BOYLSTON, Mass. — Johnny Cleanthes, PGA (Haystack GC) has held many titles during his time in the golf industry; Cart Boy, Head Professional, General Manager, and Course Owner to name a few. He will now add one more to that list as he was named the 2022 Vermont Chapter Golf Professional of the Year.
Cleanthes, who has been a Vermont Chapter member for over 25 years, knew from a young age that he wanted to make golf his profession. He worked his way up from Assistant Professional to General Manager all while staying in Vermont.
Two years ago, Cleanthes made the decision to take the next step in his career when he purchased Haystack Golf Course. He felt it was important to purchase the course, which had been closed for two seasons. “Haystack Golf Course has been the first job of over 100 of the local children and has provided countless jobs for the residents,” said Cleanthes. “Even though it was the beginning of Covid, I could not refuse to take on this endeavor and save this course from closing for good. Not only did I purchase it for the reasons above, but for me it was a dream of a lifetime to own a Golf Course.”
Now a course owner, Cleanthes’ passion is still teaching and getting beginners involved in golf. At Haystack, he started a lady’s league which started at 20 members and has grown to 75 members all within one year. He stays active with the First Tee program at Dover Elementary School which he helped found, and volunteers his time with his daughter’s high school golf team who captured the 2020 State Championship.
Cleanthes is one of eight individuals to earn recognition for their service and dedication to their profession as the Vermont Chapter announced its full slate of 2022 award winners. The Chapter looks forward to celebrating these recipients during the Fall Meeting at CC of Vermont on September 19th.
The complete list of the eight individuals recognized as 2022 Vermont Chapter Award Winners includes:
Vermont Chapter Award winners are selected through a thorough process. Nominees are submitted to the Chapter Awards Committee and Board of Directors by a fellow PGA member. Nominees then complete their award application, and the Awards Committee carefully reviews each application before making its recommendations to the Vermont Chapter Board of Directors.