Sixty-six degrees. That was the predicted high yesterday. It sure felt warmer than that. I gotta say, it was a great day to sit and write this first ever edition of the 413 Golf newsletter.

…In the middle of March, no less…

While I’m sure old man winter still has something up his sleeve, the late spring-like temperatures sure have me fired up for this golf season. What about you?

I was fortunate enough to chip and putt at my club earlier this week and play yesterday. I hope you’re finding a way to hit the links, too.

Wow, the first ever edition of the 413 Golf newsletter. I’m so happy to be writing this, and I’m so glad you’re here. My goal with the newsletter is to corral all the great things the Western Massachusetts golf community has to offer and energize it from one central location. The newsletter is our main content channel, so please share it with your golf buddies and anyone else interested in being part of this awesome and growing community. You can also find us on the Instagram. Go ahead and throw us a follow.

As a reminder, here’s what to expect with this newsletter. Now that we’re officially “in-season”, you’ll get two emails each week:

• On Fridays, you’ll get our weekend primer, highlighting that weekend’s events, deals, player/pro/member spotlights, reviews, and more

• On Tuesdays, you’ll get our weekend recap, with results from the past weekend, a look at what’s to come, player/pro/member spotlights, reviews, and more!

I welcome any ideas from the gallery, so please share them with me. If you have thoughts on events, courses, players, or news I should be covering, simply reply to this email. I appreciate your participation more than you’ll know.

Hit ‘em long. Hit ‘em straight.

Tournaments & Outings

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

With the golf season still waiting to kick into full gear, here’s a look at the tournament schedules currently available along with a few key events open to registration. As we get deeper into the golf season, we’ll be highlighting the upcoming weekend’s events and outings across the region.

• The 2024 schedule is set for Ludlow Country Club, complete with many open events in addition to member-only outings. Learn more.

• Northampton Country Club’s schedule is set for the season. Learn more.

• The 2024 schedule for Orchards Golf Club is available with a few registrations open. Check it out.

• The Ranch has its 2024 schedule out. Ranch Open is Aug. 9-10. See it here.

• Registration has begun for a number of open events at Stockbridge Golf Club, including the Stockbridge Classic (May 17), Senior Four-Ball (June 26), and the Stockbridge Trophy (June 1-2). Learn more.

• At Berkshire Hills, you can register now for the Pewter Cup Classic and the Singles Championship.

• Registration isn’t open until April 1, but mark your calendars for the 2024 Western Mass. Open at the Orchards on June 24.

• Registration for the Worthington Cup (July 8-9) is open. This is likely to fill up, so inquire soon.

Did we miss any events open for registration? Is your club’s tournament schedule not listed? Let us know by replying to this email and we’ll be sure to get it into the next edition!

Featured 413 Golf Course

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

Shaker Farms Country Club | Westfield, Mass.

Once the place to be if you were a golfer in the area, Shaker Farms has endured through some harrowing years. In the last few, though, some TLC has started bringing her back into form. (In full transparency, I’m among its faithful membership.)

No matter the playing conditions, though, you can’t deny her layout. It’s among my favorite in the area.

The Geoffrey Cornish design is of extremely high-quality with most holes forcing a fair bit of course management. False fronts are everywhere and the pins are often unfair. I’m a huge fan of the men’s league, which is always a blast. The small menu hasn’t missed yet, and the beer is always cold.

If you’re ever in my neck of the woods, I’d love to take you out. Check out a gallery of photos originally shared via the 413 Golf Instagram (might as well give us a follow, too)

413 Golf Community Member Spotlight

In each edition of the 413 Golf Newsletter, we’ll feature a member of the 413 Golf community making news or waves in the game. Today, get to know:

Ryan Downes

Ryan, a Longmeadow High School senior, is one of the nation’s top-ranked junior golfers. If you’ve paid any attention to Massachusetts or junior amateur golf, you know his name — and impressive resume.

Ryan is the reigning Massachusetts Amateur champion (the youngest ever to claim the title) and has won two straight Ouimet Memorial titles. Other impressive finishes included: 3rd at the Mass. Junior, 9th at the Jones Cup Junior Invitational, 1st at the Justin Thomas Junior Championship, and two straight Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) individual titles.

The son of Greathorse head professional Billy Downes, Ryan is committed to attend and play at Vanderbilt University this fall.

News & Notes

• Not sure what courses are open? Check out the MGA’s tracker here.

• First Tee of Massachusetts programs at both The Ranch (ages 7-13) and Fenway Golf (Ages 7-11) are full and accepting waitlisted players. Players aged 11 and above can still register for the Fenway Golf program.

• LPGA Jr. Girls Golf is still accepting members for its program at The Ranch. Click here to learn more.

• East Mountain Country Club, Springfield Country Club, Country Club of Wilbraham, and Orchards are all home to the PGA Jr. League this spring. Learn more and register your youngster.

• Jim DiRico takes over helm at Tekoa Country Club as Head Golf Professional

• Agawam’s Angela Garvin (Grad) begins spring season at New Mexico State University

• Gillette Stadium hosts the Northeast Golf Show March 15-17. Learn more and get tickets here.

• Next weekend, March 22-24, the Connecticut Golf Show will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

Well here we are. You made it all the way to the bottom. Thanks so much for joining me on this scroll stroll. I can’t thank you enough for reading.

If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing to a friend, your playing buddies, or anyone else you think may enjoy this type of information. If you didn’t like it, please consider telling us why!