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Wayland Golf Course was developed in the late 1930s by a Mr. Barber. After World War II, Mr. Barber, who was well along in years, sold the golf course to a friend of his, Phil Farina, who had just come out of the army. Farina was a good golfer and instructor, but not a business man, so he teamed up with Edward S. Quirk, a well respected and established member of the business community. Together, they started Wayland Country Club. The golf course became very popular, but it was only a 9-hole layout. In 1953, it was remodeled by Quirk and Farina, who expanded it to the current size. As a matter of fact, Wayland CC was so popular at the time, that when the expanded course was dedicated, golf legend Patty Berg was on hand to take part in the ceremony. The first round played on the new course was played on June 13, 1953, by one of the better known pros at that time, Jim Turnesa, who carded a score of 70.
To celebrate the full new golf course, Phil Farina came up with the idea of a weekly tournament, pairing up other local club pros with the top local amateur players. Because Wayland CC was already a popular golf club, the "Pro-Am" idea evolved into quite a notable area event. Taking place on Friday afternoons, it was not uncommon for almost 100 of the best players from all around the Boston area, to participate. Club pros from such places as Brae Burn CC, Concord CC, Charles River CC, Pine Brook CC, Woodland CC, and "The Country Club" all made their way over to Wayland CC just to play some golf. Friendships were formed among the weekly participants, and as a result, the Wayland Inner Club was formed by those who continued to play on a regular basis. Some time later, under long time Wayland Inner Club President, Jay McMaster, the former Fenway Park line-up announcer from 1958 to 1966, the "Pro-Am" idea expanded into Wednesdays and Mondays with a full slate of weekend tournaments planned for Inner Club members.
The new 18-hole golf course had very limited irrigation and played quite differently from the green, lush course we see today. In those days, with sparse conditions, a "bump-and-run" style of golf was played. The top players were considered "shot makers" and therefore superb golfers. For many years, the Wayland Inner Club boasted more single digit handicap golfers as members, than any other country club in Massachusetts. In the early 1960s, Quirk and Farina, purchased the South Shore Country Club, and Wayland CC was run by a really top notch golfer, named Guy Tedesco.
In 1961, a course record of 65 was established by Joe Rapoport, who had finished in 4th place in the New England Amatuer Golf Championship in 1947, and also held the course records at Franklin Park GC and George Wright CC at the time. Rapoport duplicated the 65 the following week, and broke it a few weeks later by carding a 64. That stood until 1965, when it was bettered by Jim McHugh, a great golfer who once had qualified for the British Amatuer, shooting a 63. The 63 was later duplicated by Joe Catalano and later by Dean Peters. In the late 1980s, a full irrigation system was installed on the golf course, and the fairways became lush and green. Long running drives on dried out fairways and "bump-and-run" to hard greens was a thing of the past. The golf course became the course we play today. The lowest recorded score since then, has been posted by Tommy Bertrand. Bertrand shot a 64 in 1999 and followed it up with another 64 in the 2002 Club Championship.
Also in 1961, one of the most unusual and unique feats in golf history took place at Wayland Country Club. On June 30th, Nick Cercone Sr teed up his Wilson Staff golf ball on the, par-4, 7th hole and launched his tee shot down the left side of the fairway with a 3-Wood. It bounced over the sand trap and headed toward the green. Nobody could find the ball. and Cercone decided to call the ball lost. But as another member of the foursome, Al Saia, lined up his putt, Don Brooks walked over to take out the pin and there was the ball. An unlikely hole-in-one on a par-4. Then, on August 2nd, Cercone did it again. Playing partner Joe Rapoport swore he saw the ball go in hole, and sure enough, when they reached the green, there it was again. To this day, nobody in the history of golf, has gotten a hole-in-one, two times on the same par-4 hole. Nick Cercone Sr not only accomplished this feat, but did it in a five week span with a persimmon wood, and a balatta ball. But that's not the end of the story according to Cercone. Two days after the second hole-in-one, he left the ball less than an inch from recording yet another hole-in-one on the same hole. In 2006, 45 years later, Steve DeMattei became only the second person to hole out his tee shot, on this hole. Nick Cercone congratulated him and then commented with a slight grin ... "Now, let him tee it up and do it again"
One of the other great stories is the 1981 Club Championship tournament. It is considered the greatest head-to-head bout ever played at Wayland Country Club. That year, the tournament was a 72-hole medal play tournament and Glenn Davis was matched against Dean Peters as the leaders in the final foursome. At a dead tie and both under par for all four rounds, it went down to vary last shot on the very last hole, with Peters leaving a chip shot on the lip of the cup, and Davis sinking a 30 foot putt to win the Club Championship. Davis finished the 72 holes at two-under-par and Peters finished at one-under-par.
Other notables who once were Wayland Inner Club members, include Emory Stratton, who was ranked the best amateur golfer in the world and was once paired with Ben Hogan in the U.S. Open for 36 holes; pro golfer, Danny Keefe, who once earned 3rd place in the Canadian Open and later gave Brad Faxon his first golf lesson; Reggie Sauger, the "pro" at Wayland CC, who played in the U.S. Open in the 1960s; Fred Cochran who was Secretary of the PGA in the 1960s; Al Barber, son of the original owner, who once played in the New England Amateur Golf Championships, only to lose to golf legend, Julius Boros in sudden death; Dick King who played on the Senior PGA Tour in the 1980s; Stretch Corcoran who was a finalist several times in the Mass. Amateur Golf Championships; and scratch golfers, Nick Abramo, Bill Kennedy, Eddie McGovern, Tommy Bertrand, and Boston Bruin legend and Hall of Famer player/coach (and scratch golfer), Cooney Weiland. Many Inner Club players have been members for twenty, thirty or forty years. The most notable long time member of the Wayland Inner Club, is Joe Lazaro. Joe was seven time National Blind Golf Champion, and here at Wayland CC, once shot a 77, the lowest score ever recorded by a blind golfer. Now in his 90s, Joe is still an active member of the Inner Club, occasionally still playing in the "Pro-Ams".
Today the tradition of the weekly "Pro-Ams" and weekend tournaments continues. Dedicated to the avid recreational golfer, and to the game of golf itself, members of the Wayland Inner Club welcome players of all levels and abilities to join us on the course, and after the round. Come on and tee it up with us! Maybe you'll get to play with Joe Lazaro!
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Co-Owner Phil Farina, Joe Lazaro, &
Coach Joey Curley at Wayland (1951)
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Gary Player, Arnold Palmer
& Joe Lazaro (1966) |
Some of the Pros waiting to get drawn at an early "Pro-Am"
The annual dues for 2010 are only $100.00 ...
Some of the benefits this entitles a member to, include:
- U.S.G.A. / GHIN Handicap Service and M.G.A. Membership
- Competitive tournaments every weekend
- Guaranteed weekday tee times in our "Pro-Am" blind-draw events
- Free Fourth of July Tournament and cookout for you and your family
- Free subscription to Mass Golfer Magazine
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| 2010 Club Officers |
President:
Steve Dimattei |
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Vice President:
Scott Simendinger
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Treasurer:
Phil Gorgone Sr
Secretary:
Fred Rapoport
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Tournament Committee:
(c) S. Simendinger Steve DiMattei
Neil Murphy
John Glynn |
Rules Committee:
(c) Jim Caissie Sr
Scott Simendinger
Steve Nagle
Joe Griffith
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Handicap Committee:
(c) Jim Caissie
Tiny Frullo
Mike Gill
Jim Ehwa |
Membership Committee:
(c) Fred Rapoport
(c) Phil Gorgone Sr
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Pro-Am Director:
Joe Griffith |
Board of Governors:
Joe Griffith / Tiny Frullo / Larry Masterson
Phil Gorgone Sr / Fred Rapoport / Steve Nagle
Jim Caissie Sr / Paul Lundy / Jack Ehwa |
Inner Club Web Manager:
Fred Rapoport |
Pro-Am Web Manager:
Bob Van Wert |
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