JUNE/JULY 2021 | VOL 11 NO 2 SNEGOLFER.COM SNE GOLFER MUNIS. ISSUE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES the Foundation for Golf in the U.S.A. CONTENTS Southern New England Golfer | SNEGOLFER.COM PAG E 11 PAG E 15 PAG E 42 PHIL THE THRILL SAM BURNS NEW SEABURY COVER STORY MUNIS ARE THE RHODE ISLAND CONNECTICUT 05 BACKBONE 08 MUNIS 17 MUNIS EASTERN MASS. CENTRAL MASS. BOSTON-AREA 33 MUNIS 35 MUNIS 39 MUNIS WESTERN MASS. MYRTLE BEACH MAP & 41 MUNIS 44 GOLF 47 LISTINGS TRIVIA Billy Casper Billy 1. Who was the first U.S. Women’s Open winner? 10. Hale Irwin Hale 2. Who was the first amateur to win the U.S. Open? 9. Nancy Lopez and Arnold Palmer Arnold and Lopez Nancy 3. What state was he from? 8. 1978 4. What golfer invented the sand wedge? 7. LPGA Championship LPGA 5. What is the name of the bridge across the water to 6. Sarazen Bridge Sarazen number 15 at Augusta National? 5. Gene Sarazen Gene 6. What was Nancy Lopez’s first major? 4. Massachusetts 7. What year? (within 5 years) 3. Francis Ouimet? Francis 8. What two golfing stars have signature courses at “The Villages”? 2. Patty Berg Patty 9. Who designed New England Country Club? 1. 10. Who won five Vardon Trophies during the 1960s? Editor/Publisher EDITORIAL BRUCE VITTNER [email protected] Sales Manager Welcome to our second issue of 2021. The pandemic seems to be JIM GRAY nearing its end, and the golf courses continue to see huge increases Account Executives in play. Life is good! DAVE HONEYWELL I’m not sure that we will ever top the 46 pages of golfing information JACOB RESENDES that was in the May 2021 issue, but this one does. I was playing golf at Goddard State Park in East Greenwich, R.I. when I realized how lucky Graphic Design the golfing public is to have courses that do not charge much money STEPHANIE MARTINEAU to play this wonderful game. The nine-hole rate is $10 for seniors and [email protected] juniors, and just a few dollars more for everyone else. Cart fees are $15 for two riders. Web Design blackdoorcreative.com Wasn’t that a thrill to watch Phil Mickelson win the PGA Championship at Kiowah Island. What a triumph, and what a course. Contributing Writers We have a little story about his “win for the ages” on page 8. Joe BRUCE BERLET Calabro started a golf news website for Rhode Island as something TODD CAMPBELL to do during the pandemic. Scott Cordischi highlights his efforts and JOE CALABRO we’ve got him writing a Junior Golf story in this issue. SCOTT CORDISCHI We had a Zoom press conference for The Travelers Championship BILL DOYLE on May 10, and tournament director Nathan Grube and Travelers KATHARINE DYSON JAY GEARAN executive vice president Andy Bessette talked about raising $1.6 TIM GEARY million last year even though there were no fans. “There were 37 TOM GORMAN people standing around the 18th green when Dustin Johnson won,” MIKE KIRBY recalled Bessette. “How great it will be to have fans again this year,” CHRIS MIRACLE he added. Bruce Berlet does a fine job highlighting the event that will JOHN TORSIELLO be held the week after the U.S. Open. We try to get at least one travel story in every issue. This issue For Advertising Information is highlighting Cape Cod where a group of us played Hyannis Golf Call: Club (a fine muni), New Seabury, a wonderful 36-hole facility that is 401-464-8445 one of the tops in the country, and Blue Rock a fine Par 3 course in E-Mail: So. Yarmouth. Thanks for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce for [email protected] setting up this fine press trip. We have one of the best amateur tournaments in the country right Southern New England Golfer is published here in E. Providence, R.I. with the Northeast Amateur Tournament. 4 times per year: Spring, June/July, August/ You can get up close and personal with the players, many who you September, and Fall. Occasional emails will go out to subscribers throughout the year. will be seeing on television when watching the PGA Tour. One of my best interviewing memories was sitting for twenty minutes talking to Mail all articles, releases and other items to: a 16-year-old for 20 minutes. His name was Justin Thomas! Collin Editor, Southern New England Golfer Morikawa has won the event, and Tiger Woods, Ben Crenshaw and P.O. Box 10038, Cranston, RI 02910 Bryson DeChambeau have played in the tournament that is free for Materials will not be returned unless spectators. The event will be June 23-26. accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed Enjoy the issue. Please tell your friends to subscribe (it’s free) and envelope. All rights reserved. please support the advertisers who feel that this is a good vehicle for Southern New England Golfer is not reaching their customers. Keep your head down and swing easy. responsible for advertising copy. Corrected advertising will be placed in future issues. BRUCE VITTNER Member of the Golf Writers of America and the Golf Travel Writers © 2021 Reproduction without permission is strictly of America and can be reached at [email protected]. prohibited. We think you deserve a spot on our wall. Begin your customer-owner journey today. Learn more about Navigant Credit Union’s digital services and products at navigantcu.org. COVER STORY By BRUCE VITTNER middle 60’s. We’d caddie once in a MUNICIPAL COURSES – while to get money to play golf. WHERE SO MANY LEARN Golf is truly a game of a lifetime. This reporter has probably played THE GAme over 1,000 softball games, but can’t do that anymore. But I can still his reporter started ten years with a double set, but I had manage to get fresh air out on the playing the game of golf them figured out enough to break 80 golf course and still have something Tat twelve-years-old. That’s occasionally. competitive to play and thing about a very long time ago, but some of my Where did I learn how to play? when not playing. What can be better best memories in sports and many Municipal golf courses. My brother than that! of my best friends are a direct result and I’s favorite was Willimantic Golf This issue is paying homage of golf. Our family didn’t have a lot Club in Connecticut. It cost $1.50 to those cities and towns that had of money, but I was lucky in that my for nine holes and you could play all the foresight to realize that golf is Dad’s brother was left-handed, and day for $3. We’d get dropped off in a wonderful sport for a lifetime and as he bought new clubs he handed the morning and play until almost provides exercise and enjoyment to the old ones down to me. supper time. One day we managed their constituents. We have seven At first it was just a driven, three- to play 45 holes, but we only did that writers covering these municipal wood, 3-5-7-9 irons and a putter. A once—very sore feet! golf courses throughout southern couple years later he bought a full The point is that without New England in this issue. If you set and gave me his hand-me-downs municipal courses, we would not haven’t played a muni in a while, give (his newer 3-5-7 and 9 irons). They have been able to play very often. it a try. ■ were heavier than the first clubs he When I got my driver’s license I would had given me, so they became the go to Triggs Municipal Golf Course Bruce Vittner is publisher/ 2-4-6 and 8. These clubs lasted me in Providence with my schoolmates. editor of snegolfer.com until I got a full-time job at 22. Yes, It cost $2.50 for nine holes in the FREE CUSTOM FITTINGS IN-STORE! G425 SIM2 MAX EPIC SPEED UTILIZING THE BEST FITTING TECHNOLOGY IN THE RETAIL GOLF INDUSTRY! • FULL SWING TECHNOLOGY • CERTIFIED FITTING EXPERTS • COMPLETE SET CUSTOMIZATION • TRADE-INS WELCOME HARTFORD AUBURN CRANSTON DANVERS BRAINTREE 75 Brainard Rd. 619 Southbridge St. 60 Freeway Dr. 4 Newbury St. 2 Campanelli Dr. (860) 522-6829 (508) 407-7692 (401) 467-8740 (978) 777-4653 (781) 848-9777 Free fitting does not apply to the Performance Centers. Visit us online worldwidegolfshops.com@ 5 Instruction - TODD CAMPBELL when you look at your longer putts from this point of view. The game I play is to putt out into the hole The Keys from each distance in order 10, 20 & 30 ft., and the repeat 2 more times for a total of 9 holes played. My to Putting goal is to either 1 or 2 putt from each distance, with a maximum score of 18 for the 9 holes played. I find that I will 1 putt a few of the holes, so I typically will hen a student comes in for a first-time end up with a score of around 15. lesson, it starts with a discussion on the Wstate of their game, where they are at, By spending some time on your putting and and where they want to be. The typical student that getting your total putts per round down to the low is struggling to break 100 or 90 finds the greatest 30’s, you will be able to shave off quite a few strokes drop in scores by cleaning up the short game starting from your score.