In November, two of our most recognizable and philanthropic Ouimet Alumni, Dick Connolly and Peter Lynch, received national recognition. Dick and Peter were recognized by the Western Golf Association and inducted into the National Caddie Hall of Fame at the WGA’s annual Green Coat Gala!

The Massachusetts duo fits the mold as both have often referenced their years growing up as caddies at Woburn Country Club (Connolly) and Brae Burn Country Club (Lynch) as the most important and transformative times of their lives. Their caddying careers also paved the way for Ouimet Scholarships to attend The College of the Holy Cross and Boston College, respectively.

Lynch was unable to attend the festivities in person but graciously recorded a video message, which was shown during the program. He referenced the empowering opportunities that caddying offers as well as his pride in supporting caddie programs.

“It is fantastic to learn, as a young caddie, what qualities adults admire,” Lynch said.

Addressing the crowd in Chicago from the podium, Connolly noted the encouragement from his mother’s nine brothers, who all caddied, which inspired him to follow in their footsteps, which led him to a lifetime of service to the Ouimet Fund.

“I caddied for the World War II generation, the greatest generation,” Connolly said. “Being a caddie was the best experience of my life.”

It was a special evening as the Connolly family, several representatives from Ouimet Fund leadership, and friends of the Connolly family were in attendance to celebrate the inductions of these proud Ouimet Alumni. The Ouimet Fund has a partnership with the Evans Scholars Foundation of the Western Golf Association, jointly funding several Ouimet-Evans full-tuition scholarships annually for young caddies in Massachusetts attending Evans-affiliated colleges.

Click here to watch Dick Connolly’s speech.

Click here to watch Peter Lynch’s video message.

Click here to read more.

The Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund has officially confirmed Duncan Gratton as its newest President during The Fund’s Annual Meeting on October 23 at Concord Country Club, succeeding William Healy, MD.

Healy’s leadership throughout the past two years culminated with 2023 being a banner year, as The Fund awarded a new record $3.25 million in annual need-based scholarships. Healy thanked his family, the Board of Directors and the staff in his remarks, concluding by saying “I enjoyed my brief time in this role, I hope to provide service in the future, and thank you for the opportunity.”

“Dr. Healy guided The Fund through two record-breaking years in terms of scholarships, applications, and overall engagement,” Gratton said. “He’s been a steady leader and great friend and has always kept us focused. I have incredible shoes to fill and feel fortunate to be taking on the role with The Fund in such great shape.”

Gratton has been a Ouimet Board Member since 2014, is a Lifetime Member, and he and his wife, Patricia, established a named endowed scholarship at The Fund. He also serves on the Ouimet Committee at The Kittansett Club, where he plays an important role in the mentorship of the young people working there, impactful fundraising, and continued advocacy for the mission and partnership with The Fund.

“To be elected President of the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund is a real honor, and I’ll never forget the day Dick Connolly called me to join the Board of Directors ten years ago,” Duncan Gratton said. “We have fantastic Directors and a really hardworking Executive Committee, and I’m looking forward to working in this new role with all of them. The Ouimet community looks forward to an important year upcoming in 2024, as we celebrate our 75^th Anniversary, so I’m thrilled to be in this position and appreciate the support.”

The Ouimet Fund is also thrilled to welcome four new individuals to the Board of Directors: Tom Bagley, Andrew Mingle, Jennifer Misiaszek, and Alison Walshe. Guests also heard from student speaker Patrick Browne, a senior at Boston University who completed his golf service at Winchester Country Club and grew up in Billerica. Majoring in Computer Science and Statistics, Browne expressed his gratitude to the Ouimet Fund and its supporters for providing him and his family with financial assistance.

“The Ouimet Fund has made a difference in my life over the past four years, allowing me to change directions in a way that not many other people are able to,” Browne said. “I am very grateful for The Fund’s scholarship support, and I hope to give it back more as I move forward in life. Thank you for making a difference in students’ lives like me.”

To conclude the evening, The Fund awarded Robert P. Donovan the 2023 Denny Goodrich Honorary Alumnus Award, which recognizes individuals generous in their support of the Ouimet Fund, either by contributing financially or by volunteer or exceptional professional service.

Bob Donovan was hired in 1991 as Executive Director of the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund and the President of The Fund at the time was Denny Goodrich.  Denny passed away in late 2020.

For 29 years, Donovan was the face of the Ouimet Fund, and he guided the organization through incredible growth. His years of outstanding service and dedication to the thousands of Scholars who benefited were recognized with this award in front of board members, trustees, donors, staff and other volunteers, many of whom worked alongside Bob during his tenure. In a presentation that brought it full circle in many ways, two of Denny Goodrich’s sons, Ramsey and Rob Goodrich, presented Bob with the award.

About the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund

The Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund awards significant need-based college scholarships to deserving young men and women who have worked at Massachusetts golf courses. This fall, The Fund awarded $3.25 million in scholarships, bringing the total scholarships awarded to nearly $50 Million to 6,630 students since 1949.

Established in 2021 by Ouimet Alumnus Jim Moriarty and his wife Mary Moriarty, the Jim and Mary Moriarty Scholarship is for a young man or woman who intends to pursue a degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where Jim and Mary met.

“We are so proud of the scholarship and wanted to attach our name to a school that means so much to us as a family,” Jim Moriarty said. “It’s where Mary and I met, and both our kids went there, so we want to help bring future generations there.”

The eldest of nine, Jim paid his way through college by working as a Resident Assistant and caddying at Mount Pleasant Golf Club and Vesper Country Club. Working at Vesper is how he learned about the Ouimet Fund and applied for a scholarship.

“I knew wherever I was going for school, I was paying for it, and my Ouimet Scholarship made all the difference in the world,” Moriarty said.

After learning about the program at a Ouimet outing, Jim’s son, Sean Moriarty, encouraged them to create an endowment. Since then, the family has enjoyed getting the opportunity to meet and hear from past and current recipients every summer at the Investing in Lifetimes Reception.

“Putting a face to a name is the icing on the cake,” Moriarty said. “My son is very involved with the Ouimet Fund, and my grandkids are 9 and 10 and know more about Francis Ouimet than I did at that age. The next generation of Moriartys will be the future for this endowment.”

In addition to establishing a named endowed scholarship, Jim and Mary are Lifetime Members and active members of the Ouimet community who have volunteered in many roles on the Ouimet Board, including Jim serving as President of The Fund from 2019- 2021.

“That was quite a full-circle moment having the responsibility on my shoulders,” Moriarty said. “Our stats blow people away, and Ouimet Scholars prove it with their hard work and hustle. So as President and moving forward, I want to help grow The Fund so we can award even more money.”

This year’s recipient of the Jim and Mary Moriarty Scholarship is Jake Bova, a senior at UMass Amherst majoring in Finance who performed his golf service at the Hyannisport Club. Jake started working there when he was 14 and returned each summer. He worked as a greenskeeper (and caddie). Jake credits the leadership of Tom Colombo, who served as his mentor.

“Tom was a great leader and unbelievable boss, and I went back every summer because I wanted to work for him,” Jake Bova said. “He introduced me to the Ouimet Fund and really took me under his wing.”

Jake’s work at Hyannisport started at 5:30 AM and taught him how to interact with various individuals while on the job.

“I learned a lot about the importance of communication and how to fall in love with the routine,” Bova said. “The mundane aspects of the job were so important to be successful.”

Jake was surprised and grateful when he received his endowed scholarship.

“My twin sister and I pay for school by ourselves, so receiving my award relieved a lot of pressure,” Bova said. “Loans are huge, and getting this scholarship has helped me worry less about other costs.”

Jake and Jim are planning to meet this fall on campus for a hockey game, something they are both looking forward to.

“Being part of this huge network is such an advantage because it gives me opportunities like this,” Bova said. “It’s an honor to say I am a Ouimet Scholar, and it always gives me something to talk about in interviews.”

The Guy Tedesco Scholarship is one of the oldest Ouimet Endowed Scholarships and has provided direct need-based awards for over thirty years.

For 22 years, Guy Tedesco was the Director of Golf at The Club at New Seabury, where he developed deeply meaningful relationships and strong bonds with the membership, his fellow staff, and the Cape Cod community. When he was battling cancer in March of 1982, ten of his close friends planned a dinner to celebrate and thank him for all he had done for them and the game of golf over the years.

“1,500 people attended the dinner, and so many people got up that night and talked about their experiences with my dad,” said Jim Tedesco, Guy’s son. “Everyone he golfed with had a special memory about him from one of their rounds, and the way he treated people was reflected in that evening in celebrating my father.”

Guy passed away in September 1982, and the proceeds from the dinner became the starting point for the Guy Tedesco Scholarship, which was established to help educate golfing youth on Cape Cod. Over the next ten years, funds for the scholarship grew with an annual golf tournament in Guy’s name at The Club at New Seabury, fashion shows, and numerous additional fundraisers.

“Golf was the center of my dad’s life, and he passed that on to everybody,” Tedesco said. “The community at New Seabury was really wonderful to him, and he loved working there.”

In 1992, Jim, along with Dan Coon, the former Golf Professional and Director of Golf and Operations at The Club at New Seabury, met with the Ouimet Fund’s former Executive Director, Bob Donovan, to discuss making the Guy Tedesco Scholarship an Endowed Scholarship with The Fund. Since it joined The Fund, the scholarship has yielded more than $375,000 in additional scholarships to 54 students.

“My dad fashioned the scholarship requirements very similarly to the Ouimet Fund’s because he saw value in service to golf,” Tedesco said. “It was great making it an endowment with The Fund because then the students who needed the most financial support received it, which was important to us.”

Making the scholarship an endowment was Jim’s first introduction to the Ouimet Fund, and since then, he has been an active member of the Ouimet community. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors, Jim and his wife Linda participate in prospective Ouimet Scholar interviews each spring and look forward to attending the Investing in Lifetimes reception every year to meet past and current recipients of the Guy Tedesco Scholarship.

“I’ve met people at the reception who received the scholarship 10 or 12 years ago, and they are now giving back to the Ouimet Fund and finding me to say thank you,” Tedesco said. “To keep my dad’s name alive and all he did means so much.”

One of this year’s recipients of the Guy Tedesco Scholarship is Kyle McMullin. Kyle is heading into his senior year at Boston University, majoring in Hospitality Administration and Business, and he completed his golf service caddying at the Wianno Club.

“My family friends encouraged me to start caddying when I was 13 years old, and I didn’t know anything about golf,” Kyle McMullin said. “I didn’t think it would be the job for me, but I fell in love with it and have been doing it every summer since.”

Through caddying, Kyle learned the importance of leadership and, over the years, climbed the ranks. He can recall receiving additional training when he started off caddying and has returned the favor.

“With caddying, you can always move up and keep advancing,” McMullin said. “I help train new caddies and always listen to others to see how I can create positive change.”

Kyle’s Hospitality Administration courses require traveling, so the financial assistance he’s received is extra helpful.

“I wouldn’t be able to afford school without my scholarship, so I’m really grateful for the financial support,” McMullin said. “My mom is unable to work at the moment, so I do a lot of odd jobs to pay for school, and the financial relief I’ve received from The Fund is truly remarkable.”

Kyle is a Revenue Management Intern at the Marriott International this summer in Washington D.C. but plans to caddie again in August after his internship ends.

“I try and take advantage of all the opportunities this scholarship has given me and aim to do the best I can at Boston University,” McMullin said. “I want to give back in the future to The Fund since they’ve helped me and made it possible for me to attend BU.”

A longtime member of Tatnuck Country Club, John Budd is a legend at the club and in the Worcester community. He and his wife Dawn are Iowa natives but raised their three children in Holden, Massachusetts, and have been Worcester residents for many years.

“Tatnuck is a family-orientated club, and it’s home to me,” John Budd said.

John is a U.S. Army Veteran who was born on Flag Day in 1938. When he noticed that Tatnuck’s flagpole in front of the clubhouse needed replacement, he immediately stepped up to write a check. An act that did not go unnoticed by Tatnuck’s membership.

In response to John’s generosity, members at Tatnuck and friends of John came together to establish the John Budd Scholarship in his honor. Each year on John’s birthday, the club hosts the John Budd Flag Day Golf Classic to raise funds for the endowment and celebrate the local legend.

“The number of people who step up to get involved is wonderful,” Budd said. “My son is playing with me this year, and my daughter and her daughter are bringing my wife out later, so it’s a special day.”

Ouimet Lifetime member Marcia Bowles has proudly sponsored the John Budd Flag Day Golf Classic for the past two years. Her late life partner of over 30 years Bill Helm introduced her to the Ouimet Fund, and they joined Tatnuck in 2000.

“Supporting this event keeps Bill’s memory alive because this was so important to him,” Marcia Bowles said. “So that’s what drives me to do this, and I’m proud and happy to do it.”

Marcia has supported the Ouimet Fund’s mission for many years and loves being able to assist Ouimet Scholars she knows from Tatnuck.

“We had a great response to the sponsorship opportunities, so I’m excited to celebrate the money we’ve raised and see if we can do bigger and better next year,” Bowles said. “I see the kids here working hard, and it’s rewarding to be able to help with their college education.”

John enjoys reading the thank you letters from the award recipients each year and helping Ouimet Scholars is his favorite aspect of the tournament.

“I’m hearing from kids who, perhaps without this help, wouldn’t have a college education,” Budd said. “The best part of the tournament is knowing we are making a difference in these kid’s lives.”

This year’s recipient of the John Budd Scholarship is Janny Pojani, a recent graduate from Worcester State University who majored in Business and performed her golf service at Worcester Country Club.

She worked in outside golf operations for five summers, greeting members, cleaning clubs, maintaining the range, and setting up for tournaments. Over the years, Janny got to know the membership and is thankful for the opportunity to establish many meaningful relationships.

“The greatest lesson I learned working in golf is creating connections and speaking to members,” Janny Pojani said. “They guided me throughout school and during my job search, and working in golf has helped me communicate with such a variety of people.”

After graduating, Janny reached out to a member seeking career advice and appreciated the power of the golf community again.

“Members would always ask me how school was going and were interested in what I was looking to do, and they always wanted to help,” Pojani said. “And then receiving resume help, career advice, and their recommendations when I was looking for a job was amazing.”

Aside from living near the course, Janny had no connection to golf. Initially, she felt like an outsider working there but quickly came to understand the significance of golf and the community surrounding it.

“I learned about the Ouimet Fund from members at Worcester and am so thankful for the financial support,” Pojani said. “As someone with no golf background, I feel included in the community and love being part of the Ouimet family.”

The Fund’s Annual Alumni Award (which was first awarded in 2022) recognizes Alumni who are generous to the Ouimet Fund in “time, talent, and treasure” in a meaningful way. Beginning at next month’s presentation, this award will now officially be named the Robert P. McDonald Alumni Award.

A member of the original group of Ouimet Scholars in 1949, Bob McDonald was embedded in the fabric of our organization’s growth his entire life.  Bob grew up caddying at The Country Club and used his Ouimet Scholarship to attend MIT.

Throughout his life, he remained an integral part of the Anders Caddie Alumni Committee, served as a board member and then trustee of the Ouimet Fund, offering decades of support, both personally and through his company, Erland Construction.  Bob was a dedicated and generous Banquet sponsor each year and also oversaw construction of the original Ouimet Fund offices in 1975.  He, along with their sons, created the Bob and Elaine McDonald Family Scholarship in 2018.

Bob passed away in 2022 and his family proudly carries on that legacy with their support of the Ouimet Fund’s mission. The Fund will now continue to publicly recognize the strong participation of Alumni across the country to inspire future generations of graduates to pay it forward as Bob did!

The presentation of the naming of the award will be held at a special reception for the recipients and creators of named endowed scholarships, including Bob’s family, in June.

Created in 2022, the Tee Up Diversity endowed scholarship is awarded annually to a Ouimet Scholar from a diverse and underrepresented community who works at public and private golf clubs throughout Massachusetts. The award was established by the proceeds of The Reaching Back Foundation’s fundraising efforts during the 2022 U.S. Open, with support from The Country Club.

Ned Corcoran and E. Macey Russell, Esq. are both members of The Country Club and involved with The Reaching Back Foundation, who played instrumental roles in establishing the scholarship. Ned was introduced to The Fund by his friend and longtime Ouimet Fund supporter Tom Riordan, and Macey got involved through his work with The Reaching Back Foundation, a volunteer organization created to raise funds that benefit minority and disadvantaged children in the areas of education and technology.

“We saw this as an opportunity to create a scholarship committed to diversity in golf,” Macey Russell said. “We wanted to help diverse students interested in golf get connected to the game, and the 2022 U.S. Open was our opportunity.”

Working with the USGA and members of The Country Club, The Reaching Back Foundation hosted the Tee Up Diversity Gala last summer, and proceeds from the event enabled the creation of The Tee Up Diversity Scholarship.

“The Ouimet Fund is a well-known program focused on scholarships for kids in need, so it was the logical place to deploy money for funding diverse kids who need that leg up to get in and keep going forward,” Ned Corcoran said.

An additional effort designed to introduce under-represented youth to the game is the Lee Elder Internship, which The Country Club established in partnership with the USGA. The one-week immersive experience at the 2022 U.S. Open exposed 25 individuals from across the country to golf’s many career pathways and invited them to the Tee Up Diversity Gala.

“They got to see the business side of golf, and we helped diverse students enthusiastic about golf get connected to the game,” Russell said.

Both Ned and Macey grew up caddying and share an appreciation for the hardworking young men and women who work in golf.

“You can’t forget those long days waiting in the caddie shack for a loop,” Russell said. “It takes drive and determination to do that, and working in golf teaches you a lot.”

Ned and Macey relate to this year’s Tee Up Diversity Scholarship recipient, Maiah Lester, a senior at Loyola University Maryland who completed her golf service caddying at Green Hill Municipal Golf Course in Worcester.

“When I first started caddying and joined the Ouimet community, I didn’t understand the significance of it, but now I see how much I’ve grown,” Maiah Lester said. “Through mentorship, networking, and patience, I’ve benefited so much from caddying, and this scholarship means so much.”

Majoring in Biology and Psychology, Maiah is in college at the same time as her twin siblings, so the financial support from The Fund helps alleviate stress for her family.

“I’m very grateful because my college experience and life would be so different without my scholarship,” Lester said. “The Fund has given me the opportunity to do the things I want at school without monetary restrictions, and that has been the biggest blessing throughout my entire college experience.”

Macey sees Maiah as a great example of how impactful the scholarship is and hopes local companies and businesses interested in promoting diversity will consider supporting the endowment.

“It allows companies to see the direct connection between their philanthropic dollars and introducing kids of color to golf,” Russell said. “I love being able to connect a face with the proceeds, and you understand how much it means to the students you’re helping.”

Like the Tee Up Diversity Scholarship, to date, 183 individuals, families, or organizations have created named endowed scholarships with the Ouimet Fund, and you can read more about the overall program here.

The Ellen Hines Scholarship was created in honor of Ellen Hines, who passed away in 2005. The award was established in 2007 from the proceeds of the Ouimet Annual Banquet honoring Barbara and Jack Nicklaus, who were longtime friends of Ellen and her husband, John Hines, both Boston natives. The friendship formed through a work connection, as John worked with Jack for many years. So recently after Ellen’s passing, Barbara and Jack celebrated her legacy at the Annual Banquet with this award.

Ellen and John’s daughter, Karen, was present at the 2007 Annual Banquet, where her mother was recognized.

“I got to go with my oldest brother and father, and it was a well-attended and beautiful event,” Karen Hines said. “It was wonderful to be there in Boston, where she and my dad are from. Lots of their friends from growing up were there, so it was a memorable night.”

Karen describes her mother, Ellen, as a natural athlete who picked up golf quickly.

“She was competitive, and golf is all about competing against yourself and getting better,” Hines said. “The social component made it fun and was another reason she enjoyed it.”

An avid golfer, Ellen was a member of Woods Hole Golf Club for 35 years, where she played regularly with her husband, son Teddy, and many friends. Fiercely competitive, Ellen often bet quarters on the holes of the courses she played.

“I have memories of walking the course with her at Woods Hole,” Hines said. “She loved playing there, and the 17th hole was her favorite.”

Ellen grew up in South Boston and attended Fontbonne Academy. She graduated from Regis College in 1966 and worked as a grade school teacher at St. Patrick’s of Natick.

“It’s wonderful knowing the scholarship in her name is going toward someone who values and appreciates golf and education the way she did,” Hines said. “Knowing her love for the sport and the joy it brought her will live on in perpetuity is very special.”

The Ellen Hines Scholarship is for a Ouimet Scholar studying for a career in education, and this year’s recipient is Grace Levansavich, a senior at Springfield College. Grace is majoring in Physical Education and Health Family and Consumer Sciences, and she performed her golf service at Worcester Country Club.

Grace started at Worcester when she was 18 and returned for three summers working on the 18th hole as a club cleaner.

“My first summer there, the Red Sox team came and played, and I got to clean their clubs and try to act like they weren’t celebrities,” Grace Levansavich said. “I have many fond memories from over the years.”

Nick Lombardi and Allan Belden were golf professionals at Worcester at the time, and they acted like mentors to Grace.

“I learned a lot from Nick and Allan and was fortunate they made the job fun, too,” Levansavich said. “Understanding how to communicate with people you work with is so important, especially in education, which I’m studying now.”

Grace discovered she received the Ellen Hines Scholarship from her mom while she was at school.

“The letter went to my house, so my mom Facetimed me and opened it, and when she saw the amount, she thought she was going to pass out,” laughed Grace. “We were cheering and screaming so loud my roommates rushed in.”

Grace is thankful for the financial support and honored to be this year’s recipient. She plans to pay it forward to future Scholars as her career begins to help the next generation of Ouimet Scholars.

“Paying for college is a lot, even with my parent’s help, but there’s still a big portion I have to pay, and the Ouimet Scholarship is an incredible help,” Levansavich said. “It’s helped me feel less stressed when I graduate and start my career and life knowing I don’t have all this extra debt I have to pay off because my scholarship has decreased much of it.”

Massachusetts golfers, and those who appreciate the game’s history in this golf-rich state, are likely very aware of the name Dolly Sullivan. An outstanding golfer and a former longtime physical education instructor at Milton Academy, Ms. Sullivan continued a family legacy of great play on the course, as she was a niece to Francis Ouimet. After passing away in 1981, a tournament was created in her name to further the golf and educational opportunities for young women in Massachusetts; and that tournament remains a staple of the Mass Golf schedule each year.

Mass Golf’s Manager of Women’s Events and Player Development, Naomi Nesenoff, PGA, sees women from throughout Massachusetts participate in the Dolly Sullivan Tournament annually. The event is a highlight on the women’s golf calendar.

“There is so much excitement as everyone arrives at the Dolly Sullivan Tournament,” Naomi Nesenoff said. “The event is always completely maxed out, filled with groups of women in matching team outfits. There is no other event where women dress up and have that team aspect.”

Annually the tournament kicks off with a speech honoring Ms. Sullivan as participants receive their tee gifts, famously always orange, in honor of Ms. Sullivan’s favorite color.

“Women will email and text me the day of the event sharing anecdotes about Dolly to include,” Nesenoff said. “It’s just a good feeling from the very start of the day, and we use tee gifts to continue those types of conversations throughout the year.”

Naomi is well aware of the WGAM/Dolly Sullivan Scholarship, created through funds raised at the event in 1999, which remains one of the largest endowments within the Ouimet Fund program. The scholarship is awarded each year to a young woman Ouimet Scholar who exudes the golf and educational background that represents traits Ms. Sullivan would be proud to see today.

This is one of the reasons the entire Mass Golf team was so thrilled to learn of this year’s WGAM/Dolly Sullivan Scholarship recipient, Jaelyn DeBoise. Jaelyn is a freshman at Stonehill College who performed her service to golf at Springfield Country Club.

Naomi initially met Jaelyn and her dad, Cortez, at the Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship at Hatherly Country Club in 2020.

“Jaelyn’s dad understood his daughter was growing a love for the game and was getting better at it, but he wasn’t sure what to do next,” Nesenoff said. “He asked for direction to provide the best opportunities for his daughter.”

Since their initial meeting, Jaelyn has thrived and become more deeply involved with Mass Golf events. She participated in four tournaments in 2022, with plans to play in even more events this season.

“We’ve seen her develop friendships and bond with many girls, and her handicap has dropped significantly,” Nesenoff said. “She’s excelling in so many ways, and it has been an absolute joy seeing her journey thus far.”

Jaelyn’s golf journey began with her dad introducing her to the sport, and soon she fell in love with it. At age 14, she started working at Springfield Country Club in the cart barn and for the events staff. She credits her summers working there with helping improve her game.

Jaelyn herself acknowledged how much the game, and her time at working at Springfield Country Club, has helped her mature. “I used to struggle mentally if I was playing poorly,” Jaelyn DeBoise said. “But working at Springfield Country Club made me realize you’re just out there to have fun. I’ll ask people how their round was, and they’ll answer ‘horrible’ but still smile. I thought I had to be so serious when I played, but working there reminded me I started golfing because it’s fun.”

Jaelyn plays on Stonehill College’s Division I golf team, which she describes as an incredible experience. She has met some of her best friends through Mass Golf events, whom she now plays against in college. Mass Golf events also introduced Jaelyn to some of her idols.

“In last year’s Women’s Mass Amateur, I competed against my role model Angela Garvin, whom I’ve always looked up to and admired,” DeBoise said. “I was so scared at first and just wanted her to take me seriously.”

On Jaelyn’s bag was 11-year-old Ryley Regan, who looks up to Jaelyn the way Jaelyn does Angela. All three are from Western Massachusetts and participated in an unforgettable round.

“It was great having Ryley on my bag; she was good at breaking any silences,” Jaelyn laughed. “We had the best time, and it was cool to see it wasn’t so serious and intense even at Angela’s level.”

Jaelyn learned she received the WGAM/Dolly Sullivan Scholarship from her dad, who called to deliver the news while she was at school.

“My dad was crying when I picked up the phone, and he couldn’t get words out at first,” DeBoise said. “I teared up because this scholarship is such an honor. I’ve seen Mass Golf video recaps of Megan Buck and Shannon Johnson talking about the scholarship and couldn’t believe it was for me.”

Mass Golf’s Executive Director/CEO Jesse Menachem credits the sense of community in Massachusetts for continuing to drive awareness for this scholarship opportunity.

“It’s a testament to our member clubs who participate and the competitors who want to support these scholarships annually,” Jesse Menachem said. “It makes me proud to see the tradition of our events and these awards continue on with a new generation.”

Jaelyn is already eager to pass it on.

“I want to be able to play in the Dolly Sullivan Tournament and help pay it forward for the future girl,” DeBoise said. “To say I’m a part of this means a lot to me.”

The Country Club generously hosted the 43^rd Annual Anders’ Golf Tournament over the summer, held in memory of legendary former caddie manager Fred Anders. Bob McAlear and Dave Cavalier were two of the former caddies who started the event, which invites past and current TCC caddies to compete in a friendly and competitive round and gather for a post-golf reunion.  Now organized by the Anders Alumni Committee, participants enjoy this reunion of sorts to remember Mr. Anders, who was caddie manager at The Country Club for thirty years.

Proceeds of the day support the Anders’ Alumni Endowed Scholarship at the Ouimet Fund, benefitting the next generation of Ouimet Scholars from The Country Club. This year, the group raised more than $30,000, and in the last three years, have raised $93,000 to support Anders’ Scholarship recipients from The Country Club. In the last 10 years, 26 caddies from The Country Club have benefited from this additional Ouimet Endowed Scholarship.

The Anders Alumni also got together at a special social reception at Needham Golf Club in June during the 2022 U.S. Open. Needham Golf Club General Manager Geoffrey Piva is a Ouimet alum, who arranged the reception. Throughout U.S. Open week, they marshaled the second hole of the championship as a group, a post dedicated to Anders Alumni. The special opportunities for Anders caddies first occurred at the 1963 U.S. Open, where local caddies were used.  One of those memorable “Anders’ loops” included Bob Eaton caddying for Gary Player.  Continuing those bonds, the group additionally marshaled the 1988 U.S. Open and the 1999 Ryder Cup held on the course they all know so well.

This tournament has been a tradition to renew bonds created at one of the world’s most storied golf courses and significantly impact future Ouimet Scholars who caddie at the club.