Greetings, and welcome to The New England Player.
The story of golf in New England is one of the most special in the history of the game. The list of events and moments include the hosting of the first United States Open and Amateur championships, the birthplace of the first amateur to win the United States Open and the course that hosted the tournament, the site of the first Ryder Cup, and the founding of the oldest statewide golf association in the country.
Each of the six New England states, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, offer a rich palette of courses, both public and private, with something to offer. From Donald Ross to Wayne Stiles and beyond, some of the games most important designers have left their signatures on the landscape, and from the White Mountains to Cape Cod, the game can be played here in numerous diverse and often breathtaking environments.
Golf is, for me, something that is incredibly special. I was blessed to have both a grandfather that was a long-time teaching professional in northern New Hampshire, and a father that was both passionate about the game and willing to teach his son how fun this game can be. I have lived in New England all my life, and it is my firm belief that New England should be highlighted substantially in the public sphere not only as a great place to visit and call home, but as a place to be considered and revered as a special place in the history of golf and to travel to specifically to play the game.
What The New England Player will seek to provide its readers and viewers is a comprehensive experience of the game in this part of our nation. This will include quality content, such as golf course and golf hole profiles, coverage of major events across the New England states such as amateur and open championships, and interviews with the vast community that make golf in this region so special, including those that visit it and grow to love it.
In addition to highlighting what New England golf has to offer, this will also be a place to discuss the experience of being a golfer from New England. Just like the culture of each region of our country, each region has its own unique golf landscape and view of the game. Part of this effort’s content will be to describe the New England golfer’s perspective on visiting other parts of the golf world, and what can be learned and brought back to enhance our golfing experiences here.
With that, I am grateful and excited to offer you this window into the golfing world of the New England states.
Matt Andrews, Founder
