July 2026

Inside this edition we cover the latest information you won't want to miss:

• A Letter from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England

• Muni Links Grants Now Open for Club Partner Program

• Helpful Billing Reminders
  

• Join the U.S. Golf Study for Free

• USGA Green Section News & Podcast

Monitoring the Massachusetts Drought

We are excited to feature quarterly articles from the Golf Course Superintendents of New England. In this issue, Colin Smethurst talks more about monitoring and managing the historic Massachusetts drought. Click below to read more. 

Muni Links Grant Applications NOW OPEN!

The Mass Golf “Muni Links” program aims to grant funds to Member Club municipal facilities to help overcome budgetary challenges and invest in course improvement projects and or equipment that will help improve course conditions, enhance the player experience and grow a larger number of golfers of all abilities.

Mass Golf provides matching fund grants (up to $50K per year) to facilities meeting the grant selection criteria and wanting to implement prior year USGA Green Section CCS recommendations or to make other course improvements.

If your club is not registered for the CPP yet, please register before applying. You can direct any questions to Mark Gagne at mgagne@massgolf.org.

Helpful Billing Reminder

• The next GHIN billing is August 1^st for golfers added May 1^st to July 31^st.

• Please make sure your current balance is paid in full by July 31^st to remain a Mass Golf Member Club in good standing.

• You can pay by credit card or ACH using our new Versapay app. If you need a link, please let us know.

If you need copies of invoices or have any questions, please reach out to finance@massgolf.org

Join the U.S. Golf Study for FREE

Registration is now open for municipal, public daily fee, and resort golf facilities interested in participating in this national benchmarking initiative. The 2026 U.S. Golf Study provides participating golf facilities with valuable performance intelligence across four integrated pillars:

✅ Financial Performance

✅ Operations & Key Performance Indicators

✅ Capital Assets & Agronomy

✅ Customer Experience & Engagement

Participating facilities will receive exclusive performance intelligence, benchmark reports, and study deliverables designed to support better decision-making and long-term operational success. Register for FREE by August 15th and use code MASSGOLF!

Northeast Regional Update: Painted Paths

Painting cart paths to improve their appearance doesn’t make sense for most courses. But if path aesthetics are a major concern, painting might be better than more expensive alternatives. Click below to read more from the USGA Green Section team.

Worth a Listen: Preparing Royal Birkdale for The Open Championship

As you are driving to the course, take a listen to this podcast! What does it take to prepare Royal Birkdale for The Open Championship? Course manager Sean McLean and championship agronomy lead for The R&A, Adam Newton, joined the USGA Green Section podcast to discuss the nuances of maintaining a links course, the ins and outs of revetted bunkers, the ecological benefits of the native dunes around Royal Birkdale, how data collection informs maintenance, and much more.

Questions?

Please let us know if we can provide any further assistance or any other Mass Golf Member Club services. The Mass Golf team is here for you!

Jenna Walkiewicz
Assistant Director of Member Services
P: 774-430-9022 | jwalkiewicz@massgolf.org