After firing a final round 76 at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday, Phil Mickelson could be found on the fairways at Salem CC a day later.
PEABODY — It was expected to be another routine Tuesday after a Monday holiday for the Salem Country Club membership and staff earlier this week. But then Phil Mickelson showed up and changed all that. [Read more →]
→ No CommentsTags: Darren Clarke·FedEx Cup Playoffs·Peabody·Phil Mickelson·Salem Country Club
The undulating 18th green at Vesper CC as well as the 17 other greens and their accompanying bunkers were all rebuilt last fall to their original specs in a very successful renovation project at the Donald Ross gem in Tyngsborough.
By Gary Larrabee
North Shore Golf and Tennis editor Bob Albright and I can tolerate each other on the golf course only once a year. I talk too much and wander off into the woods too often in search of grouse and gorillas. Bob? He tends to play his worst round of the year in my presence – just to irritate me, I guess. That and that he never fails to accidentally drive his golf cart into a bunker or through an out of bounds fence, since that’s where half his tee shots land.
Our annual “torture me/torture you” moment came on September 1 at one of our region’s finest layouts – Vesper Country Club in Tyngsborough, hard by the Merrimack River. [Read more →]
→ No CommentsTags: Brian Silva·Donald Ross·golf·Vesper Country Club
By Gary Larrabee
There was no indication before hand that former Salem Country Club golf director and Beverly resident Kirk Hanefeld would post a Champions Tour career-best T-6 finish this past weekend (Aug.6-7) at the 3M Championship outside Minneapolis.
No way. The New Hampshire native had not been in contention all season, had placed in the top 25 only once in ten starts and, worst of all, he was plagued by a sore back. [Read more →]
Picture yourself…
Walking the white sands of the Caribbean, golfing on the dunes of Scotland,
enjoying the historic Piedmont Region of Virginia Nestled in a snuggly bed overlooking
magnificent golf course view near home. It all could be possible if you enter the Tom Sager Golf Classic Dream Golf Vacation Raffle. While spots for the annual charity tournament, which tees off August 16 at Renaissance GC, are almost all sold out, there’s still time to purchase tickets for the ultimate golf vacation raffle and help out a worth charity while you’re at it. See details below: [Read more →]
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Swampscott's Steve DiLisio, who is featured on the cover of this month's magazine, repeated as the Boys Division champion at the Mass. Junior at Foxboro CC.
By Becky Blaeser, MGA
Different course, same result.
For the second straight year, Steven DiLisio captured the Boys Division title at the Massachusetts Junior Amateur Championship. The 12-year-old who is a junior member at Salem Country Club and who was featured on the cover of July’s North Shore Golf & Tennis magazine, more than lived up to the billing by posting a two-round total of 11-over par 155 to win by a five-stroke margin at Foxboro CC. [Read more →]
→ No CommentsTags: Foxborough CC·Massachusetts Junior Championship·Peter Uihlein·Renaissance Golf Club·Salem Country Club·Steve DiLisio
New Haven , CT - He was playing against competitors many years his junior but experience and poise won out on Thursday afternoon as Brian Higgins (Franklin CC) captured his first New England Amateur Championship title at The Course at Yale.
“I am extremely excited,” said Higgins, who got up-and-down from the right bunker to save par on the 18th hole. “I didn’t have a number in mind. I wanted to be aggressive for most of the day. I figured that if I could putt today then I would be ok.”
Higgins, a 35 year old from Bellingham, entered the third and final round three strokes back of the leaders but emerged - thanks to a final-round score of 3-under par 67 - in first place overall with a three-round total of 6-under par 204. Indian Ridge’s Colin Brennan (67-70-68 — 205) finished just one shot back, while Bass Rock’s Josh Salah (66-68-76 –210), who was tied for second coming into the final round, finished tied for 12th. [Read more →]
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Former MGA Executive Director Dick Haskell from Ipswich passed away Sunday at the age of 84. Photo courtesy of the MGA
By Gary Larrabee
The passing of Dick Haskell, Ipswich native, former Essex County Club, member and long-time executive director of the Massachusetts Golf Association (MGA), is the end of an era in Bay State golf history.
APPRECIATION
Haskell, who died at his Chestnut Hill home Sunday (July 11) at the age of 84 while working out on his treadmill (and presumably watching Paula Creamer win the U.S. Women’s Open), brought the MGA into the modern generation of golf administration. He created one of the top state organizations for golf administration in the country. The MGA became a national model for how a state golf association should be run for the benefit of its member clubs and golfers. [Read more →]
→ No CommentsTags: Dick Haskell·Essex County Club·Gary Larrabee·golf·Ipswich·Joe Sprague·MGA·Ould Newbury
Andy Drohen gives younger brother, Bill, the read at last year's Mass Amateur at the Country Club. Drohen captured the title and will be at Myopia next week to defend his crown. David Colt photo
By Becky Blaeser, MGA
The time has come for the state’s top amateur competitors to take part in one of the most historic and grueling tests of golf in the Bay State.
Beginning on July 12th at Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, a field of 144 players hailing from all parts of Massachusetts will take part in the 102nd Massachusetts Amateur Championship. The end goal for all is to capture the prestigious Commonwealth Cup, which has been won by golfing legends such as Francis Ouimet, Eddie Lowery, Gene Sarazon and Jesse Guilford. [Read more →]
→ 1 CommentTags: Bill Drohen·golf·Massachusetts Amateur·Myopia Hunt Club
The North Shore was well represented in the first day of Mass. Junior qualifying as Myopia’s Jack Whelan and Ferncroft’s Jason Steele took home medalist honors by firing rounds of 1-over-par 70 at The Country Club of Billerica. See a full list of qualifiers below. [Read more →]
→ No CommentsTags: Ferncroft CC·Jack Whelan·Jason Steele·Mass. Junior Championship·Myopia
Mass. Open champ James Hazen chips on to the green during his final round at Wellesley CC Wednesday. David Colt photo
Wellesley, MA — The first call that James Hazen (Miller Place, NY) made after tapping in his par on the 625-yard, par 5 18th hole for a final score of 6-under par 204 was to his father back home. At first the elder James Hazen was skeptical about the news that his son had just won his second career title since there were still golfers on the course.