North Shore Golf editor Bill Brotherton
The North Shore of Massachusetts boasts a rich golf history. In the late 1880s, the North Shore was the summer playground for the wealthy and golf played a major role in attracting and engaging the well-to-do. A few holes began popping up on private land from Ipswich to Beverly to Gloucester. Then, in 1893, construction of the area’s first course began in Manchester and Essex County Club was established. Many more would follow.
As North Shore Golf magazine embarks on an exciting new adventure, we look back to the past in this issue’s cover story. The North Shore Golf staff has unearthed a wealth of little known facts, trivia and secrets about our courses, clubs and the men and women who have contributed to the region’s golf heritage. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. And if you know of stories we’ve neglected to mention, please share.
A little history about this magazine: It started in 2003 and for a decade won praise for its coverage of the North Shore’s golf scene. After a three-year hiatus, Lynn-based Essex Media Group, publisher of The Daily Item, La Voz, Lynnfield Weekly News, Peabody Weekly News and 01907 and ONE magazines, has revived and re-energized the publication. We warmed up with a digital-only fall edition, which can be seen on our website. Now we’re back for good; with a new issue arriving every quarter.
In this issue, we also preview the U.S. Senior Open Championship, which will be at Salem Country Club June 26 to July 2 and challenge the finest professional golfers age 50 and older. We learn from Matt Sawicki, the USGA’s director of championships, what it takes to prepare for and run such a mammoth endeavor. Plus, longtime Salem News scribe Gary Larrabee, who won the NEPGA’s 2016 George S. Wemyss Award for his contribution to the game and will write a column for each issue, looks back at Salem CC’s triumphant hosting of the 2001 Senior Open.
Wait, there’s more! Anne Marie Tobin, associate editor and a member of the Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame, tells the amazing story of Jay Monahan, the kid who grew up in Belmont, played at Winchester CC and is now commissioner of the PGA Tour. Tobin also writes about the late Bill Flynn’s being awarded the 2016 PGA of America Deacon Palmer Award.
Bob Green, longtime head PGA professional at Tedesco CC, in his Shades of Green column opines about a move to manufacture golf balls that don’t go as far! Huh?
We meet professional fitness trainer David DuPriest who says getting your body in shape for golf season is as important as having the swing itself in good shape.
We show how you can play Pebble Beach, St. Andrew’s and other iconic courses without leaving Massachusetts, thanks to The Clubhouse in Middleton. We report on changes in the pro shops at Essex CC and Myopia, plans for Lynnfield’s town courses King Rail and Reedy Meadow, and big improvements at Nahant Golf Club. We sample the chow at Gannon’s 19th hole.
We hope you enjoy the new North Shore Golf magazine. Let us know what you like, what you don’t like, what you’d like to see in future editions. This is your magazine; let us know how we can improve.
Let’s make some history of our own.
Please visit our website (northshoregolfmagazine.com) and Facebook page, which will both be updated regularly and serve as your go-to-place for all things North Shore golf and embracing the country club lifestyle.
Bill Brotherton is editor of North Shore Golf magazine. He grew up in Beverly, caddied and worked in the pro shop at Essex CC, is a Ouimet Scholar who graduated from Suffolk University, has written about golf for the Beverly Times and Daily Item of Lynn. He recently retired from the Boston Herald, where he wrote about music and edited the Features section. Like all of us, he can’t wait for golf season to begin!
Bill can be reached at bbrotherton@essexmediagroup.com.
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