THE WINNER of this yr’s New Hampshire Golf Affiliation Newbie Championship may very well be the golfer who greatest navigates Abenaqui Nation Membership’s tough greens.
The 118th State Am shall be contested July 11-16 at Abenaqui, which is in Rye.
“If we don’t get an excessive amount of rain, the greens are most likely going to be the largest protection of the golf course,” Abenaqui head skilled Jim Schouller stated. “It’s robust to learn the greens. And the velocity of the greens goes to be one other issue. We’ll see how briskly they get. Being positioned on the Seacoast the place the temperatures are lower than they’re extra inland, we’re in a position to maintain the greens at a bit bit sooner tempo, minimize a bit bit shorter simply because it’s not as sizzling or humid as perhaps inland.
“I’d say (the greens) are very refined,” Schouller stated. “It’s my fifth yr right here as the top golf skilled and I’m nonetheless studying the greens. You may’t learn these greens. You solely can bear in mind them. For instance, our second gap right here — each time I play it, I really feel just like the ball will break towards the water and it all the time breaks away from the water. I nonetheless can’t persuade myself to have it break free from the water and I find yourself lacking the putt. The greens are continually altering.”
That is the primary time the State Am has been performed at Abenaqui since 1995. Harmony Nation Membership’s Bob Mielcarz prevailed that yr.
Nashua Nation Membership’s James Pleat shall be making an attempt to win his third straight State Am. Pleat gained the 2020 State Am on his dwelling course, and gained final yr’s event at North Conway CC. Mielcarz is the final participant to win the State Am in three consecutive years (1977-79).
The State Am options 36 holes of stroke play, after which the sector shall be decreased to 64 golfers who advance to match play.
Spectators who attend this yr’s event could need to place themselves across the fifteenth gap, which shall be a drivable par 4.
“You can have a swing there proper earlier than you get all the way down to the ultimate couple holes,” Schouller stated. “It’s high-risk, excessive reward and possibly my favourite gap out right here. I’ve made eagle there and I’ve made double-digit numbers. There’s loads of hassle. It’s going to be a enjoyable one to observe.
“The wind historically comes off the water — off the ocean, which blows left to proper. You must hit a draw so as to get the ball as much as the inexperienced, so which means it’s a must to work it into the wind. Usually for right-handed golfers a left-to-right wind is all the time gonna be their nemesis. In case you pull off the shot, you undoubtedly will get rewarded with an incredible probability. Laying up again to a full wedge to that inexperienced shouldn’t be a simple shot. In case you have a full wedge into the inexperienced they usually put the flag within the again, it’s almost unattainable to rise up and down until you gap a 40-foot putt.
“If there have been one place I’d need to go watch a match, that may be the spot I’d go watch, even for stroke play, for that matter.”
Even when golfers keep out of hassle on No. 15, they’ll nonetheless have two difficult holes to play. Schouller known as No. 17 and No. 18 “scorecard killers.” Gap No. 17 is a par-5 that measures 563 yards from the black tees. The par-4 18th gap is 420 yards.
“You might even see a double bogey win one among these holes simply because there’s a lot hassle on the market in case you’re not controlling your golf ball nicely that day,” Schouller stated. “You can see some actual attention-grabbing scores coming down the stretch.
“There’s loads of hassle to seek out on the market, however those that succeed throughout the beginner are going to be those who’re affected person and attempt to take as many double-bogeys and bogeys off the scorecard versus attempt to make lots of birdies to offset that. Pars shall be good. Birdies are usually not going to be plentiful.”
State Am qualifiers
Those that earned their method into the State Am subject by way of final week’s NHGA qualifiers:
Beaver Meadow Nation Membership: Gavin Richardson (Beaver Meadow GC), Josiah Hakala (Beaver Meadow GC), Jake Berkio (Ridgewood CC), Craig Moran (Nashua CC), Evan Desjardins (Atkinson Resort and CC), Alex Smyth (The Golf Membership of NE), Thomas Hickey (Ridgewood CC), Rob Henley (Lake Sunapee CC), John Crowley (Laconia CC), Adam Godbout (Harmony CC), Rob Parsi (Beaver Meadow GC), Chris Kelly (Lake Sunapee), Nathaniel Kabogoh (Windham CC), Matthew Walsh (Granite Area GC), Travis Woods (Loudon CC), Riley Reardon (Atkinson Resort and CC), Noah Leclair (Nashua CC), Josh Johnson (Ridgewood CC), Nick Tufts (Nashua CC), Ryan Blossom (Lake Sunapee CC), Branden Porter (The Overlook GC), Sean Fitzgerald (Portsmouth CC), DJ Petropulos (Nashua CC), Ryan Phinney (Harmony CC), William Miele (Nashua CC), Alexander Thompson (Beaver Meadow GC), Derek Jensen (Harmony CC).
Manchester Nation Membership: Matthew Gover (Atkinson), David Larrivee (Bedford), Griffin Barbaro (Goffstown), Daniel Joyal (Nashua), Elliot Wallace (Bedford), Kevin Doherty (Bedford), Scott Orlosk (Manchester), Dan Moquin (Bedford), Brian Schaeffer (Nashua), Barry Hammer (Auburn), Don Kossuth (Merrimack), Tyler Walsh (Hooksett), Patrick Mahan (Manchester).
Pease Golf Course: Kurt Eddins (Cochecho CC), Derek Dinwoodie (Farmington CC), Evan Rollins (Laconia CC), Dan Pleva (Windham CC), Valentino Cheek (Pease GC), Michael Giacco (The Golf Membership of NE), Justin Fogarty (Candia Oaks), Will Ducharme (The Golf Membership of NE), Kevin Gaynor (Souhegan Woods), Troy Joncas (Atkinson Resort and CC), Kevin Sturdy (Rochester CC), Nick Fairweather (Windham CC), Nate Stevens (Stonebridge CC), Peter Keilty (Portsmouth CC), Walton Cutshall (Abenaqui CC), Nicolas Fiset (Atkinson Resort and CC), Chris MacMillan (Exeter CC), Peter Wilson (Cochecho CC), Nick Schlosstein (Abenaqui CC), John Pettoruto (Atkinson Resort and CC), Nick Stone (Hoodkroft CC), Nick Stefanelli (Windham CC), Ryan Scollins (Bald Peak CC), Jeffery Sovis (Candia Oaks), Jeffrey Barnes (Pease GC).
Bretwood Golf Course (South): Ben Peters (Lake Sunapee CC), James Kinnunen (The Shattuck GC), Reese Woodbury (North Conway CC), Jonathan Douglas (Amherst), Jim Jankowski (Baker Hill GC), Jeremy Burke (Hoodkroft CC), Jake Nutter (Manchester CC), Timothy Yarosevich (Bretwood GC), Rob Zimmerman (Nashua CC), Izzy Avilez (Bretwood GC), Tyler Lizotte (Sky Meadow CC), Clifton Spinney (Sky Meadow CC), Keith Stone (Pease GC), Eric Karlson (The Shattuck), Wyatt Burbank (Youth on Course), Collin Stroshine (Bretwood GC).
Aces wild at Londonderry CCManchester resident Alan Scalingi made a hole-in-one June 13 at Londonderry Nation Membership. Scalingi aced the 210-yard, par-3, first gap utilizing his driver. The shot was witnessed by his spouse, Kathy.
Two days earlier Manchester’s Jeff Montembeasult used a 5-wood to make a hole-in-one on Londonderry Nation Membership’s par-3, 155-yard sixth gap throughout the East Manchester Fish and Recreation golf outing. Steve Cere, Lenny Pappas and Dave Tremblay witnessed the shot.
Guidelines quiz
Query: Throughout match play, a caddie is carrying each gamers’ luggage. Earlier than his or her stroke, Participant A asks the caddie what membership Participant B simply used from about the identical location, and is on condition that data. What’s the appropriate ruling?
Reply: There is no such thing as a penalty.
SNHU golf outing July 25
The Southern New Hampshire College division of athletics golf outing shall be held July 25 at Derryfield Nation Membership. The occasion was initially scheduled for June 27, however was postponed due to unhealthy climate.
New Hampshire golf calendar
July 5: Decide Your Companion (The Oaks Golf Hyperlinks)
July 7: Junior Tour (Nippo Lake)
July 11-16: NH Newbie Championship (Abenaqui CC).
July 18-20: New England Newbie (Alpine CC)
July 18-20: Mike Ryan Memorial (Derryfield CC)
July 26-28: Junior Championship (Nation Membership of NH)
Aug. 1-3: Ladies’s State Newbie (Harmony CC)
Aug. 10-12: NHGA Stroke Play Championship (Sky Meadow CC, Canterbury Woods CC and Windham CC)
Aug. 15-16: Junior All-Star Championship (Windham CC)
Aug. 17-18: Ladies’s Mid-Newbie (Derryfield CC)
Aug. 30: Stefanie Thomas Championship (Cochecho CC)
Sept. 6-7: Senior Championship (Keene CC)
Oct. 3-5: NHGA Mid-Newbie Championship (Owl’s Nest)