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Fenway Golf

for family fun

By JAY NOMAKEO

What began as a dairy farm is now a multi faceted family sports complex, featuring golf, softball and baseball. Lights extend the hours of operation and ice cream is served as a promise to get the kids to leave. If you tried all that Fenway Golf has to offer you could easily lose an afternoon.
In 1931 Olin and Mary Fisk purchased some land in East Longmeadow to start a dairy farm. They bought Jersey cows and quickly were able to pasteurize and bottle milk as well as deliver to local homes. They soon realized milk was not the answer and in 1939 offered a driving range and chip and putt. They fenced off the cows to share the land with the range. The Fenway Dairy cows were sold in 1941 to expand the golf business.
The couple leased property ( now Pine Knoll ) to Chuck Carrington for the first streamline golf course in the country. The rules to streamline golf were simple. You were given a bag of balls and you started with the first hole. Your targets were shallow pools of water which simulated a green. If you hit the green (water) you proceeded to a rack of putters and a real green close by. ( you don't chase balls in streamline golf ) You then putted out. The purpose of streamline golf was to save time chasing the balls. On par 4s and 5s you hit a driver down a fairway with painted lines telling you how far your ball went. Then you proceeded to a tee that represented the distance left to the green. If you missed the green ( water ) you proceeded to another rack of clubs used for chipping. You then took out another ball and found the green to chip to and then putted out.
The game was invented by A J Reach who worked for Spalding at the time. They tried gimmicks to get people to try streamline golf including adding lights for night play. The game never took off.
In the early 60's the course was changed to a par 3 course and run by the Fisk family.
In 1972 Bob Fisk took over ownership of the business. Bob added the present clubhouse and miniature golf in 1980 and batting cages in 1996. Bob's son Andrew works the complex with him.
At Fenway Golf there are many instructors to fine tune your game. Fenway is also home to the Western Mass Junior Golf Academy located at the far end of the range featuring PGA professionals Bob Lake and Becky Larson. Becky Larson played seven years on the LPGA tour Together they offer instruction to all levels of players both men and women.
They also offer video and playing lessons, group instruction, and have a popular golf package that consists of a series of five lessons. Individual private, jr and sr lessons are available on request.
Joe Eadie is the resident golf instructor, teaching other various golf programs for the facility.
On the property next to the Pine Knoll executive par 3 are the batting cages. The batting cages can be rented out by teams by the hour. There are both baseball and softball pitching machines.
Fenway has an executive par 3 in Pine Knoll which has longer holes and is mor challenging that the chip and putt. The chip and putt is lighted for night play.
If golf or baseball is not your game you can still stop by Fenway golf for a quick hot dog and soda or bring the kids for soft serve ice cream.
If you are looking for a true sports complex for family fun there are no others quite like Fenway golf. For a complete list of activities call 525 6495. For the Bob Lake golf learning center the number is 525 0297.

Bys shoots 63 at The Orchards
By Steve Kelly

After a round at the Orchards Golf Club in the mid-April Steve Bys of Chicopee said to a playing companion that he felt like he was on the verge of putting it all together.
That was on a Wednesday. "I didn't score very well and I mishit a couple of iron shots," Bys said. "But I felt that I was getting close."
Then on Friday, April 22, he missed a few putts, but most of the pieces fit.
Bys, still a big hitter at the age of 44, shot an amateur course record with an 8-under par 63 from the back (now green) tees at the Orchards GC in South Hadley, where he is again a member.
The club is planning to place a plaque and the scorecard in a prominent place to recognize the feat.
The course record is the 62 shot by pro tourist Jim Chancey in the Orchards Pro-Am many years ago. But then the tees were set in a mixture of front and back spots. Bys actually played a much longer course.
Bys missed birdie putts of about 14 and 8 feet on the first two holes but then he hit a 4-iron second shot to the par-5 third hole and made an eagle putt of about 13 feet.
He made another birdie at the fifth hole but took bogeys at the sixth and seventh. A birdie at the ninth put him at 34, 2-under, at the turn.
While his front nine had an up and down look, his back nine was almost flawless with birdies at 10, 11, 12, 15, 16 and 18 to go with three pars for 29.
He finished the effort by striking a driver and then a 5-iron second shot to the long, uphill par-4 18th and he nailed a birdie putt of about nine feet.
"I made only two putts over ten feet and I missed a five-footer on the eighth hole," Bys said.
He played with Ed Garbacik, Barry Waite and Gregg Orlen.
Bys, a two-time qualifier for the U.S. Amateur Championship, holds the course record at Chicopee Country Club where he shot 62.

A Tee Party Tradition
By Jim Cline

The 56th Annual Tee Party was held in late April again this year and, as is the tradition, the weather was abominable. The golf gods apparently want a game that is already difficult, to be even more so. The rain and cold did not completely dampen the spirits of those who would compete in this most traditional of events however. And the Tee Party is about tradition.

Henry Bontempo came up with the idea in 1947. The honored guest that year was Bob Toski, who played on the PGA National tour. Back then, it was indeed a party and those who attended got dressed up for the affair. Year after year, they would honor someone from the local golfing community. Then in 1982 they threw in a golf tournament as part of the undertaking. Harry Mattson Junior was the honoree and about 400 people showed up. Henry's son Bob, a long-time pro at The Orchards in South Hadley, started playing with two club members, Bill Cray and Herb Crossland. They continue to play in the tournament to this day. They have played together in 19 of the last 21 tournaments. That makes their round a bit of a tradition. I've been fortunate enough to hook up with them for a few rounds. This year, Bob Leitch, a member at Elmcrest, was also in the fold.

They play in the Senior Division, a division that was created by this group, for this group, as it grew older. If they didn't allow the youngsters to play along it would be a Super Senior Division. Bob Bontempo, my senior by a bit over a decade, checks in at 62 years of age. He can still reach 250 off the tee. He can still knock the irons stiff, although not as frequently as he would prefer. He is an excellent chipper. If he used his own practice range more often he would be that much better. But working stiffs don't have that kind of time.

Bob Leitch is 71 years old. He has a little more time on his hands. He was a salesman at WWLP for 38 years until he retired a few years back. He now plays to a 12 handicap at Elmcrest. Bob feels he excels from 150 yards in, pound for pound, whatever that means. He certainly didn't hurt this group.

Then there's Herb Crossland, who at 79, still gets a good piece of the ball off the tee and it usually finds the middle of the fairway. Herb, a machinist by trade, joined the Orchards when he got out of the service in 1942. Sixty years later, he is still a member. He played to a 3 handicap at one time back when he won the club championship in 1955.

Herb is not the senior member of the group however. That distinction belongs to Bill Cray who is now 87. Bill started working for Aetna Insurance back in 1937 and still maintains an office in Amherst. He joined The Orchards in 1951 Bill has been active with the Ouimet Fund since 1970. That involves raising money and he seems perfectly suited for the job. One of the more unique fundraisers involved placing a scale by the first tee at the Orchards. Players were charged by the pound. Bill's forte on the golf course now is putting from inside 10 feet. He's deadly. Our birdies attest to that fact. And his putter is older than I am.

This group does have a good time out on the golf course. They know what a great thing it is to be there. They're part of a wonderful tradition, and isn't that what it's all about?

MASS CUP
Topsfield, Mass.-based Corporate Golf Management stages the inaugural Massachusetts Corporate Golf Championship, also called the Mass Cup, starting June 17 at Kernwood Country Club in Salem, one of architect Donald Ross's underrated gems.

More than 25 corporate teams from across the state are competing in the two championship rounds (July 22 is the finale), including Boston Private Bank & Trust, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Giant Glass, WBZ Newsradio 1030, Mass. General Surgeons Group, Abt, The Patriot Group, The Conifer Companies and EMX Controls.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Francis Ouimet Caddie Scholarship Fund will be beneficiaries, along with the designated charity of the winning
corporate team.

Juli Wightman finds her A game
By Steve Kelly

Juli Wightman, now 16 years old and a sophomore at Chicopee High School, talks matter-of-factly about 260 yard tee shots.
"Yes, that's about how far I hit the good ones," she said after winning the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls' Individual Golf Championship on May 6 at Woodlawn GC in Auburndale.
She shot 76, 4-over par, and won by four shots with defending champ Lauren Motyl of New Bedford taking second. It was a smashing win for Wightman.
Two-sixty? Wow!
So Juli, how much did you grow since last year?
"I'm still 5-2 and 115 pounds," she said.
So, then what's the BIG difference in LITTLE Juli's game?
"My distance hasn't changed since last year (when she played poorly in the state tournament but later won the Western Mass. title). My accuracy and confidence have," she said.
Wightman comes from a golfing family and father Via, the pro at Holyoke Country Club, and older brother Tele, are always there to share golf tips.
A couple of visits to the David Leadbetter golf academy in Florida have helped, too.
She spent April vacation (15th-20th) at the academy and she paid attention.
"My mental approach, determination and practicing are improved. I always practiced but it wasn't anything productive," she said.
Wightman also changed her putting stroke. "I fixed my arms. They're straight now, rather than bent," she said. "Putting was always my weak point. It's a lot better. My stroke is smoother."
The rainy spring cost her practice and playing time (Chicopee plays fall golf) and she went to Woodland not knowing if she'd have her "A Game" or something else.
"I duck hooked my first drive. It was an awful tee shot. Into the rough," she said.
But she then hit a 7-wood shot "about 175 yards" to within 20 yards of the hole, pitched to about seven feet and nailed the putt for a par.
She turned in 38, had a tough stretch with bogies at 13, 14 and 15 ("It was like I collapsed on every shot and it would have been worse if my putting hadn't saved me," she said) but finished with three pars for another 38 and what turned out to be an easy win after sharing the lead through nine holes.
"The turning point was number ten. I made a birdie and she had a double bogey," Wightman said about Motyl, with whom she was paired.
Wightman hit a "perfect" drive, a 5-wood second then a sand wedge to about five feet and she made it for the big birdie and three-shot swing.
She has a heavy summer schedule coming and in addition to junior tournaments she is entered in the Connecticut Women's Open May 28-29 and the USGA Women's Public Links qualifier on May 24.
She will also be favored to win another WMass title on June 6 at The Ranch GC in Southwick.
After winning the state title she "celebrated" by going home and finishing an English essay. Wightman has been her class president for two years and says she's an "A and B" student.
She's doing her homework on the golf course, too.

Kelly wins sixth golf writers championship

Steve Kelly of Springfield, a member of the Western Mass Golf magazine staff, sank a downhill, 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole at the famed Dunes Golf And Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to win his record-tieing sixth title in the Golf Writers Association of America golf tournament on April 7th.
Kelly posted an opening round 75 at Caledonia Golf and Fish Club in the first round. In windy conditions in round two Kelly managed to hold off the field and win by one shot in the 49th Annual GWAA event with a 155 total.
Kelly also won titles in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1986, and 1987. His 4-under par 68 in 1986 at the Dunes Club is the tournament record low round.
Four-time winner Curt Sampson holds the 36-hole record of 143, set in 1992.
The late Des Sullivan also won the title six times

Golfers Dilema

By Diahann Wimmer

Medial epicondylitis is more commonly known as golfer’s elbow. This condition is characterized by pain along the inside of the elbow. Pain commonly increases with activity and decreases with rest. This injury occurs more commonly in golfers because of the demand placed on the flexor muscles of the wrist. It is a common injury among athletes whose sports require a strong handgrip.

Unfortunately most golfers do not address their golfer’s elbow until their symptoms become increasingly painful. At this time, the athlete has no choice besides rest and physical therapy that can last up to one month; this is not what a golfer wants to hear in the middle of their golf season.

Since medial epicondylitis is a condition that can be prevented or treated with minimal time off if recognized early why not try to stop golfer’s elbow before it takes you out of your game. Each time a golfer hits a golf ball the impact causes micro trauma to the muscles that flex the wrist. Warming up and stretching the wrist flexor muscles before play as well as stretching after play as a cool down can reduce trauma. Before teeing off take a couple of minutes to hit a few balls. These first few shots should be a gentle warm up from 50% of your maximum swing and slowly increased to 80% of your maximum swing, remember this is a warm-up. Next take 3 minutes to stretch your wrist flexors and extensors. These stretches should always be gentle, never painful and held for 30 seconds 3 times on each wrist before and after play.

If it’s already too late and you are a golfer who is already experiencing elbow pain, the basic principles of rest and ice should be applied in addition to extremely gentle stretching. If a golfer is already experiencing medial epicondylitis symptoms that intensify with activity and continue with rest consult your physician. Physical therapy is indicated in conditions that are chronic.

For more information on how to prevent other golf related injuries or for physical therapy for golf related injuries contact one of our HEALTHSOUTH Golf Performance Clinicians. Bob Reed, a Physical Therapist can be reached at HEALTHSOUTH in West Springfield at 734-3269. In the Ludlow area, Diahann Wimmer, Athletic Trainer, can be reached by calling 547-2616. The HEALTHSOUTH Golf Performance Program offers injury prevention programs as well as rehabilitation services. HEALTHSOUTH is proud to be the official sports medicine provider for the PGA, Senior PGA, LPGA and the AJGA.

Mickelson returns for GHO defense
By STEVE KELLY

The Tournament Players Club at River Highlands (6,820 yards) hasn't done anything to "Tiger-proof" its layout in Cromwell, Conn., so more 61s could be produced when the tour boys show up next month.
Not by Mr. Woods, however.
Despite a decent effort to lure the game's top player, Woods will once again be absent at the Greater Hartford Open June 20-23, which this year is offering $4,000,000 in prize money. That's up from $3.1 million last year and the winner will receive $720,000.
Last year the GHO had plenty of big names like Snead, Palmer, Trevino. But that was for the 50th anniversary pro-am. They didn't play in the tournament.
The GHO folks said 318,000 spectators came to watch the legendary stars of different eras in the pro-am. The tournament itself draws about 275,000 annually according to the GHO officials. That's near the Tour's top numbers every year.
What if Woods showed up one year. Would the tournament draw 1,000,000?
This year the biggest attraction is defending champ Phil Mickleson, who shot 61 in the third round last year to equal the course record and went on to win the title and a check for $558,000 by one shot with a 16-under 264.
This year Mickelson has created a stir with a gambling style of play that some call stupid. Well, how dumb is $2,100,363 in earnings thus far in 2002?
Only Woods has won more and Mickelson can once again attempt to visualize winning without looking around to see what Tiger is doing.
After winning the GHO last year Mickelson claimed that he didn't play or practice much before the event which followed the U.S. Open but "visualized" finishing on top.
It worked then.
Since the GHO again follows the Open - this year being staged at Bethpage Black on Long Island - Mickelson might spend some time staring at the Atlantic Ocean before heading to Cromwell. Particularly if he again puts himself into position but fails to win his first major title.
Among others familiar names playing in the 51st running of the GHO, one of the PGA Tour's oldest events, are Mark Calcavecchia, Hal Sutton, Charles Howell III, Matt Kuchar, Billy Andrade, who finished second to Mickelson last year, two-time GHO winner Paul Azinger, John Daly, Davis Love III, and Brad Faxon.
CHIP SHOTS: This year's tournament will mark the end of the long relationship with Canon, which will no longer sponsor the event . . . . Ted Kroll, who won the first GHO (then called the Insurance City Open) in 1952 died earlier this year. He won at Wethersfield CC . . . Scott Verplank also shot 61, 9-under, last year. He did it in the fourth round and that boosted him into a tie for 17th at 271.

The Berkshire's appeal
By Steve Margargal

Playing golf in the Berkshires can be both challenging and inexpensive. Whether it's the play with cart packages at various courses, (for under $30 per person) or the difficult sidehill and downhill lies found at all corners of the county.
Starting in the South at Egremont CC where the people are friendly and so are holes #1 and #2. At #3 begins a series of small greens both difficult to hit and putt. #7's green borders on US Open speed going downhill while #9 sits low and angles away making the par 3 difficult to hit.
The back 9 has some new greens on #12 and #16; built by current Berkshire Hills Country Club superintendent Steve Curry during his tenure at Egremont. Finishing up, #17 and #18 greens both slope steeply and can really slide away downhill. The two-tiered #16 green is elevated and gives a small target to shoot at.
All in all a very enjoyable 18 holes to play. Definitely walkable for you that don't ride, but watch out for the black flies.
Moving North to Cranwell Resort and Golf Club in Lenox raises the bar in amenities. The new spa, golf school and course will impress even the most seasoned traveler.
The golf school is led by former PGA Pro. Keith Lyford, who recently joined up with Golf Digest. They have a wonderful facility built across the street from the course.
The course itself is a beautiful, old and historic place. Today's layout is a bit shorter in length than the original but still has that special feeling only old courses have.
In the past it was known as Lenox Fox and Hunt Club and greats such as Nelson and Snead played there. The tee shot off the front lawn of the mansion is unique and should not be missed.
Moving North up Route 7 to Lanesborough gets us to the Skyline Country Club. Owner Jim Mitus, a former division II College All American golfer, has made the transition from 9 to 18 holes and with some recent tweaking on both 9's has really created a friendly and fun 18. With views of Pontoosuc Lake and Mt. Greylock, Skyline C C may have the best collection of views in the whole county.
The Par 3's are strong here with the short uphill hole #3 especially deceiving, Though it's only 125 yds. or so, depending on tee position, the blind shot and green tend to kick all but the best shots away down a front right slope.
The rebuilt #5 hole has given Skyline possibly the best par 3 in the county. As it drops 100 feet to the green, the view appears to be one of the North Carolina high country.
The back 9 3's are equally tough with the severe uphill 170 yd #15. The small green sits into a steep bank and presents a shallow target. Shots that come up short can often run back 25 yds.
All in all, both a bargain and pleasure. Finishing up at Waubeeka GL gives us a little room to roam so to speak. With elevated tees to generous fairways make this Williamstown track a hidden gem. A varied concoction of par 4's give both the finesse player and the long bomber a chance to shine. #11 can be brutally long going into the wind finishing into a tough two-tiered green. The #13 hole is a combination of two iron shots with a 200 yd. lay up followed by an uphill blind 150 yarder. On the front 9 #'s 1 & 2 will test you, but my favorite is the 2nd shot into the elevated angled green at #6.
Finishing #18 you, may want to go in and get one of Chef Mark Mills famous sandwiches. The pub is small but friendly with great food, grog and even a big screen to watch.
Check out the Berkshires, even though these courses are public, many dates are booked, so call ahead for tee times and pricing.

DOWN THE FAIRWAYS/By Steve Kelly

Wightman family to gain another pro
By Steve Kelly

His college days are done and Tele Wightman, 24, of Chicopee plans to turn pro at the end of this summer - after he hopes to have a big finish in amateur golf.
Wightman will join his father Via in the pro shop at Holyoke Country Club once he turns pro and expects to enter the first stage of PGA Tour qualifying in Florida in October,
He graduated with a degree in communications from the University of South Florida in late April.
Wightman's first tourney start in the northeast will be May 13th in the initial stage of U.S. Open qualifying.
He also plans to play "all of the amateur events" in the region.
"I want one more shot at the State Amateur and U.S. Amateur," he said.
Last year Wightman reached the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts Amateur at The Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley.
He also won the Western Mass. Amateur at Elmcrest CC with a 5-under 65 and he posted a first round 8-under 63 in a North Atlantic Tour event at Chicopee CC before slipping in the final round.
While playing for U. of South Florida earlier this year he shot 68-69-67, 204, 9-under par, to win a tournament hosted by U. of South Carolina at Aiken. He claimed the title in a playoff.
In several years Juli Wightman, 16, expects to join Dad and brother as a golf pro (but first things first: like a driving license in a few months, a graduation at Chicopee High and a college degree). She just added the MIAA title to her long list of triumphs in the past few years.
PAUL NUNEZ of Ludlow Country Club felt right at home on May 5 in the club's annual Low Amateur Invitational. Nunez, now a member of Ludlow and Longmeadow country clubs, shot a 4-under par 68 to win the individual title by five shots. He had 13 straight pars before he birdied four of the final five holes from the blue tees.
AT CHICOPEE CC on May 5 the teams of Kip Fuller and Al Lowe tied with Gary Burt and Tom Bergeron in an open two-ball at 3-under 68. Fuller/Lowe were declared the winners on a match of cards.
ROBERTA BOLDUC of Longmeadow CC and CHERYL KRUEGER and BONNIE CATTO of The Orchards GC have been selected to play for the WGAM (Massachusetts) team in the Griscom Cup Matches to be played against teams from New York and Philadelphia at Century CC in Purchase, N.Y. The three-day event will be played May 21-23. The matches started in 1898 and Massachusetts made it a three-way affair when it joined in 1902. Other WGAM team members are Joanne Catlin of Winchendon CC, Carol Clarey, Segregansett CC, Liz Friel of Vesper CC, past New England amateur champ Natalie Galligan of Brae Burn CC,
Karen Richardson, Haverhill CC, and Briana Vega of The Georgetown Club.
RICK FLEURY of Hickory Ridge CC and KEVIN PIECUCH of CC of Greenfield were solid as a team despite plenty of rain to win a Conn. Section PGA pro-pro event at Suffield CC on April 30. They combined for a 27-hole total of 114 - 5-under - for a one-shot win in three trips around the nine-hole layout. The format consisted of best ball (nine holes), scramble (nine holes), scotch (six holes) and aggregate (three holes). "The format was a surprise to all of us and we were wet and freezing all day. But we didn't make too many mistakes and the greens were beautiful," Fleury said. They were 3-under, 3-under and 1-over on their nine-hole circuits.
DEB BLOOM AND DEB PATTEN, both members at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Amherst, on April 20 teamed to win the first flight title in the annual Palm Beach Polo Club Women's Open two-ball golf tournament in Wellington, Fla. A par on the 18th hole by Deb Patten clinched a 1-up win over sisters Mary Francis Evers and Linda Evers of Nashville, Tenn., in the title match. Bloom and Patten shot 77 in the qualifying round, missing a playoff for the championship flight by one stroke. They then won three matches. Last year they lost in the first flight semifinals. "It was fun and it was exciting golf. Deb played well. It's always fun to win," Deb Bloom said. The winners each received a Waterford Crystal trophy.
ALISTAIR CATTO of The Orchards GC and CHRIS FERRITER of Wyckoff CC teamed to birdie half of the holes and post an 8-under par 64 to win the first Spring Classic Open Two-Ball at Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley on April 21. Catto had five birdies, one on a putt of some 40 feet on the 200-yard par-3 third hole, and Ferriter had four as they won by two shots over Rick Leal and K.C. Finley. The winners had their only bogey on the par-4 17th hole, a sharp dogleg left where both missed the green with their second shots. It was Catto's first title as a 50-year-old and the more youthful Ferriter won a pair of size 13 shoes for nailing his tee shot to 20 inches on the short, par-3 12th hole.
BUNKER SHOTS: As usual Bob Green of Tedesco and Kirk Hanefeld of the International were in the final of the New England PGA Pro-Pro Match Play Championship. But, this time their luck ran out and their three-year winning streak is over. David Lane of Stow Acres converted a winning 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Olde Scotland Links in Bridgewater for a 1-up triumph on May 7. Lane and partner Allan Menne of Mink Meadows each earned $1,750 . . . . The Massachusetts Golf House, Museum & Hall of Fame, located at the new TPC of Boston in Norton is still under construction and is expected to open to the public in the fall . . . . The Women's Golf Association of Massachusetts (WGAM) is now selling it's centennial book "On the Greens of Massachusetts" which is the history of the organization from 1900-2000. The cost of the book is $25. Info is available at www.wgam.org. . . . . The 31st Julius Boros Challenge Cup Matches have been postponed until Sept. 5. The matches pit members of the Conn. Section PGA against a team of Connecticut amateurs. Heavy rain prevented play at New Haven CC on May 2. The pros lead 23-7 . . . . Nancy Lopez, 45, and her fans weren't too happy last year when the USGA said she could not have a special exemption into the U.S. Women's Open. Then she announced earlier this year that this was her final tour as a regular competitor. Then her father died. That combination evidently did it. The USGA couldn't wait to give her an exemption so the Hall of Fame member will be in the field whether she really belongs, or not. She has never won the Open and is barely competitive these days but she was granted special exemptions in 1999 and 2000. When the USGA said no last year it was a shocker. It will be her 25th Open start and she's finished second four times. The Women's Open will be played July 4-7 at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kansas. . . . . There will be 88 teams from MGA clubs competing in the annual Four-Ball Championship May 14-15 at The International's two courses (Oaks and Pines) in Bolton. But not everybody is happy. Because the MGA has difficulty in securing courses the three-year-old system of qualifying was done away with this year and 191 teams were sent letters of explanation and refunds of their entry fees. Thanks but not thanks. The MGA decided the fairest system was to accept the exempt teams (top 20 from previous year) and then complete the field based on lowest combined handicaps. That left teams with combined handicaps of more than 3.0 either as alternates or out. Kevin Patterson, Director of Rules and Competition for the MGA, said he is not pleased with the situation and will listen to all reasonable ideas for expanding the field in the future. Two sites would help. Even though The International has two courses it wouldn't allow both to be used each day. But the course did its part by stepping in when Framingham, the original site, had to back out so it's hard to be too critical. Two courses would allow 176 or so teams and that would make it just about certain that no deserving team would then be left out. Patterson said it was a "remote possibility" that qualifying would be restored in the future. "We are really tight on courses (for qualifying) and something had to give," he said. "You can argue that it isn't fair but we said what we were going to do from the beginning. I'm all ears if anyone has a better solution. This is not an ideal circumstance but we felt is was the fairest measure."
Well, men, here's advice from your always-willing-to-offer-my-two-cents-worth agent. If you want qualifying sites get your course(s) involved.

The Open gets ready for a public showing
By Steve Kelly

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - As you approach the first tee at Bethpage State Park's famed Black Course there is a large sign on which the following is stated: "WARNING: The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers."
OK, so when the U.S. Open is played here June 13-16 Tiger Woods is certainly in the above category.
Retief Goosen, the defending champion, Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III and Sergio Garcia should be all right, too.
But the layout they are going to see will barely resemble what has been called one of America's greatest public golf courses. Some USGA people call it the No. 1 course that the public can play.
That's likely true in America. Given the world I'd pick the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. It's been public for centuries.
Bethpage Black has always been said in print to have been designed in 1936 by prominent architect Albert Warren Tillinghast. That is until a story by Ron Whitten in this year's June issue of Golf Digest put the actual architect behind the Black Course in dispute.
Whitten wrote that longtime Bethpage State Park superintendent Joseph A. Burbeck actually designed the course and the new claim is supported by some evidence, though it's certainly in dispute.
Tillinghast was usually known as "A. W." and his courses, like Winged Foot and Baltusrol, are familiar as Open venues. But they are very private.
Bethpage Black is VERY public but what is was and what it is after the recent redesign by Rees Jones makes it an unknown. It was never in disrepair over the years but it was never ready to host an Open until Jones went to work in 1998.
It's much longer now. That alone makes it tougher. Add heavy rough and hard, speedy greens and you've got a potentially unplayable site for much of the field.
Goosen was present on April 15th for media day and he figured that "90 per cent of the players" are unfamiliar with the Black Course.
So, too, is much of the public. Many players stay away from the dreaded Black Course. It's hilly and a L-O-N-G walk. They don't hit high 200-yard six-iron shots that fly the sand and hold the greeens. So they play one of the park's easier courses.
Is the Black Course going to prove tough enough for the world's best?
Some USGA members speculated that rounds as low as 61 or 62 could be posted. They think the top pros are that good.
Well, I suppose that is possible. But I'm sure it's not likely.
The Black Course will play at about 7,214 yards for the Open. That's a record and it's one yard longer than the listed yardage for Congressional, which hosted the 1997 Open. Ernie Els won that one at four-under par. He never shot a 61 or 62 there.
Par at the Black Course will be 70 with the seventh, usually a par five, playing as a par four of 489 yards.
If the Long Island winds blow scoring is going to be tough with the Open rough and narrow fairways (25 to 30 yards wide) to be dealt with.
The greens here were not redone by Jones and they are relatively flat. Some think the tour boys will eat them up. But Jones said he thought the subtle breaks will fool them.
The greens didn't fool Goosen. In fact, Jay Nomakeo and I made more pars than he did.
That's because he didn't play. He flew up from Augusta, Ga., where the day before he'd finished second but really didn't throw up much of a challenge to Woods.
"I'm a little tired," said Goosen, who also joked that he deserved "the green pants" for finishing behind Woods at the Masters. He had to settle for about $600,000 in green.
Goosen said he usually needs two or three practice rounds at an Open venue to be prepared
He was bound for London, where he has a home, and planned to take some time off then play the European Tour for five weeks before returning to the U.S. to play at Westchester in the Buick the week before the Open.
"I might get in one practice round here before the Buick then play two more before the Open," he said.
Goosen added that even though he is a world-class player he has no trouble going out to restaurants in the States. He said he'd use Buick week at nearby Westchester to scout out good eating spots.
While Goosen was too tired to take on the Black Course, USGA officials (many of whom played the course on media day) gushed about the layout.
"The course is perfect," said Tom Meeks, the man who sets up the Open courses for the USGA. "My wish list: No rain, and I'd like some wind."
David Fay, USGA Executive Director, said the Black is "a truly outstanding course. If it were not we wouldn't be here."
He said that this Open will be "so exciting that by the end of the week people will be asking when the next time might be."
Meeks also said that as he travels the country he runs into PGA Tour players who ask questions about the Black Course.
He had some answers. Like the rough. Four inches. And green speed. Twelve on the stimpmeter to start and maybe more by the end of the tournament.
Why was the Black Course chosen?
One reason is that Fay played it as a kid. And he pushed for it.
The future of golf is thought by many to be public golf.
Bethpage Black and the park's four other courses belong to the people.
The Black Course can be played for $31 on weekdays.
It officially opened for the season on Tuesday, April 16 (until it closes on May 28 for final Open preparations) and word was that one gent arrived at 5 a.m. on Monday to be the first in line for one of the next day's opening tee times.
The 2002 U.S. Open will be the people's Open.
The public can play it before the Open and after the Open.
That's not the case at, say, The Country Club or Winged Foot.
And, if you are wondering, I played it on media day from the Open tees.
That means you go to the normal back tees then walk back 40 or 50 yards in many cases to the new "Open" tees.
I can't hit it nearly a third of a mile off the tee like Mr. Woods does.
And he won't be hitting 3-woods into the par fours like I was.
And he won't find one bunker after another like I did.
But it was the most difficult course I've played.
Nomakeo, who can hit it as far as Woods, played a few "Open" tees but mostly played it up, on the "back" tees.
When we got there a bunch of golf carts were lined up. We had to get up early for the long drive to Long Island, it was an unusually warm and humid day and we were feeling tired.
When we found out the golf carts were to be used only to drive us to our starting tee we knew we were in for an extra long day. We'd have to walk those hills.
And staring at all of that sand made it feel like a march across a desert.
After three holes my golf bag felt like it weighed 100 pounds.
"How are you doing. Jay?" I asked.
"Huh? I think I'll make it. How are you doing?" he wondered.
Well, we made it but we felt as though we'd just played in a football game. We were huffing and puffing and we were sore. Not mad. But hurting.
The Black Course is a Monster.
To those who say the tour fellows can shoot 61 or 62 I say forget it.
Our scores?
Forget it.

The Blandford Club
Emphasis on family
By JAY NOMAKEO
On a clear day you can see Springfield as if it were at the bottom of the mountain. You can imagine the bumper to bumper traffic, the noise, pollution, and the fast paced environment you left behind. But today you are miles away on a quiet, peaceful, well manicured landscape known as The Blandford Club.
Built in 1909 , nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, this semi-private course has much to offer. At The Blandford Club members are responsible for every facet of the clubs operation, including housekeeping, maintenance of the tennis courts, as well as the planning of family functions. The club also maintains a bathhouse on Russell Pond.
"At The Blandford Club the emphasis is on family", says PGA club Pro Tim Quirk "We have a great junior program with several outstanding players. We close the course on Tuesdays until noon with kids as young as six participating in our program".
Their club champion is a senior at Gateway Regional in Marc Jemilo. Several other players grew up playing the Blandford layout.
"There are no tee times here and rounds are quick", added Tim. "The greens are the best around"
A quick look around and you can sense the history that took place here. From the old trophies that first proclaimed Ann Quimby the club champion in 1950 to the two seat wicker chair that dates back to the 1700's. Ann (now Southworth ) last won the club championship in 2001, her 27th title. Her daughter Polly won in 1991, 1993, and 1995. The house that you see as you drive in is the original structure for which the course was built around.
The house is used for a variety of functions from social hours to formal dining. On Friday nights the public is welcome to a buffet put on by caterers Craig and Carla Hoctor who run the Blandford General Store by day. Also available for members and their guests are two bed and breakfast type rooms for rent, complete with two double beds.
The course was originally a five hole layout. More holes were added and when the Mass. Pike was built, the course was re-routed to its present condition. Members are responsible for keeping areas around the course looking its best, whether planting flowers or weeding out growth. Wildlife is abundant and Tim still has a picture of a moose that showed up one day and occupied the first hole.
Memberships are available and fees are $1000 per family, per year and all profits are put back into the course. Single membership is a bargain at $650. These fees also include the use of the two clay tennis courts.
The club has hosted an MGA state qualifier as well as the Western Mass Pro-Lady.
The club will allow public play up until Memorial Day weekend and after Labor Day.

Women's pro golf/Senior Tour makes stop at Plymouth: Futures Tour will return to Blue Fox Run
The Women's Senior Golf Tour will finally make its first appearance in New England with the $350,000 Fidelity Investments Classic at Waverly Oaks GC in Plymouth May 18-19.
The WSGT is now in its third year and the event in Plymouth is the season opener. Tournaments near Des Moines, Iowa and Green Bay, Wisc., will follow in the summer.
The Fidelity Classic was originally scheduled for last fall at Pleasant Valley CC in Sutton but the event was postponed due to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.
Because spring dates could not be obtained at PVCC, the tournament was moved to Waverly Oaks.
The field will be made up of 40 players aged 44 or over with 36 holes of play, 18 each on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19.
The public is invited free of charge on Thursday and Friday, May 16-17 and the ticket price on Saturday and Sunday is $10 daily or $25 daily for clubhouse access. For ticket information call 1-800-466-1133 or 617-242-3100.
Tee times begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and the gates will open at 8.
On Thursday a qualifying round is scheduled for one available tournament berth and players' practice rounds will follow.
On Friday there is a pro-am.
Among the well-known players in the field are Amy Alcott, Laura Baugh, Susie Berning, Jane Blalock, Pat Bradley, Joanne Carner, Jane Crafter,
Judy Dickinson, Shelley Hamlin, Sandra Haynie, Sally Little, Martha Nause, Sandra Palmer, Kathy Postlewait, Alice Ritzman, Patty Sheehan, Hollis Stacy, Jan Stephenson, Colleen Walker.
The WSGT has staged four events in the past two years and the winners were Stephenson and Vicki Fergon in 2000 and Walker and Stacy in 2001. Stacy won her title in a playoff with Sheehan.

Directions to Waverly Oaks from west of Boston:
Take Route 495 to Route 44 East. Take Route 44 East until you hit Route 3. Take Route 3 South to Exit 3. Go right off the ramp 300 yards to Long Pond Road. Stop, bear right on to Long Pond Road. Golf Club is 2 miles on the right.

THE FUTURES GOLF TOUR will make back-to-back stops in New England this summer with the $60,000 Green Mountain Futures Golf Classic July 12-14 at Green Mountain National GC in Killington, Vt., followed by the $60,000 Lincoln Futures Golf Classic July 19-21 at Blue Fox Run GC in Avon, Conn. Both are 54-hole events with 36-hole cuts. The Futures Tour is the official developmental tour of the LPGA Tour and the top three players on the money list each year gain fully exempt status for the following year on the LPGA Tour.

Links for Lungs 2002 Gets set to Swing Through New England
Getting four guys together to play eighteen holes of golf in one day is exceedingly common. Playing a round of golf to raise funds for a charitable organization is nothing new. But, combining the two by spreading 18 holes of golf out across the six New England states in one day? Now that is a story!
Last summer, Connecticut’s Phil Levere and his Links for Lungs foursome did just that. In late June, they played three holes each in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. Along the way they met a lot of great people, played at some of New England’s finest public golf courses, and raised over $1,000.00 for the American Lung Association.
Levere, who suffers from chronic lung disease, got the idea during a drive through all of the New England states a couple of years ago. A weekend golfer and an expert at simple arithmetic, he easily calculated that playing three holes in six states added up to eighteen. Once the difficult academic part was behind him, he laid out a route and began making phone calls. In a matter of weeks, he locked in one course in each state that was willing to accommodate his foursome. Meanwhile, the American Lung Association of Connecticut offered him all the support and encouragement he needed. The rest, as they say, is history, and Links for Lungs, perhaps New England’s most unique golf tournament, got its start.
This year in order to shave drive time from the trip, Levere is planning a route change for the June 27, 2002 outing. He will include the Country Club of Greenfield as the Massachusetts stop. More importantly, he is expanding his budding event to include one team from each New England state so that both the event and its fundraising capabilities will grow. He is looking for an individual in Massachusetts to lead a foursome and to work with himself and the American Lung Association of Western Massachusetts. The goal of each participating team is to raise at least $1,000.00 for their local state’s lung association chapter.
Every now and then a golf event comes along that combines enthusiasm with excitement, and good people with a good cause. Links for Lungs has it all!
Do you like a challenge? Want to sample some of the northeast’s most beautiful golf courses? Do you have a desire to help raise funds for lung research because you or someone you know has a breathing disorder? Or, would you just like to be able to tell your friends “I did that!”?
If you can answer yes to any or all of these questions, contact Phil Levere at plevere@msn.com to learn more about Links for Lungs 2002 and to join the team for a day of good friends, good golf, and good health! Log on to www.alact.org and read about last year’s fundraiser under “golf events”.

USGA director puts his passion on paper
By Steve Kelly
When Rand Jerris was a college student working summers as an intern at the United States Golf Association his duties included answering the phone and then doing his best to answer research questions.
"Many of the questions involved golf course architecture," Jerris said.
Soon enough he knew that the "A.W." in A.W. Tillinghast stood for Albert Warren, a man who is credited with designing and redesigning a hundred or so American golf courses and a couple in Canada.
Many of Tillinghast's designs are among Americas's most legendary, including three in New York state: the East and West courses at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck and Bethpage Black, site of this year's U.S. Open, on Long Island.
Jerris, now 32, became hooked on Tillinghast's golf courses and his rather extraordinary life (Tillinghast died in 1942).
Jerris, born in Springfield's Mercy Hospital, was a resident of Hampden until 1979 and he now lives in Branchburg, N.J., and his long love affair with golf brought him back to Far Hills, N.J., and the USGA, where he holds the title of Director, Museum and Archives.
It's almost a case of "I'd-do-it-for-nothing."
He toiled at the USGA for years as a lightly paid intern through his undergraduate days at Williams College (where he played Taconic GC "four or five" times a week).
Then he continued as an intern at the USGA while working on his Masters degree at Williams (where he continued to roam the fairways at Taconic).
In 1994 he authored a 120-page paper on Tillinghast.
He then went on to Princeton, where he earned a Ph.D.
In the late 1990s "Doctor" Jerris was ready to open a practice - in golf history.
He had a job offer at the World Golf Hall of Fame but when the USGA had a position, he took it.
"The USGA has the largest and strongest library for research and collectibles," he said. That's what he wanted. "It's not hard work if you have passion."
On January 1 of this year he was appointed to his present position, which left him some time to do his own research on his favorite subject: A.W. Tillinghast.
Jerris said that Tillinghast's philosophy that "every hole should be unique and inspiring" has proven inspirational to him.
He studied Tillinghast. He photographed Tillinghast courses. He put much of it on paper.
Then, in this era of books on golf course architects, Sleeping Bear Press called and soon enough Jerris had another job.
Sleeping Bear offered a $10,000 advance and Jerris is now at work on a book he expects will reach about 300 pages and hopes to have in print by 2005.
"I've reformulated some of my thinking on Tillinghast since I wrote the paper in college," Jerris said.
He had played great Tillinghast courses while in high school (Winged Foot and Somerset Hills) but he didn't travel to other Tillinghast designs.
Since beginning work on the book Jerris has made "forty or fifty" visits to Tillinghast courses in the northeast, including a trip Marble Island Golf & Yacht Club, a nine-hole course in Essex Junction, Vermont.
"They were bulldozing the bunkers so I snapped photos as fast as I could," Jerris said.
Among the courses Jerris can talk about with authority is Berkshire Hills CC in Pittsfield (the only Massachusetts design credited to Tillinghast).
Berkshire Hills has undergone design changes but Jerris says holes like the par-3 17th are classic Tillinghast.
It calls for a semi-blind shot of about 160 yards to a small, elevated green.
"Par threes were his strength and the par threes at Berkshire Hills are really strong," Jerris said.
Tillinghast was very active before the Depression years in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Jerris has seen many of those courses.
Among the designs he plans to visit is Brook Hollow GC, a 1921 design in Dallas, Texas. It has undergone a couple of redesigns.
That's always a problem.
"During the Depression a lot of his courses changed. Their physical appearances changed," Jerris said.
In addition to photos he has taken, Jerris is planning to use many pre-WWII photos to show "pure" Tillinghast works.
Jerris has known for a long time what made Tillinghast special.
When he played Somerset Hills as a teenager he generally scored better than he did elsewhere and he determined that there was a reason.
"Something was different. I asked myself why I was playing better on this course than others", he said.
Tillinghast was an antique and art collector and he painted in water colors.
"The color, texture, balance and shadows" that Tillinghast used in his course designs "helped me to visualize the golf course," Jerris said. "His designs offered a different perspective."
Jerris said for the most part he found Tillinghast courses to be "small and intimate" until he saw Bethpage Black.
"It is grander, bolder and richer," Jerris said.
Interest in Tillinghast will be renewed and he will either receive enormous credit or be discredited for his contributions at Bethpage Black as the Open nears.
In the June 2002 issue of Golf Digest respected author Ron Whitten writes that Tillinghast does not, in fact, deserve credit for designing the Black Course at Bethpage.
Legend has it that Tillinghast - who Whitten said in "The Architects of Golf" in the 1993 revised edition honed an aristocratic image - had just about gone broke in the Depression years, had stopped designing courses, and had taken a job as editor of Golf Illustrated.
The design of Bethpage Black (and other courses at Bethpage) has been said to have been Tillinghast's comeback.
But Whitten, who in the 1981/1993 book co-authored with Amherst-based architect Geoffrey Cornish gives design credit to Tillinghast, now says the "true" architect was Joseph H. Burbeck, who was the superintendent at Bethpage State Park for many years and who had designed courses in the midwest in 1934. It is possible that Tillinghast was really signed on as a consultant for publicity purposes as the work-relief project began on several Bethpage courses in the mid-1930s. Whitten says Tillinghast may have done little more than write about the Black Course after it opened.
This is, of course, problematic for all involved in golf course architecture, particularly Jerris.
It's as if, say, Donald Ross courses around here were really done by architect Walter B. Hatch or that Doris Kearns Goodwin didn't really do the research on the Kennedy/Fitzgerald clan.
"Further research is necessary, but I think this story will force us to rethink Tillinghast's contribution to the project," Jerris responded.
So, if you call the USGA today and ask Jerris who designed Bethpage Black he might say "I'll get back to you."
But, if you buy his book in a few years Jerris will likely have answered that question.
And many more.

FleetBoston has a Fuzzy and Gentle lookBy STEVE KELLY
Senior PGA Tour rookies Fuzzy Zoeller and "Gentle" Ben Crenshaw have committed to play in the 22nd annual FleetBoston
Classic at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord July 26-28.
Zoeller, 50, won 10 PGA Tour events, including the 1979 Masters and the 1984 U.S. Open and he competed three times for the USA in the Ryder Cup matches.
"I've heard from other players that (FleetBoston Classic) it's a great event. I'm really looking forward to it," Zoeller was quoted as saying in a press release from the Senior PGA Tour.
A special "Warm & Fuzzy" ticket package is being offered because of Zoeller's appearance.
Admission for two for the week, invitation to a private reception with Zoeller, a box set of Fuzzy's four barbecue sauces and a $25 certificate at any one of the seven Wayland Golf stores is available for $149. The offer expires May 15. Call the tournament office (978-371-0116) for more information.
Crenshaw won two Masters titles and gained plenty of notoriety as the winning Ryder Cup captain when the USA rallied to claim the 1999 title at The Country Club.

DEFENDING AND THEN SOME - Larry Nelson has won the last two FleetBoston titles.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT: No experience is necessary. In 2001, there were over 1,400 volunteers. To request a volunteer registration form call the tournament office at 978-371-0116. Or send e-mail
to gvrieze@FleetGolf.com
. Volunteers will receive the following:
One golf shirt, one windshirt and one baseball hat or visor; volunteer parking pass; one volunteer badge (good for entry every day); lunch vouchers on workdays; volunteer party, July 27th; Five extra "good-any-day" tickets. The total retail value of this package is over $300.00! The cost of the
volunteer package is $55.00. Positions open to volunteers include construction, corporate partner services, merchandise, parking, pro-am, spectator services and transportation.

ALSO EXPECTED to compete at Nashawtuc are Hale Irwin, Bruce Fleisher, Allen Doyle, Dana Quigley, Tom Kite and Bruce Lietzke.

Letter from the editor

Just when it looked like we would be enjoying an early start to the golf season with three consecutive days in the 90's, the cold, wind and rain returned.
Stop the phone calls, email, and letters explaining the Berkshires is in Western Mass. We knew all along because the roads and bridges are not any better than around here. But we do know good golf is played on some great courses. We look forward to adding the Berkshire courses in our coverage. Steve Margargal, Berkshire Hills CC, will handle operations and report for the magazine.
The conditions of the courses for this time of year is exceptional. If you have not dusted off the clubs just yet you're missing out.
Many area courses have added state of the art irrigation systems including Southwick CC and Edgewood GC to avoid mid summer burnout. This should eliminate extra long drives by the senior sector. Now all they will get is reduced fees.
Name two golfers in Western Mass who have won club championships in each of six decades? None other than Sonny Rickless, Twin Hills CC, and Ann Southworth, The Blandford Club. Ann recorded her 27th title last year.
What is the best kept secret in Western Mass golf? The Lung Association Golf Privilege Card. If you think you will play three rounds of golf during the week this year, then purchase the card and you will save money. A perfect Father's day gift.
Need practice putting? Super Phipps Liquors has added a putting green for your enjoyment. Stop in and beat Jordan on your lunchbreak.
Quaboag superintendent Bob Aronowicz claimed his fourth Tee Party title in nine tries. Could it be the hole changer as a 14th club?
Bring back the Powers Open.
How many women in the 2004 U S Women's Open at The Orchards will match Steve Bys 63?
In the Oak Ridge GC 4-Ball, Warren Barker Memorial, is there a more solid team than Slate/Grout?
Several Western Mass courses made the top 100 courses in New England by the New England Journal of Golf including Crumpin Fox, The Ranch, and Chicopee CC. Where was Westover on the list? We asked. They never heard of it, we consider it to be in the top 10.
Email us if you ever played Streamline golf on the only course ever built for that purpose in Western Mass.
Have a great season! Jay

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