks <strong>Golf</strong> Club Jeff Gouzie Jenny Ceppi<br />
Beverly <strong>Golf</strong> & Tennis Larry Jacobs Lauren O'Brien<br />
Bradford Country Club Nick Maccario Krystal Knight<br />
Cape Ann <strong>Golf</strong> Club Kevin Bilow Bailey Kaplan<br />
Essex County Club Chris Comenos Lauren Herter<br />
Far Corner <strong>Golf</strong> Club Ki Cwon N/A<br />
Ferncroft Country Club Nick Leary Lisa Anderson<br />
Gannon <strong>Golf</strong> Club Ben Friedman Ann Dawson<br />
Hillview <strong>Golf</strong> Course Mike Heck Jinny Slagle<br />
Indian Ridge Country Club Colin Brennan Isabel Brozena<br />
Kelley Greens Brendan Locke N/A<br />
Kernwood Country Club Christian Emmerich Karen Solomon<br />
Meadow Brook <strong>Golf</strong> Club Charlie Johnson Kate Coppins<br />
Myopia Hunt Club Sam Cregg Katie Barrand<br />
Sagamore <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> Club Phil Miceli Donna Deliso<br />
Salem Country Club Kevin Daly Diane Carter<br />
Tedesco Country Club Brad Tufts Kym Pappathanasi<br />
Thomson Country Club Chris McNeil Janice Lamb<br />
Wenham Country Club Pat Scanlon Martha Field<br />
Winthrop <strong>Golf</strong> Club Jake Rand Kathy Baron<br />
Jenny Ceppi won her 13th Bass<br />
Rocks club championship since 2003.<br />
First-time men’s champ Jeff Gouzie<br />
considers his most memorable round to<br />
be the final round of the 2019 Bass Rocks<br />
club championship, when he shot 67 to<br />
give eventual champion Mark Turner<br />
a run for his money, eventually finishing<br />
second. His dad, Tom, won the club<br />
championship five times.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
At Hillview, Jinny Slagle won her<br />
10th championship and Mike Heck won<br />
his first.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Beverly G&TC’s Larry Jacobs<br />
(4.1 handicap index) and Lauren<br />
O’Brien (8.6 handicap index) are<br />
often in the winner’s circle. O’Brien<br />
is a three-time club champion and<br />
three-time player of the year.<br />
Our experience makes<br />
yours better<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Kevin Murphy, head PGA<br />
professional at Bradford CC, praised the<br />
accomplishments of Nick Maccario<br />
and Krystal Knight.<br />
Maccario was Mass <strong>Golf</strong>’s Player of<br />
the Year in 2020. The former St. John’s<br />
Prep standout last year won the Mass<br />
Mid-Amateur Championship, the Mass<br />
Four-Ball Championship and qualified<br />
for the U.S. Amateur. Maccario also shot<br />
a 56 (15 under par) at Bradford playing in<br />
a casual round with buddies last August.<br />
Amazingly, Maccario didn't win<br />
Bradford’s club championship last year.<br />
Shawn Roderick shot 3-under in the<br />
medal play 36-hole event and beat him<br />
by two strokes.<br />
Knight, while at Merrimack,<br />
dominated New England college golf for<br />
four years and was named Division 2<br />
All-America. “She plays the back tees and<br />
beats all the guys,” said Murphy.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
At Ferncroft CC, Lisa Anderson won<br />
her 10th consecutive club championship<br />
and 15th in all. Nick Leary was strong<br />
in match play, posting scores of 66,<br />
72, 72, and a final 69 (he played out<br />
the rounds and recorded some birdies<br />
after the matches were decided). Leary<br />
finished the season with a handicap<br />
index of 0.3 but was lower during 2020.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Ben Friedman (1.5 handicap)<br />
has won multiple Gannon GC club<br />
championships, and women's champ<br />
Ann Dawson (8.1 handicap) has<br />
competed in many Massachusetts<br />
Amateur Championships.<br />
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● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Last year, Isabel Brozena, the<br />
Indian Ridge women’s club champion,<br />
was the youngest qualifier (14 years<br />
old) to make the match play portion of<br />
the Massachusetts Women's Amateur.<br />
She bowed out in the first round of the<br />
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10 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> golfers get an early start on the <strong>2021</strong> season<br />
CLOCKWISE FROM<br />
TOP LEFT: Pat O’Brien<br />
of Lynnfield rolls a putt<br />
at Cape Ann <strong>Golf</strong> Club.<br />
<strong>Golf</strong>ers make their way<br />
down the 4th fairway at<br />
Cape Ann <strong>Golf</strong> Club on<br />
a warm March day.<br />
Barbara Wills of Salem<br />
hits into the 9th green<br />
at The Meadow at<br />
Peabody.<br />
Erik Swanson of<br />
Rockport stretches<br />
before teeing off at<br />
Cape Ann <strong>Golf</strong> Club.<br />
Chris Chaput of <strong>North</strong><br />
Reading gets into the<br />
swing at <strong>Golf</strong> Country<br />
in Middleton.<br />
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NORTH SHORE GOLF
12 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>Golf</strong> had a boom year in 2020<br />
...and it will likely continue post-pandemic<br />
Back in late March of 2020,<br />
when businesses and<br />
organizations throughout<br />
Massachusetts were shutting down<br />
due to the coronavirus pandemic,<br />
things weren’t looking very promising<br />
for golf courses. Massive drops in the<br />
number of rounds played throughout<br />
March and April due to closures<br />
occurred until courses were given the<br />
OK to reopen — with strict restrictions<br />
BY MIKE ALONGI<br />
— in early May.<br />
And that’s when something amazing<br />
happened. The country saw the<br />
biggest increase in rounds of golf<br />
played in nearly 25 years. According<br />
to the National <strong>Golf</strong> Foundation,<br />
rounds were up 6.2 percent in May,<br />
13.9 percent in June, 19.7 percent in<br />
July, 20.6 percent in August, 25.5<br />
percent in September, 32.3 percent<br />
in October, an incredible 57.5 percent<br />
in November and 37.3 percent<br />
in December. The national 2020<br />
increase was nearly 14 percent over<br />
2019 rounds, an increase of roughly<br />
75 million rounds — and that’s after<br />
losing an estimated 20 million rounds<br />
in March and April. All told some 502<br />
million rounds of golf were played in<br />
the United States in 2020.<br />
The only year on record that saw a<br />
bigger increase in rounds played was
NORTH SHORE GOLF
14 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
Changes are cooking at Kelley Greens<br />
BY BILL BROTHERTON<br />
Brett Waterman and Rhiannon Evans, the new managers of Kelley Greens in Nahant, sit<br />
with their English Bulldog puppy, Archie, in a portion of the newly-renovated restuarant<br />
at the course.<br />
PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK<br />
Kelley Greens, the 9-hole<br />
waterfront golf course in<br />
Nahant, has a rich and<br />
storied history.<br />
A new chapter in the club’s history<br />
began March 5, when Nahant’s <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Course Committee and the Board of<br />
Selectmen selected Brett Waterman and<br />
Rhiannon Evans of R & B Management<br />
as the course and restaurant’s new<br />
lessees. They have a 5-year lease.<br />
Townies are happy Waterman<br />
and Evans, partners in life and<br />
business, have reverted back to the<br />
Kelley Greens name. The previous<br />
management team switched to the<br />
Nahant <strong>Golf</strong> Club name in 2017, but<br />
for many it will always be Kelley<br />
Greens. A few members still refer to<br />
the place as Sea Gaels or Tony C’s,<br />
named after the local Red Sox slugger<br />
whose family bought the course and<br />
ran the restaurant in the early 1970s.<br />
“Everyone knows it as Kelley<br />
Greens and locals call it by that name,<br />
so it made sense to return to that,”<br />
said Waterman.<br />
The club was founded in 1894, but<br />
it has shut down off-and-on through<br />
the decades. The Kelley Greens we’ve<br />
come to know and love reopened for<br />
good in 1966 when Selectman Charles<br />
A. Kelley took charge and guided the<br />
course’s rebirth as Drumquill <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Course. After his death in 1988, the<br />
course was renamed in his honor.<br />
Waterman, a graduate of the<br />
University of Rhode Island turfgrass<br />
management program, plans to add<br />
new maintenance equipment to his<br />
arsenal. Waterman has been course<br />
superintendent at Nahant’s 3,910-yard<br />
links for the past two years, moving<br />
here from Tamarack Country Club in<br />
Greenwich, Conn. A new fleet of golf<br />
carts will soon arrive, and irrigation<br />
improvements will take place this<br />
season. The search for a PGA golf pro<br />
has begun.<br />
Chef/co-owner Evans, a native of<br />
Nottingham, England, was executive<br />
chef for the past nine years at the<br />
prestigious Quaker Ridge <strong>Golf</strong> Club in<br />
New York’s Westchester County (the<br />
golf course is annually ranked as one<br />
of the USA’s top 100).<br />
The couple, together for 10 years,<br />
has spent the past two years in a<br />
long-distance relationship. They met<br />
at Tamarack CC, where Evans worked<br />
in the kitchen as sous-chef. Are they<br />
happy to be working together at<br />
Kelley Greens? Their beaming smiles<br />
indicate the answer is yes.<br />
The day we visited, we were greeted<br />
by Waterman and Evans’ friendly,<br />
kissy 5-month-old English Bulldog<br />
Archie, who will be a regular at the<br />
site. During a tour of the dining<br />
room improvements, Archie had an<br />
“accident” on the rug. “It’s a good<br />
thing we’re replacing all the carpets,”<br />
said the couple.<br />
In fact, a lot of renovations are<br />
taking place in the restaurant. The<br />
couple plans to redo the interior and<br />
enhance the outdoor dining space,<br />
where cooling ocean breezes are<br />
prevalent. They hope to have the bar/<br />
restaurant up and running by the end<br />
of April. Evans said the atmosphere<br />
will be casual and feature “simple<br />
good food.”<br />
“There aren’t many dining options<br />
in Nahant, just the Tides and a pizza<br />
place,” said Waterman. “The owner<br />
of the Tides, Mike O’Callaghan,<br />
has gone out of his way to help<br />
us. His support has been greatly<br />
appreciated.”<br />
For more information, go to the<br />
Kelley Greens <strong>Golf</strong> Course Facebook<br />
page.
Rowley CC<br />
welcomes<br />
Ahern,<br />
Godek<br />
BY BILL BROTHERTON<br />
Toby Ahern, a seasoned PGA golf<br />
professional with more than 35 years<br />
of experience, has joined Rowley<br />
Country Club as Managing Partner.<br />
Ahern was a key member of the staff<br />
at Ferncroft Country Club for more<br />
than 25 years, serving as Director of<br />
<strong>Golf</strong>, General Manager and Director of<br />
Business Development.<br />
“I’m very excited to join the<br />
Rowley CC team and look forward<br />
to working with (Director of <strong>Golf</strong>/<br />
General Manager) Darin Chin-Aleong,<br />
who has been doing everything and<br />
has done an<br />
exceptional job<br />
since joining<br />
Rowley in 2015.<br />
I hope to support<br />
him and help<br />
make his job a bit<br />
easier.”<br />
Bill Godek<br />
will be Rowley’s<br />
new course<br />
superintendent.<br />
Godek has worked<br />
for more than 10<br />
years at Ferncroft<br />
under the tutelage<br />
of Michael<br />
Cassidy, head<br />
superintendent.<br />
The Swampscott<br />
native started his<br />
career at Tedesco<br />
Country Club. Zack Lamkin will assist<br />
Godek.<br />
Ahern, who grew up in Lynnfield<br />
and graduated from St. John's Prep in<br />
TOBY AHERN<br />
NORTH SHORE GOLF
16 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
Thomson’s McHale<br />
a marvel at age 84<br />
BY STEVE KRAUSE<br />
Jim McHale may be 84, but don't<br />
tell him he's reached "dufferhood."<br />
He may challenge you to<br />
a round … and he might just beat you.<br />
McHale, of Wakefield, has not lost<br />
that competitive edge. And while he's<br />
not setting any records at Thomson<br />
Country Club, where he’s a member<br />
and plays regularly, he shot or broke<br />
his age 44 times last year. And from the<br />
regular tees, too.<br />
"Well," mused McHale, "the older<br />
you get, the easier it is to do that."<br />
But to talk to McHale, it's easy to see<br />
why he's still tearing it up at Thomson.<br />
He's been active all his life.<br />
"I've stayed flexible for my age,"<br />
McHale said. "That's important. I've<br />
kept myself in fairly good health too."<br />
And … he tries to walk the course as<br />
often as he can.<br />
"If it's too wet, they don't let you<br />
drive," he said. "So, I walk."<br />
Other life activities have<br />
also kept McHale<br />
in good<br />
enough shape<br />
to play golf as often as<br />
he does. He<br />
skied for<br />
years,<br />
which,<br />
he says,<br />
keeps his<br />
legs in good<br />
shape.<br />
"I only<br />
stopped a<br />
few years<br />
ago," he said.<br />
"It kept me in<br />
shape. I also do a<br />
lot of stretches with<br />
the rubber band.<br />
That keeps my golf<br />
muscles toned up."<br />
He learned all<br />
about the legs as an<br />
assistant pro at Unicorn <strong>Golf</strong> Course in<br />
Stoneham, working for the late "Wild"<br />
Bill Ezinicki, a former pro hockey<br />
player who won three Stanley Cups<br />
while with the Toronto Maple Leafs in<br />
the 1940s.<br />
"He was also a great golfer," McHale<br />
said, "and I learned the legs are an<br />
important part of the swing — just as<br />
important as the arms and stuff."<br />
McHale grew up in Somerville, and<br />
began caddying at age 14 at Unicorn.<br />
“They used to let the caddies play on<br />
Monday mornings. I probably had seven<br />
clubs, and none of them matched.<br />
"After a while, they made me caddie<br />
master at Unicorn, and that's really how<br />
I started playing golf regularly," McHale<br />
said. "I just kind of got the bug."<br />
He also played in the youth<br />
tournaments run by Msgr. John Carroll<br />
at Ponkapoag in Canton.<br />
"We'd get there at six in the morning<br />
and get out of there at five at night,"<br />
he said. "Ever since then, I've always<br />
tried to keep my hand in the game. It's<br />
something to do, especially as you get<br />
older. You can't play football, or some of<br />
the other sports. But you can play<br />
golf, almost right up to the end."<br />
When he first began<br />
playing golf seriously,<br />
McHale simply wanted to<br />
go out and match par every<br />
round. And he wanted to<br />
beat whoever he was with.<br />
"Just the competition," he<br />
said. "It was a challenge. And<br />
it's still a challenge. I'm not<br />
going to (shoot par) anymore,<br />
but at my age, 75 or 76 is still<br />
pretty decent."<br />
These days, McHale carries<br />
a 6 handicap (5.4 U.S. <strong>Golf</strong><br />
Association). Back in the day, he<br />
said it was about a 2. And he's<br />
shot as low as a 65, which he<br />
did at Unicorn when it was an<br />
18-hole course.<br />
And he's still out there<br />
going for the golf gold.<br />
"I still compete in the club<br />
tournaments, and I'm still playing against<br />
younger guys and trying to beat them,"<br />
said McHale, who won his one and only<br />
club title in his 35 years as a Thomson<br />
member in 1985. The following year, he<br />
and club pro Chuck Frithson won the New<br />
England Pro-Am.<br />
McHale says he finds Thomson a<br />
challenging course, especially since<br />
condominiums were built there,<br />
"because it makes the course narrower.<br />
"I still enjoy being out there with the<br />
guys, out in the sun and stuff. Some<br />
guys go out for fun and have eight<br />
beers. If I'm going to have a beer, I'll<br />
wait and finish my round."<br />
And what happens during those<br />
rounds when things don't go right?<br />
When balls are sliced or hooked? Or if<br />
there's the dreaded three-putt (which,<br />
he says, drives him crazy)?<br />
"I'll go to the range and figure out<br />
what happened," he said. "Just last<br />
week I was down at Richardson’s<br />
hitting balls, though it was too cold for<br />
an ice cream. You try to figure it out<br />
and get it straightened out."<br />
But, he knows one thing: "I know I'm<br />
not going to shoot rounds like I used to.<br />
I'm not hitting as long. Some of these<br />
kids I'm playing against are hitting it<br />
60 yards longer. I still want to shoot the<br />
best I can though."<br />
Lest you think that McHale's life is<br />
lived in the middle of the fairway, think<br />
again. His wife of 60 years is ill, and at<br />
the moment is in Lawrence Memorial<br />
Hospital in Medford. To complicate<br />
things, she contracted COVID in<br />
January. <strong>Golf</strong> is about the only thing in<br />
his life that provides him with an escape<br />
of caring for her, or — as it stands now —<br />
visiting her in the hospital.<br />
So while McHale takes his golf<br />
seriously when he's out there, he does<br />
have a perspective that keeps him from<br />
taking every bad shot home with him<br />
the way some golfers do.<br />
"There are more important things<br />
going on," he said.<br />
JIM MCHALE<br />
PHOTO: SPENSER HASAK
New team in charge at Sagamore<br />
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
Big changes are in place at Sagamore<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> GC in Lynnfield, with a new head<br />
pro and clubhouse manager on board.<br />
PGA golf professional Tim Doucette,<br />
formerly the assistant pro, has<br />
succeeded Steve Vaughn as head<br />
professional and general manager, while<br />
Austin Charette is the new clubhouse<br />
manager. The two are former Salem<br />
State University soccer buddies.<br />
Both expect that last year's COVIDfueled<br />
boom in the industry will carry<br />
over into <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
"I am so excited to have both Tim and<br />
Austin on board this year," said owner<br />
Richard Luff. “Tim has been with us for<br />
several years and Austin has a wealth<br />
of knowledge about the restaurant and<br />
food and beverage industry and has a<br />
lot of great ideas he is bringing to our<br />
team."<br />
Doucette said he expects the course to<br />
have another busy year.<br />
"We did 67,000 starts (18- and<br />
9-hole rounds) last year and that's<br />
not including the six weeks we were<br />
closed," said Doucette. "Last year we<br />
saw a lot of new faces and we are hoping<br />
we will return most of them. There is<br />
simply more demand from new players,<br />
and we saw a huge increase in rental<br />
equipment, so we are projecting the<br />
same or better numbers for this year."<br />
Charette previously worked in the<br />
financial services industry as a debt<br />
settlement advisor.<br />
"I do have experience in the<br />
hospitality industry, so I think it should<br />
be a smooth transition," the Beverly<br />
resident said. "We still don't know what<br />
the final guidance from the state will<br />
be, so we are basically opening (the<br />
restaurant) on an in-and-out basis,<br />
meaning takeout with no lingering<br />
inside the building. Ideally, we hope<br />
to have people inside at some point,<br />
but for now, our plan is to just keep it<br />
simple and safe.”<br />
Luff said the grounds crew, led by<br />
Head Superintendent Gerry Dunklee<br />
and Assistant Superintendent Phil<br />
Micelli, was busy throughout the<br />
winter working on a significant course<br />
improvement project. Extensive tree<br />
removal has been done on the 2nd hole,<br />
the 3rd tee, the 5th tee and fairway, and<br />
the 6th and 14th holes.<br />
"These improvements are significant<br />
and will certainly be apparent to our<br />
players," said Doucette. "It's always<br />
good when the public knows that we are<br />
VISIT OUR SHAMROCK GRILLE<br />
• Open to the public, 7 days a week<br />
(10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)<br />
• Delicious lunches<br />
• Grilled homemade food<br />
18 Hole<br />
Championship <strong>Golf</strong> Course<br />
OFFERING:<br />
• Public Play, Membership & Outings<br />
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Located just 40 minutes from Boston. A great choice for those who are<br />
looking for a fun, challenging game of golf.<br />
201 Chadwick Road • Haverhill, MA 01835<br />
978-372-8587 | Visit us online at: bradfordcc.com<br />
NORTH SHORE GOLF
Become a great ball striker<br />
This photo shows a ball strike on the toe, center and heel of the club. A simple reason you might be striking the ball on the toe is because you are standing too<br />
far from the ball at address. A heel strike might indicate you are standing too close to the ball.<br />
PRO TIPS<br />
STEPHEN VENTRE<br />
A great ball striker excels at the full swing. But becoming a great ball striker takes practice, patience and awareness!.<br />
We will show this using three color trajectories. Our example is a right-handed golfer with a neutral club path. The yellow line<br />
indicates a drive that starts left and bends right because of a heel strike. The red line indicates a drive that starts right and bends<br />
left, because of a toe strike. The blue line indicates a straight drive due to a center strike.
NORTH SHORE GOLF
20 >>> SUMMER 2020<br />
Rand sets course record at Winthrop GC<br />
Sixty-two years ago, Ronnie Hayes<br />
shot a record-setting 63 at Winthrop<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Club. Many thought that record<br />
would never be broken.<br />
But on September 3, Jake Rand, a<br />
28-year-old Winthrop member, shot<br />
an 8-under-par 62 for 18 holes on<br />
Winthrop’s challenging 9-hole 6141-<br />
yard course. He had 11 birdies and<br />
three bogeys.<br />
Ed Montone, the club’s PGA golf<br />
pro, said Rand’s accomplishment was<br />
special for another reason: “Jake and I<br />
have been through it all as teammates<br />
... We basically grew up playing the<br />
game together here at Winthrop when<br />
we were 14 year olds.”<br />
Rand and his playing partners<br />
Frank Ciampa, Brian Sullivan and<br />
Mike Vatalaro started on hole No. 2,<br />
due to an onsite clinic, said Montone.<br />
Rand birdied 5, 7, 8 and 9 and<br />
bogeyed 4. On the second nine, he<br />
bogeyed 13 and 17 and birdied 10, 11,<br />
12, 14, 15, 16 and 18 and came within<br />
two feet of a hole-in-one on the 155-<br />
yard 6th/15th.<br />
“I was 7-under at one point, so I was<br />
aware that the record was within reach<br />
– the word was out,” said Rand, a<br />
former <strong>North</strong>eastern Conference Most<br />
Valuable Player for golf. “I knew I<br />
had to go birdie-birdie on my last two<br />
holes (#9/18 and #1/10) to break it.”<br />
Rand hit a clutch 8-footer on<br />
the final hole to break the record.<br />
Montone said Rand is a power hitter<br />
who averages 300-315 yards off the<br />
tee. He plays Mizuno irons and a<br />
TaylorMade driver.<br />
Rand graduated from Winthrop<br />
High in 2011. At Endicott College<br />
in Beverly, Rand helped the golf<br />
team qualify for the NCAA Division<br />
3 Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.<br />
He earned a degree in Business<br />
Management and works at the<br />
Massachusetts Port Authority.<br />
160 SO. MAIN ST., Rte. 114 • MIDDLETON • Next to Richardson's Dairy<br />
978-774-4476 • <strong>Golf</strong>country.org<br />
Jake Rand, second from left, poses with playing partners<br />
Frankie Ciampa, Brian Sullivan and Mike Vatalaro after<br />
he set a course record at Winthrop GC. His scorecard is at<br />
the left.<br />
3/15/<strong>2021</strong> POSTCARD.png<br />
• Fully-lighted 50 tee golf driving range<br />
• Natural grass practice area<br />
• Covered and heated tees for<br />
year-round practicing<br />
• 2 beautifully landscaped miniature golf courses<br />
• 9 station baseball and softball batting cage facility<br />
• <strong>Golf</strong> lessons by PGA professionals
Mass <strong>Golf</strong> Calendar<br />
MEN’S FOUR-BALL<br />
Where: The <strong>Golf</strong> Club at Turner Hill<br />
and Ipswich Country Club<br />
When: May 11-12<br />
MEN’S SENIOR AMATEUR<br />
Where: Salem Country Club<br />
When: September 27-28<br />
WOMEN’S ALLEN BOWL<br />
FOUR-BALL<br />
Where: The Meadow at Peabody<br />
When: July 19<br />
FATHER-SON<br />
MODIFIED SCOTCH<br />
Where: Renaissance <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
When: July 26-27<br />
Having Trouble Finding a Tee Time?<br />
Join our affordable club and<br />
enjoy guaranteed weekend and<br />
weekday tee times all year!<br />
Play in our weekly member<br />
tournaments or join one of our<br />
member leagues.<br />
39 and younger join for $1100 –<br />
Full member privileges!<br />
Best Junior <strong>Golf</strong> on the <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong>!<br />
• Kids 15 and younger play free<br />
with an adult.<br />
• Various kids golf teams and<br />
tournaments.<br />
• Weekly kids clinics and private<br />
instruction<br />
MEN’S MASS OPEN<br />
Where: Oak Hill Country Club<br />
When: June 14-16<br />
Qualifier at Kernwood Country Club,<br />
May 17<br />
MEN’S MASS AMATEUR<br />
Where: Brae Burn Country Club<br />
When: July 12<br />
Qualifier at Tedesco Country Club,<br />
June 7<br />
MASS JUNIOR<br />
Where: Indian Pond Country Club<br />
When: August 2-5<br />
Qualifier at Bear Hill <strong>Golf</strong> Club June 28<br />
Wenham Country Club 94 Main St., Wenham, MA 01984<br />
978-468-4714 • wenham.golf<br />
FAR CORNER GOLF<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS<br />
Where: Westover <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
When: August 17-18<br />
Qualifier site and date to be<br />
determined.<br />
SUPER SENIOR AMATEUR<br />
Where: Wianno <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
When: October 4-5<br />
Qualifier at Beverly <strong>Golf</strong> and Tennis<br />
Club, Sept. 16<br />
Event registration is open now at<br />
massgolf.org.<br />
<br />
<br />
FarCorner<strong>Golf</strong>.com • 978-352-8300<br />
A member of Bill Flynn’s <strong>Golf</strong> Course Management and Development Inc.
22 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
> > ><br />
By<br />
SHADES OF GREEN<br />
BOB GREEN<br />
<strong>Golf</strong>'s governing<br />
bodies should<br />
distance<br />
themselves from<br />
inane changes<br />
The two most powerful governing<br />
bodies of golf — the United States<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> Association and the Royal<br />
and Ancient — declared: “Any<br />
further significant increases in<br />
hitting distances at the highest level<br />
are undesirable. Whether these<br />
increases in distance emanate from<br />
advancing equipment technology,<br />
greater athleticism of players,<br />
improved player coaching, golf<br />
course conditioning or a combination<br />
of these or other factors, they<br />
will have an impact of seriously<br />
reducing the challenges of the game.<br />
The consequential lengthening or<br />
toughening of courses would be<br />
costly or impossible.”<br />
That was 19 years ago.<br />
In 2020, the same organizations<br />
wrote in their Distance Insight<br />
Report: “The USGA believes<br />
increasing distance is undesirable<br />
and detrimental to golf’s long-term<br />
future for two main reasons:<br />
“First: the inherent strategic<br />
challenge presented by many courses<br />
can be compromised especially when<br />
those courses have not or cannot<br />
become long enough to keep up with<br />
the increases in hitting distance of<br />
golfers who play from their longest<br />
tees.”<br />
“Second: the overall trend of golf<br />
courses becoming longer has its own<br />
adverse consequences that ultimately<br />
affect golfers of all levels.”<br />
Wow!<br />
Like it or not, the USGA and R&A,<br />
after hitting the pause button due<br />
to the worldwide pandemic, are<br />
resuming their quest to limit the<br />
distance a golf ball can be hit. They<br />
have entered “the solution phase.”<br />
Yes, many players on the major<br />
pro tours are hitting tee shots that<br />
average more than 300 yards. But<br />
these players represent a minute<br />
percentage of those who play golf.<br />
To roll back the distance a golf ball<br />
can go because of a few elite players<br />
is inherently wrong in my opinion.<br />
Many of the world’s best players and<br />
the general golf population at large<br />
agree with me.<br />
Rory McIlroy was asked what<br />
he thought of the Distance Insight<br />
Report and he didn’t hold back:<br />
“So, I think the authorities, USGA<br />
and R&A, are looking at the game<br />
through such a tiny lense, that<br />
what they’re trying to do is change<br />
something that pertains to .1 percent<br />
of the golfing community. … 99.9<br />
percent of the people who play<br />
this game play for enjoyment, for<br />
entertainment. They don’t need to<br />
be told what ball or clubs to use. We<br />
have to make the game as easy and<br />
approachable as possible for the<br />
majority of golfers.”<br />
McIlroy said the report was “a<br />
huge waste of time and money.” He<br />
did say he wouldn’t object to some<br />
form of bifurcation (equipment that<br />
restricts the distance the ball can go<br />
for tour professionals).<br />
I’m not in favor of bifurcation.<br />
I don’t think many tour players<br />
are either. And I’m guessing that<br />
equipment manufacturers would<br />
be vehemently against it. The cost<br />
to develop, test and produce such<br />
equipment would be astronomical.<br />
They’d be producing it for tour<br />
pros who don’t even pay for their<br />
equipment. Would you and your<br />
pals spend hard-earned money on<br />
equipment that would limit how far<br />
you hit the ball?<br />
As for the argument that the<br />
increase in distance is making our<br />
classic golf courses obsolete, I don’t<br />
buy it. For a few tour pros maybe,<br />
but not the 99.9 percent who play the<br />
game for enjoyment.<br />
The idea that courses have to be<br />
7,000+ yards to challenge golfers is<br />
not valid either. Courses built 100<br />
years ago are still challenging for all<br />
levels of players, including today’s<br />
tour pros.<br />
Most of those courses no longer<br />
host tour events, due to myriad<br />
reasons, but not because they’ve<br />
become obsolete to the elite players.<br />
The PGA Tour conducts several<br />
events a year on their own TPC<br />
courses, which have all been built<br />
since the ‘80s. It’s a lot more<br />
profitable for major professional<br />
sports teams to play in parks they<br />
own. Playing at their own venues<br />
also allows the Tour to control all the<br />
variables of hosting major events.<br />
These courses present a different set<br />
of challenges than the classic courses,<br />
primarily distance. They’re called<br />
Bombers Paradises for a reason.<br />
Peter Kostis, former CBS oncourse<br />
commentator and analyst,<br />
has an interesting theory about<br />
the supposed need to lengthen<br />
golf courses. Kostis says in the<br />
1960s magazines began ranking<br />
courses based on difficulty. Those<br />
building the courses naturally<br />
wanted their layouts to achieve high<br />
rankings, hopefully resulting in the<br />
opportunity to host major events<br />
and promote what they’re selling<br />
(memberships, real estate, etc.).<br />
Kostis also thinks the reason golf<br />
courses got longer in the ’80s and<br />
’90s is the rise in “player architects.”<br />
Kostis points out that during the<br />
golden age — the 1920s-’30s —<br />
course architects designed courses to<br />
challenge amateurs like themselves<br />
and club members. When “big name''<br />
players and former pros began<br />
designing courses, they preferred to
design courses that challenge the<br />
world’s best players.<br />
Kostis says as courses got<br />
longer the “elite players started to<br />
emphasize length more than shot<br />
shaping and accuracy. Players<br />
then started to develop swings and<br />
manufacturers made equipment that<br />
launched the ball higher and made<br />
it spin less to maximize distance to<br />
attack long, straight holes.”<br />
He points out that Bryson<br />
DeChambeau increased his average<br />
drive by 27 yards in two years<br />
and there “has not been a gamechanging<br />
technology advancement<br />
in the past two years that can<br />
account for his 27-yard increase off<br />
the tee”.<br />
Kostis’ conclusion? “Why on<br />
earth would we want to make the<br />
game tougher just for the sake of<br />
maintaining the challenge for pros<br />
on 50-75 courses around the world!”<br />
The USGA/R&A are not going to<br />
back off their misguided efforts to<br />
roll back the distance a golf ball can<br />
go. It will hurt the game, just when<br />
golf has experienced the largest<br />
growth in history. Many have taken<br />
up the game or returned to it after<br />
years of inactivity. I, and every<br />
PGA club pro I’ve talked with, have<br />
never seen so many juniors playing<br />
regularly.<br />
The last thing the USGA/R&A<br />
should be devoting energy and funds<br />
to is creating regulations that would<br />
take away one of the fun parts of<br />
the game, smashing a long tee shot.<br />
Instead, they should put their efforts<br />
and resources into growing the<br />
game and making it more enjoyable<br />
for the 99.9 percent who play the<br />
game recreationally.<br />
WE’LL MAKE ALL OF YOUR<br />
HOME PROJECTS TAP-INS.<br />
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“Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation.<br />
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Bob Green is enjoying his<br />
retirement after 41 years as head<br />
PGA professional at Tedesco<br />
Country Club in Marblehead. Write<br />
to him at bgreen49@aol.com.
24 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
NORTH SHORE GOLF / / / COURSE DIRECTORY<br />
PRIVATE CLUBS<br />
Andover Country Club<br />
60 Canterbury St., Andover, MA 01810<br />
andovercountryclub.com; 978-475-1263<br />
Club Pro Kevin Christofaro<br />
Slope 131; Rating 73.1<br />
Bass Rocks <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 8<br />
34 Beach Road, Gloucester, MA 01930<br />
bassrocksgolfclub.org; 978-283-1866<br />
Club Pro Peter Hood<br />
Slope 124; Rating 69.3<br />
Bear Hill <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
2 <strong>North</strong> St., Stoneham, MA 02180<br />
bearhillgolfclub.com; 781-245-4295<br />
Club Pro Jeff Wirbal<br />
9 holes; Slope 131; Rating 70.2<br />
Bellevue <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
320 Porter St., Melrose, MA 02176<br />
bellevuegolfclub.com; 781-665-7900<br />
Club Pro Jeffrey Monteleone<br />
9 holes: Slope 127; Rating 69.0<br />
Essex County Club<br />
153 School St.,<br />
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944<br />
essexcc.org; 978-526-7691<br />
Club Pro Jack Davis<br />
Slope 135; Rating 73.0<br />
Ferncroft Country Club<br />
10 Village Road, Middleton, MA 01949<br />
ferncroftcc.com; 978-739-4032<br />
Club Pro Philip Leiss<br />
27 holes; Slope 136; Rating 72.6<br />
Haverhill Country Club<br />
58 Brickett Lane, Haverhill, MA 01831<br />
haverhillcc.com; 978-373-1146<br />
Club Pro Mark Mangion<br />
Slope 129; Rating 70.6<br />
Indian Ridge Country Club<br />
Lovejoy Road, Andover, MA 01810<br />
indianridgecountryclub.us; 978-475-9484<br />
Club Pro Mike Miller<br />
Slope 135; Rating 70.9<br />
Ipswich Country Club<br />
148 Country Club Way, Ipswich, MA 01938<br />
ipswichclub.com; 978-356-3999<br />
Club Pro Daniel R. Dwyer<br />
Slope 139; Rating 73.9<br />
Kernwood Country Club<br />
1 Kernwood St., Salem, MA 01970<br />
kernwood.org; 978-745-1210<br />
Club Pro Frank Dully<br />
Slope 130; Rating 71.7<br />
Long Meadow <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
165 Havilah St., Lowell, MA 01852<br />
longmeadowgolfclub.com; 978-441-1542<br />
Club Pro Shawn Scott<br />
9 holes; Slope 127; Rating 69.3<br />
Meadow Brook <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
292 Grove St., Reading, MA 01867<br />
meadowbrookgolfclub.org; 781-942-1334<br />
Club Pro Steve Sheridan<br />
9 holes; Slope 132; Rating 72.5<br />
Mount Pleasant <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
141 Staples St., Lowell, MA 01851<br />
mpgc.com; 978-452-8228<br />
Club Pro Joel Jenkins<br />
9 holes; Slope 126; Rating 70.1<br />
Myopia Hunt Club<br />
435 Bay Road, South Hamilton, MA 01982<br />
myopiahuntclub.org; 978-468-4433<br />
Club Pro Mike Bemis<br />
Slope 134; Rating 70.1<br />
Nabnasset Lake CC<br />
47 Oak Hill Rd., Westford, MA 01886<br />
nabnassetlakecc.com; 978-692-2560<br />
Club Pro Dan Gillis<br />
9 holes; Slope 117; Rating 66.5<br />
<strong>North</strong> Andover Country Club<br />
500 Great Pond Rd.,<br />
<strong>North</strong> Andover, MA 01845<br />
northandovercc.com; 978-687-7414<br />
Club Pro Matt Lombard<br />
9 holes; Slope 127; Rating 65.7<br />
Renaissance <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
377 Kenoza St., Haverhill, MA 01830<br />
renaissancema.com; 978-241-6712<br />
Club Pro Rhett Bishop<br />
Slope 136; Rating 73.9<br />
Salem Country Club<br />
133 Forest St., Peabody, MA 01960<br />
salemcountryclub.org; 978-538-5400<br />
Club Pro Kevin Wood<br />
Slope 131; Rating 71.8<br />
Tedesco Country Club<br />
154 Tedesco St., Marblehead, MA 01945<br />
tedescocc.org; 781-631-2800<br />
Club Pro Jake Leech<br />
Slope 129; Rating 72.1<br />
Thomson Country Club<br />
2 Mid Iron Drive, <strong>North</strong> Reading, MA 01864<br />
thomsoncc.com; 978-664-2016<br />
Club Pro Christopher Young<br />
Slope 132; Rating 72.8<br />
The <strong>Golf</strong> Club at Turner Hill<br />
3 Manor House Lane, Ipswich, MA 01938<br />
turnerhill.com; 978-356-7070<br />
Club Pros: Nate Hopley and Mike Brown<br />
Slope 133; Rating 72.3<br />
Vesper Country Club<br />
185 Pawtucket Blvd.,<br />
Tyngsborough, MA 01879<br />
vespercc.com; 978-458-8731<br />
Club Pro Stephen Doyle<br />
Slope 132; Rating 71.6<br />
Winchester Country Club<br />
468 Mystic St., Winchester, MA 01890<br />
winchestercc.org; 781-729-1181<br />
Club Pro Jim Salinetti<br />
Slope 137; Rating 73.5<br />
Winthrop <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
453 Main St., Winthrop, MA 02152<br />
winthropgolfclub.com; 617-539-0482<br />
Club Pro Ed Montone<br />
9 holes; Slope 118; Rating 69<br />
PUBLIC GOLF COURSES<br />
Amesbury <strong>Golf</strong> and Country Club<br />
46 Monroe St., Amesbury, MA;<br />
amesburycountryclub.com; 978-388-5153<br />
9 holes. Club Pro Butch Mellon;<br />
Tee times: 5 days in advance; Fee for 9<br />
holes: $20/$21 weekday/ weekend;<br />
Fee for 18 holes: $30/$32 weekday/<br />
weekend; Cart rental: $15 per person for<br />
18 holes. $7.50 per person for 9 holes<br />
Yards 6,095; Slope 122; Rating 70.5<br />
Beverly <strong>Golf</strong> & Tennis Club<br />
SEE OUR AD ON INSIDE BACK COVER<br />
134 McKay St., Beverly, MA;<br />
beverlygolfandtennis.net;<br />
978-922-9072 ext. 111; 18 holes.<br />
Club Pro David Dionne; Tee times: 6 days<br />
in advance (members), 5 days in advance<br />
(non-members);<br />
Fee for 18 holes: $40/$45 weekday/<br />
weekend; Cart rental: $18 per person for 18<br />
holes; Yards 6,276; Slope 126; Rating 70.8<br />
Black Swan Country Club<br />
258 Andover St., Georgetown, MA;<br />
blackswancountryclub.com; 978-352-7926<br />
18 holes. Director of <strong>Golf</strong>/Club Pro: James<br />
Falco.<br />
Tee times: 6 days in advance; Fee for<br />
9/18 holes: $26/$45 weekday, $31/$49<br />
weekends; Cart rental: $20 for 18 holes;<br />
Yards 6,803; Slope 130; Rating: 72.9<br />
Bradford Country Club<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 17<br />
201 Chadwick Road, Bradford, MA;<br />
bradfordcc.com; 978-372-8587<br />
18 holes. Club Pro: Kevin Murphy;<br />
Tee times: 5 days in advance (online tee<br />
times also available); Fee for 9/18 holes:<br />
$20/$35 weekdays, $23/$45 weekends;<br />
Cart rental: $20 per person for 18 holes;<br />
Yards: 6,157; Slope 131; Rating 71.1<br />
Cape Ann <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 17<br />
99 John Wise Ave., Essex, MA;<br />
capeanngolf.com; 978-768-7544<br />
9 holes. Club manager: Jim Stavros;<br />
Tee times: 5 days in advance; Fee for 9/18<br />
holes: $27/$40 everyday; Cart rentals: $11<br />
per rider for 9 holes;<br />
Yards 6072; Slope 119; Rating 69.2<br />
Cedar Glen <strong>Golf</strong> Course<br />
60 Water St., Saugus, MA;<br />
cedarglengolf.com; 781-233-3609<br />
9 holes. Club manager: Burton Page;<br />
Tee times: no; Fee for 9/18 holes: $21 ($18<br />
seniors/juniors)/$35 weekdays,<br />
$23/$38 weekend; Cart rental: $18 for 9<br />
holes; Yards 5605; Slope 107; Rating 67<br />
Chelmsford Country Club<br />
66 Park Road, Chelmsford, MA;<br />
sterlinggolf.com/chelmsford; 978-256-1818<br />
9 holes. Club Pro: Jim Callahan; Tee times:<br />
4 days in advance; Fee for 9/18 holes:<br />
$21/$28 weekday, $23/$30 weekend;<br />
Cart rental: $18 for 18 holes; Yards: 4,854;<br />
Slope 108, Rating 64.2<br />
Country Club of Billerica<br />
51 Baldwin Road, Billerica, MA;<br />
countryclubofbillerica.com;<br />
978-667-9121 ext. 22;<br />
18 holes. Club Pro: Ed O’Connell; Tee<br />
times: 5 days in advance; Fee 9/18 holes:<br />
$23/$35 weekday, $26/$40 weekend;<br />
Cart rental: $17 per person for 18 holes;<br />
Yards 5,798; Slope 123; Rating 67.9<br />
Country Club of New Hampshire<br />
187 Kearsarge Valley Road,<br />
<strong>North</strong> Sutton, N.H.;<br />
ccnh@golfmanagementco.com;<br />
603-927-4246;<br />
18 holes. Fee for 9/18 holes: $22/$37<br />
weekday, $27/$46 weekend;<br />
Cart rental: $17 per person for 18 holes;<br />
Yards 6117; Slope 123, Rating 69.8<br />
Crystal Lake <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
940 <strong>North</strong> Broadway, Haverhill, MA;<br />
golfcrystallake.com; 978-374-9621;<br />
18 holes. Club Pro: Rob Hardy; Tee times:<br />
10 days in advance for members, 7 days<br />
in advance for public; Fees: 18 holes $28<br />
weekdays, $37 weekends;<br />
Cart rental: $20 for 18 holes; Yards 6,525;<br />
Slope 129; Rating 71.9<br />
Far Corner <strong>Golf</strong> Course<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 21<br />
5 Barker Road, Boxford, MA;<br />
farcornergolf.com; 978-352-8300<br />
27 holes. Club Pro: John O’Connor;<br />
Tee times: 5 days in advance; Fee for<br />
9/18 holes: $23/$41 weekday, $27/$47<br />
weekend; Cart rental: $8 per person for 9<br />
holes; Yards: 6,711; Slope: 130;<br />
Rating: 72.9; Third 9 Holes: Yards 3,220;<br />
Slope 131; Rating 72.5<br />
Four Oaks CC<br />
1 Clubhouse Lane, Dracut, MA 01826<br />
fouroakscountryclub.com; 978-455-0054<br />
Club Pro Anthony Martinho;<br />
Tee times: 6 days in advance; Fee 9/18<br />
holes: $24/$42weekday, $27/$54 weekend;<br />
Cart rental: $20 per person for 18 holes;<br />
Yards 6,268; Slope 136; Rating 71.4<br />
Gannon Municipal <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
SEE OUR AD ON INSIDE BACK COVER<br />
60 Great Woods Road, Lynn, MA;<br />
gannongolfclub.com; 781-592-8238<br />
18 holes. Club Pro: David Sibley;<br />
Tee times: 2 days in advance after 6 p.m.;<br />
Nonresident fee for 9/18 holes: $24/$43<br />
weekday, $26/$51 weekend; Cart rental:<br />
$20 per person for 18 holes; Yards 6,110;<br />
Slope 123; Rating 70.2<br />
Hickory Hill <strong>Golf</strong> Club<br />
200 <strong>North</strong> Lowell St., Methuen, MA;<br />
golfhickoryhill.com; 978-686-0822<br />
18 holes. Director of <strong>Golf</strong>: Don Myles; Tee<br />
times: every day; Fee: 18 holes: $44 Mon.-<br />
Thurs., $46 Fri., $55 Sat.- Sun.;<br />
Cart rental: $19 per person for 18 holes;<br />
Yards 6,287; Slope: 124; Rating: 70.8
NORTH SHORE GOLF
26 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong><br />
<strong>Golf</strong><br />
NOTEBOOK<br />
By<br />
BILL BROTHERTON<br />
and ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
Haverhill Country Club has<br />
entered a partnership with Up to Par<br />
Management, which will provide fullservice<br />
club management including<br />
the golf operations, food and beverage<br />
services, and sales and marketing<br />
support. Jonathan Cox is the club’s new<br />
executive chef. A graduate of the Culinary<br />
Institute of America in New York, Cox<br />
began his career in Boston, with an<br />
apprenticeship at Lumiere Restaurant. He<br />
perfected his skills at a variety of inns and<br />
ski resorts across the country, including<br />
the Inn at Thorn Hill in Jackson, N.H.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Ron Rice, respected general manager<br />
at Ferncroft CC, is now handling the<br />
same job at Meadow Brook GC in<br />
Reading.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
At Beverly G&TC last year, firsttime<br />
club champ Bob Schmeck shot<br />
75-75-75-76 (301) for a four-stroke win<br />
over Mick Suttle (76-75-79-75). Arthur<br />
Athanas won his second straight Class<br />
A title, while Jim Danforth was Class<br />
B champ. Tom Sideri and John<br />
Gallagher won the C and D crowns<br />
respectively. On the women’s side, the<br />
winners were Carmen Madore (Class<br />
A), Allyson Danforth (B), Mary<br />
Berman (C) and Jeanette Fitzgerald<br />
(D).<br />
Beverly G&TC head PGA professional<br />
David Dionne reports that the club’s<br />
most improved by index last season were<br />
Jason Zubiel (went from a 7.4 to 4.2)<br />
and Christine Broyer (went from a<br />
23.1 to 19.9).<br />
Salem Country Club and a 42-year<br />
veteran of the golf business, has stepped<br />
down to focus on family and playing<br />
more competitive golf. Hanefeld has won<br />
three New England PGA Championships<br />
and competed on the Champions Tour,<br />
finishing in the top 10 three times.<br />
Hanefeld won the NEPGA Seniors title<br />
last year and is a member of the NEPGA<br />
and New Hampshire <strong>Golf</strong> Halls of Fame.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Kernwood CC will host the NEPGA<br />
Pro-Lady Invitational July 22.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Milestones:<br />
Bass Rocks GC was founded 150<br />
years ago<br />
Land to build New Meadows GC in<br />
Topsfield was purchased 75 years ago<br />
Kernwood CC hosted the NEPGA<br />
Championship 50 years ago. Charlie<br />
Volpone won.<br />
100 years ago, Myopia hosted the<br />
NEPGA Championship. Gil Nichols won.<br />
Rowley CC was founded 50 years ago<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Alex Landry, a standout on the St.<br />
John’s Prep golf team, won the club<br />
championship at Indian Ridge last<br />
summer.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Meadow Brook GC head PGA<br />
professional Steve Sheridan was<br />
named the Massachusetts Chapter<br />
Professional of the Year by the NEPGA<br />
and also nominated for the NEPGA<br />
Professional of the Year. But all he wanted<br />
to talk about was his members who<br />
accomplished great things on the Reading<br />
golf course in 2020, such as men’s Club<br />
Champ Damon Lusk, President’s Cup<br />
champion Bill Connolly, Member-<br />
Member winners Ryan Dwyer and<br />
Randy Johnson, Fall Four-Ball champs<br />
Gil Barr and Jerry Comeau, women’s<br />
Senior Club Champ Marcia Brown,<br />
9-hole Club Champ Joan McDougall,<br />
Vice President’s Cup winner Tina<br />
Burke, Boys Club Champion Anthony<br />
Picano, Girls Club Champ Grace Cote,<br />
13 & Under champ Nate Vitarisi,<br />
Parent/Child co-champs Kevin and<br />
Jack Murray and John and Zachery<br />
Maher.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Meadow Brook’s new clubhouse<br />
is about halfway done, and is expected<br />
to open July 1. It will also host the PGA<br />
Playing Ability Test and the NEPGA Mass<br />
Chapter Pro-Am in October.<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
At Ferncroft CC, most improved<br />
golfers, based on handicap index, were<br />
Mike Holbrook (8.0 to 3.7), Denise<br />
Canale (28.1 to 19.6); and Junior player<br />
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●<br />
Kirk Hanefeld, director of golf at<br />
Bob Johnson, top left, of Reading watches his tee shot on the 9th hole at Cape Ann <strong>Golf</strong> Club. Mike<br />
Jerram, above, of Kittery, Maine, reads his putt on the 4th hole at Cape Ann <strong>Golf</strong> Club.<br />
PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK
NORTH SHORE GOLF
WHITE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
PAR 5 3 4 4 4 4 5 3 4 4 5 4 4 3 4 4 3 5<br />
YARDS 465 156 405 375 326 350 549 178 418 390 535 380 375 163 306 361 183 507<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> magazine team recommends these courses in northern New England.<br />
Location: Casco, Maine<br />
Point Sebago<br />
Overview: Hailed as one of the finest golf courses in Maine, Point Sebago's 18-hole Championship<br />
course offers a fantastic day of golf. Situated on 500 acres of spectacular white birch forest, the par 72 course<br />
caters to all levels of play. Ranging from a challenging 7,002 yards from the back tee to a forgiving 3,200<br />
yards from the forward tee, Point Sebago delivers the best golfing experience possible.<br />
Amenities: <strong>Golf</strong>-learning center, 775-acre resort, 1-mile of sandy beach, 18-hole golf course, general store,<br />
boat and slip rentals, lounge, restaurant, 5-star activities program, daily entertainment, outdoor sports center.<br />
Accommodations: Point Sebago offers a variety of accommodations to meet every taste and budget.<br />
All the comforts of home, space for everyone, all in a beautiful Maine setting - from backwoods to beachfront,<br />
overlooking the lake, lodging on the 9th hole, or nestled among towering pines.Guests can choose from vacation<br />
homes or resort cottages, many of which are located on or near the golf course.<br />
Contact info: 800-655-1232; https://www.pointsebago.com
Location: Wilmington, Vermont<br />
Haystack<br />
Overview: Haystack <strong>Golf</strong> Club offers a classic, manicured layout with challenging greens and<br />
breathtaking scenery. Designed by acclaimed architect Desmond Muirhead in 1972, players of all abilities are<br />
welcome – pick one of the four sets of tees to match your game. Haystack <strong>Golf</strong> Club meanders over a gently<br />
rolling landscape without the blind shots and side-hill lies one expects from a mountain course.<br />
Amenities: There is a full service golf club offering a fully-stocked golf shop, a practice range, two putting<br />
greens, and golf instruction by PGA professionals. The Stack Restaurant, an Italian steakhouse, offers indoor or<br />
outdoor dining for golfers and non-golfers alike. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite after a great round of golf.<br />
Accommodations: The Lodge at Mt. Snow; the Inn at Quail Run; Vermont House; Doveberry Inn.<br />
Contact info: 802-464-8301; www.haystackgolfvt.com<br />
WHITE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
PAR 4 3 4 4 5 5 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 3 5 4 4 4<br />
YARDS 339 130 320 291 519 410 169 337 314 369 351 155 223 121 443 320 246 355
WHITE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
PAR 4 4 4 5 3 4 3 4 5 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 5 4<br />
YARDS 370 366 395 503 160 311 174 335 483 127 316 391 489 160 259 435 488 348<br />
Location: Thornton, New Hampshire<br />
Owl's Nest<br />
Overview: The course at Owl’s Nest sits among the magnificent White Mountains, giving golfers the<br />
ultimate in scenic vistas throughout the season. From the serious to the casual golfer, elevation changes and<br />
pristine conditions show off Owl’s Nest’s charm and challenge. Nicklaus Design,the global golf course design<br />
firm founded by Jack Nicklaus, oversaw course improvements.<br />
Called “the best value in the <strong>North</strong>east, if not the entire country” with “great staff, great course, and<br />
outstanding vistas,” the real challenge for golfers at Owl’s Nest is staying focused on your game while<br />
surrounded by spectacular mountain views. For visitors and members alike, golf at Owl’s Nest introduces a<br />
unique golf experience just less than two hours from Boston combined with the inspired living that can only<br />
be found in the White Mountains.<br />
Amenities: Indoor golf simulator, bar and restaurants, kayaking/tubing/fishing on the Pemi river, pool,<br />
outdoor Jacuzzi, platform tennis, fitness center.<br />
Accommodations: Onsite rentals, ranging from 1-bedroom cottages (with a king bed, an efficient<br />
kitchen and an open living area with a fireplace and television, and a pullout sofa) to rentals that can sleep up to<br />
10 (with an open concept kitchen, living, and dining area creating a laid back, comfortable hangout spot after a<br />
day on the course or exploring the local attractions).<br />
Contact info: 603-726-3076; owlsnestresort.com
Location: Jaffrey, New Hampshire<br />
Shattuck<br />
Overview: Carved from the granite foothills of Mt. Monadnock, The Shattuck Course is one of the most<br />
visually stunning golf courses you’ll ever play. Course architect Brian Silva calls The Shattuck “The most spectacular<br />
setting I’ve ever come across.”<strong>Golf</strong>ers at The Shattuck enjoy unparalleled scenery and pristine conditions. It has<br />
been called New Hampshire golf’s hidden gem. The Shattuck <strong>Golf</strong> Course lives in harmony with its surroundings,<br />
spanning acres of natural wetlands that serve not only as hazards to the golfer, but home to a wide variety of<br />
wildlife including mink, fox, deer, moose, beaver, otter and the great blue heron. The golf holes themselves stand in<br />
striking contrast to the woods and wetlands, with lush bent grass on every tee, fairway, and green.<br />
Amenities: Facilities include a clubhouse, restaurant and bar, pro shop and practice range. Mt. Monadnock<br />
State Park, a favorite with hikers, is less than two miles from the golf course. Nearby Peterborough offers shopping,<br />
art galleries and a rich history. Contoocook Lake, a popular beach, is a short drive away.<br />
Accommodations: The Inn at East Hill, at the base of Mount Monadnock, is a tranquil inn and farm that offers<br />
boating, fishing, hiking, water skiing, swimming, and horseback riding. Monadnock Inn and Woodbound Inn are nearby.<br />
Contact info: 603-532-4300; www.shatuckgolf.com<br />
WHITE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
PAR 4 3 4 4 5 5 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 3 5 4 4 4<br />
YARDS 409 200 405 370 612 564 200 407 386 426 432 199 315 160 544 391 339 405
32 >>> SPRING <strong>2021</strong><br />
STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE<br />
By GARY LARRABEE<br />
Bill Flynn's<br />
legacy lives on<br />
As a golf historian, I have never been<br />
shy about sharing with readers my<br />
favorite people, places and events that<br />
have made <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> golf so special<br />
during the 50-plus years I have had the<br />
privilege to write about them.<br />
It should thus come as no surprise to<br />
anyone who has followed my ramblings<br />
over the years that I hold the late, great<br />
Bill Flynn in the highest esteem. In fact,<br />
I consider Bill, who lived in Danvers his<br />
entire life, the most impactful person in<br />
the history of this grand golfing region.<br />
That dates back to the beginnings of the<br />
game on the <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> in 1893, when<br />
Essex County Club in Manchester-bythe-Sea<br />
was the first course built and<br />
the first club founded.<br />
No person, man or woman, has had<br />
greater influence on golf hereabouts<br />
than William Joseph Flynn. As a result,<br />
I ranked Bill No. 1 when I listed the<br />
Golden 100 in my 2001 volume, “The<br />
Green and Gold Coast: The History of<br />
<strong>Golf</strong> on Boston’s <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong>.”<br />
Now, nearly 10 years since his death,<br />
at 74, on July 8, 2011, it is time to reflect<br />
on Bill’s incomparable career in golf.<br />
No person associated with golf on<br />
the <strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> has touched more<br />
lives in a positive way than Bill Flynn.<br />
Selfishly, I’ll start with me. Bill, as<br />
assistant golf pro and caddie master<br />
at Salem Country Club in 1961, gave<br />
me my very first loop – and my<br />
introduction to the game – at Salem,<br />
with a nine-hole carry one gorgeous<br />
July Sunday afternoon for Dave Hicks.<br />
At Bill’s invitation, he taught me how<br />
to caddie AA-style at Thomson Country<br />
Club in <strong>North</strong> Reading, where he<br />
served as the club’s first head pro and<br />
later as general manager, starting in<br />
1963. He also got me the most exciting<br />
loop of my life when, through his chum<br />
Paul Harney, head pro at Pleasant<br />
Valley, I was tossed into the caddie<br />
pool for the PGA Tour’s 1968 Kemper<br />
Open at the Sutton club. My man, Art<br />
Wall, finished second to Arnold Palmer<br />
that week in September.<br />
I’ve been writing about golf ever<br />
since, much of it about Bill Flynn.<br />
His gifts/legacies to the game? Let<br />
me count the ways; ways which should<br />
never be forgotten by members of our<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Shore</strong> golf family<br />
• Careers for three of his four<br />
children, after his purchase of<br />
Lakeview in Wenham and Far<br />
Corner in West Boxford and his<br />
building of Windham Country Club<br />
in New Hampshire. Son Bob has<br />
been for many years, and continues<br />
to be, GM at Far Corner. Daughter<br />
Joanne has forever been head pro/<br />
GM at Windham. And son Mike,<br />
who passed away in March, was the<br />
pro at Lakeview for two decades.<br />
• His support of junior golf was<br />
unparalleled in a variety of ways,<br />
most notably in providing free<br />
clubs and golf clinics to juniors at<br />
his courses on Mondays, a practice<br />
that continues today. He also was<br />
a big booster of inner city junior<br />
golf programs when teaming up<br />
with Mass <strong>Golf</strong> and The First Tee<br />
initiative.<br />
• The starts – and jobs over the years —<br />
he gave to countless men and women<br />
who wished to either work in the<br />
game short-term, for life, or become<br />
club professionals. That large group<br />
includes Don Lyons, former New<br />
England PGA president, NEPGA Hall<br />
of Famer, his former long-time head<br />
pro at George Wright and current<br />
long-time director of golf at Reedy<br />
Meadow and King Rail in Lynnfield.<br />
• His extraordinary work, in<br />
conjunction with Mass <strong>Golf</strong>, to<br />
revive the City of Boston courses<br />
George Wright and Franklin Park<br />
and Mount Hood in Melrose.<br />
• His dedication to his career<br />
organization, the New England PGA,<br />
in his role as secretary-treasurer<br />
on two different occasions and<br />
president from 1973-76, as well<br />
his work as vice-president at the<br />
national PGA level.<br />
• His role as a highly rated instructor<br />
to hundreds of students through the<br />
years.<br />
• His life-long inspirational role as a<br />
champion golfer (winner of the 1959<br />
Vermont Open at Lake Morey, 1963<br />
Massachusetts Open at Kernwood<br />
and 1968 NEPGA Section at Pine<br />
Brook), despite being born with a<br />
partially paralyzed right arm that<br />
forced him to play from the left side.<br />
An inductee into 1999 NEPGA Hall<br />
of Fame and the only recipient of<br />
two NEPGA Professional of the Year<br />
awards. He also supported amateur<br />
competition by founding the <strong>North</strong><br />
<strong>Shore</strong> Amateur in 1978.<br />
‘Nuff said. “<strong>Golf</strong> has been great to me<br />
and my family,” Flynn told me for my<br />
2001 book. “I owe the game everything.”<br />
Well, countless golfers, including me,<br />
will always owe Bill Flynn a great deal,<br />
too. He was a golden link to the game<br />
in so many different ways to so many<br />
people. He shall never be forgotten.
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