Happy Friday!

Apologies for the delay in programming. It’s been a busy last few weeks with vacations and other priorities. In truth, I’m still working on finding a way to balance work and family obligations while running this fun side project.

You have my commitment, though, to keep bringing you the flavor of the 413 golf scene. I’ll be playing around with formats for a bit to find the right mix of content — tournament schedules and news, reviews, and looks into the great people that make the 413 golf world go round.

As always, I could use your help. Please ask your local club to share with me its news — whether member tournaments, course news, or other key information worth spreading across the region. They (or you) can submit here or simply email [email protected]. Thanks again for your continued support.

With that, let’s get to this week’s edition, including:

• An update on the tournaments and outings recently completed and those you should get on your radar ASAP

• A deep dive into the lovely Taconic Golf Club

• News and notes from the 413 Golf community

• And more!

Hit ‘em long. Hit ‘em straight.

Tournaments & Outings

A look at the tournaments and outings important to the 413 Golf community this week.

413 Golf Events: Would you be interested in a mix of fun and competitive events across the region later this fall and next season? Let me know by replying!

Recently Completed

• Adam Brickle and Aaron Nackoul combined to go 21-under to win the Championship Flight at the 42nd Pewter Cup at Berkshire Hills. See all flight winners and results here.

• Marshall Prokop and Marc Jemilo teamed up to win the Championship Division at the Worthington Cup. Steve Magargal and Joe Barowski (First Division), Eric Moster and Greg Barcher (Second Division Gross), and Don Pierce and Brian Gravel (Second Division Net) also claimed victories.

• Annie Dai of Longmeadow is in the hunt in the Women’s Division at the prestigious Ouimet Memorial with one round to play. Springfield Country Club’s Todd Ezold was in the mix in the Lowery Division. Heading into today’s final round, he was three shots off the lead and in solo third place while Jack Kearney of Westover was T4. Follow results here.

• Ryan Cote of CC of Greenfield was the top local finisher (T38) at the New England Amateur Championship earlier this month.

• Longmeadow Country Club’s Wes Paine rolled to a four-point (Stableford format) victory at the 10th annual Massachusetts Young Golfers’ Amateur.

• GreatHorse’s Ryan Downes fell in the quarterfinals of the Mass. Amateur Championship after sneaking into match play and advancing through the rounds of 32 and 16. He also recently competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur. Next up for Downes is the U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minn. before heading to Vanderbilt University to play for the Commodores.

Upcoming

• Berkshire Hills will also host its 67th Singles Championship this weekend. See results here. 

• The CC of Greenfield is hosting its 79th Invitational this weekend. Look for results next week!

• The Ledges in South Hadley hosts the Amateur Public Links Championship Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll have more on this in next week’s edition but you can follow results here.

• Cold Spring Country Club will host the Western Mass. Junior Open on Monday. Learn more and register here.

• Northampton Country Club will host the Ralph Parsons Memorial Open Four Ball Aug. 30-Sept. 2. Click here for the registration form.

  Got an event or outing you want to see here? Let me know by simply replying to this email!

Featured 413 Golf Course

Western Massachusetts is home to so many highly-rated private clubs, popular public courses, and countless hidden gems. Each week, we’ll feature one of the many courses across the region. This week, get to know:

Taconic Golf Club

Nestled in Williamstown, this classic course originally installed in 1896 (making it one of the nation’s oldest tracks) has undergone numerous transformations, evolving into a premier course while preserving its traditional charm. The club carries a storied past and has become a course literally everyone should play at least once.

I had the chance to play it for the first time in late June and only wish I lived closer — as I’d love to play it every single day. The challenging tee shots, narrow landing areas, and — at times — unfair green complexes all combine into a masterpiece.

Renowned for its meticulously maintained greens and challenging layout, the Williams College campus course was designed by famed architect Wayne Stiles in 1927 and later refined by Rees Jones. With rolling fairways, strategic bunkers, and stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains, each hole offers a unique test of skill and strategy.

Visit TaconicGolf.com to learn more and book a tee time.

News & Notes

• Kim Nastri is holding Ladies Golf Clinics at The Ranch Thursdays throughout August. The clinics will focus on putting, chipping, pitching and bunker play, the full swing, and etiquette. The cost is $140 for all clinics and $30 per. To sign up, email [email protected] or call 802-238-4573.

• Shaker Farms has one week remaining in its 2024 Junior Camp series. Email [email protected] to learn more and register for the July 29-Aug. 1 and/or Aug. 7-10 camps.

Thanks so much for reading. If you like what you see, please consider giving this a share. Send it to all your golfing buddies and help grow the 413 Golf community!