Editor’s Pick: Quintessential New England Golf Tournaments
by Sean Melia of AmateurGolf.com
Hyannisport Golf Club (Credit: Links Gems)
Although the golf season is shorter in New England, there are plenty of opportunities for players to scratch their heads.
The events are steeped in history and venues like Hyannisport Club, Newport CC and Stanwich Club offer players a chance to experience great golf with exceptional designs.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting different regions of the country and the events players can participate in.
Let’s explore the events in the New England region.
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Four-balled Gulls; April 2 to 10; Club Hyannisport (Massachusetts)
Hyannisport Club hosts the Seagulls over two weekends. The prestigious venue, opened in 1887 and designed by Alex Findlay and later Donald Ross, is a jewel in Cape Cod’s crown.
A one-day qualifier on Saturday is followed by the first round of match play on Sunday. The event concludes the following weekend with matches on Saturday and Sunday.
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Vermont Spring Four-Ball Championship; April 30 – May 1; several places
A 36-hole event is reserved for VGA members; it is New England’s largest amateur event and offers three handicap flights.
1. Championship Flight: Combined handicaps of 12 or less.
2. Combined handicaps of 13 or more. Flights of 16 teams.
3. Senior Championship: Each team member must be 55 years of age or older.
The event takes place at venues in the northern and southern region of Vermont.
North Region Sites: Neshobe GC, Proctor-Pittsford CC, Rutland CC
Venus South Region: Dorset Field Club, Manchester CC, The Golf Club at Equinox
Equinox Golf Resort (Credit: Golf Pass)
New Hampshire Match Play Championships; May 10 – September 20; several places
The New Hampshire Match Play Championship takes place throughout the summer and is limited to NHGA club members. An 18-hole stroke play qualifier is followed by four rounds of match play which take place at various clubs in the state.
There are mid-am and senior divisions. The top 16 players from each division qualify for match play.
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John P. Burke Memorial; 16 – 17 May; Newport (RI) CC
One of the five founding clubs of the USGA, the Newport Country Club opens its doors to golfers who are members of RIGA Member Clubs and RIGA Membership holders.
The tournament is a 36-hole stroke play tournament played over two weekends, with raw and clean competition. Players aged 55 and over will compete simultaneously in the tournament’s proper division and the senior division.
Newport CC (Credit: USGA)
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Russell C. Palmer; 16 – 17 May; Wampanoag CC; West Hartford, Conn.
The Russel C. Palmer Cup is the Connecticut Stroke Play Championship. The Wampanoag CC host club was built in 1924. Like other courses hosting major events in New England, it was designed by Donald Ross. Over the course of two days, competitors play three rounds of stroke play, navigating some of Connecticut’s toughest and fastest greens.
Named for Russell C. Palmer, former CSGA General Manager (1986-1995) and Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee (1997).
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Hornblower Invitational; June 3-4; Plymouth (Massachusetts) CC
This event began in 1936 and was reinvigorated in the 1960s when the original Hornblower trophy was discovered in the back of a closet by a member and the head pro. Plymouth CC is a Donald Ross design, and the event’s name is in honor of Henry Hornblower, a Boston businessman and key member of the club when it was founded.
The Hornblower is a 36-hole stroke play event that takes place over two days with a cut after 18 holes.
Each year approximately 65% of the field is filled by invitation, the rest of the field is filled from applications open to anyone with an active GHIN rating of 3.0 or less.
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Downeast Metro Amateur; June 11-12; Kebo Valley; Bar Harbor, Maine
Nestled between the edge of Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Narrows in Bar Harbor, ME, Kebo Valley CC hosts the Downeast Metro Amateur in June. There are four divisions: an open division, a junior division for 14 to 17 year olds, a senior division and a women’s division.
Kebo Valley was founded in 1888 and designed by Herbert Leeds, who also designed Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, MA.
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Coastline Amateur Golf Championship; 24 – 26 June; Wentworth-by-the-Sea CC; Rye, NH
Started in 1981, the Seacoast Amateur is designed to find the best player in coastal New Hampshire. The field is not limited to players from coastal area clubs, however, they must play their majority of golf in southeastern New Hampshire.
In addition to the individual 54-hole stroke play event, there is a club competition – the Kay Stulb Memorial Championship. Any club with three or more players can participate. The club’s three best scores count towards the total score.
Home courses have changed over the years. Abenaqui Country Club, Wentworth By The Sea and Portsmouth CC were the original hosts. Now Breakfast Hill, York Golf and Tennis, Cochecho Country Club, The Ledges, The Links at Outlook Golf Course and Pease Golf Club have finally joined to host the tournament.
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Worcester County Amateur Championship; 2 – 3 July; Kettle Brook GC; Paxton, Massachusetts and Wachusett CC; West Boylston, Mass.
This 36-hole stroke play event began in 1986 and is still hosted by the same two Massachusetts courses. The winner of the first two Worcester County amateurs, Fran Quinn, is the father of Owen Quinn who is currently a three-time defending champion.
Other notable winners are MassGolf Hall of Famer Frank Vana Jr., who has won it six times, and Matt Parziale, the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion.
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New England Amateur Championship; 18 – 20 July; Alpine CC; Cranston, RI
Held since 1926, the New England Amateur brings together players from six states in the New England region. The event host rotates between each of the six states represented. The tournament has been won by notable PGA Tour players such as JJ Henry (1998), Tim Petrovic (1986), Billy Andrade (1983) and Brad Faxon (1980, 1981).
Entries are open to amateur golfers who are members of a club belonging to one of the six New England State Golf Associations and who have a current USGA/GHIN Handicap Rating no greater than 6, 4.
Alpine CC (Credit: Stacy Smith Photography)
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Small brown pitcher; August 19 – 21; Wahconah CC; Dalton, Mass.
“The Jug” is a four-ball event held over 54 holes; he will celebrate his 50th birthday in August. The tournament’s location in western Massachusetts attracts players from New York and Massachusetts.
Over the past 10 years, over 600 players representing 140 different clubs have played in the tournament’s four different divisions.
Registration for the event opens June 1.
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The Farrell; September 30 – October 2; Stanwich Club; Greenwich, Conn.
The Farrell offers golfers the opportunity to play one of Connecticut’s finest courses, the Stanwich Club. This is a new tournament in 2022 to which anyone with a World Handicap System (WHS) Handicap Index not exceeding 4.0. can apply to participate. The event will consist of 18-hole stroke play, with the top 16 players advancing to match play.
There is a men’s, women’s and seniors division.
The tournament is named after Stanwich’s head professional, Billy Farrell. Farrell was the club’s first-ever chief golf professional, a role he held from 1964 until his retirement in 2000.
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New England Series; Various locations in spring, summer and fall
This series of events offers players the chance to play on some of the most exclusive courses in the area – The Kittansett Club, Myopia Hunt, Wannamoisett CC. Players of all skill levels are welcome and it’s a great way to meet new people and test your game under a little pressure.
The Kittansett Club (Credit: Kittansett.org)
