Chips & Divots

Quick news from
around the North Shore

By Gary Larrabee

Adjusting to harsh economic times in the golf industry, The Georgetown Club has, with membership endorsement, implemented a new business model, temporarily adjusting its private club status for a semi-private operation accommodating non-member play.

“It’s simply a new golf program that will help us get through our financial issues,” says Peter Wojtkun, the club’s primary owner. “To set the record straight, we are not in financial trouble. We are not going bankrupt. We have financial concerns like every other business. As for the rumors, we’ve been dealing with rumors for twenty years and we’ll be here twenty years from now.”

Wojtkun, owner of a successful Andover family dental practice, was a minority investor when local contractor Gene English purchased 120 acres of the Kenwood Farm and got the project going but encountered money problems. Wojtkun and partner John Enos took over during bankruptcy proceedings and got the first nine holes opened in 1991, then nine more and the expansive clubhouse with pool and tennis courts by 1995. Wojtkun in 2009 has a 75 percent stake in the club. Steve Guerrette hasmost of the remaining 25 percent.

Wojtkun met with his membership in early June and it endorsed his revamped golf program. “We’ve adjusted the business plan for the golf, because that’s where we’ve had a drop off in membership,” said Wojtkun, 59. Georgetown membership peaked at 320 in 2005, but is down to 200. The club lost fifty members from 2008. “The function and restaurant parts of our business are quite active, but we need more income from golf play, so we’re promoting public tee times and Monday company outings.”

Wojtkun stressed that “overall we are in good shape and on solid financial footing with our mortgage holder, Sovereign Bank. We’re paying our taxes, our bills, and we’re working with our creditors and suppliers,” he said. “Keep in mind, we’re a blue collar club providing the full private club experience. We need to keep our cost-per-round down.”

The membership is on board with Wojtkun’s initiative. “This policy will improve our cash flow and hopefully bring in new members,” said George Schruender, a charter member. “We’ll go back to being full private as soon as we can. The membership backs Peter Wojtkun to the hilt. He’s given his heart and soul to the club and he’s getting good direction from the member advisory committee (led by Norm Marquis). Most important, we members are convinced the club will be fine.”

Wojtkun lauded the work of his management team in dealing with the challenging economic times. “I’ve got terrific managers,” he said. “That means a great deal in times like these.” General manager Dan Cammarata, who has been at Georgetown since the club opened, oversees an operation that includes head golf pro Tony Martinho, function director Donna Andrews, restaurant manager Deb Williams and course superintendent Jeff Gudaitis.

Wojtkun never played golf until he got the bug at the age of 35. He got involved with Georgetown several years later and is dedicated to what he helped create off Route 133.

“We’ve repaid more than $2 million in member investment and more than $1 million on our original mortgage note,” Wojtkun pointed out. “We’ll keep lowering our debt as best we can. Bankruptcy is not part of our business plan.”

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Bass Rocks’ Frithsen will be missed

With the passing in mid-May of Bass Rocks player extraordinaire John Frithsen, the North Shore may have lost its finest senior amateur competitor ever. Wenham’s Tim Holland won three straight Massachusetts Senior titles 1966 to 1968, but Frithsen outshone him in the decades to follow.

Rockport native Frithsen, a banker by profession, won three state senior titles as well, and also qualified for two USGA Senior Amateurs, one of which he advanced into match play (Salem, 1977), and the first USGA Senior Open at Winged Foot in 1980. The gregarious Frithsen won two New England Senior Association titles, captured 12 Bass Rocks club titles between 1957 and 1988, shot his age at least 57 times (the latest 9 years ago when he was 80) and begat son Chuck Frithsen, who has been a respected club professional and teacher hereabouts for 35 years.

“Dad just kept practicing and playing until he couldn’t play anymore,” said Chuck, currently an instructor at Golf Country in Middleton. “He tried to play or practice every day, even if it was simply to hit a few balls into the Meadows at Bass Rocks. He loved the game, the fun, the competition, the friendships.”

Chuck was his dad’s pride and joy, head professional at Rockport and Thomson before concentrating on instruction for the last several years. “Dad dragged me to the club to caddy for him when I was 8,” Chuck recalled. “When I was 14, I got a job working a tractor on the grounds crew. I did that for six years during summers before I decided to turn pro. Dad got me headed in the right direction, gave me some of his golf talent, and Bob Gillis (long-time pro at Bass Rocks) did the rest. I’m in debt to them both.”

As proud as he was of his father’s accomplishments as a player, he was most moved by the comments he’s heard through the years in his golf travels. “Wherever I go, people seem to ask me if I’m related to my father. They always say what a great guy he was. That means everything.”

The North Shore golf family has lost two additional members of late: Reggie Foster of Essex CC, the club’s historian since the passing of George Caner, and Father Charlie Duggan of Salem CC, one of the club’s popular “priestly trio,” which included Father Francis O’Sullivan and Father Richard Johnson. – Gary Larrabee

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At 68 years young,
Deveney still has plenty of game

It had been nearly two decades – and several close calls – since Jim Deveney last won a club championship; since 1990 to be exact. Suffice it to say the long-time Essex County Club member wondered if he’d ever win another. Getting sidetracked with major prostate cancer surgery in 1995 and hip replacement surgery in 2007 didn’t improve his chances. Oh, and there was something about his aging. He was into his 68th year.

But the passion to compete never left the former Pingree School athletic director, so it was little surprise to his golf chums earlier this year when Deveney won his 12th club championship – his first at Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., his winter retreat.

“I’ve been trying to win another for the old guard,” said Deveney, who had copped his most recent club title in 1990, his sixth at Essex in a span of 11 years. Previously, Deveney had won four at his former club, Tedesco, his first in 1964, his last in 1971.

“I’ve been fortunate over the years,” he said. “I’ve stayed in fairly good shape over the years with few ailments. I’ve always loved to practice and in recent years I’ve had the time to do it.” Moreover, he’d had so many near victories in the last two decades that he refused to let it go. They started calling him “second place Sam.” In the last eight years he’s had three runner-up finishes at Essex, losing to teen John Harris and 20-somethings Joe Cunningham and Chris Brown. He’d also been bridesmaid twice to Joe Keller at Old Palm and once at Kittansett.

“I’ve been getting great help in all aspects of the game from a teacher at Old Palm, Mark Hackett,” Deveney said. “I’ve never hit it as far as most everyone else, but he’s helped me keep my swing and short game as good as ever. I also often remind myself that the ball doesn’t know how old I am.

I tell myself to keep chugging along, to keep hitting fairways and greens. When I miss-hit a shot, I usually know what went wrong. One other factor has helped. I work with a fellow at SomasSports, Bob Pritchard, who’s helped with my stretching and bike work. He’s even helped me with bad posture, something I’ve had all my life. That’s why people have called me ‘tortoise’ since my hockey playing days at Brown.”

They may still call him Tortoise, but remarkably, for the 12th time, they once again call him “champ” as well. – Gary Larrabee

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From what he has heard, Foster says that there’s a good chance that the opening scene of Edge of Darkness, which is due out this fall, could be the scene from Gannon’s 15th. He adds that the whole experience has given him a good insight to the rigorous behind the scenes work it takes to shoot just one scene of a major motion picture.