NEPGA headquarters has found a new home at Boylston's The Haven Country Club

As far as New England PGA executive director Mike Higgins is concerned, building a new headquarters at The Haven Country Club in Boylston was as exciting as a hole-in-one.

Higgins, 47, of Shrewsbury, played his home matches for the Shrewsbury High golf team at The Haven CC — then known as Mount Pleasant CC — and he worked at the club in the bag room and picked the range for former head pro Art Harris for six years while he was in high school and college.

“So this place is special to me,” he said. “It’s a bit of a homecoming.”

The NEGPA already had a long-standing association with The Haven CC. The club has hosted the NEPGA Pro-Pro Stroke Play Championship for 55 years, which Higgins believes is the longest any PGA section event has been held at the same course in the U.S.

The headquarters was built between the club’s parking lot and driving range, across the street from the golf course. The NEPGA built stairs so Haven members can walk up the hill from the parking lot to the range, installed a patio behind the building and landscaped the grounds.

“It looks like it’s been there forever now,” Higgins said. “It’s part of the course.”

Higgins has worked full time for the NEPGA for 25 years, the past 11½ as executive director. During his time with the NEPGA, the organization has been housed in Boylston, first in the clubhouse at Cyprian Keyes GC in Boylston, then in a building it shared with a post office and most recently in a strip mall on Route 140.

With his staff growing, Higgins checked out various possible sites for the new headquarters, but he really wanted to move to a golf course. He explored relocating to Green Hill Municipal Golf Course in Worcester.

“We had some great conversations with (former city manager) Ed Augustus and (head pro) Matt Moison,” Higgins said, “but I think at the end of the day, the taxpayer money perception-wise was probably needed in schools or police cars or housing rather than a new clubhouse at the golf course.”

After that move fell through, Higgins asked Haven head pro Hal Jacobs in 2019 to see if owner Regan Remillard had any interest in allowing the NEPGA to build on his club’s property. He did.

“He’s been amazing,” Higgins said. “He’s been accommodating, he was great to work with. He wants us there as much as we wanted to be there. I think in a way, he’s trying to leave a legacy as well.”

Building of its own

The pandemic delayed the start of tree removal and construction of the building until November 2021. Hope for a spring opening was dashed by supply chain issues, involving everything from light switches to windows and doors. The NEPGA finally moved into its new headquarters July 22, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Aug. 10.

This is the first time in the NEPGA’s 106-year history it has its own building for its headquarters. Thirty years ago, the organization began putting money aside to eventually build one. Higgins estimated the building has cost $1.5 million so far. The NEPGA is leasing the land from The Haven.

The new headquarters is about 5,000 square feet, nearly four times the size of the previous headquarters, and has a boardroom and the technology to conduct remote meetings. There are also more than enough offices for all nine full-time staff members. Previously, there was no meeting room and only two offices. Six staffers had desks in a larger room. The headquarters has room for three more offices in case the staff expands.

The new headquarters also has ample storage and a sizable room on the second floor to house the NEPGA Hall of Fame. The previous headquarters had only enough room for the plaques of the Hall of Fame members to be hung in a hallway.

“We invited a lot of our Hall of Fame members to the ribbon-cutting ceremony,” Higgins said, “and they were extremely impressed and satisfied and excited.”

With 28,000 golf professionals, the PGA of America is the largest sports organization in the world, and with 1,100 members, the NEPGA is the sixth largest of the PGA of America’s 41 sections in the country.

The headquarters will house continuing education programs that are required of NEPGA professionals to stay current. A simulator is expected to be installed in the basement late this fall so the pros can record swing tips, film education series and give lessons during the winter.

“My goal and the current board of directors’ goal,” Higgins said, “was to leave future boards and future staff in a better place than we are today.”

The NEPGA runs more than 350 tournaments each year, including three majors, the NEPGA championship, the NEPGA Seniors Championship and the NEPGA Assistants Championship.

Higgins said the NEPGA plans to bring more tournaments, banquets and education programs to the Haven. He wants to be a good neighbor to the club.

“A solid brand like the NEPGA, I think we're an established, recognized sports organization in New England,” Higgins said. “So to have our brand associated with their brand I think is a benefit.”

Never too late to record an ace

Apparently, you’re never too old to record a hole-in-one. Wayne Hull is living proof.

The 85-year-old Framingham resident hit a 5-wood into the cup on the 145-yard, par-3 fifth hole at Oak Hill Country Club in Fitchburg on Friday, Sept. 9.

The retired engineer has played golf for more than 50 years, including more than 30 as a member at Oak Hill, and it was his first hole-in-one.

Hull said when his wife, Helen, learned of his ace, she told him, “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime endeavor. You’re cutting it kind of close.”

The 24-handicapper was taken aback when this columnist informed him that Oak Hill head pro Bucky Buchanan and club historian Tom Bagley believe he could be the oldest golfer to card a hole-in-one in the 101-year history of the club.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said. “Wow. I’m surprised. I’m amazed.”

The fifth hole is uphill, and Hull hit into the wind that day, so he took two extra clubs, and it paid off. Unfortunately, because the green is elevated and flat, he and his playing partners, Joe Cadette, Bob Gingrass and Bob Garneau, didn’t see the ball go into the cup. Golfers playing the nearby eighth hole did, however, and let Hull know.

“My reaction was, ‘Are they kidding me?’ Because we have a bunch of kidders at Oak Hill,” Hull said.

Hull and his playing partners agreed not to get too excited until they reached the green and saw the ball in the cup. Then they celebrated.

“First of all, getting a hole-in-one at any age is amazing in my opinion,” Buchanan said, “now at age 85, truly remarkable.”

The oldest person on record to card a hole in one is 103-year-old Gus Andreone in Sarasota, Florida, in 2014. That was his eighth career ace, and it came 75 years after his first.

Asked if he expects to be able to card another hole-in-one when he’s 103, Hull replied, “I wouldn’t put too much money on it. At the same time, I wouldn’t say I couldn’t. I still hit the ball pretty good.”

Hull, a father of two and grandfather of three, has a pacemaker, but he considers himself to be in good condition. He plays golf three times a week, so he’ll have lots of chances to card another ace.

Nothing like playing on home course

Mass Golf Hall of Famer Frank Vana Jr. is 60 years old, but he should be among the contenders this week in the 39th Massachusetts Mid-Amateur, which is open to golfers ages 25 and older.

The Assumption College graduate always plays well in the Mass. Mid-Amateur, winning it a record 10 times, including as recently as 2018, and finishing fourth last year. But there’s another reason he should be near or at the top of the leaderboard. For the first time, the event will be held at Marlborough Country Club, where Vana has been a longtime member.

On Sept. 8, Vana carded a 2-under 70 to win the rain-shortened Mass. Senior Amateur at Framingham CC, another course with which he’s very familiar. It was the home course when he attended nearby Marian High School, and he won the 2012 Mass. Mid-Amateur there. The Mass. Senior Amateur was his 24th Mass Golf victory.

In late August, Vana reached the round of 32 in the U.S. Senior Amateur at The Kittansett Club in Marion.

Matt Parziale of Thorny Lea in Brockton won the Mass. Mid-Amateur for the third time last year and should also contend this week.

Other local golfers scheduled to play in the Mass. Mid-Amateur include Ricky Stimets and Brandon Parker of Worcester CC, Brendan Hester and Ryan Strong of Pleasant Valley CC, David Holmes of Blackstone National, Matt Dunn and Bob Blackmar of Wachusett CC, Andrew Johnson of Gardner GC, Mike Powers of Cyprian Keyes GC, and Sam Parella, Matthew Borghi and Derek Ducharme of Whitinsville GC

Contact Bill Doyle at bcdoyle15@charter.net. Follow him on Twitter @BillDoyle15

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: NEPGA headquarters settles in new home at The Haven in Boylston