BOYLSTON, Mass. – The New England PGA is ready to defend its 2023 victory as the team heads west to the Wyantenuck Country Club (Great Barrington, Mass.) to compete in the Third Annual Northeast HOPE Invitational on Friday, September 27th.
RELATED LINKS: 2023 Photo Gallery
Piloted in 2022, the Northeast HOPE Invitational is a collaboration between the Connecticut Section, Northeastern New York Section and New England Section, PGA of America. Annually, 12 representatives from each local PGA Section including graduates of PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) and host program PGA Professionals, compete in a one day, 9-hole golf tournament celebrating the spirit of the game and the power that recreational therapy can have on the mental and physical well-being of Veterans from across the Northeast.
The New England Section is proud to formally announce the 2024 team members from three local programs, coming together to compete to bring home the Cup:
HOPE – Boston, Captained by Seul-Ki Hawley, PGA and joined by PGA HOPE Veterans, Sherry Dellascio (US Navy 4yrs.), Autumn Haskell (US Army Active), and Megan Sullivan (US Army 4 yrs.)
HOPE – Falmouth (ME), Captained by Matt Murphy, PGA and joined by PGA HOPE Veterans, John Spring Jr. (USMC 9yrs.), George Walkden (US Army 6yrs.), Joe Zanno (US Army 6yrs.)
HOPE – Lowell, Captained by Joel Jenkins, PGA and joined by PGA HOPE Veterans, John Houlihan (US Air Force 4yrs.), Dennis McHugh (US Navy 8yrs.), Alex Stavrinos (US Airforce 9yrs.)
“As one of only a few Sections in the country to have a HOPE program dedicated to female Veterans is quite special,” said Hawley, Assistant Golf Professional and lead HOPE Professional at the Winchester Country Club. “Having the opportunity to travel with my students, represent the entire New England HOPE program, and celebrate such a great game will be a special moment in my career.”
This collaboration between three PGA Sections is the first of its kind in the country and each local Section plays host to the event annually. Last year’s second annual event was hosted by the Tatnuck Country Club, part of the New England Section and the 2025 event will rotate back to the inaugural host, Springfield Country Club in the Connecticut Section.
“Our Section and PGA of America Golf Professionals take great pride in hosting and delivering the HOPE program across Connecticut and Western Mass, but to be able to get together with our friends from New England and Northeastern New York for the third time now is really remarkable” said Dennis Dungee, Executive Director of the Connecticut Section. “Our PGA Professionals and Veterans are ready for a victory this year, it’s our turn to capture the Cup!”
The Northeast HOPE Invitational is a 9-hole scramble event with PGA Professionals and HOPE Veterans playing together to card the lowest score possible. The three teams from each Section combine their 9-hole team scores and the lowest team total takes home the Cup. Last year, the New England Section’s (-10) overall score was good enough to capture the trophy with a one stroke margin of victory.
The Professional Golfers’ Association of America is an Association of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 31,000 professionals, the PGA of America’s undertaking is to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
PGA Sections or Local Offices, oversee programs and initiatives delivered by PGA Professionals across the United States in (41) areas. These offices help create the network of communication and community for the 26+ million amateur golfers throughout the country.
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PGA HOPE
PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.
The program introduces the game through a developmental 6-8 week curriculum, led by PGA Professionals trained in adaptive golf and military cultural competency. All programs are funded by PGA REACH and supplemented by PGA Section Foundations, so the cost of programming is free to all Veterans.
PGA HOPE has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which enables direct referrals to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy.
PGA REACH New England has and will continually work to promote the game and improve the lives of thousands of children, veterans, and their families, as well as diverse populations through the creation and utilization of golf programming that supports education, health and wellness, and personal development.
Wyantenuck Country Club
The Wyantenuck Country Club was founded in 1896. It has existed, over time, in three locations, and settled at its current site in 1912 when the then Baldwin Farm was purchased for the purpose of expanding the Club’s recreational and social offerings. Designed in 1913 by Robert Pryde, a noted course architect from New Haven, Connecticut, the original layout largely survives intact today, with notable changes put in place in the 1920s by Charles H. Banks.