Wrapping up the golf season

The response to the recent two-part feature on golfers’ integrity has been overwhelming. Most readers said that it was about time this topic was addressed and they hoped that the message would get across to the “perps.”

The readers also had stories of their own. They asked if they could vent some of their anguish in print. Here are some examples:

“Just last week I witnessed a 16-handicap make four birdies at Wahconah in a tournament. He got all the money and I’ll bet his score did not get entered.” -Bill (of Adams)

“We had a guy at our club shoot under par in two straight rounds, three weeks later he is still a nine.” -Cory (of Cheshire)

“We have guys that find ways late in the round to mess up just so their scores don’t look so good. Of course this is after the Nassau is over.” -Paul (of Egrermont)

The responses included names of habitual scofflaws; in fact one county golfer got so many mentions he would have run second to Richie Neal in the recent election for Congress. It is very pathetic that people have to stoop to such measures to win pro shop credit and some “walking-around money.”

What they do can be compared to what Danny Almonte did in the 2001 Little League World Series when his age was deflated and he performed like Sandy Koufax, only Almonte was manipulated by adults who should have known better.

Memo to players that pair up with notorious cheaters in tournaments: you are guilty also. You are aiding and abetting a crime.

If you cash in with a partner that has an inflated handicap before claiming your prize take your table napkin and make a kerchief and put it over your face. If you feel proud going to the prize table, you two deserve each other.

Name that DiRico

If you are on Route 5 south in West Springfield stop in and see what Dave DiRico has done with the former Fran Johnson Golf and Racquet location, you will be impressed.

DiRico, a Western Mass PGA professional for over 35 years, is proud of his club-fitting operation, which employs three other professionals who specialize in fitting the customer with the correct clubs.

“We will not just sell a customer a set of clubs, we insist that they are the proper club for his or her abilities,” added DiRico. He mentioned that he is very pleased with the response from his many customers from Berkshire County. “We see people from The Berkshires who will stop in before or after they go to Costco.”

Check them out on their very impressive website.

DiRico certainly has paid his dues in the golf business. He started at The Orchards in South Hadley; he was there for four years before moving to Quaboag for nine years. He was the head professional at Hampden CC for another nine years and later was the top guy at Crestview for 16 years.

DiRico comes from a golfing family, as he has two brothers that are PGA professionals. Brother Dan was head pro at Franconia in Springfield for years, while Tom DiRico is now the director of golf at Chicopee Country Club after being its head pro for many years. He previously spent 20 years at Shaker Farms in Westfield.

Recent changes in western Massachusetts golf

We have seen many ownership and philosophy changes in the golf circles of Pioneer Valley in the past couple of years.

*Crestview Country Club in Agawam has been a private club since opening in 1958; it is now open to the public. It was sold for $1.7 million.

*Hampden Country Club is undergoing major changes and will not open until 2013 or 2014 after being sold at foreclosure auction for $1.4 million. When it does reopen, it will again become a private club. They have eliminated the former first and 10th holes, among the improvements.

*Hickory Ridge in Amherst sold on the block for $1.05 million – business as usual.

*Northampton Golf Club, a nine-hole layout, brought $ 600,000.

*Holyoke Country Club went for $850,000.

*Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown finally opened to add another golfing venue to the area.

*If you are making a list of the toughest holes in Berkshire County, be sure to add 10 at Waubeeka to your list. In fact, 10 and 11 could be the two most challenging back-to-back holes on Earth.

*This year’s Ryder Cup should encourage more match-play events at area clubs. Take it from someone who was five down after seven and won, and was six up after eight and lost on the 22nd hole; there is nothing like it.

*I wonder if all the critics of Jim Furyk being a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup remember he called a penalty on himself when his ball moved after address. Sure, he missed some tough putt,s but he never stopped grinding – class guy.

Posted by Dick Syriac on October 11, 2012. Filed under Berkshire Sports Guy,Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry