WINTER TRAVEL ONLINE ISSUE VOL.9 NO.6 WINTER 2019/2020 29 YEARS OF THE BEST COVERAGE OF GOLF IN RI, MASS & CONN Players of the Year Bobby Leopold Pam Kuong Jen Holland Rhode Island Massachusetts Connecticut Kibbe Reilly Matt Parziale Richard Dowling Rhode Island Massachusetts Connecticut 3 COVER STORY 20 C. MASS NOTEBOOK 4 FROM THE EDITOR 21 W. MASS NOTEBOOK Connecticut’s 6 GOLF INSTRUCTION 22 PRODUCT REVIEWS Ben James 9 R.I. NOTEBOOK 24 NEW SEABURY holding the 12 JUNIOR GOLF 25 SCOTTSDALE 15 CT. NOTEBOOK 26 MYRTLE BEACH Presidents Jr. 18 E. MASS NOTEBOOK 27 COURSE LOCATOR MAP Cup TEE TO TEE TO GREEN 19 WOMEN’S GOLF AND MUCH MORE! Giving Now available in card form. Give the special people in your life the freedom to get what they really want. Stop by any Navigant Credit Union branch this holiday season to purchase all your VISA® gift cards. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! Visa® is a trademark owned by Visa International Service Association and used under license. Navigant Credit Union is federally insured by NCUA. See a member service rep for details. COVER STORY By BRUCE VITTNER Southern New England’s Players of the Year ages 11, 15 and 18 have the most of the banks and credit unions March 1994 with the help of a new in Mass. and Mike Capone in R.I. Player’s of the Year, but below in Rhode Island wanted to be part partner, Ray Lacallaide, we started We named our female player of the is a little synopsis of how this of this new publication that was printing a newspaper. We had been year and it was Donna Glazer. Ppublication got to where it is now, starting as golf was booming. following the golf scene closely In 2000 Dave Adamonis moved to and how we named our Players of For those of you Rhode Islanders and decided to name the Players of Florida to start the Johnson & Wales the Year. old enough to remember 1990, the Year for 1993. They were Dr. golf program and the publication We have been doing this the first day of the New Year and George Pirie and Kim Augusta, was now my responsibility. We have publication for 29 years. It started the new decade was marred by a and the junior player of the year had players of the year every year out as just Rhode Island golf news “Banking Crisis.” Governor Sundlun was MacKenzie Hurd. Our first since then, both men and women. and was called Ocean State Golf. announced that a great many credit issue of 1995 (February) named It was 2010 when this publication Golf was very popular back in unions and a few banks were closed our 2004 player of the year, and it became Southern New England 1990. Tiger Woods was making his for business as the auditors tried to was Dr. Pirie again, who went on Golfer. We decided to cover all mark and creating a huge impact figure out what was wrong. to win many more. I think we have of Connecticut and the rest of in the number of men, women and Alas, many of our advertisers more pictures of him than anyone Massachusetts to go along with children who wanted to take up the had their doors closed. “No Soup else. Regretfully, we did not have our original format of just game of golf. for You” meant no advertising for a women’s player of the year. Paul covering Rhode Island and eastern Our first issue was a four-color us. We combined forces with Don Quigley was our winner in 1995. Massachusetts. This past June magazine to coincide with an Paulus and Frank Drake, who were In 1996 the winner was Brad was when the latest iteration of LPGA event called the Ocean State running a successful business and Adamonis. Amazingly, Brad is now the publication took place. We Invitation that was taking place were also looking into starting a golf trying to earn his PGA card again have switched to online-only. This at Newport Country Club in the publication at the same time. The at the age of 46. He has made it to reporter, publisher, editor and spring of 1990. Dave Adamonis, four of us combined to get that first the finals of Q School. In 1997 we maintenance man has seen the last Sr. and I had spent almost a year issue published. It was an artistic combined our Ocean State Golf and change that will be taking place—I figuring out if a golf publication was success, but a financial disaster. Bay State Golf publications and the hope. Please enjoy and sorry for the economically feasible. It seemed like Dave and I kept the name and in players of the year were Jim Salinetti long dissertation. SERVING NEW ENGLAND GOLFERS SINCE 1983 SPECIAL HOLIDAY SAVINGS TITLEIST ADIDAS $ $ PRO V1, PRO V1X, & $ ADIPOWER 4ORGED AVX GOLF BALLS WAS $139.99 30 8 WAS $47.99 DZ 60 99 NOW $7999 OFF OFF NOW $39 DZ OFF WHILE SUPPLIES LAST SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFER BUSHNELL EXPIRES 12/31/19 PHANTOM GPS WAS $129.99 NOW $9999 EXPIRES 1/4/20 CRANSTON AUBURN HARTFORD DANVERS BRAINTREE 60 Freeway Dr. 619 Southbridge St. 75 Brainard Rd. 4 Newbury St. 2 Campeneli Dr. (401) 467-8740 (508) 407-7692 (860) 522-6829 (978)-777-4653 (781) 848-9777 Visit us online @ worldwidegolfshops.com SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND GOLFER / Winter 2019/2020 / 401-464-8445 / www.snegolfer.com 3 FROM THE EDITOR elcome to the December ered Kibbe Reilly and Bobby Leo- drama because the Internationals 2019 issue of Southern pold for well over a decade, dating were expected to be overmatched New England Golfer. This back to when this publication was and played so well right from the isW now the fourth issue that has been known as Ocean State Golf. I can first match of the event. totally online, and I think we are still recall meeting Leopold when he What an accomplishment for Ben Editor/Publisher getting better at it. I know that the first came to Rhode Island and was James and Michael Thornbjornsen BRUCE VITTNER subscribers continue to grow, so we wondering how he might get to play to earn spots on the Junior Presi- [email protected] must be doing something right. It is in the Northeast Amateur. Denny dents Cup team and travel all the Design/Production certainly easier getting pictures and Glass was the tournament director way to Australia to compete. The JASON MORONEY other info at low resolution and have at the time, and when Bob said that Americans won 14-10, but all the behance.net/moroneydesign1 it look great on a computer screen. he had just finished near the top at players should be applauded for rep- We also don’t miss delivering papers the Hornblower at Plymouth G.C., resenting their countries and playing Contributing Writers throughout the southern New En- I called Denny and he found a spot in over 100 degree temperature with DAVE ADAMONIS, JR. gland region. for him. 40 mph winds. Both players have BRUCE BERLET This issue has a few travel stories in The Presidents Cup was great dra- been fixtures on the U.S. Challenge TODD CAMPBELL it. All to places much warmer than ma and riveting television. I’m sure Cup program for many years. There SCOTT CORDISCHI New England. It’s fun to take my most of the golf fans stayed up until is no question that this competition KATHARINE DYSON golf clubs out when I hear that it is midnight watching the matches. It has made them better players and JAY GEARAN snowing back home. Sorry. wasn’t decided until the next to last more importantly great examples TIM GEARY Congratulations to our players of player (Matt Kuchar) won the 17th of the golfing level in New England. TOM GORMAN the year. It is a wonderful accom- hole in his match. It was Kuchar’s Our Season Passport continues RUSS HELD plishment and we are happy to give first singles win ever in this com- to sell very well. I think that people BRUCE HUTCHINSON them a little recognition. We’ve cov- petition. I think it made for better are buying the book for holiday PAUL KENYON presents in some cases, but most MIKE KIRBY are just hoping that they can use the STEVE ZARRIELLO books soon after the new year on Staff Photographers an unusually warm day. Let’s hope. JIM CALORIO Continued on page 30 BOB LAVALLEE Sales Manager TRIVIA JIM HAMMOND Account Executive Presidents Cup JIM GRAY BUCKY SHEEHAN 1. Where was the 2013 event JAY WHITE held? 2. Where was it held this year? Web Design 3. Where was the event held in BLACKDOORCREATIVE.COM 2011? 4. Who has served most often as Publishing Information: Southern New captain for U.S.? England Golfer is published 6 times per 5. Who for the International year: Feb, May, June, August, September, team? and Dec. 6. What year did it begin? Editorial: Mail all articles, releases, 7. Where can International and other items to Editor, Southern players reside? New England Golfer, P.O. BOX 10038, 8. Has there ever been a tie? Cranston, RI 02910. Materials will not 9. How many have the Americans be returned unless accompanied by a won? Play at more than stamped, self-addressed envelope. All 10. If a tie, in what country was 200 golf and rights reserved. country clubs it held? South Africa South when you travel 10.