I want to start this newsletter by thanking Bob Ranahan, Kevin Ranahan, Steve Craven, and our own Dan Espinosa for securing, transporting, and delivering nine new benches to The Links free of charge. Like these firefighters, the benches are a welcome addition to The Links.
This month, the golf course will be open every day at 8 a.m. and stay open until sunset. Tee times are required. Call the pro shop or check the website to see if the course is open for play. Our Golfzon Simulators open one half hour after the pro shop opens.
The first groups will begin at the time scheduled and not earlier to allow our grounds staff to get a jump on what they need to do to set up play for the day. If you are unable to make your tee time, please contact the pro shop ASAP and prior to your start time so that others may schedule play during that time frame. Members may book tee times 10 days in advance; the general public 7 days in advance.
Please review the local rules on the scorecard. Take good care of the course by replacing divots, smoothing bunkers, re-pairing your ball marks (plus one other), and not causing unnecessary damage to the course such as hitting more than one ball unless in accordance with the rules of golf.
Let's have an awesome spring!
—Drew Chapman, Head Golf Professional, The Links At Mass Golf
Open to both members and non-members, this year's April School Vacation Golf Clinics will take place next week, April 18-20. There are two separate class sessions: Beginners at 9-10:15 a.m.; Recreational or Experienced Golfers at 10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. Cost is $30, which covers all three clinic days. Sign-up in the pro shop or call 508-222-0555. Space is limited to 15 golfers per session.
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Free Junior Member Clinics
Open to junior members of The Links ONLY, these tune-up sessions will be begin on a weekly basis in May, with monthly clinics being offered come summertime. Junior Members can attend as many of the weeks as they would like but will need to sign up for each session separately. Registration for each individual clinic will begin one month before the date of each session. Sign-up in the pro shop or call 508-222-0555. Space is limited to 20 golfers each session.
Today is the perfect time to lock in your membership for the 2023 season. We offer the most competitive packages in the region: Junior ($195), Family ($825) and Individual ($550 - discounted $55 if age 65+, college student, military). This is a fantastic value on a course where you can play a full round in a timely fashion.
Free Lesson Drawing Winner!
The winner of the early membership drawing for a free one hour lesson with Head Golf Professional Drew Chapman is James Murphy. Congratulations!
A calendar of events for the 2023 season has been updated to The Links website. Please refer to it often to check course availability and all golf activities. First Tee classes, YMCA and Women’s Wednesday League, PGA Junior League will all be in “full-swing” soon.
Upcoming Events / Course Closures to keep in mind:
Saturday May 13: Attleboro Rec Golf Outing, front nine closed until 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 21: Norton Softball/FOP Golf Outing, 9:00 shotgun start, 90 players, course closed until 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday May 23: Perkins School Golf Outing front nine closed until 1:30 p.m.
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Women's Golf Day
The Links will again be hosting Women’s Golf Day on Tuesday, June 6 with an afternoon and an evening session. Details will be coming soon.
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Volunteers Needed
If you have the time and would like to make an impact on junior golf and the future of the game, we have many opportunities and are always looking for volunteers. If you have an interest in helping out, please email Head Golf Professional Drew Chapman: dchapman@massgolf.org.
Parent-Child/Grandchild Spring Tournament *New for 2023*
Sunday, June 4, 10 a.m. shotgun start
Format: 2-Player Scramble
Member Teams and Non-Member Teams (Member Teams: only one player needs to be a Member of The Links). The tournament features 18 holes and includes pizza and prizes. The cost is $40 per member team, $60 per non-member team.
Players can sign up 30 days in advance in the pro shop or by calling 508-222-0555. Sign up cut-off date, 48 hours before the start of the tournament.
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Parent-Child/Grandchild Summer Tournament
Saturday, Aug. 26, 10 a.m. shotgun start
Format & Registration: (Same As Spring Tournament)
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Junior Member's Club Championship
Saturday Aug. 5 & Sunday August 6
Format: Individual Stroke Play
Junior members will play their own ball for a total 18-hole score each day. All players must hole out on each hole to post a gross score, net score maximum per hole is 8 shots. (Gross and net prizes, a modified Calloway Scoring System will be used to determine net scores).
Divisions: Junior’s age 10 & over will play 18 holes each day on August 5 & 6 with tee times starting at 9 a.m.
Junior’s under age 10 will play a 9-hole tournament on August 6 (only) with an approximate 10 a.m. start. The cost is $10 per player. Players can sign up 30 days in advance in the pro shop or by calling 508-222-0555.
With the beginning of spring, so comes windy conditions on the golf course. While most golfers can’t wait to play the downwind holes with the wind at their backs, they often don’t look forward to playing with the wind in their face. To relieve some of your anxiety about getting a high score and successfully navigating the blustery conditions, it will require that you pay closer attention to the course conditions. Assuming your lie is in good condition, check the wind. First, look at the clouds to get a general idea of the wind direction. Notice the flag on the green and the direction it is blowing. Are the leaves on the trees moving calmly or with great excitement? Can you feel the wind on your cheek? Pull a few blades of grass from the ground and toss them into the air. Notice not only the direction that they blow, but also the angle at which they fall to the ground. As the angle increases, so should your club selection. If they a blown in a horizontal direction, it may be time to seek shelter in the clubhouse.
Here are some ideas to help you when facing a headwind:
-Accept your loss of distance as part of the golf course: The wind is making the hole longer for everyone.
-Take plenty of club: The key is to keep the ball flight down without swinging harder or attempting to hit down on the ball. Taking one, two or even three less lofted clubs will keep the ball under the wind.
-Calm your mind, slow down, and use less effort:The old statement “when it’s breezy, swing it easy” holds true. Wind makes golfers press and use more effort to overcome their loss of distance. Trying to hit harder creates more back spin causing the ball to balloon, a further loss of distance. When you swing do not attempt to apply any hitting force to the club. You are looking to sweep the ball and make solid contact. A well struck shot in the middle of the clubface will hold its line better into the wind.
Practice these ideas and you will find playing into a headwind will be a breeze.
Quote of the Month
“On the golf course, a man may be the dogged victim of inexorable fate, be struck down by an appalling stroke of tragedy, become the hero of unbelievable melodrama, or the clown in a side-splitting comedy.” - Bobby Jones, Grand Slam Champion, Co-Founder of The Masters
