Giving Thanks

It's crazy that Thanksgiving is in two days! As this is a week where we reflect and give thanks for what the year has brought us, here are some things that come to mind here at Golf House:

Our three ‘Majors’ are now all officially over the hill! The state Open, Amateur, and Junior Amateur have now all celebrated their centennial years and we are proud to run some of the most venerated local events in the country.

WOW! From its humble beginnings with four events in 2010, the MGA Member Day program has grown to be not only one of our most popular offerings, but also a program that caters to the widest range of golfers in the state.

From Bob Beach and Fred Corcoran, to our dedicated Junior Golf instructors, to individuals in every corner of the state who continue to use golf as a vehicle to give back, we cannot say enough about what they do for the game every day.

The first ever Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame Gala was an amazing night to reflect on how far we have come, and look optimistically toward the future - golf truly does bring great people together and will continue to do so!

From the Championship player to the weekend warrior, from the smallest 9-holer to the club with a thousand members and everything in between, we could not do what we do without YOU! We are proud to serve you, our membership and promote and preserve this great game in our great state! Have a happy and healthy (or unhealthy, if that's your thing) Thanksgiving!

The future of the game

This past season we've had something pretty neat going on at MGA Links, our 18-hole par 3 course in Norton. Thanks to the efforts of Dave Barend, who's daughters Sadie and Jillian love golf and play at The Links, we've had a monthly Girls Golf League!

Interest in this has been huge - at last week's tournament we had more than 100 girls show up to play! It's so great to see young girls getting involved in the game!

We're hoping to get a December event in (weather permitting). If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the Girls Independent Golf League, email Dave Barend at dbarend@comcast.net.

Check out more great photos from the event!

Great news from sunny Bermuda!

Last week, golf administrators from across the country were in beautiful Bermuda for the annual IAGA conference followed by the GHIN annual meeting. And we have some fantastic news to report - at the USGA GHIN meetings, the MGA was the recipient of the prestigious 'Best Service - Large Association' award!

We were selected from a pool of the largest 26 associations in the country. The award is based on responses from club surveys that the USGA conducts. The responses that determine the award are member clubs' satisfaction with our service and accessibility. Scott Guild, our director of handicapping, accepted the award on our behalf. Not enough can be said about how much work Scott Guild and our other Scott (Whitcomb - director of field operations) do to ensure that our Member Clubs are where they need to be throughout the golf season.

This award is a big deal for us, not because we want to congratulate ourselves, but because we take great pride in the service that we provide to our Member Clubs and Golfers. It is very rewarding that our Member Clubs appreciate the job that we do - thank you to all our Member Clubs, from the Berkshires to Cape Cod and everywhere in between, for the enthusiasm and feedback throughout the season. We are continually able to do our jobs better and improve every day because of you! Cheers!

To learn more about the types of services we offer Member Clubs, click here.
To learn more about the types of benefits we offer to individual golfers, click here.

Golf Gives Back! (Again...)

Our friends at the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund have some exciting things going on lately! Not only are they gearing up for a year full of great events, they've also been granted FOUR Boston Marathon bibs for 2015 through the John Hancock Nonprofit Program. They are currently accepting applications for runners - if you love golf, philanthropy, and running, you should check them out!

Last year with just two bibs, the Fund was able to raise more than $20,000 for need-based Ouimet scholarships. This year, the goal is even higher - run with #teamouimet and help hundreds of Scholars pay for their college education!

As someone who has a personal connection to the marathon, I can tell you that this is a great opportunity! The Ouimet Fund is an awesome group of people and such a worthy cause.

Click here for more information. If you apply by 12/1 and are selected, your race entry fee will be paid for by the Ouimet Fund.

Just another great example of golf-related philanthropy!