B.A.G.S. Newsbag

The persistent humidity dropped off for the Monday, July 26 event at Norfolk GC. The course was in its usual superb condition with perfect fairways and tees and smooth fast greens that were in mint condition. Chris Kreilkamp more than took advantage of the excellent putting surfaces, he thrived. Chris had an amazing total of 21 putts. He only hit 5 greens in regulation, and 1 putted 4 of them. He got up and down for par on  9 of the 13 greens he missed in regulation, and had 5 birdies, 3 bogeys, 1 double bogey and the rest pars for an even par score of 70. Typical of his day was a putt from off the green on the toughest green to make putts, the upside down saucer shaped green on 4th & 13th hole. Chris was maybe 30 feet away from the hole playing as his 13th and made the putt for birdie. Chris came to 17 at 1 over par and made a 25 footer for birdie. Needing a par to shoot 70, Chris missed the 185 yard par 3 finishing hole to the right and got up and down for par with a clutch putt.. Well done, Chris! Jeff Mucciarone was right there after 16 at 1 over par, but made bogeys on 17 & 18 for a 73. Chris K. easily won the Net Division with a net 63 for an 8 stroke margin over Rick Sprague who played with Chris and was only 1 point behind Chris after making his second gross birdie on the day on 14 for 4 points..

The weather stayed warm and humid for the Saturday, July 24 event at Passaconaway. The course was in great condition and there were many fine scores. Andrew Seefield, the newest member of B.A.G.S., in his first trip over this links style layout, played some superb golf. Andrew showed off both his length and accuracy off the tee and a fine short game. Andrew shot an even par 35 on the long - 3500 yard opening nine, and then had 3 birdies on the shorter 3250 yard second nine to post a fine 3 under par 68. Well done, Andrew! Rick Lewis shot even par 71 the first time we played here in May and was the hottest player in B.A.G.S. having shot even par the previous weekend at Atlantic. Rick made the turn at even par and got it to 1 under with a three foot birdie putt on the 344 yard par 4 eleventh. Rick was just off the green in 2 on the 515 yard par 5 fourteenth and only made par, and his birdie putts on 17 and 18 just missed going in. Rick had to settle for an even par score of 71. Johnathan Law and Bob Drury also played some excellent golf and were both in with 73's. Bob made a great comeback never giving up, in the true B.A.G.S.' competive style, by shooting 2 under par 33 on the second nine. In the Net Division A competition, Andrew S. won the by 1 point over Rick L. Scott Hanlon played well once again and took third position with a 4 under par net score. In the Net Division B competition, Mike O'Malley was the man. Mike hadn't broken 100 in any previous B.A.G.S.' event this year. But he loves this course, and for the second time in a B.A.G.S.' event, with a separation of 6 years, Mike accumulated 45 points and shot a gross score of 85. This is even more incredible considering the fact that Mike started the round with an 8 for 0 points and also made a triple bogey on the par 3 thirteenth for 0 points. So in effect, Mike had 45 points on 16 holes an average of almost 3 points a hole. Mike had 2 gross birdies on the round. 1 for a net eagle 4 points and another for a net albatross - 5 points. Well back in second, but still with 40 points was Tom Sawyer, who had his best result after retuning to B.A.G.S.' competition after a long absence. The trio of: Allan McCue, Bud McGrath, and John McGilley tied for fourth with 38 points.

The warm and muggy weather continued for the Wednesday, July 21 event at New England. The course was in super condition with excellent greens. Jeff Mucciarone was the low gross winner with a 6 over par 77. Just 2 behind was David Gibson who finished strongly playing his last 6 holes in 1 under par for a 79. In the Net Division event from the shorter Black tees, Ted Van Sickle was magnificent. On the opening nine holes, which started on 10, Ted shot a 4 over par gross score of 39 with 2 gross birdies and 3 gross pars good for an incredible 26 stableford points after nine holes. Ted started his second nine holes on 1 & 2 with a bogey and then a double, and then made a nice par the third for another 3 points hole. Ted played 4-7 his 13th - 16th holes in net par. Ted made gross pars on 8 for net birdie and the 9th for net eagl  for 7 more points for a massive 45 points and a spot in the B.A.G.S.' Record Book. David Gibson, Ed Fitzhenry, and Howard Fox all played well and shot even par net, but were 9 strokes to the rear of Ted.

It was a warm and windy day for the Saturday, July 17 event at Atlantic. Rick Lewis was as warm as the 90 degree temperature on the opening nine. Rick made birdies on 4 of the first 6 holes.  Rick might have been 4 under par had he not 3-putted the 366 yard par 4 fifth. Rick's other bogey was on the tough 428 yard par 4 ninth that played into a stiff breeze. Rick made the turn at 2 under par 34. Rick was still at 2 under par after a chip-in birdie from an impossible spot over the green on the 505 yard par 5 fourteenth that hit the flagstick squarely and dropped in. Rick made bogeys on 15 & 16 to go back to even par. Rick 2-putted for par on 17, and nearly chipped in again on 18 from the back of the green with the ball stopping an inch short of the hole for a par and an even par score of 72. This matches the all-time B.A.G.S. best score at this course which has been on the B.A.G.S.' schedule for 10 straight years. In the Net Division A competition, Rick's net score of 3 under par 69 was 1 better than Phil Carlino who played extremely well. John Gibson shot a gross 79, tied for second best on the day, and took third spot in the Net A with a 1 under par net score. In the Net Division B competition, there was a 3 - way tie for first with: Bob Matheson, Buzz Speers, and Bill Ryan all playing well and shooting 1 under par net scores of 71.

The warm weather abated for the Thursday, July 15 event at Olde Scotland Links as a fog bank hung tough, and kept the sun from appearing for most of the round. Johnathan Law played the more difficult second nine in even par 36, and was in at 2 over par 74 to take the low gross win by 2 over Lew Weitzman, who finished with a birdie on the 18th for a 76. Gregg Martin finished with 41 stableford points despite a zero point and 3 other holes in which he made only 1 point with help of 8 gross pars and 1 gross birdie. The birdie on the eighteenth for 4 stableford points was huge as Gregg got the win by a single point over the improved Bill Feeney, who had 8 net birdies on the day. Just another point behind Bill in a 4 way tie for third were: Ted Van Sickle, Ed Fitzhenry, John Cochran, and Lew Weitzman.

It was quite warm and muggy for the Tuesday, July 13 event at Trull Brook. The course was in fine condition with nice greens that rolled well and there were many fine score.. Doug Bray played some solid golf with many fine shots. Doug had 1 bogey and 1 birdie and the rest pars on the opening nine for an even par score of 36. Doug was still at even par after consecutive pars on 10 and 11. A good drive and a nice second shot left Doug just off the front of the green on the 480 yard par 5 twelfth. This sloping green from back to front caused Doug to three-putt once he got on for a bogey 6. Doug made par on the short 340 yard par 4 thirteenth, and made his last bogey on the round on the 355 yard par 4 fourteenth after coming up short of the green on the uphill approach shot. Doug's 2 over par 74 was good for a 2 shot win over Brian Boyle who closed in fine fashion with a 1 over par 37 on the second nine. In the Net Division competition., Ted Scholnick had his best gross score in 4 years with a fine 85. Ted shared first place with Nate Liskov, who shot a superb 5 over par 77 gross. Both players were tied with 43 stableford points or 7 under par net. Nick Spada played some excellent golf, and was in with a gross 78 for 42 points for third position.

B.A.G.S. traveled to Green Meadow the "Jungle Course" for the Saturday, July 10 event. Storm clouds were all around, but nothing serious interrupted play. Jeff Mucciarone got off to a very fine start with pars on the first 8 holes before making a nice 10 footer for birdie on the 515 yard par 5 ninth. More steady play followed as Jeff showed off a superlative short game getting up and down for pars whenever he missed a green. Jeff matched the card for pars all the way through sixteen. A pushed drive on the long 450 yard par 4 seventeenth lead to a missed green and Jeff failed to get up and down for par for the first time on the day. On the 531 yard par 5 finishing hole Jeff needed par to get another entry into the B.A.G.S.' Record Book for an even par or better score. Jeff was in good position after his second short and had only 85 yard to the green which is at the top of the hill on a plateau. Jeff came up short and was just off the green, but about 30 feet short of the hole. Keeping a familiar theme going, Jeff putted from off the green to about 4 feet short and made the putt for an even par score of 72 on this 6900 yard layout. Johnathan Law and recent new member, Ivan Heller, finished in a tie for second with 77's. In the Net Division A competition, Carl Umpleby was the best. Carl shot a superb 1 over par gross score of 37 on the opening nine for 21 stableford points. Carl shot 41 on the second nine and his 78 was his first sub-80 score in his second year as a B.A.G.S.' member. Well done, Carl! Jeff Mucciarone took second with a 1 under par net score. Also playing well and finishing in a tie for third with even par net scores were: Mark DelVecchio and Laurence Barden. In the Net Division B competition from the White tee markers, there was a three way tie for first. Mike Donlon, Mark Jezowski, and Tony Carmona all had excellent rounds, and finished at 3 under par net. John Sawyer and Jim Doughty also played well and were tied for fourth with 2 under par net scores.

Sandy Burr was in nice condition for the Saturday July 3 event. The weather was perfect with moderate humidity and cooling breezes. Rick Lewis, the Cape Cod Spring Champion, proved once again that he's the man to beat whenever he tees it up in a B.A.G.S.' event. Rick started with a birdie on the opening par 5 and made just 2 bogeys and the rest pars on the opening nine for 1 over par 37. Rick made a bogey 4 on the 190 yard par 3 tenth hole, and then matched the card the final 8 holes for another 37. Rick's gross score of 74 was 2 better than Jeff Lewandowski who shot even par 36 on the opening nine. In the Net Division A competition, Rick Sprague had a strong finish with a gross score of 4 over par 40 on the closing nine good for 20 stableford points for a total of 38 on the day to just beat the above mentioned Rick Lewis by 1 point. Steve Preble played some fine golf, and was in with a gross score of 80 for an even par net score to finish in a tie for third with Jeff L. In the Net Division B competition, Mike Donlon was on fire on the Sandy Burr second nine. After a very mediocre starting nine with just 15 points, Mike turned it around starting with a par on ten. Mike made a bogeys on 11 & 12 and then made pars on 14 & 15 and after a bogey 16, finished in spectacular style with back to back birdies on the 511 yard par 5 seventeenth and the uphill 391 yard par 4 closing hole both for net eagles. Paul Kudarauskas and Scott Hanlon both played well and finished in a tie for second at 1 under par net.

It was a perfect summer day for golf for the Thursday, July 1 event at Stow Acres - North course. It was more like early September with the temperature in the mid-70's and very low humidity. Johnathan Law played well on the opening nine with 2 birdies and an even par score of 36. Johnathan made a very good par on the 420 yard par 4 eleventh hole after a pushed drive ended well right. Johnathan hit an 8 iron over the trees and onto the green from a tough spot from about 160 yards out. A missed green lead to a bogey on 11. Johnathan made a par on  the short  par 5 12th, but made a bogey on the 185 par 3 thirteenth with a 3- putt. A double bogey 6 on the sharp dogleg left after a missed green and 3 - putt  pushed  J.L. to 4 over on the round. After a par on the 407 yard par 4 fifteenth, J.L. made a bogey on the 191 yard par 3 sixteenth after a pulled tee shot missed the green left. J.L. got up and down for a nice par on the 403 yard par 4 seventeenth after his approach shot ran over the green into the back rough. A nice third shot to a little over 8  feet on the long 550 yard par 5 finishing hole got J.L. a chance for birdie on which he converted for a fine 4 over par score of 76. Jeff Mucciarone was right there for 11 holes at just 1 over par, but Jeff could only make 2 more pars on the closing 7 holes, and finished 2 behind with a 78. In the Net Division A competition, Wayne Morrison played well for the second straight event with a gross score of 80. His even par net score of 72 got him a tie for first with Johnathan. Scott Chizzo played well enough to take third position with a 1 over par net score. In the Net Division B competition, new member this year, Gregg Martin, was the best. Gregg came in with 39 stableford points or 3 under par net to win by 2 points over the improved Jack Farrell who just recently came in second at Waverly Oaks. Mike Harney showed some good signs that he's ready to win as he finished in a tie for third with the steady performer Ted Van Sickle with an even par net score.

B.A.G.S.' traveled to Olde Scotland Links for the annual Member/Member-Guest 2- person team event on Saturday, June 26. The course was in great condition, and the greens rolled true. The team of Jeff Mucciarone-Glenn Watson started with a bogey on the 433 yard par 4 opening hole, and then played the rest of the way in 6 under par with the aid of 6 birdies for a score of 5 under par 67,  for the best result in the history of this event. Well back  in second place with a very respectable score of 1 under par 71 was the team of Father - Rick Kelly and son - Bryan. The Net results were also outstanding. Husband and Wife team - Holger and Rosi Stoltze proved to be a great team with each player contributing. They combined for an incredible 14 net eagles, 1 net albatross and net pars on 2 of the other holes and 1 zero point hole on 15, for 50 stableford points or 14 under par net. The team of Tony Beckwith - John Kirby didn't know each before the event, but formed a superb team. They supported each other the whole way with both players making key contributions when the other was in trouble. Tony made a key par on the 154 yard par 3 eighth when John was out of the hole, and John made a key par on 18 when Tony was struggling. Their total of 49 points would have won many of these events in the past. The team of Tom Simard-Tom Perkins also played extremely well. Tom Simard struggled the previous weekend at River Bend, but having a partner seemed to settle him into good swing thoughts and a hot putter helped as Tom shot even par gross on the opening nine and the team had a massive total of 27 points. Tom shot a gross 40 on the second nine and the team had 20 more points to take third position in the overall tournament.

It turned warm for the Thursday, June 24 event at Scottish Highlands. The temperature was well into the 90's, and the thunderstorms held off until after play was competed. Mark Lyons was a very late entry into his first event of the year, and it paid off royally. We all started on the 10th hole, and Mark used this nine as his warm up round shooting 3 over par 38. Mark made a nice birdie on the 368 yard 1st hole his 10th to get him off to a good start, and finished with a rush with consecutive birdies on 17 and 18 for 1 over par 37 and a total of 75. This was 1 better than Jeff Mucciarone. Wayne Morrison took third with a 78. In the Net Division A competition, Dan Chicoine, from nearby Pelham, used all his home course knowledge to finally win on his home course after many tries. Dan shot a 2 over par 38 on his second nine good for an astounding 23 stableford points to just nip the above mentioned Mark Lyons by 1 stableford point. Nick Spada played a superlative round with a gross score of 80, and took third spot with a 39 points or 3 under par net. In the Net Division B competition, Ted Scholnick was the best, and got his first win on the season. Ted's net score of 1 under par 70 was just good enough to beat Jim Kelly by 1 point.

Waverly Oaks was in great condition for the Monday, June 21 event. It was a perfect day for golf on the first day of summer with a cloudless sky and very low humidity. Long hitting Orin Mayers put it all together on this day. Orin got it to just 2 over par on the day with a birdie on the 372 yard par 4 eleventh hole, his second birdie of the round. After a par on 12 and a bogey on the 13th, Orin was at 3 over par. Orin got on the 449 par 4 fifteenth with the "punch bowl" green in 2, but faced a downhill, breaking putt of about 20 feet. The putt just caught the edge of the hole with a lot of speed but somehow dropped in for birdie. Orin gave that back on the next hole, the long 606 yard par 5 sixteenth, when he couldn't get up and down for par from just off the green. Orin pared in from there for a fine 3 over par 75. Jeff Mucciarone also played well, and was just 1 stroke behind with a 76. Clyde Rowells had his best result in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member. Clyde shot a superb 6 over 77 and took third position. In the Net Division A competition, the above mentioned Orin was a two stroke winner over Clyde Rowells. David Gibson and the steady Chris Kreilkamp finished in a tie for third. In the Net Division B competition, Ron Violette was in compete control of this event. Ron was just 2 over par after 10 holes and had amassed an incredible 25 points to that point. Ron stayed strong through the 17th with a nice par on the uphill all carry 200 yard par 3. Ron finished with a double bogey on the short 333 yard eighteenth, but with a stroke on this hole it was still worth 1 stableford point. Ron' total of 43 stableford points was good for a 4 point victory over Jack Farrell, who had his best result this year. Buzz Speers, the winner at Acushnet River Valley played well again, and took third with 38 points or 2 under par net.

It was breezy but nice for the Saturday June 19 event at River Bend. The temperature was well into the 80's under brilliant sunshine and comfortable humidity levels with swirling winds. Mark Dwyer was back in the competition after an absence of several weeks. Mark was just 2 over for the round until a double bogey 6 on the 412 yard par 4 twelfth hole. This let Joe Pimental back into the tournament as Joe picked up 3 stokes on Mark on this hole with a nice birdie 3. Mark got the lead back with a par on the long 572 yard par 5 sixteenth, but Joe came back to tie Mark with a birdie on the 576 yard par 5 finishing hole. Mark and Joe ended up with 77's for the low gross title. Rick Lewis and Jeff Mucciarone finished 1 stroke behind with 78's. In the Net Division A competition, Rey LeMaine was the winner. Rey shot a fine gross score of 80 good for 36 stableford points or even par net. In the Net Division B competition, there was a tie for first place. Holger Stoltze was hot and cold in same round and demonstrated the beauty of the stableford scoring system. Holger had 4 zero point holes including the opening 2 holes, yet still came in with 38 stableford points with the help of 4 gross pars and 1 gross birdie on the other 14 holes. Chad Fisher continued his strong play from Norton CC where he was the winner, and finished in a tie for first with Holger with 38 points. Bill Feingold also played well, and took third position with a 1 under par net score.

Acushnet River Valley was in nice condition for Saturday, June 12 event. Jeff Mucciarone holds the B.A.G.S' course record here with a 68, and he's the favorite any time he plays here. Jeff played the first 8 holes in 1 under par with back to back birdies on 4 & 5 before making a double bogey on the long 575 yard par 5 ninth for a 37. Jeff was still at 1 over par after consecutive pars on 10-12. Jeff had 2  bogeys coming in and all the rest pars for a 3 over total of 75.Chris Kreilkamp, who's been struggling lately, was on fire for the first 12 holes. Chris birdied 4 of the first 12 holes, and was the leader in the tournament by 2 strokes over Jeff at 1 under par after his 4th birdie on the day at the 536 yard par 5 twelfth after making bogeys on 10 & 11. A poor tee shot on the long 473 yard par 4 thirteenth lead to a double bogey 6, and three consecutive bogeys followed on: 14, 15 & 16. A nice tee shot to within 12 feet got Chris a par on the 190 yard par 3 seventeenth. Chris finished this magical round in good fashion with a par on the 407 yard par finishing hole for a fine 4 over par 76. Well done, Chris!. In the Net Division A competition, Chris was a three point winner over Ron Violette who shot a very nice gross score of 82. In the Net Division B competition, Buzz Speers played superbly. Buzz broke 80 for only the second time in now his 4th season as a B.A.G.S.' member with a fine 6 over par 78. Buzz had an incredible 8 net birdies and 1 net eagle for a massive total of 44 stableford points despite having a zero point hole. Paul Kudarauskas might have won on any other day. Paul was incredibly consistent all day with no zero point holes, 1 gross birdie good for a net eagle on the 322 yard par 4 third, and 6 net birdies for 42 stableford points secured him second place. Larry Mintzer played well, but was 4 points behind Paul for third position.

B.A.G.S. traveled to Ledgemont CC for the Wednesday, June 9 event. This is superb private club with many fine holes and excellent playing conditions. All who played here in this event were impressed with the condition of the fairways, tees, and the lightning fast putting greens. Johnathan Law played the first 10 holes in 1 over par which included a 1 -putt eagle 3 on the 465 yard uphill par 5 eighth hole. Johnathan was still at just 2 over par after getting up and down for par on the 177 yard par 3 fifteenth. However, Johnathan finished with 3 consecutive bogeys on the tough three finishing holes 16-18. All par fours over 410 yards. Jonathan's 5 over par 76 was 2 better the Jeff Mucciarone, who took second place with a 78. In the Net Division A competition, Scott Chizzo, Bob Gillis, and Scott Perry finished in a tie for first with 2 under par net scores of 69. Jim Foehr was the best in the Net Division B competition with a 2 under par net score of 69.

Haverhill CC was in excellent condition for Monday, June 5 event. The putting greens were in pristine condition for the 8:00 shotgun start and while not as fast as we have experienced in past events, they rolled exceptionally well. Jeff Mucciarone got his second consecutive win with a fine 3 birdie round and a score of 3 over par 73. Glenn Watson played a solid round, and was just 2 behind Jeff with a smooth 75. Doug Bray was right there also, but missed the green on the 150 yard par 3 tenth hole his second to last hole in the shotgun start, and made a double bogey 5 after chipping short and then long to go to 5 over, Doug competed his round with a bogey 5 on the 380 yard par 4 dogleg right eleventh to shoot a 76. In the Net Division A competition, Dan Butler played his best round so far as a first year member of B.A.G.S. Dan shot a very fine gross score of 81 good for 39 stableford points or 3 under par net and finished in a tie for first place with another new member thus year, Jason Kiggen, who shot a superb gross score of 78. Neil Denenberg played extremely well, and despite 2 zero points holes was still able to amass 38 stableford points to take third position. The above mentioned Doug Bray took fourth spot. Lew Weitzman aced the 137 yard fourth hole, and will receive a free membership for 2011 season. Congratulations, Lew! In the Net Division B competition, Scott Hanlon, back in B.A.G.S. after several years away, had his best result of the season. Scott had two gross birdies on the card for 4 point net eagles, and shot a fine gross score of 84. Scott's 39 points or 3 under par net was good for a 3 point win over Andrew Leonard and Rich Hosegood.

The weather turned warm and muggy for the Saturday, June 5 event at Braintree Municipal, and it felt more like mid-July or August than early June. Jeff Mucciarone  was back in top form for this event and shot a fine even par score of 72 and got him yet another entry into the B.A.G.S. Record Book for an even par score or better in an event. Bob Heenan stayed right with Jeff through 11 holes at even par. However, Bob made a double bogey 6 on the tough 430 yard par 4 eleventh to fall 1 behind Jeff. Bob fell two behind after a par to Jeff's birdie on 15, and Bob finished with a bogey on the short-ish 334 yard par 4 finishing hole for  a 75. Johnathan Law took third position with a 78. In the Net Division A competition, Chris Kreilkamp was the best. Chris shot a fine gross score of 79 and despite a bogey, bogey finish after a lightning warning required the group to leave the course for 45 minutes and disrupted the rhythm of his round, Chris was still 2 strokes better than Bob Heenan and Richard Tenby. In the Net Division B competition, Dennis Callahan made it look easy. Now in his 19th year of B.A.G.S.' competition, Dennis shot a fine gross score of 41 on the opening nine good for 21 stableford points. Dennis made his first double bogey on the day on the 510 yard par 5 tenth after losing his tee shot in the right hazard, but made a net par on the tough 430 yard par 4 eleventh and hit the green and made a par net birdie on the 185 yard par 3 twelfth. Net pars followed on 13 & 14. Dennis made a double bogey on 15 after an unfortunate double hit, but settled down and made pars on the three finishing holes all for net birdies for a total of 20 points on the closing nine. Dennis' total of 41 points was 3 better than the improved Paul Kudarauskas and John Sawyer, who had his best result so far this year as they finished in joint second. Rosi Stoltze had her best finish this year with 35 points to finish alone in fourth.

It was a perfect June day for golf for the Wednesday, June 2 event at Wayland. The temperature was right around 80 with gentle breezes on a bright sunny day. As is usually the case at this short layout, there were many fine scores. Mauricio Otero continued his superlative play so far this year with another fine round at Wayland. Mauricio shot an even par 34 on the opening nine with the help of a 1 putt eagle 3 on the 260 yard par 4 seventh. Mauricio shot a 3 over par 39 on the closing nine for a 73. This was just enough to win the low gross title over Rey LeMaine and Jeff Mucciaone who both finished with 74's. Orin Mayers also played well, and took 4th spot with a 76. In the Net competition, Rey LeMaine's net 66 was 1 better than Dick Malo, who played well once again, and Nate Liskov, who shot a fine gross score of 78. Chris Kreilkamp got stronger as the round progressed, and shot a 38 gross on the second nine to tie the above mentioned Mauricio for fourth in the net at 2 under par 68.

Passaconaway CC was in fabulous condition  for the Saturday, May 29 event. This is one of the best public courses we play all year, and there were many fine scores. The opening nine is 3570 yards from all the way back, and while some of the tees were up, the opening nine still played long. Rick Lewis made pars on the opening 4 holes before making his first birdie on the day at the 590 yard par 5 fifth hole. Rick hit two nice shots on the 478 yard par 4  sixth hole, and made the putt for the only birdie on the day at this long par 4. Rick hit a poor drive on the 473 yard par 4 seventh hole, but still reached the front of the green from about 250 yards out, but three putted for bogey. Rick made pars on 8 & 9 for a 1 under par 9 hole score. After a par on 10, Rick got it to 2 under par with a fine 9 foot birdie putt on the 344 yard par 4 eleventh. Rick 3 - putted on twelve from 30 feet to lose 1 stroke to par. Rick then made pars on holes 12 - 15 to stay at 1 under par. On the short 340 yard par 4 sixteenth, Rick came up short on his approach, and made a bogey out of the front bunker. Pars on 17 & 18 got Rick in at even par 71 and his second entry into the B.A.G.S.' Record Book. Steve Caputo had his best showing of the year with a 2 birdie round, and was in a tie for second at 3 over 74 with 4- time B.A.G.S.' club champion, Jeff Mucciarone, who was making his first appearance in the a B.A.G.S.' event this year after overcoming some shoulder problems. In the Net Division A competition, Rick Lewis was a 2 stroke winner over Steve Caputo. Tom Simard and Dan Chicoine also played exceptionally well, and they tied for third position with 1 under par net scores. In the Net Division B competition, Paul Kudarauskas and Johnnie Balfour both played extremely well. Paul despite having a zero point hole still amassed 40 stableford points with help of 9 net birdies. Johnnie's gross score of 96 was his best in a B.A.G.S.' event by an astounding 11 shots and was good for 40 stableford points and a tie for first place. Bud McGrath had a fine day also. Bud started off with zero on the first hole and then caught fire with 20 points on the next 8 with gross birdies on both par 3's. Bud's total of 38 points got third spot by 1 point over Holger Stoltze and the long hitting  Ray Fearnley.

South Shore CC was in superb condition for the Saturday, May 22 event with fast, smooth, greens. The weather was delightful also with a bright sunny sky and the temperature right around 75 degrees. Rick Lewis got off to a quick start with a birdie on the short, uphill 303 yard par 4 first hole with a tricky green, and although he made a double bogey on the 555 yard par 5 third hole, finished the opening nine at 2 over par 38. Rick had 4 bogeys and the rest pars on the second nine for a 40. This was a convincing win, however, as the rest of the field struggled, and no one else broke 80. Dan Taylor, a new member this year, in just his second B.A.G.S.' event, took second place with an 81. In the Net Division A competition, Dan's net score of even par 72 was 2 better than Richard Tenby and the above mentioned Rick Lewis. In the Net Division B competition, Paul Kudarauskas was the best with a 1 under par net score. 2 strokes back in a three way tie for third were: Bob Steward, Ted Van Sickle, and Tony Carmona.

After a rainy, cool, Wednesday the storm system moved out, and it was a perfect May day with the temperature in the mid-70's for the Thursday, May 20 event at Acushnet River Valley. John McNeill had never played this superb public course before, but that didn't matter too much. John hit 12 of 14 fairways, and while his only birdie came on the short 322 yard par 4 third hole, John had many looks at birdie on greens that were still recovering from spring aeration. John played the opening nine in two over par 38. John's only bogey on the outer nine was on the 473 yard par 4 thirteenth that played closer to 500 yards into the wind. There was only 1 par on the day on this hole that played nearly as long as the previous hole the 536 yard par 5 twelfth, which played downwind. John's 3 over par 75 was the best by 5 strokes. Rich Bracker was alone in second with an 80. In the Net competition, George Rosner at even par net was also an easy winner. In the Net Division B competition, Peter Elliott, who has struggled so far this season, really got it going. Peter shot 45 on the opening nine good for 19 stableford points or 1 under par net. On the second nine, Peter was solid again with another 45 for another 19 points. Peter's 2 under par net score was just enough to beat: Dave Izzo, Stan Balon, and Ed Sullivan, who finished at 1 under net.

B.A.G.S. traveled to River Bend CC for the Saturday, May 15 event. The course played about as tough as it could on the opening nine with holes 5, 6 and 7 playing directly into some gusty breezes. Johnathan Law got off to a fabulous start. Holes # 1 and #2 played downwind and Johnathan took full advantage of this. Johnathan knocked his approach shot  from an old divot on the 370 yard opening hole to within  4 feet from the hole and made birdie. On the 499 yard par 5 second hole, Johnathan hit a 5 iron second shot to 12 feet and drained the putt for an eagle 3. Johnathan came to the 400 yard par 4 ninth at 1 over par after consecutive bogeys on 7 and 8. On nine, J. Law had just a 9 iron in, which he hit to within 3 feet and made the birdie for an even par score of 35. On the 412 yard tenth hole, J.L. had only had about 80 yards to the hole, and hit it to 4 feet, but missed what would have been the only birdie on the day at 10. J.L. matched the card for pars on 11-13 before making his only double bogey on the 207 yard par 3 fourteenth and a bogey on the tight 393 yard par 4 fifteenth to go to 3 over on the round. J.L. made a nice par on the 197 yard par 3 seventeenth and nearly got birdie on the 576 yard par 5 finishing hole when his 3 footer just missed. J.L.'s 3 over par 74 was just enough to get the win over Rick Lewis who came in a with fine 75 on this windy day. Rick, the Cape Cod Champion, was even with J.L. after making a par on the 207 yard par 3 fourteenth, but lost the lead with a double on the tight 393 yard par 4 fifteenth. Joe Pimental in his first B.A.G.S.' event of the season, took third with a 79. In the Net Division A competition, the above mentioned Rick L. and Johnathan L. finished in a tie for first with even par net scores. Joe P. took third. Bob Oteri, in his first event as a B.A.G.S.' member, played well and took 4th spot. In the Net Division B competition, new member this year, Bill Feingold and veteran B.A.G.S.' member, Bob Steward both played exceptionally well and finished in a tie for first with 3 under par net scores. The trio of Paul Kudarauskas, Chris Hulswit, and John Orciani all played well and had even par net scores to tie for third.

After a breezy and very cold morning, it warmed up into the upper 50's for the afternoon shotgun start at Spring Valley CC on Monday, May 10. The course was in ideal condition with pristine fairways, and greens that were smooth and rated around medium fast, so putts got to the hole but didn't race past. Glenn Watson's playing much more this year, than last, and some of the consistency and confident play has returned as well. Glenn played the opening nine in just 2 over par which included a birdie on the 515 yard par 5 fifth hole. Glenn then matched the card for pars on the 10-14. Glenn made a bogey on the short 365 yard par 4 fifteenth after a nice drive and an approach shot then ended up on the upper tier of the green with hole near the front and a subsequent three putt. Glenn got up and down for par on the 210 yard par 3 sixteenth, but made his second bogey on this nine on the 522 yard par 5 seventeenth after driving left and having to punch out from under a tree branch. A great second shot on the 377 yard par 4 finishing hole left Glenn about 8 feet below the hole and his putt dove into the hole for a birdie and a score of 1 over par 37 and a total of 75. 4 strokes back in second place was new member this year, Mauricio Otero, the B.A.G.S.' version of the "merry Mex". Mauricio had no birdies, but had 11 pars and no doubles for a 79. In the Net Division A competition, the previously mentioned Glenn W. and Mauricio tied for first with net scores of 4 under par 68. Glenn McIntyre played a solid round with a gross 85, and with 14 strokes was in alone in the third spot with a net 71. Clyde Rowells and Rey LeMaine shared 4th position with net scores of 74. In the Net Division B competition, Bob Jarchow was the man. Bob loved the greens and made nearly every putt he needed and came in with a superb gross score of 80. Bob had 11 gross pars, and on the net side an incredible 9 net birdies. Bob's total of 42 stableford points was good for a 2 point win over Joe Burns. Joe, in his first start as a B.A.G.S.' member, would have been a winner on any other day. Joe shot a very fine gross score of 84, and had a nice birdie on the difficult 503 yard par 5 seventeenth. Ralph Faiola played well again and took third spot with a 2 under par net  score of 70. Ted Van Sickle and Gary Carlin finished tied for 4th with net scores of 1 over par.

The fine weather from the weekend continued for the Wednesday, May 5 event at Triggs Memorial. The greens hadn't recovered fully from recent aeration and most putts were an adventure and yet there were several brilliant scores. John McNeill loves this Donald Ross vintage layout, and John,  now in his 18th year as a B.A.G.S.' member, proved that again in this event. Holes 1 -3 are the toughest stretch on the course with par 4's all over 400 yards. John made pars 1 & 2,  but made double on the 457 yard third. Back to back birdies on 5 & 6 got John  back to even par. John matched the card on holes 7-9 and finished with even par 35 after nine. After a par on ten, John got his third birdie on the short 350 yard par 4 eleventh. John was still at 1 under for the round before making a bogey on the short, dogleg left, sixteenth. Despite the bumpy greens, John finished with consecutive birdies on the 412 yard par 4 seventeenth, and 410 yard par 4 finishing hole for a fine 2 under par 70. This got John yet another entry into the B.A.G.S.' Record Book for even par of better scores in a B.A.G.S.' event. No one else in the field was able to break 80. In the Net Division A competition, John's net score of 70 was 1 better than the trio of: Dennis Flis, Scott Perry, and Peter Ross. In the Net Division B competition, new member this year, John Orciani found the course very agreeable to his game. John had two net eagles on the day along with 7 net birdies for a massive total of 43 stableford points. Well back in second was Richard Hosegood who had his best result so far in his first season in B.A.G.S with a 2 under par net score of 70. Another new member, Gregg Martin was in at net 71, and took third.

It was an unbelievably nice weekend for golf on Cape Cod for the 36 - hole Championship on the weekend of May 1 & 2. With the temperature well into the 70's for both days and just a light sea breeze, it was ideal for golf. The course was in fine condition with the greens very firm and fast on downhill putts. Rick Lewis played extremely well on Saturday with a fine 3 over 75. Rick had plenty of birdie opportunities, and had at least 4 putts that hit the edge of the hole and didn't drop. Rick's round was even more impressive when consideration is given to the fact that the next best score was a 79 by Glenn Watson. On Sunday, it was not quite as easy for Rick. Rick played the first 6 holes in 6 over par and with bogeys on 8 & 9, played the opening nine in 8 over par. Rick settled down on holes that had given him trouble in the past and played the stretch of 10 - 15 in even par, and with a closing par on 18, finished the second nine with a 3 over par 39 for 83 total. The closest pursuer from Saturday, Glenn Watson, was just 3 over par after a nice par on the 442 yard par 4 eighth, and was now even with Rick in the tournament . Glenn hit a superb tee shot on the 389 yard par 4 ninth, and only had about 136 yards in. A miss hit wedge was sent high in the air and disappeared in the front bunker. After a  search of the bunker which involved sifting through the soft sand and finding three other balls, Glenn finally found his ball. Instead of taking an unplayable and dropping in the bunker for 1 stroke penalty, Glenn decided to try to play the buried ball out of the sand. It took him 4 to get out and 3 more putts lead to a score of  9 on the hole which killed his chances in the low gross. Doug Bray and Philip Collier were in a tie for second with identical scores of 81-80, and finished 3 behind Rick. In the Net Division A competition, the above mentioned Glenn Watson and Rick Lewis were the leaders after Saturday's opening round. While the 9 on #9 cost Glenn any chance of winning the low gross, in stableford scoring it was a zero point hole and not as damaging. Glenn's net score on Saturday was a 71 and on Sunday a 75. Doug Bray charged from 3 strokes behind to catch Glenn on Sunday with a weekend net score of 74-72. Rick Lewis fell into a tie for third with Carl Umpleby who played very consistently well with net scores of 75 both days. Dave Truesdell was the story of the day, however. Dave changed his strategy on Sunday after a day of frustration on Saturday and kept the driver in his bag and went out and shot the best round on Sunday with a 3 over par 75. This got him first low gross sweep and first net A sweep on Sunday. In the Net Division B competition, Scott Reese was dominant. Scott shot 1 under par net on Saturday and played even better on Sunday with a net score of 69. Dick Malo was easily the best of the rest. Dick was the only other Net B contender that played better on Sunday other than Scott. Dick improved from net 73 on Saturday to 1 under par net on Sunday and finished 4 behind Scott. Bob Adkisson had another fine event and took third position with 72-77. Saturday leader, Neil Denenberg, who shot a net 70, just didn't have it on Sunday and fell back into 4th position. Tony Carmona, just 2 strokes behind Neil on Saturday, also couldn't keep it going and finished 5th. 

The weather co-operated for the Monday, April 28 event at Ferncroft CC. Instead of the cool and damp conditions which had been in the forecast, the day turned out quite mild and partly sunny. Ted Van Sickle kept his fine early season form, and took the Net Division Competition with an even par net score of 72. This was Ted's third victory. Well done, Ted! Andrew Leonard held his round together with a 2 over par net score on a day when high scores were the norm on these fast greens with plenty of slope. Carl Umpleby also played well and was alone in third with a 3 over par net score.

After a March of record rainfall and with several holes underwater for an extended period, Sandy Burr was not in the best of shape, to put it kindly, for the Saturday, April 24 event. The weather was perfect for the event with a cloudless sky and the temperature right around 68 degrees. All the holes were open for play, but the bunkers still had debris in them and had not been raked. Johnathan Law got off to nice start and played the opening 9 holes in 1 over par 37. Johnathan got up and down from just off the green on the 185 yard par 3 tenth for par and did the same for birdie on the 450 yard par 5 eleventh to get back to even. After a par on 12, Johnathan sunk a 20 footer for birdie on the par 3 thirteenth to get to 1 under par. A poor drive well to the left lead to a double bogey on 14. John made pars on 15, 16 ,& 17. John hit a nice drive right down the center of fairway on 18, but missed the green short, and couldn't get up and down and made a bogey and finished at 2 over par 74. Jay Leonard in his first time out in a B.A.G.S.' event this season played well, and finished in a tie for second with Lew Weitzman, who had his best performance of the season, with 5 over par 77's. In the Net Division A competition, Lew Weitzman was one stroke better than J. Law with a two under par net score of 70. Glenn McIntyre played a rock solid round with no zero point holes, and was in with an even par net score which gave him third position. Doug Bray shot a gross 79 and took fourth spot in the net division A with a 1 over par net score. The Net Division B competition was very tight. Both Ralph Faiola and Paul Kudarauskas played well and they tied for first spot with 35 points or 1 over par net. Just 2 points behind in a tie for third were Holger Stoltze and Bob Adkisson. 

Highland CC, which was new on the schedule this year, proved to be an absolute gem of a course. The 100+ year old course was perfection from tee to green and a joy to play on a perfect spring day with the temperature right around 70 degrees.. Although the yardage was listed at only 6200 yards, this course was no pushover. Bob Heenan took his second straight low gross title despite having to take a 2 stroke penalty on the eighth hole after he let his club drop back into the same bunker he was playing out of, after his ball rolled back in on the shot. Bob's 80 was 1 stroke better than Doug Bray, as they duplicated their finish at Indian Pond CC the previous Wednesday. Another new member, Mauricio Otero, in his second event, took the Net Division title with a 1 over par net score. Net Division B club champion Ron Violette, who improved so much last year, showed some of that form and took second place with a 2 over par net score.

The Pinehills GC event was shifted from Saturday to Monday the 21st, and this turned out to be a much better day for golf. Sunshine prevailed after some morning clouds, and it was near 60 degrees by afternoon. Philip Collier, a new member this year, got his first low gross win in just his second event with a fine 4 over par 76. Johnathan Law played well enough to take second place with a 79. In the Net Division competition, Ted Van Sickle got his second victory of the young season. Ted, who won the season opening event on the Jones course,  showed that the Nicklaus II course also suits his game. Ted had an incredible 3 net eagles on the day, and shot a gross score of 87 which included 2 gross birdies. Well done, Ted! Joe Regan might have been the winner on any other day. Joe was in with 39 stableford points or 3 under par and in his best performances in 5 years of B.A.G.S.' competition with a gross score of 85. 

It was a fine early spring day for the Wednesday, April 14 event at Indian Pond CC with the afternoon temperature into the low 60's. The course was in great condition with some of the best greens that we play on all year. New member Bob Heenan made his presence felt right away as a strong contender any time he tee's it up in a B.A.G.S.' event. Bob was at even par for the first 8 holes before making a double on the 400 yard par 4 ninth. Bob got it back to  4 over par on the day with a nice birdie on the 380 yard par 4 sixteenth. Bogeys on 17 & 18 pushed Bob to 6 over on the day for a 78. Doug Bray also made birdie on 17, to get him to just 5 over on the round, and 1 stroke behind Bob. Doug missed a par putt on the 180 yard par 3 seventeenth and also made bogey on the 549 yard par 5 eighteenth to finish 1 stroke behind Bob in the low gross competition. In the Net Division A competition, Richard Tenby was the best. Richard shot even par net for 36 points which was even more impressive considering that Richard had two zero point holes with triple bogeys, thus demonstrating the beauty of the stableford scoring system. The above mentioned Bob Heenan and Doug Bray both finished in a tie for second with 35 points. In the Net Division B competition, Dick Malo also had two zero point holes on his card and still managed to win with 36 points. Dick overcame the two zero point holes with 4 net birdies and a net eagle. Paul Kudarauskas showed that he might be back in form this year with a fine 1 over par net score with the help of a strong second nine score of 42 gross, good for 20 stableford points. Mike Harney had his best finish so far in this young season with 33 points or 3 over net, good for a solo third. 

A windy and chilly morning became quite nice by afternoon as the sky became cloudless and the brilliant sunshine warmed things up somewhat for the Saturday, April 10 event at Atlantic CC. The wind had its effect on the scoring as well as the fact that the championship (Gold) tee markers for the low gross and Net Division A were set all the way back on every hole and the course played as difficult as it possibly could. Rick Lewis got off to a great start with birdies on two of the first three holes and was just 1 over par after the eighth hole. However, a double bogey on the tough 428 yard ninth which played directly into the wind, pushed Rick to a 3 over score of 39. Rick made four consecutive pars on the second nine before hitting his tee shot into the pond on the 372 yard par 4 fifteenth, and made a double bogey 6. Rick played the final three holes in 1 over par and finished with a 6 over par 78 to win by 1 stroke over Mark Dwyer. In the Net Division A competition, Lew Weitzman and Chris Kreilkamp, both playing in the same foursome, had what turned out to be a battle for first place as both finished with 35 points or 1 over par net. In the Net Division B competition, Pete Kaznoski, in his first B.A.G.S.' event, got off to a great start with a gross birdie on his first hole for a net albatross worth 5 points and really never looked back after this. Ralph Daniels also played exceptionally well with 6 net birdies and no zero point holes for 39 points, and took second place. The ageless Jim Homans, now in his 20th season of B.A.G.S.' competition, shot 1 under par net and finished in a tie for third with Dick Malo and Zecca Fernandes.

B.A.G.S. began its 22nd season of tournament golf on a glorious summer-like day at Pinehills GC on Wednesday, April 7. While it was close to 90 degrees in Boston, it was a perfect 78 degrees in Plymouth. Johnathan Law played some excellent golf from tee to green. Johnathan, who shot 2 over on the opening nine, hit 14 greens in regulation, but struggled on the greens with 34 putts and finished with a 5 over par 77. This was still good enough for the low gross title on the day as no one else in the field broke 80. In the Net Division A competition, Chris Kreilkamp came away with a surprisingly easy victory. Chris made the turn with 19 stableford points or 1 under par net. Chris started the second nine by taking his first zero on the 360 par 4 tenth hole after going from bunker to bunker and then back in again. Chris quickly got those points back by making pars on 11 and 12 for net birdies. Chris made his only other zero point hole on thirteen. Chris made a nice par on the 215 yard par 3 and the 495 yard par 5 fifteenth to get back to even par net and finished with all net pars for a total of 37 points. The above mentioned Johnathan Law took second with 34 points or 2 over par net. In the Net Division B competition off the White tee markers, several of the members had exceptional scores. Ted Van Sickle had 6 net birdies on the day, and made a gross birdie on the par 5 fifteenth for a net albatross and had 41 points with 2 holes to go. However, Ted cooled off and only made 1 more point. Still, his total of 42 points or 6 under par net was good enough to win by 1 point over Buzz Speers who also played extremely well. Buzz shot a gross 80, his second best score ever in  4 years of B.A.G.S.' competition. Ed Sullivan also played well and took third with 40 points. Bob Wilson, a new member this year, took fourth spot with a 2 under par net score.

B.A.G.S. has begun its 22nd season of tournament golf . While other traveling tournament clubs have copied the B.A.G.S.' formula, none have come close to offering the fine mix of tournaments sites, competition, service for the members, and camaraderie that B.A.G.S. has been able to maintain. Because of its strong event schedule and reasonable prices, compared with other traveling tournament clubs, B.A.G.S. has continued its membership growth. This means continued larger fields, stronger competition and larger prize pools for the members. Tee times, tournament results, and the 2010 Official Tournament schedule, along with Order of Merit standings, will be available again this year from the B.A.G.S.' web site: bagsgolf.com. Again, this year, each player’s contribution to the tournament the prize fund will be increased from $1-$3 for most of the events from the entry fees. 

Summer briefly returned for the Saturday, October 31 event at Indian Pond CC. A strong balmy breeze from the southwest pushed the temperature above 70 by afternoon. Brian Boyle didn't let his triple bogey on the 541 yard par 5 second hole derail his chances of winning. Brian came right back with a birdie on the 355 yard uphill par 4 third hole, and after 4 consecutive pars made another birdie on the 561 par five eighth hole. After a bogey on the 400 yard par 4 ninth, Brian competed the first nine in just 2 over par 38. Brian's third birdie on the day on the 560 yard par 5 tenth hole got him to just 2 over par. Brian made his 4th and final birdie on the 150 yard par 3 thirteenth, and was still at 2 over on the fifteenth tee. However, Brian made bogeys on 15 & 16 to go to 4 over. He finished with a par on 18 for a 76. Rick Lewis was looking for his second straight win, and was right there after birdies on 13 and 14 to get to just 2 over par. However, a 4 putt on 16 lead to a double bogey. A three putt on 17 pushed him to 5 over par. Rick had a short birdie putt on eighteen that would have lead to a tie, but this putt just missed and Rick finished in a tie for second with Jim DiBiase with 77. In the Division A competition, Brian B. was 3 points better than the above mentioned Rick L. and Jim D. along with Doug Bray who played well again and shot a 78 gross.  In the Net Division B competition, Rhode Island invader Al Latour was 1 point better than the trio of: Neil Denenberg, Dave Lee, and Paul Kudarauskas with a 1 over par net score of 73.

B.A.G.S traveled to Halifax CC for the Tuesday, October 27 event. The day started off cool with come light cloudiness, but the wind stayed calm for most of the day and the soft greens from the previous weekend's rain made for good scoring conditions. Rick Lewis got back to his winning ways with a very steady performance. Rick shot a fine 5 over par 77 with no double bogeys on the card. Rick was superb on the four par 3's playing them in 1 under par. Jim DiBiase was second best with an 80. In the Net Division competition, Nate Liskov was in complete control. Nate shot a fine gross score of 81, and was an easy winner in the net by 3 strokes over Dan Chicoine and Rick Lewis. 

The Poquoy Brook event was moved to Sunday, October 25, and it turned out to be a superb day for golf. The course was in its usual great condition and they were several superb scores. Tom Dromgoole was the very definition of a hot golfer in the zone on the opening nine on a day when all the Blue (back) tee markers were at the very back at 6828 yards.. Tom started with birdies on the first two holes, made another on the tough 426 yard par seventh hole and had 1 more long 553 par 5 ninth for a score of 3 under par 33. Only 1 other player in B.A.G.S.' history has ever shot a lower nine hole score, Mark Dwyer at Wayland CC, and only 2 other players, Jeff Mucciarone at Acushnet River Valley, and just this year, John Law at Passaconaway, have matched that total. Tom couldn't keep that magic going on the second nine, and played 10-13 in 5 over par. However, Tom made birdies on both par 5's, and finished with a 41 for an excellent total of 2 over par 74. A firm testament to how well he played is evidenced by the fact that no other player in the field broke 80 on the day. Well done, Tom!  Tom was an easy winner in the Net Division A competition with 43 stableford points. Mark DelVecchio, played with Tom and in his wake piled up 38 points of his own with some very consistent play including a 23 foot bomb to save par on the 182 yard par 3 fifteenth. John Danchik played well and took third with 37 points. In the Net Division B competition, played from the White tee markers, Mike Nelson was the man. Mike shot a gross score of 40 on the opening nine including a gross birdie on the 307 yard par 4 fourth hole. Mike piled up a staggering total of 24 stableford points with 4 net birdies and a net eagle on the 5th hole. Mike cooled off somewhat on the second nine, but finished with another gross birdie on the 455 yard par 5 finishing hole for his second net eagle. Mike was so dominant in this event that his total of 43 stableford points or 7 under par was 10 points better than his closest competitor.

Summer briefly returned for the Thursday, October 22 event at Walpole CC. By afternoon, it was in the mid-70's, for the event at this well maintained private club. The quick greens claimed quite a few victims not accustomed speedy greens with a lot of slope. Rick Lewis played the first 11 holes in just 3 over par before making 3 consecutive bogeys on holes 12-14. Rick chipped up to just behind the hole from down in front of the green on the 518 yard downhill fifteenth hole, and watched as the ball crept back down the slope for a tap in birdie. Rick made a nice par on the 363 yard sixteenth hole that bends around the corner to the right, and then made a par on the 185 yard par 3 seventeenth from 24 feet away. Rick got on the 417 yard par 4 eighteenth after a nice drive to the middle of the fairway, but putted off the green from above the hole and made a bogey to finish with a 6 over par 77. Doug Bray was tied for the lead in this event after 12 holes also at only 3 over par. The 368 yard par 4 dogleg left thirteenth got him, and he finished this hole with a triple bogey 7. Doug played the 14-18 in just 2 over to finish with a 8 over 79.

B.A.G.S. traveled to Waverly Oaks for the Monday, October 19 event and bid adieu to this nice layout before its scheduled closing at the end of November. After snow and rain the previous day, the morning cleared, but clouds quickly moved in and the start of the round was windy and cool. By mid-afternoon the sun was out and conditions got more pleasant. Doug Bray played a mediocre first nine holes at 5 over par 41. This all changed beginning with the 386 yard 10th hole. From the middle of the fairway, Doug holed out from about 135 yards for an eagle. 5 consecutive pars followed and now Doug was only 3 over par for 15 holes. Doug made a bogey on the long 600 yard par 5 fifteenth, and smartly got up and down from just off the green on the uphill 210 yard par 3 seventeenth for a par. A disappointing  bogey on the shortish 360 yard finishing hole got Doug in at even par 36 on the second nine for a fine score of 77. In the Net Division A competition, Rhode Island member, Tom Bush, was 1 stroke better than Doug with a net score of 1 under par. Lew Weitzman, Ron Violette, and Rick Kelly all played well, and finished in a tie for third at 2 over par net. In the Net Division B competition, Holger Stoltze and Carlton Smith were tied for first with 1 under par net scores of 71. Loi Nguyen and Dick Malo also played well and on this cool day, and tied for third with even par net scores.

The Saturday, October 17 event at Sandy Burr turned out to be a decent day for golf despite dire weather forecasts from earlier in the week. It was bright and cool with the afternoon temperature right around 48 degrees with abundant sunshine. Rick Lewis is starting to show that he can now dominate the field with his improved swing and excellent short game. Rick started off on Saturday with birdies on two of his first 4 holes and played the first nine in even par 36. Rick stayed just as steady on the second with pars on holes 10- 12. A pushed tee shot on the 180 yard par 3 thirteenth cost him a stroke. After pars on 13 & 14, Rick made a bogey on the 397 yard par 4 sixteenth after missing the green. Rick rolled in a 20 footer for birdie on the 511 yard par 5 seventeenth to get back to 1 over par on the day. Rick just missed a scrambling par on the 391 yard uphill par 4 eighteenth when his 4 foot putt nearly went in after finding the rim of the hole. Rick's 2 over par 74 was 3 better than Johnathan Law who was trying to make it two straight wins. In the Net Division competition, Rich McCabe, who recently joined B.A.G.S., played a superb round of golf. Rich shot a 1 over par gross 37 on the opening nine for an incredible 25 stableford points with unheard of 7 net birdies. Rich cruised home with a gross 43 on the second nine for 18 more stableford points. Well done, Rich! 5 points back in second place was the above mentioned Rick Lewis. John Faucher showed some of his old form, and took third position with 37 points or 1 under par net.

B.A.G.S. visited George Wright GC for the Sunday, October 11 event. It was a bright, cool, and breezy day in the lower 60's. Despite the persistent breezes, there were several outstanding performances. Due to the construction on the par 4 thirteenth hole, the hole played as a par 3 at around 125 yards. Johnathan Law played some exceptional golf on a day where the golf course played particularly tough because of the wind and some difficult hole positions. Johnathan was 2 under par through 7 holes before making bogeys on the 180 yard par 3 eighth and 450 yard par 4 ninth. Johnathan made the only birdie on the day on the 460 yard par 4 tenth. He played the 11 - 14 in 1 over par, and then made his 5th birdie in the round on the 510 yard par 5 fifteenth to get back to even par on the round. Johnathan finished with pars on 17 & 18 and a place in the B.A.G.S.' Record Book for a score of even par or better. Bryan McAllister, in his first B.A.G.S.' event after recent becoming a member, took second place with a score of 76. In the Net Division A competition,  J. Law's net score of 66 was 4 better than Steve Swanson's 70. Steve played really well, and shot the third best gross score on the day with a 77. The above mentioned Bryan McAllister took third position. In the Net Division B competition, Neil Denenberg, who just missed out winning at Ballymeade CC, continued his good play and finished in a tie for first place with Johnnie Balfour, who had his best result in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member, with 1 under par net scores. Third place went to B.A.G.S.' veteran Gary Schirmer.

Ballymeade was reduced to a one day tournament after heavy rain passed over the area on Saturday. Sunday was just the opposite with a light balmy breeze, abundant sunshine, and the temperature into the lower 70's. This was an ideal day for Cape golf, and it produced some fabulous scores. Never in the long, 16 year, history of this event has any member shot even par on this challenging course. Brian Boyle accomplished this feat on Sunday. Brian, now in his 11th year as a B.A.G.S.' member, began as a 15 handicapper, has now accomplished, with a lot of work and dedication put into his game, what no one else in B.A.G.S. has been able to do before. Brian, with the help of back to back birdies on 7 & 8 shot a 2 under par score of 34 on the opening nine. After making a bogey on the 527 yard par 5 tenth hole, Brian was able to get a par on the always tough 165 yard par 3 eleventh which has a semi island green. Brian made a bogey on the 403 yard par 4 twelfth hole, and went on a par streak after that with pars on holes 13-15. Brian made a nice birdie putt on the 156 yard par 3 sixteenth from 13 feet and finished with a bogey on seventeen and a par on the 500 yard par 5 finishing hole for a 2 over 38 and a eighteen hole total of even par 72. Tom Dromgoole, in the same group as Brian, was just 2 behind after nine holes with an even par 36 of his own. Tom fell back on the second nine, but his birdie on 18 got him second place with a 77, one shot better than Doug Bray. In the Net Division A competition, Brian B. was in much closer battle for first. Brian's net score of 66 was just 1 better than Neil Denenberg who seeming had this event won, but got bitten by the 18th hole. Many a good round has been brought down by this 500 yard par 5 that requires precision on the tee shot and the lay up before the pond that lurks down below the fairway in front of the green. Neil needed only a net bogey to tie Brian for first, but came away with 0 points after making a triple bogey. Tom Dromgoole took third position with a net 71. Doug Bray was in fourth with net par. In the Net Division B competition, Rhode Island member, Pat Hogan, was much the best with a superb net 66. 

B.A.G.S. returned to Andover CC after a 15 year absence for the Wednesday, September 30 event. The members and their guests enjoyed a fine day for golf on this classic Donald Ross course. Mark Karski was the best on this day with a fine score of 6 over par 78 on his first trip over this 6737 yard layout. In the Net Division A competition, Mark Lyons returned to his form of old with a fine gross score of 82. Mark started off 4 over par after his first 4 holes, but played the rest of the way in at only 6 over with 2 birdies. Mark's winning net score of 71 was 1 better than Richard Tenby, who played some very solid golf. In the Net Division B competition, Dick Malo was all the way back with a fine win coming in with a 3 under par net score ending a season long slump. Carlos Duarte continued his improvement taking second position with a 2 under par net score. In the 3 way tie for third were: Steve Clifford, Glenn McIntyre, and Loi Nguyen at 1 over par net.

Summer made another return for the Monday, September 28 event at Pawtucket CC for this classic 100 year old course. The course as always was in spectacular condition with putting greens as true as any we play all year. Dave Bergeson made his presence felt in this event in both the low gross and Net Division A competition as he was in compete control of his game on the day. Dave shot a fine 5 over par 74, and was in at 1 better than Jeff Mucciarone on a day where the Blue tee markers were pushed all the way back on every hole and the course played as tough as it can. Dave B.'s net score of 71 was good for a 2 stroke win over Steve Ross and Rhode Island member, Anthony Leone. In the Net Division B competition played from the White tee markers, Rhode Island member Mike Farrell was red hot. Mike shot 8 under par and was an easy winner.

Summer like weather returned for the Monday, September, 21 event at Norfolk GC. The temperature quickly ascended into the upper 70's by mid-morning, with mild breezes under a cloudless sky. The course, as usual, was in marvelous condition with easily some of the best and quickest putting greens we've seen all year. Rick Lewis, in his initial trip over this superb 103 year old layout in Westwood, played some excellent golf. Rick went around the first time in just 1 over par 36. The 405 yard par 4 13th got him, as well as several others, as he putted off this treacherously fast green, and took a double bogey 6. Rick played the rest of the holes in even par, and came in with a fine 4 over par 74. Rick got the win by 2 strokes over Lew Weitzman. Lew started off in rough shape after having a lost ball on the first hole, but made par with his provisional for a double bogey 6. Lew had another double on the 492 yard par 5 seventh, and finished the first nine with a 41. Lew got his revenge the second time around. Lew started off with 3 straight birdies, however, he made a double on the ridiculously fast 13th green, but played the rest of the closing holes in 1 over par for a fine score of 35. Rick Lewis and Lew tied for first in the Net Division A competition with even par net scores. Steve Swanson played well, and took third with a 2 over par net score. In the Net Division B competition, Larry Rooney was the best in a battle of attrition. Larry's net score of 73 was 1 better than Neil Denenberg's 74. 

Sandy Burr was in very nice condition for the Saturday, September 19 event. It was a cool and breezy day, but abundant sunshine made for a very pleasant day to be out playing. Rick Lewis has been on a real good streak lately, and had 4 birdies on the day, and shot a fine 4 over par 76 despite making a triple bogey on 6 and a double bogey 15. Johnathan Law turned it around quite impressively after shooting a 5 over par 41 on the first nine by coming back with even an par 36 on the second nine to take second place in the low gross competition. In the Net Division A competition, new member the year, Chris Adamo, in just his second event as a B.A.G.S.' member, was easily the best with 39 points or 3 under par net. Chris had third low gross on the day with a 78, and looked like a possible winner of the low gross before running out of gas and making bogeys on 17 & 18. Mark DelVecchio also liked the playing conditions at Sandy Burr, and shot a very fine gross score of 84 and finished in a tie for second in the net with the above mentioned Rick Lewis at even par net 72. In the Net Division B competition, the scores were not very impressive as the windy conditions seemed to affect these players the most. Holger Stoltze was the story of the day when he made a hole in one on the 135 yard third hole. Holger will get a free membership in B.A.G.S. for this achievement. The 5 stableford points he made on the hole was also quite useful as he and Dave Lee both finished in a tie for first place with 33 stableford points. 

It was a cool start for the Wednesday, September, 16 event at Hickory Hill GC. It warmed up into the 60's by mid-day, and there were several fine performances. Jeff Mucciarone took the low gross title with the help of some steady play on the second nine with a 1 over par score of 36 coming in. Jeff's total of 75 was 2 better than Steve Ross and Chris Kreilkamp. Steve and Chris had nearly identical cards of 40-37-77, and both shared first place in the Net Division A competition. Nick Spada played well again, and the champion from the Indian Pond CC event took third position with an even par net score. In the Net Division B competition, Mike Harney was the best. Mike loves this course, and it showed. Mike's gross score of 85 was his best in a B.A.G.S.' event since we last played this course 1 year ago. Mike had 6 net birdies on the day plus a net eagle and no zero point holes. Mike total of 41 stableford points or 5 under par net was 2 better than John Matte, who had his best result this year. John shot a fine gross score of 85, the best on the year for this 18 year member of B.A.G.S. Dick Millen and Ray Fearnley also played quite well, and finished in a tie for third with 2 under par net scores.

A rainy morning kept the fair weather golfers away, but more than half the field showed up for the Saturday, September 12 event at Franklin Park GC. By the time the final group teed off, the last of the  light rain ended, and it turned out to be a very decent day for golf. The course had only a few wet spots in the low areas, and the greens were in perfect condition and lightning quick on downhill putts. Rick Lewis and John Law played this first nine holes in 1 over par 35 as did Tom Dromgoole. Doug Bray was just 2 back at 37. Rick and John played the more difficult second nine in 3 over par 39's, while Doug had only 1 bogey and all the rest pars for a 37. All three tied for the low gross title with 74's. Doug and Rick also tied for first for low net with 69's, while John Law was just 1 stroke back for third with Paul Mitchell.

B.A.G.S. traveled to Norton CC for the Wednesday, September 9 event. The fine string of perfect early September golf days continued with the temperature into the upper 60's, and plenty of sunshine. Jeff Mucciarone wasn't seriously challenged in this event after playing his first nine holes in 2 over par, and his 7 over par 78 was the only score under 80 on this tight course. Rhode Island veteran member, Don Denuccio, had second low gross with an 81, and won the Net Division A competition with a 2 under par net score of 69. Ron Violette was in contention again, and finished in a tie for second with Mike Harney with even par net scores. In the Net Division B competition, Bill Gray got his first win in over 2 years with a fine score of 1 under par net for a 3 stroke victory. Peter Elliott took second position with a 2 over par net score of 73.

There was a touch of fall in the air for the Sunday, September, 6 event at Atlantic CC. The temperature never did get into the 70's, but abundant sunshine made it a quite pleasant day for golf despite a swirling wind which had an effect on the scoring. Jay Leonard had a 1 stroke lead after nine holes with a 2 over par 38. Jay then went on one those steaks that he's proven capable of, and put the tournament away by playing the second nine in even par 36, for a fine score of 2 over par 74. Jeff Mucciarone made no birdies for one of the few times this year, and took second with a 78. In the Net Division A competition, Jay's 1 over par net score of 73 was 1 better than the straight hitting Mike McLaughlin who found the fairway on nearly every hole. In the Net Division B competition, Ted van Sickle and Mike Nelson were the best. Mike had a 1 point lead over Ted at the turn, but Ted, who had not made a single gross par on the day through the thirteenth hole, pared 3 of the last 5 holes to catch Mike with 37 points. Gary Carlin played well, and took third position with a very fine score of even par net or 36 points.

Indian Pond CC was in fabulous condition for the Wednesday, September, 2 event date. The weather cooperated providing an absolutely perfect early September day with a deep blue sky, light breezes, and an ideal temperature for golf in the mid-70's. A group of over 70 members enjoyed this fine day for golf. Joe LeRoy, a member of Indian Pond CC as well as B.A.G.S., opened with a birdie on the 375 yard par 4 first, and shot even par 36 on the opening nine. Joe was only at 1 over par on the tee of the 182 yard par 3 seventeenth, but a poor tee shot lead to Joe's only double bogey on the day. Joe finished with a par on 18 for a fine score of 3 over par 75. Jeff Mucciarone got it to 1 under par after a birdie on the short par 4 twelfth hole. This was Jeff's third birdie in his last 5 holes. However, Jeff made bogeys on his next three to go back to 2 over par. Jeff made pars on 17 & 18, but a bogey on the relatively easy, straight away, 548 par 5 eighteenth cost him the outright win, and he settled for a tie for first with Joe LeRoy. In the Net Division A competition, Nick Spada got his first win of the year with a superb closing  8 hole stretch. Nick played this stretch in 2 over gross for 20 stableford points which included 5 net birdies, and turned a so-so round into a winner with 39 points or 3 under par net. Ron Violette, the Net Division B club champion, who graduated to Net A for this event, proved that he belongs here with a fine gross score of 82 off the back tees, and his total 38 points was good enough for second position. In the Net Division B competition, Rhode Island member Carl Mattson was the best with 35 points as Net B played nearly the same yardage as Net A because of aerated middle tee boxes. Jeff Bartlett, who has been steadily improving in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member, took second place, his best result so far, with 34 points. Ron Axelrod, Ray Fearnley, and Frank Collins also played well, and shared third place with 33 points.

It was a superb day for golf for Sunday, August 30 event at Blackstone National. After a wet Saturday, the sky cleared for Sunday with the temperature right around 78 degrees by afternoon with light breezes. Johnathan Law played brilliant golf for the first 13 holes in this event. Johnathan made the turn at 2 under par 34 with 3 birdies. With another birdie and three pars, Johnathan got it to 3 under par after 13 holes. Triple bogeys on 14 and 15 stopped all the momentum. Johnathan came in with a 4 over par score of 76. This was good enough for a 1 stoke win over the much improved Rick Lewis, who was the winner in his last time out at Halifax. In the Net Division Competition, Peter Ross had his best ever gross score in a B.A.G.S.' event in his third year of competition with a fine score of 81. Peter had 5 net birdies on the second nine after putting away his driver and going with a fairway metal off the tee, and finished in first place with 41 stableford points. In a three way tie for second were: Brian Boyle, who shot a fine gross of 78, and the above mentioned Johnathan and Rick.

It turned much cooler for the Thursday, August 27 event at Highfields with temperature at the start of the event only in the upper 60's as the recent heat and humidity disappeared. Jeff Mucciarone took complete control of this event after the first nine holes with an even par score of 36. Jeff was still at even par after a birdie on the short 330 yard par 4 twelfth hole. Jeff made bogeys on 3 of the next 4 holes to go to  3 over. Jeff finished with pars on 17 & 18 for a 75. No one else in the field broke 80. In the Net Division A competition, Kazuo Noda and Wayne Morrison both played exceptionally well and shot gross scores 80. With identical handicaps, both tied for first place with excellent scores of 2 under par net. Also playing well and tying for second were Glenn McIntyre and Mark Lyons. In the Net Division B competition, there were three superb performances. Paul McCurley played the first 13 holes in just 4 over par gross for an astounding total of 36 points or 10 under par net. Paul cooled off dramatically after that with just 5 more points over the last 5 holes for a total of 41 points. Jim Kelly also liked the opening nine better for scoring as he made the turn with 24 points, and reached the 13th tee with 30 points before losing some of the magic. However, Jim made a par on the 490 yard par 5 finishing hole good for 3 more stableford points and a tie for first with Paul M. and Rhode Island Division competitor, Dave Izzo.

The warm weather continued for the Monday, August 24 event at the CC of Halifax. The course was in great condition despite the heavy rain from thunderstorms the previous day. Rick Lewis, who has struggled somewhat this year until recent events, which included a top 4 finish in the Society Championship, was easily the best on this day. Rick hit a lot of fairways and putted extremely well on these fast, smooth greens was in with a 38-38-76. A testament to his dominant play on the day was evidenced by the fact that no one else in the field could break 80. In the Net Division A competition, Brian Wilson in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member got his first win. Brian had second low gross on the day with an 80, and nipped the above mentioned Rick Lewis by 1 stroke with a net 70. In the Net Division B competition, Bill Crawford from Rehoboth was the best with a net score of 67. Joanne Latour played well as did Peter Elliott, and they shared second spot with net score of 2 under par 70.

South Shore CC was in very nice condition for the Saturday, August 22 event. The day was a continuation of the hot and humid weather pattern, but a nice breeze throughout the day made for reasonably pleasant playing conditions. The Co-Champion from the Olde Scotland Links 36 hole event, Jay Leonard, was still in great form for this event. Jay played his usual consistent game with no double bogeys on the card, a couple of birdies, 2 bogeys, and all the rest pars for a fine 1 over par 73. Johnathan Law, who won here in his first ever B.A.G.S.' event in 2004,  reached the 476 yard par 5 18th green with a 9 iron and had an eagle putt which would have put him in at even par 72. Johnathan missed that putt and the come back putt for birdie and finished in second position with a 74. Jeff Mucciarone, who had 4 birdies, on the day took third with a 75. Dave Truesdell and Tom Dromgoole also played well, and finished tied for fourth with 4 over par 76's. In the Net Division A competition also from the Blue tees, Johnathan Law was a 1 stroke winner over Tom Dromgoole. In the Net Division B competition from the White tees, Dave Lee put it all together on the second nine. David shot his handicap on the opening nine with a 46 gross score good for 18 stableford points. Dave played the next 4 holes in even par net or 8 points. Then Dave got really hot. Dave played the last 5 holes in even par gross with pars on each hole which was good for 16 stableford points. Dave's total of 42 points was 7 better than Russ D'Auria and John Matte who shared second place.

It was a hot and humid day for the Wednesday, August 19 event at Poquoy Brook GC. The course, as usual, was in nice condition and there several fine performances. Jeff Mucciarone fresh off his fine performance on the weekend at Olde Scotland Links, shot a 4 over par 76 to win by a single stroke over Lew Weitzman. Lew reached the front of the green on the 481 yard sharp dogleg left par 5, and had a very good shot at eagle and a tie for the low gross. The putt just missed going in, and Lew tapped in for a birdie 4 and a fine score of 77. Lew's net score of 68 got him a tie for first with Chris Kreilkamp, who also played well. Gary Carlin started off with a birdie on the opening hole at his home course, but finished with a double bogey, and had to settle for third position with 39 points or 3 under par net. Net Division B Champion from the Olde Scotland Links weekend event Ron Violette, continued his good play, and took 4th spot at 2 under par.

The August heat wave lasted through the weekend of the 15th and 16th for the 22nd Society Championship at Olde Scotland Links. The temperature was above 90 degrees both days and humid as well, but no thunderstorms. There was some tremendous play on the weekend as the members participating used their B.A.G.S.' tournament experience to respond well to the pressure. Last year's defending Champion and 3 time winner of this event, Jeff Mucciarone played all 36 holes with his main rival, Jay Leonard, and both players nearly had matching cards for the 36 hole event that sent the 4  leaders off together in Sunday's final round. Jeff and Jay both played Saturday's opening round in even par 72. Steve Caputo, who's been on a hot streak lately, was just 2 strokes behind with a fine 2 over par score of 74. Tom Dromgoole, a two-time Net Division A champion in this event, shot a superb 3 over par 75 and made it into the final foursome on Sunday with a good chance to win. Joe Pimental was just 4 off the lead with a 76, and played the opening nine in 2 under par. On Sunday, Jay bogeyed the first hole, but made a birdies on the 545 yard par 5 sixth and the 378 yard par 4 seventh hole, and finished the opening nine at 1 under par 35. Jeff was just 1 shot back. None of the other first day contenders could stay close to this torrid pace. Jeff fell to 2 behind after a bogey to Jay's par on the 389 yard par 4 fifteenth, the number 1 stroke hole. A par on the 135 yard par 3 sixteenth to Jay's bogey got Jeff to just 1 stroke back, and a birdie on the 341 yard par 4 seventeenth brought the match to even. Both players reached the 523 yard par 5 finishing hole in regulation. Jeff made his birdie putt, and the pressure was on Jay to make. Jay calmly rolled in his side hill breaker for birdie and he and Jeff were co-Champions in a great match. Dave Truesdell took third with at 9 over par shooting a very consistent 77-76. Rick Lewis was fourth at 10 over par. In the Net Davison A competition, Bob Steward and Rey LeMaine battled it out right until the end. Bob shot a net 71 the first day, and was 2 shots behind Rey LeMaine and Steve Caputo. Bob put it all together on Sunday, and came in with 40 points or 4 under par net which tied for best net score on the day in Net Division A with Doug Bray who shot a fabulous gross score of 2 over par 74. Rey LeMaine also played well on Sunday, and had a tie for the second best net score on Sunday with Dave Truesdell and John Law, who shot a gross 74, with a net 70, and finished in a tie for first at 5 under par net total with Bob. In the Net Division B competition, Ron Violette, who is extremely comfortable at this local course for him, was by far the best. Tom Simard took the opening round lead with a 4 under par net score of 68. Ron was just 1 point behind with 39 stableford points. Larry Mintzer and Chris Kreilkamp were tied for third with 37 points. On Sunday, Ron was as hot as the weather. His 83 on Saturday was his best gross score in a B.A.G.S.' event. On Sunday, Ron smashed the 80 barrier with a superb score of 78 good for a prodigious total for 44 stableford points and a weekend total of 11 under par net. Well done, Ron! Larry Mintzer would well have been the winner on any other weekend were it not for Ron. Larry started the day only 2 points behind Ron, and went out on Sunday and shot 2 over par gross on the opening nine for a stupendous total of 25 points, and had a 1 point lead over Ron at that point. On the second nine, Larry was still even with Ron after 14 holes. However, Larry only made 4 points over the last 4 holes in the heat, while Ron closed with 10 points including a gross birdie on 18 for 4 points. Chris Kreilkamp was very consistent both days, and took third position with a 4 under par net total. Carlos Duarte closed strongly on Sunday with 40 points, and took 4th. Tom Simard, Saturday's leader fell back on Sunday shooting over par net, bur still took 5th position.

B.A.G.S.' made its final trip to River bend for the '09 season on Wednesday, August 12. It was a fine day for golf with an overcast sky keeping the temperature only in the 70's. As usual on the course, there were many fine scores on the opening nine. Johnathan Law shot just 1 over par 36 and had a 1 shot lead over Ron Jacques. Johnathan matched the card for the next 6 holes to remain at 1 over par. Ron fell 2 more strokes behind going 2 over on that stretch of holes. A poor tee shot on the 572 yard par 5 sixteenth hole lead to a triple bogey 8 for Johnathan. The effects lingered to the 195 yard par 3 seventeenth where Johnathan made a double bogey 5. Ron also struggled on the long narrow 16th, and made a double. Ron made up 2 more shots on 17 with a par, was tied for the lead. Both players made par on the 576 yard par 5 finishing hole, and were in with 6 over par 77's. Ron's net score of 68 was 3 better than Andrew Leonard who tore up the first nine with an incredible even par gross score of 35, and had the lead in the tournament. This great score was good for a massive total of 25 stableford points. On the tighter second nine, Andrew crash landed with just 11 points, but held on to second place. 

It was a superb day for golf for the Saturday, August 12 event at Acushnet River Valley. The temperature was right about perfect at 80 degrees, the humidity was low, and the gentle breezes made for a good scoring day. Jeff Mucciarone, who holds the B.A.G.S.' tournament record scoring here with a 68, seems to always play well here. Jeff played the opening nine in 2 over par 38 with back to back birdies on 4 & 5. Jeff got it to even par after birdies on 12 & 13, but made bogeys on 16 and 18 to finish at 2 over par 74. Rick Lewis, who's been off form for much of the season was right there with Jeff until he made a double bogey 7 on the 605 yard par 5 fourteenth. Rick took second place with a 5 over par 77. In the Net Division A competition, John Danchik also returned to form with a fine gross score of 81 good for 38 stableford points, and a 2 shot victory. In the Net Division B competition, Buzz Speers and Chris Hulswit ended up in a tie for first with 40 points each. Buzz shot a very fine gross score of 81, his best in over a year. Chris Hulswit made the turn with only 14 points and the possibility of winning this event must have seemed dim. After a double bogey 6 on the tenth hole, Chris only had 15 points. A par on the 145 yard par 3 eleventh hole seemed to wake Chris from his slumber. Chris played the remaining 7 holes in just 1 over par gross for an incredible 22 stableford points. Chris's total of 40 points got him into a tie for first place with Buzz. Well done, Chris! Ron Violette also played extremely well, and took third position with 39 points or 3 under par net.

Allendale CC was in fabulous condition for the Wednesday, August 5 event. The greens were smooth and fast and the fairways were immaculate. The course is fun to play with a good variety of holes and plenty of room for errant tee shots. The sloping greens required some local knowledge and a good deal of skill. Jeff Mucciarone was the only participant to break 80 with a 6 over par 78. The greens got Jeff at the end  with tough 3 putts on the last two holes. Steve Swanson was in at 81 for second low gross. Andrew Leonard had a good scoring day. Andrew played the opening nine in just 5 over par gross good for 21 stableford points. Andrew's eighteen hole total of 38 or 2 under par net was good for a 1 point victory over Steve Ross in the Net Division A competition.

Crosswinds GC was in nice condition for the Sunday, August, 2 event. B.A.G.S.' finally got an August event here without any incidences of thunderstorm activity, and there were many fine scores on this challenging course. Mark Karski returned to prominence in the low gross competition after a year's absence from B.A.G.S.' competition. Mark was just 1 over par through 14 holes before making a bogey on the 422 yard par 4 fifteenth hole. After a par on 16, Mark made a nice deuce on the downhill 180 yard par 3 seventeenth. After a poor tee shot on 18, Mark was satisfied to make a bogey 5 on the 386 yard finishing hole for a fine 3 over par score of 74. Steve Caputo was tied for lead in the event after 14 holes. Steve shot 2 over 38 on the first nine, and then became red hot with birdies on 4 of the next 5 holes to get to 1 under par. However, Steve could only make bogeys on the 4 finishing holes and came in at 3 over par 75. Brian Boyle also made a diligent attempt for the victory. Brian played the opening nine in even par 36. After a birdie on the 492 yard par 5 fourteenth, Brian was at 1 under par and tied with Steve C. for the lead. Brian, in the same manor as Steve Caputo, bogeyed the last 4 holes, and was in at 75 and a tie for second. In the Net Division competition, there were three superb performances. Steve Ross shot a fine gross score of 77, and was in a tie for first with the above mentioned Mark Karski and John Sawyer with 4 under par net scores. John made a serious bid to break 90, something he hasn't done in several years in a B.A.G.S.' event, with a nice 42 on the opening nine that included 2 birdies in a row on 2 & 3.  John played both par three's in even par on the second nine, but had no other pars and shot 49 for a total of 91 gross.

After an hour and a half rain delay, Blackstone National dried out quite well for the Thursday, July 30 event. Jim Doyle won his first low gross title in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member with a fine 7 over par 79. Just 1 stroke behind in a tie for second were Steve Jackson and Lew Weitzman. In the Net Division A competition, Ed Clough made it two consecutive wins and both in convincing mode. Ed shot 4 over gross 40 on the opening nine good for 21 stableford points or 3 under par net. After playing the first 6 holes of the second nine in 6 over par gross for 11 points, Ed closed with a rush. Ed made a birdie on the 570 yard par 5 sixteenth, and made pars on 17 & 18 for a total of 10 stableford points on the final 3 holes for an 18 holes total of 42. Well done, Ed!  Buzz Speers had the lead after nine holes. Buzz shot a 3 over gross score of 39 good for a whopping 22 stableford points. Buzz cooled off on the next 6 holes with just 1 par and only 7 points. However, Buzz made par on the last 3 holes for 9 points and second place at 2 under par net. Lew Weitzman continued his fine play, and took third place with a 1 under par net. In the Net Division B competition, Peter Elliott was definitely the man. Peter was on fire on the opening nine with 3 net birdies, a net eagle, and all the rest net pars for an astounding total of 23 stableford points. Peter's second was nearly as incredible. Peter had 2 more net eagles, and 3 more net birdies for 22 more points Pete's total of 45 points earned him a place in B.A.G.S.' history and a spot in the B.A.G.S.' Record Book for recording 45 or more points in an event.

Norfolk GC was in excellent condition for the Monday, July 27 event. The greens were smooth and fast and the fairways and tee boxes were also in great shape at this fine private club located 1/4 mile off Rt. 128 in Westwood. Jeff Mucciarone, was in excellent form for this one and was by far the best. Jeff played the first nine in even par with 1 bogey and 1 birdie. Two bogeys on the second nine were offset by 2 birdies for an even par score of 70 and another entry into the B.A.G.S.' Record Book. Well back in second place with a 79 was Charlie Lent for his best finish this year.. There was a three way tie for first in the Net Division competition. Peter Elliott, Buzz Speers, and Frank Shaw all played surpassingly well, coming with 38 points or 2 under par net. We'll be returning here for another event here later in September. This event site should be on your event calendar. 

The members participating in the Saturday, July 25 event at Passaconaway CC enjoyed a fabulous day for golf. The temperature was in the mid-80's with a nice breeze and no threat of thunderstorms. Will Peishoff made the trip to Southern New Hampshire for his first event of the year, and he showed no signs of rust. Will got through the long - from the Blue (back) tees - at  3570 yards first nine, with a 1 over par score of 36. On the shorter second nine at 3285 yards, Will shot a 2 over par 38 for a superb eighteen hole total of 3 over par 74. Brian Boyle also played quite well and  was just 3 strokes back for second place. In the Net Division A competition, Will's 1 under par net score of 70 was just good enough to beat the duo of: Steve Ross, and Dave Truesdell. In the Net Division B competition, Russ D'Auria was definitely the man. Russ played just all right on the longer opening nine at 3300 yards from the White tees with 16 points with the help of pars on 8 & 9. This, however, was the prelude to a fabulous score of just 2 over par gross on the second nine good for the weighty total of 24 stableford points or 6 under par net. Russ' total of 40 points was good for a 2 point victory over Bud McGrath and the consistent Tony Carmona.

B.A.G.S. traveled to Shaker Hills GC for the Wednesday, July 22 event. Shaker Hills replaced Butter Brook on the event schedule after our exceedingly poor treatment at that course in May. Shaker Hills proved to be miles ahead of Butter Brook for both course layout, conditions, and staff. The weather cooperated in a week dominated by rain and the early morning clouds departed quickly. Jeff Mucciarone continued his good play, and had a 3 birdie round for a fine 1 over par 72. Brad Hartz, a recent winner at Olde Scotland Links in his first B.A.G.S.' event, took second place with a fine 5 over par 76. In the Net Division A competition, Ed Clough was never in any kind of trouble during the round and finally put together two good nine's, and was in with a gross score of 81 good for 38 stableford points for a 1 point win over Peter Southwick. Peter had a terrific second nine holes. Peter started off with pars on 10-12 and then made 3 consecutive birdies. After a par on the 220 yard par 3 sixteenth hole, Peter was at 3 under for the nine. The magic ended quickly as Peter made a double on 16 and a triple on 18. Still, he finished with 21 points on the nine, and took second place. In the Net Division B competition, Jim Homans was the best. Jim, the senior member of B.A.G.S. at 80 years young, is also one of the most durable players in the history of  B.A.G.S., having missed only a handful of events in the last 10 years. Jim's net score of 72 was 1 better than Bob Steward. 

Green Meadow GC (The Jungle) provided a good challenge for members participating in the Sunday, July 19 event. It played long with the Blue tee markers set all the way back on nearly every hole at about 6920 yards for the Net Division  A and low gross competition. The course was in great condition and was fun to play with generous landing areas and a good variety of holes.  Jeff Mucciarone never got the putter going and had one his few rounds this year without making a birdie. However, his 5 over par score of 77 was good for a 2 shot win over Brian Boyle. In the Net Division A competition, Dennis Callahan won his second consecutive event. Dennis won his last time out at Sandy Burr on 7-5, and came out of the gate strongly at Green Meadow with 3 straight pars. Dennis shot a very fine 4 over par gross score of 40 on the opening nine good for 20 stableford points. Dennis stayed hot, making net birdies on 5 of the next 6 holes and had 37 points after only 15 holes. Dennis only made 3 points on the 3 closing holes, but his total of 40 points was 4 better than Glenn McIntyre who took second place. In the Net Division B competition from the much shorter White tees, Jim Kelly also won his second consecutive event finishing in a tie for first with Ray Fearnley. Both players came in with 39 stableford points or 3 under par net. Ray was particularly strong on the tough closing holes to catch Jim by making gross pars on the 3 last holes for 12 points. Paul McCurley played well again, and took third spot with 38 points. Expect to see this course as a regular on the list of event for the upcoming years.  

Olde Scotland Links was in excellent condition for the Thursday, July 16 event. The greens and fairways were the best we've seen there in a couple of years and that bodes well for the 2 day 36 hole Society Championship in only a few short weeks. Brad Hartz, who competed in the Mass Open at Belmont and recently qualified for the Mass Publinks Championship, did well in his first event as a B.A.G.S.' member. Brad shot a 6 over par 78 and finished in a tie for first with 15 year B.A.G.S.' veteran Doug Bray. In the Net Division competition, Doug's even par net score was 1 point better than Nate Liskov. In the Net Division B competition, Jim Kelly was definitely the man. Jim shot a superb gross score of 82, his best in nearly two and a half years of B.A.G.S.' competition by 4 strokes. Jim had an incredible streak of 8 consecutive holes with net birdie on the first nine for an almost unmatched total of 26 stableford points in B.A.G.S.' tournament history. After only making net bogeys on 10 and 11, Jim got back on track and came in with 2 more net birdies and a net eagle for a massive total of 46 stableford points and a place in the B.A.G.S. Record Book. Well done, Jim! Well back in second place but still under par net was Mike Robinson with 37 points. 

Wentworth Hills was a new event on the schedule as a bargain price tournament. The day turned out to be a perfect day for golf with a cool morning, for July, warming up into the low 80's by afternoon. The course was in magnificent condition with very nice bent grass fairways, and a type of velvet grass on the greens. Though not long, it provided plenty of challenge. The challenge was best met by Lew Weitzman, who was just recently in a playoff at the Franklin Park GC for the final spot in the Mass Publinks Championship. Lew started with some misfortune on the opening hole, a downhill hole of over 400 yards, with a double bogey 6. This, however, did not sink his hopes. Lew played the rest of the way in at only 2 over par for a superb score of 75 for a 5 stroke victory. Well done, Lew!

Meadow Creek was in nice condition for the Saturday, July 11 event. Although not long, the course is a very challenging layout with several tough holes through tree lined fairways with little or no bail out areas. Jeff Mucciarone played some superb golf on the second nine holes after making the turn at 3 over par 39. Jeff then tuned it on playing the second nine holes in all pars and 1 birdie and a closing bogey for a 35. Jeff's fine 3 over 74 was good for a 3 shot win over Mark Karski, who played well and is starting to return to form after a 2 year absence from B.A.G.S.' tournament play. In the Net Division A competition, John Danchik was also back in form and shot a very fine gross score of 82 good for 38 stableford points or 2 under par net to take the division title by 1 stroke over Wayne Morrison  had his best showing in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member and was just 1 point behind in second place. In the Net Division B competition, there was a three way tie for first place. Rosi Stoltze, Russ D'Auria, and Mike O'Malley were all tied with 32 stableford points.

Fine weather returned for the Saturday, July 5 event at Sandy Burr. It was much more like summer than the previous several days with the temperature into the 80's with a warm breeze. Jeff Mucciarone and Jay Leonard were again locked in another classic duel for the low gross title. Jeff was in the lead after 12 holes with a score of even par after making a nice birdie on the 381 yard par 4 twelfth hole. Jay, after trailing by 3 at the turn, turned red hot on the second nine, and was just 2 strokes behind after 12. Glenn Watson was right there after playing the first 11 holes in even par before finding trouble on 11 and 12. Jeff M. played holes 13-18 in 2 over par for a fine score of 73. Jay, who was 3 strokes behind after 12, played 13-18 in 1 under par and caught Jeff with a par on the 391 yard par finishing hole when Jeff made bogey. Johnathan Law took third position with a 77. In the Net Division A competition, Dennis Callahan had what seems to be his annual victory at this course. Dennis' 1 under par net score was just good enough to beat the aforementioned Jeff and Jay by 1 stroke. In the Net Division B competition, Buzz Speers put it all together for a nice 2 point victory. Buzz shot a superb 3 over par gross score of 39 on the second nine good for a staggering total of 22 stableford points or 4 under par net. Buzz's gross total of 83 was easily one of the 10 ten scores of the day in all divisions. John Sawyer and Paul McCurley also had fine rounds, and finished in a tie for second with 1 under par net scores or 37 points.

The cloudy and unseasonably cool weather returned for the Sunday, June 28 event at River Bend. The wind stayed light and no precipitation fell and there were several outstanding performances. Jeff Mucciarone and Jay Leonard battled it out again for at least the10th time so far this year for the low gross title. Jay was in the lead by 1 stroke at 3 over par after both players made bogeys on the 393 yard par 4 fifteenth hole. Jeff got into a tie for the lead as he made a par on the long 573 yard par 5 sixteenth hole and Jay made bogey. Both men made pars on the 197 yard par 3 seventeenth and headed to the 576 yard par 5 finishing hole at 4 over par. Jeff made a fine birdie on the hole to finish at 3 over par 74, while Jay, who missed the fairway well left ended up making a bogey for a 76. Joe Iannuzzo had his best effort so far this season, and took third position with a fine 77. In the Net Division A competition, Joe Iannuzzo's 2 under par net score of 69 was good for a 3 stroke victory over Ron Jacques. In the Net Division B competition, Steve Rollins and Dick Sargeant had their own battle for the win. Both men were playing off the same course handicap of 16, and both ended up shooting gross scores of 80, which were both their best scores ever in a B.A.G.S.' event. Dick Sargeant had 8 net birdies on the day, and had no zero point holes. Steve Rollins was perhaps more spectacular with 3 gross birdies for net eagles along with 1 zero point hole. Their net scores of 65 were 3 shots better than the Dick Millen who played well once again. The 70 year old is not particularly long off the tee, but hits a very straight ball and had been a strong contender all year.

The weather improved by Thursday for the June 25 event at Scottish Highlands. The clouds stayed around for the early play, but it tuned quite nice in the afternoon. Jeff Mucciarone, who only missed the cut in the Mass State Open by a few shots on Monday and Tuesday at Belmont CC, shot a fine even par round of 71 to win the low gross title. Glenn Watson was back in form, and finished 4 strokes behind Jeff with a nice four over par 75. In the Net Division A competition, John Cochran was definitely the man. John shot a gross score of 79, his lowest in nearly 3 years. John had two birdies on the day, and his massive total of 42 stableford points was 4 better than Glenn McIntyre who finished with a rush to take second place with three consecutive net birdies. In the Net Division B competition, Don Cybulski in just his first B.A.G.S.' event, showed that the first time out can be a charm. Don shot a very good gross score of 86, and burned up the second nine with a gross score of 41 which was good for 22 points. Don's total of 41 points was well ahead of second place finisher, Mark Jezowski.

It was a tough day for golf for the Monday, June 22 event at Waverly Oaks. A persistent off shore storm was responsible for some generous doses of  rain and wind that never seemed to let up. Half the field decided not to participate and surprisingly there were several outstanding performances. Lew Weitman has now earned the official title as the best "mudder" in B.A.G.S. In our second event this year at Atlantic CC, in much worse conditions, Lew was the easy winner. At Waverly Oaks on Monday, Lew was outstanding. Seemly oblivious to the conditions, Lew shot a superb gross score of 81 from the Gold tee markers set at 6682 yards. Doug Bray was the only one close with a fine score of 84. The Net Division title also went to Lew with a 3 under net score of 69. Nate Liskov also turned in a fine performance with a gross score of 84 from Green tees, and took second net with a 2 under par score of 70. Dick Malo and Bud McGrath both played quite well and came in with even par net scores to share third position. Bob Steward also played well and took 4th spot with a 1 over par net score. These were really great scores on a day when the less than committed player would have stayed inside and watched the U.S. Open on the television

The 21st annual Member/member-guest was held at Olde Scotland Links on Saturday, June 20. It turned out to be a perfect day for golf with the clouds and showers stalled well off to the west. The low gross competition ended in a tie with the team of Erik Okvist-Joe Pimental shooting 3 under par score of 69 along with the team of Jeff Mucciarone-Doug Bray. Erik was especially strong with 5 birdies on his card and a score of 73. Erik had a second nine score of 1 under par 35. Joe was able to help out with pars on the 3 holes that Erik made bogey. Jeff was great all day with 3 birdies of his own and a 70 on his own card. Doug made a nice birdie on 344 yard par 4 fourth hole to assist Jeff. In the Net Division competition, the team of Peter Elliott and son David proved to be a strong team again this year. They finished in a tie for third last year, and this year they took first place with a fine score of 12 under par 60. The team of Rick Lewis-Mark DelVecchio was also played some superb golf together. They had a third best team gross score of 74 with the help of 3 gross birdies, and might have won it all had either player made a par on 18. Their net score of 62 was one better than the above mentioned team of Mucciarone-Bray.

Acushnet River Valley was in fine shape for the Saturday, June 13 event. Those participating enjoyed a fine day for golf with the temperature well into the 70's, and no humidity under a cloudless sky. The wind kicked up somewhat in the afternoon, and could be felt on the open part of the course on holes 12-16. Jay Leonard continued his excellent  form from recent events, and won his sixth low gross title this year and second in succession with a fine 2 birdie round of 1 over par 73. Johnathan Law played some flawless golf for the first 12 holes, and was at 1 under par before hitting his second shot into the left hazard on the 605 yard par 5 fourteenth, and made just his second bogey of the day to go back to even par. John came to 18 at 2 over par, and nearly holed out his second shot from about 125 yards out in the left rough and made the par for a fine score of 2 over par 74. In the Net Division A competition, Chris Kreilkamp and Jeff Driscoll both played some superb golf. Jeff's gross score of 80 was his best in nearly two years of B.A.G.S.' competition by 2 strokes. Chris K. had the third best gross score on the day from the Gold (back) tees. Chris was especially strong down the stretch as he made 5 net birdies on the last 6 holes. Both he and Jeff both finished with 39 stableford points or 3 under par net. In the Net Division B competition, Greg Poitrast was definitely the man. Greg got his first win on the year and was incredible on the opening nine where he shot 4 over 40 gross for 22 stableford points. Greg was not as hot on the second nine, but still finished with a gross par on the 387 yard par 4 eighteenth hole for a net birdie and 17 more points. Greg's 39 points was good for a 2 point victory over Russ D'Auria who played well once again. Tony Carmona also played quite well, and took third position with an even par net score.

It was a cloudy and cool start for the Wednesday, June 10 event at New England CC. The course was in great condition, it stayed dry, and the wind was not a factor. Jeff Mucciarone played some great golf on the second nine, and came in with a 7 over par 78. Lew Weitzman was only 2 over par gross after 10 holes before making a costly triple bogey 8 on the tight 534 par 5 eleventh. Lew got 1 back with a nice birdie on the 171 yard par 3 twelfth, and finished with pars on 17 and 18 for a 79, and second place. Lew's net score of 69 was good enough for the victory in the Net Division A competition by 2 points over Steve Preble, who played extremely well. In the Net Division B competition, Ron Axelrod, in his first B.A.G.S.' event of the season, blew the rest of the field away. Ron shot a gross score of 44 on the first nine good for an astounding total of 23 stableford points or 5 under net. Ron was nearly as good on the second nine with another gross 44 for 21 more points. On the day, Ron had 3 net eagles and 4 net birdies. Well done,. Ron!. A winner on most other days at this tight, shot makers course, Buzz Speers shot a fine 1 under par net score. Andrew Leonard also played quite well, and took third position with 35 points or 1 over par net.

Cyprian Keyes was in nice condition for the Saturday, June 7 event. As usual, the course rewarded accuracy over length, and there were several fine performances. Jay Leonard had never played this challenging course before, but this straight hitter played the somewhat easier second nine in even par for a fine 4 over par 76. Johnathan Law was 2 under par after his first 3 holes, and shot a 38-39-77 to take second place. In the Net Division A competition, John Danchik and Tom Simard both played steady golf, and avoided any big numbers which can happen at this tight course, and finished in a tie for first at 1 over par net with the above mentioned J. Law. In the Net Division B competition, David Lee had a couple of net Albatrosses, with birdies on stroke holes for 4 points each, plus 4 net birdies, and was the easy winner 38 points or 2 under par net. 3 points behind in second place was Jon Baron who also played well. Russ D'Auria took third position with 34 points.

It turned out to be a fine day for golf for the Wednesday, June 3 event at Wayland CC. The greens were as good as any public course we've played this year, and as usual at this course, there were many fine scores. Kazuo Noda captured his first low gross victory with a fine 7 over par 77. Ed Clough and Richard Tenby were just behind with 78's. In the Net Division competition, Kazuo N. and Ed C. finished in a tie for first with net 66's. Dan Chicoine came to the 18th tee at just 7 over par gross, but a poor tee shot on 18 cost him as he finished with a double bogie 7 for a 79, and third spot in the net. Allan McCue looked like an easy winner after nine holes with a 1 over par gross score of 36 and 23 stableford points. Allan cooled off dramatically after a birdie on 12, and faded to a 5th place tie.

Haverhill CC was in superb condition for the Monday, June 1 event. It was a cool morning to start the event, but after the sun came through the thin band of clouds, it rapidly warmed up to the upper 60's and the players in this event enjoyed the smooth, fast, and flawless putting greens that Haverhill CC always provides for us. Jim DiBiase, who nearly missed winning at Renaissance in May, got a tie for first with Jeff Mucciarone with a fine score of 74. In the Net Division A competition, Mike McLaughlin got his first victory of the year. Mike loved the true putting surfaces and seemingly got up and down from everywhere and had 9 net birdies on his card. Mike shot a gross score of 80 and was an easy winner by 4 stokes with a net score of 67. In the Net Division B competition, Steve Clifford, in his first B.A.G.S.' start, got the win with a 1 over par net score. Steve was a perfect example of the built in beauty and forgiveness of stableford scoring system as he had 3 holes where he had to pick up and take 0 points, but was still able to get 35 points on the other 15 with the help of a net albatross by getting a birdie on a double stroke hole. Ralph Daniels and Ted Scholnick finished in a tie for second with 33 points each.

It was an extremely nice day for the Saturday, May 30 event at Butter Brook GC. The temperature was in the low 70's with some light puffy clouds appearing by the afternoon. Chris Rollins proved that he's a top contender whenever he tees it up in a B.A.G.S.' event. Chris was at even par after 10 holes with 2 birdies. After a bogey on the long 249 yard par 3 eleventh hole, Chris made pars on 12 & 13. A bogey on the 199 yard par 3 fourteenth pushed him to 2 over par on the day. After pars on 15 & 16, Chris made the only birdie of the day on the tough 416 yard par 4 seventeenth. Chris finished with a nice par on 18 to shoot a 1 over par 73. Mike Bushnell, in his first event as a B.A.G.S.' member showed that he can also be a strong contender. Mike shot a fine 3 over 75 that included a 3 footer on 18 the that went all the way around the hole and failed to drop in. In the Net Division A competition, Chris Rollins was the easy winner with a net score of 4 under par. Mike Bushnell and John Law finished in a tie for second with 1 over par net scores. In the Net Division B competition, Jim Siwila had his best showing in a B.A.G.S.' event in just over 2 years of being in the competition. Jim shot an excellent gross score of 83, his best by 5 strokes. Jim's net score of 4 under par 68 was 5 better than second place finisher, Dan Chicoine, now in his 19th year of B.A.G.S.' competition. B.A.G.S. will not be returning to Butter Brook for any future events, as we were treated very unfairly by the course ownership and staff; B.A.G.S. suggests that members avoid playing at this course which treated us so poorly and with such a complete lack of consideration to put it mildly.

A slightly overcast morning turned into a perfect day for golf for the Sunday, May 24 event at Passaconaway CC. The course was in its usual good condition and with the wind non-existent, the course afforded some good scoring by the members. Jay Leonard was back in form after a less than brilliant performance the previous weekend at River Bend, and played the first 11 holes in even par before making a bogie on the 400 yard twelfth hole after hitting his tee shot into the hazard on the right side. Another bogie followed that on the 203 yard par 3 thirteenth. After a birdie on the 520 yard par 5 fourteenth Jay got it back to just 1 over par. A double bogey on the short 360 yard par 4 fifteenth pushed Jay to 3 over par, but a nice birdie on the 390 yard par 4 seventeenth and pars on 16 and 18 got Jay in at 2 over par 73. Johnathan Law nearly tied Jay when his birdie putt on the 18th just missed going in the hole. Johnathan charged back after shooting 6 over on the much longer first nine, with a 3 under par 33 on the closing nine. Jeff Mucciarone also had some problems on the 3570 yard first nine, and shot 41-34 -75 to take third position. In the Net Division A competition, Jay and Johnathan finished tied for first spot with Doug Bray and Joe Liva at even par net. Joe Liva shot a fine 76 in his second B.A.G.S.' event while 15 year member, Doug Bray, shot a fine 8 over par 79. In the Net Division B competition, there were several outstanding performances. Larry Mintzer who had never shot better than 92 gross in almost 3 years of B.A.G.S.' competition put it all together on this day. Larry shot a superlative gross score of 83, and scorched the closing nine with a 4 over par gross score of 40 for a massive total of 24 stableford points which included 8 straight net birdies and an astounding total of  44 for the round. Well done, Larry!  A probable winner on any other day, Ray Fearnley played some very impressive golf shooting a very fine gross score of 81 good for 41 stableford points. Jim Kelly also had a very good scoring day. Jim has his first sub-90 score in almost a year, and took third position with 39 stableford points. 

River Bend was in excellent condition for the Saturday, May 16 event. The weather cooperated as it was brilliantly sunny for most of the day with the temperature close to 70 degrees before the afternoon clouds moved in. Jeff Mucciarone got off to great start with birdies on the first two holes, and never had to look back after making the turn at 1 under par 34. Jeff played superb golf on the tighter and tougher second nine, and was at even par on this nine before making a bogie on the long 200 yard par 3 seventeenth. A par on the 570 yard par 5 closing hole got Jeff in at even par 71, and another entry into the B.A.G.S.' Record Book for an even par or better score. Brian Boyle was right there with Jeff after nine holes with a fine even par score of 35. Two bogies in succession to start the second pushed Brian to 2 over par. Brian then steadied the ship and made 5 straight pars before making a bogie on the 200 yard par 3 seventeenth. Brian just missed a 12 foot birdie putt on the par 5 eighteenth, and took second behind Jeff M. with a fine 3 over par 74. Johnathan Law also played quite well, and took third position with a 5 over par 76. In the Net Division A competition, the above mentioned Jeff M. and Brian B. both finished in a tie for first with net 68's. John Danchik was in good form and took third spot with a 1 over par net score. In the Net Division B competition, Rob Cotter continued his outstanding play so far this spring. Rob had more points on the second nine, which is not normally the case at River Bend. Rob shot 43-41-84 gross and was the only Net B player under par net with a 69. Look for Rob to be in the Net Division A very soon. Ted Scholnick also found the tight second easier as he scored 22 of his 36 stableford points on this nine, and took second place. Ron Violette played well, and took third position with a 1 over par net score or 35 points.

It was a fine spring day for the Monday, May 11 event at Renaissance GC. The course was in pristine condition with perfect fairways and mint putting greens. New member this year, Jim DiBiase, playing in his first B.A.G.S.' event, was in control of this event with 3 holes left to play. Jim was at just 2 over par after making a nice par on the 220 yard par 3 fifteenth. Jim made an unfortunate double bogie on the slight dogleg right 372 yard par 4 sixteenth to go 4 over. After a par on the 165 yard par 3 seventeenth, Jim got into trouble over the green on the 550 yard par 5 finishing hole and made a double bogie 7 for a round of 77. This was costly as the steady Jeff Mucciarone, who had no doubles on his card, was already in with a 76. Roger McGovern, also a new member this year, took third position with a fine score of 79 on a course rated 74.1 from the Black tees. Jim DiBiase won the Net Division A competition with a 1 over par net score. In the Net Division B competition, Bill Sarsfield also in his first B.A.G.S.' event was an easy winner. Bill shot a fine gross score of 86 from the white tees, and was in at 3 under par net. Veteran B.A.G.S.' member, Dan Chicoine, just back from his winter home in Florida, played well and took second position with a 1 over par net score. Jim Bethune and Dave Holland also played well and tied for third.

B.A.G.S. traveled to Olde Scotland Links for the Saturday May 9 event. Morning showers gave way to a decent afternoon for golf with brief flashes of sunshine coming through the overcast sky. Jay Leonard continued his superb play this year, and won his 4th consecutive low gross title. Jay played the first 12 holes in even par before making 3 straight bogies. Jay played the final 3 holes in 1 under par with a birdie on the 532 yard par 5 finishing hole to end up with a fine 2 over par 74. Lynn Briggs closed strongly with a 1 over par 37 on the second nine to take second place with a 4 birdie round of 76. Jeff Mucciarone got off to a slow start, but also finished strongly with a 37, and took third with a 78. In the Net Division B competition, there was a three way tie for first. Brian Boyle had this one in his sights with a fantastic 5 birdie round and 36 points after 17 holes. However, Brian made an unfortunate double bogey 7 on the par 5 for no points, and finished in a tie for first with Doug Bray, and the above mentioned Jay Leonard. Mark DelVecchio looked an almost sure winner of this event after making a bogey net par on the par 5 twelfth for 29 stableford points. Mark seemed to lose all momentum after making a double bogey 5 on the long par 3 thirteenth, but still had a chance to win or tie for first if he could at least make a point on 18. However, Mark found trouble on his second shot, and ended up making a triple bogey on the hole and finished in a 4 way tie for 4th. In the Net Division B competition, Neil Denenberg, who had struggled with his game for most of the early part of the season, came up in a big way in this event. Neil shot just 2 over gross on the first nine for a massive total of 23 stableford points or 5 under net. Neil was still 5 under par net after making a par for net birdie on the 14th hole. Neil's only zero point hole came on the tough fifteenth hole, and Neil finished strongly with a par for net birdie on 18 for 38 points. Well done, Neil! Ben Hampton continued his fine play this year, and took second place with a 1 under par net score. B.A.G.S.' senior member, the ageless Jim Homans finished in a tie for third with Mike McLaughlin at 1 over par net.

The Cape Cod Spring Championship, the first of the three 36 hole major events on the local schedule, took place on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 & 3. The afternoon shotgun began under an overcast sky that yielded a few raindrops before clearing out to sunshine for the final 9 holes. The course conditions were superb at Dennis Pines with nice fairways and tees, and smooth, fast, greens. This tree lined course does have a fairly high degree of difficulty, and that proved out, as no one in the field could break the 80 mark even though there were generally very light breezes. Rick Lewis had the best chance to break 80 as he was only 4 over par after 15 holes. However, after making a bogie 5 on the short 344 yard sixteenth to go to 5 over, Rick missed the 175 yard par 3 seventeenth green to right, chipped all the way to the back of green from a tough lie, and 3 putted for a double. A bogie on the closing hole added to the frustration. Rick's 80 was 1 better than Jay Leonard, who also had a decent round going, but made a triple bogie 8 on the 513 yard par 5 twelfth hole after losing his ball, and finished with an 81. Sunday's round at Bayberry began in calm conditions with a overcast morning. The greens on the Red and Blue (links) courses were slower than the previous day, the players had trouble, leaving many putts short. Jeff Mucciarone, who started the day 5 strokes behind Rick, made up 3 strokes after nine holes. The leader after the change to the Blue course was Jay Leonard who shot even par 36. Bill Hutchins, who started 3 behind the leader, shot a 38 and was 4 behind Jay. Jeff caught fire on the open links style (Blue course) and with the help of 3 birdies was able to shoot a 1 under 35, and was in with a 74 for a 159 total. The 416 par 4 15th proved costly for Jay as he made a double bogie 6 and couldn't make par on the 560 yard par 5 seventeenth, and shot a 42 on the Blue course for a 78 for a total of 159. Bill Hutchins shot 38 on both nines and his 76 put him in a three way tie for first with: Jeff and Jay all at 159. In the Net Division A competition, RI member, Jim Beauregard, was by far the best. Jim shot gross scores of 83-82, and finished at two under par net. In second, five strokes behind, was Boston member, Lew Weitzman. Lew shot a fine gross score of 80 on Sunday at Bayberry Hills. In the Net Division A competition, RI member Ed Guertin played extremely well. Ed shot 3 under par net to win by 1 stroke over fellow RI members, Pawel Kot, and Scott Reese.

Newport National was in superb condition for the Tuesday, April 28 event. While the rest of New England felt some blazing heat, the south coast was a good 10 degrees cooler, in the low 80's, for the start of the afternoon event. As is always the case at this course, which has no protection from wind, the strong breezes affected many shots. Jeff Mucciarone got off to a great start with only a 9 iron into the 486 yard par 5 first hole after cutting off the dogleg and made birdie. Another fine drive and wedge lead to another birdie on the 400 yard par 4 second. Jeff also made a birdie on the short 300 yard par 4 fifth, before making back to back bogies on 5 & 6. Jeff finished the opening nine in 1 under par 35. The wind picked up on the second nine, and Jeff played in at 3 over par 39 for a fine 2 over par score of 74. His closest competitors, Johnathan Law and John McNeill were 3 shots behind with 77's. In the Net Division A competition, Glenn Harnish, who shot a fine 2 over par gross score of 38 on the opening nine, and Rhode Island member, John Kneeland, both played extremely well, and finished in a tie for first with 2 under par net scores of 70. In the Net Division B competition, Rhode Island member, Chris LeFort, was all by himself with a 42 stableford points. Veteran Boston member, Ralph Daniels, also played quite well, and was second best with 38 points or 2 under par net. Another long time member, Peter Elliott, continued his good play and was the third place holder with an even par net score.

Some summer like weather came on for the Saturday, April 25 event at Sandy Burr. The temperature got into the upper 80's, and there was some hot scoring to match as some of the members got on some nice rolls. Jay Leonard and Paul Mitchell both played the first nine holes in even par 36. Brian Boyle was just 1 stroke behind with a 37. Jay continued on strongly on the second nine with 2 birdies offsetting his two bogies for a fine even par score of 72, and his second entry into the B.A.G.S.' Record Book for an even par or better score. Brian Boyle made two clutch putts to save par on both 17 & 18 to secure second place in an event that had 12 low gross players. Paul Mitchell took third with 76. Chris Rollins shot a two over par 38 on the second nine to finish fourth with a 77 in this strong field. In the Net Division A competition, Jay Leonard and Brian Boyle were tied for first with 2 under par 70's. Paul Mitchell got in for third with a 1 under par total. Rey LeMaine played well, shot his handicap, and finished tied for fourth with Chris Rollins at 72 net. In the Net Division B competition. Mike Robinson played a fabulous round at his favorite golf course. Mike shot a gross score of 86. This is the lowest Mike has ever shot in now his 12th year of B.A.G.S.' s competition. Well done, Mike! Mike's total of 40 stableford points or 4 under par net, was good for a 2 point victory over John Cochran, who played well for the second event in succession. Rob Cotter continued his fine play this season with a third place finish with 34 points.

It was another cool and windy day for the start of the Thursday, April 23 event at Milton-Hoosic Club. It felt better to be out in the sun carrying the clubs as the day went on. Jeff Mucciarone was the low gross winner with a 6 over 76 on a tough scoring day. No one else in the field broke 80, as Gary Grogan was second low gross with an 81. Peter Elliott had by far his best effort after his usual slow start at the beginning of the season. Peter was great on his first nine holes with a very fine gross score of 45 for a total of 21 stableford points or 3 under par net. After making triple bogey on both 10 and 11, Peter went par, par, birdie, par, par  for 17 points total on five holes. After making a zero point on the tough 428 yard par 4 seventeenth, Peter finished with a bogey on 18 for 2 more points and a total on the day of 39. This was well ahead of second place finisher, John Cochran who played well and came in with 35 points or 1 over par net. In a tie for third were: Gary Grogan and Luis Ramos at 2 over par net.

It was a cool and breezy day with the temperature struggling to get to the 50 degree mark, but it was dry for the Monday, April 20 event at Willowbend GC. Jay Leonard played rock solid golf shooting even par for the first 12 holes with 2 birdies. His only poor shot on the day was the tee shot on the 160 yard par 3 thirteenth hole back into the wind which came up short and rolled back into the pond in front of the green. Jay made a double bogey 5 after playing from the drop area. Jay finished with a bogey 6 on the 495 par 5 eighteenth after hitting his tee shot left of the fairway bunkers, and finished with a score of 5 over par 76.  Jeff Mucciarone, who was playing in the same group with Jay, made up enough ground on the final holes to have a chance to tie Jay with a birdie putt on 18. Jeff's 20 footer just missed, and Jeff finished in a tie for second with Josh Forman, who was playing in his first B.A.G.S.' event. However, Josh took first place in the Net Division A competition with a 3 over par net score. In the Net Division B competition, Ben Hampton, another new member of B.A.G.S. this year, was the winner with a 3 over par net score. This was a fine performance by Ben on this breezy day considering the next closest competitor was 3 strokes higher than Ben.

Some nice early spring weather arrived for the Saturday, April 18 event at Pinehills (Nicklaus course) with plenty of sunshine and light breezes with the afternoon temperature into the middle 50's. There was some exceptional play on this day as several members had already seemed to attain close to mid-season like form. Jeff Mucciarone appeared to have an ordinary round going after making his third consecutive bogey on the 390 yard par 4 tenth hole. But after making his second birdie of the day, on the 515 yard par 5 eleventh, he played the rest of  the way home in 2 under par for a fine score of 34 on the second nine and was in at 1 over par 73. Johnathan Law also played well, and was in at just 3 over par 75 with a 2 birdie round and took second place. In a tie for third at 77 were: Steve Caputo, Jay Leonard, and Doug Bray. In the Net Division A competition, Doug Bray looked like a runaway winner after amassing a massive total of 36 stableford points after the first 15 holes in which he played in 1 over par gross. Doug played the last 3 holes 4 over par with a 0 point hole on 18, but managed to hold on to a 1 point victory over the improved Mike McLaughlin, who shot a fine gross score of 82 good for 38 stableford points. Mark DelVecchio had a fine first event of the year. Mark was just 3 over par gross after his first 11 holes before losing some momentum, and finished with a gross 84 for 37 points and third position. In the Net Division B competition, veteran B.A.G.S.' member Holger Stoltze had a fine day on the course, and finished in a tie for first with new member, Rob Cotter, in his first event, with 40 stableford points or 4 under par net. Holger took home the trophy with the better second nine point total.

Indian Pond CC was in superb condition for the B.A.G.S.' event on Wednesday, April 15. The members were not quite ready for greens that were smoother and faster than most other courses at their peak condition later in the season. This lead to many 3 and 4 putt greens. It was a brilliantly sunny day, but the buffeting winds affected scoring mostly for the worst. Jeff Mucciarone was the low gross winner with a 7 over score of 79. Jim Doyle, in his first event as a B.A.G.S.' member, took second low gross with an 82. In the Net Division B competition, there was a two way tie for first with Lew Weitzman sharing the title with the above mentioned Jim Doyle with 4 over par net scores. In the Net Division B competition, Dick Malo picked up his second victory in three starts with a very fine even par net score of 72. Well done, Dick! Bryan McClellen, in his first B.A.G.S.' event proved he can be a contender with a second place finish at 1 over par net.

B.A.G.S.'  21st season of tournament golf got underway at Pinehills GC (Jones) on Tuesday, April 7 on changeable day with plenty of  sun at times, but with a steady cool breeze that definitely affected the scoring. Richard Tenby played a very steady round with 41's on both nine's, and was an easy winner in the low gross competition with a 10 over par 82.  In the Net Division competition, Dick Malo showed some excellent early season form with a 2 under par net score of 70. Dick finished with 2 consecutive pars to break 90. Richard Tenby took second place in the net. Glenn Harnish, who decided to join the B.A.G.S. and play the day preceding the event, hung in there with no zero point holes and took third spot with a 2 over par net score. 

The 72 - Hole B.A.G.S. Florida Championship was played on four superb Orlando area layouts from Friday, December 5 - Monday, December 8. Those participating enjoyed playing in the 75 plus degree weather on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, with Sunday being brilliantly sunny, but with a cool breezy morning, and only into the upper- 60's by the early afternoon. Jeff Mucciarone was trying to capture his fourth straight low gross title, and he got off to a great start on Friday at the Orange Lake - Legends course with a fine 1 over par 73. B.A.G.S.' club champion from the '99 season, Tim Jackson, played exceptionally well, and was just 2 strokes behind Jeff with a 75. Last year's Florida Net Division second place finisher, Lew Weitzman, shot a superb 4 over par 76. Jeff put the low gross title out of reach on Saturday at Providence G & CC with a 2 under par round of 70. Jeff was on top of his game and had 4 birdies and could easily have shot in the 60's if had hadn't missed several short putts coming in. No one else broke 80, with Doug Bray's 80 being second low gross. Jeff cruised to victory with a 3 over 75 on Sunday at Harmony Golf Preserve on a another day which no one else broke 80. Now the battle was for second on Monday between Tim Jackson at 23 over par and Doug Bray at 27 over. Tim shot a fine 6 over par 78 on Monday at Celebration GC, just 5 higher than Jeff M.'s 73, and took the second place money by 10 strokes over Doug B., who shot an 84. Jeff M.'s 72 hole total of 3 over par 291 was the best ever low gross score in the Florida event by 10 strokes breaking Jeff's own best score. Jeff also ended up dominating the Net Division competition even though he was getting just 1 stroke per day and had to come from well behind. Lew Weitzman's net 66 on Saturday off his fine gross score of 76 gave him a huge lead of 5 strokes over the above mentioned Tim Jackson, and long ball hitter, Andrew Klein. Jeff, John Rannikko, and John Sawyer were 6 strokes behind with even par net scores of 72. John Sawyer played some great golf on Saturday at Providence G & CC with a 3 under par net score of 69. This round propelled him into a tie for the lead with Jeff M., who as mentioned above, shot a 2 under par gross score on this day. Dick Burt, the veteran RI Division member, jumped into contention with 1 under par net score, and was all alone in second place after 36 holes. Glenn McIntyre, who shot a 1 over par net score, was tied for fourth overall after 36 holes with John Rannikko. Lew Weitzman had a poor second nine, and fell back into a tie for third overall. On Sunday at the very nice Harmony Golf Preserve, the cool early morning breezes made the golf much more difficult after the previous two days of mild mornings. Lew Weitzman had the third best net score on the day with an even par score of 72, and moved back into second place behind Jeff M. who was in with a 2 over par net score off his gross score of 75. Dick Malo saved his best for Sunday with a superb net score of 4 under par 68. Tom Simard also loved the course, and was second best on the day with a net score of 69. The other two top contenders: John Sawyer and Dick Burt fell out of the race for the title. In the final Championship round on Monday at Celebration the temperature quickly warmed up into the 70's and the battle was on. Jeff M. was completely on his game and was not about to let the Net title get away. Jeff hit nearly every fairway and was putting for birdie on just about every hole. His 1 over par gross score of 73 was the best by 5 strokes and his net score of 72 was matched only by John Rannikko. Jeff was 3 strokes better than Lew Weitzman and was the net division winner by 8 strokes over Lew. Jeff M. became only the second player to win both the gross and net titles since Dean Smith accomplished this feat 10 years ago. Well done, Jeff! Glenn McIntyre was steady all 4 days never shooting more than 4 over par on any day and took third position. John Rannikko moved up nicely on Monday with a net 72 to finish in a tie for fourth with Doug Bray the '08 Net Division OOM winner.

The nice fall weather lasted into Monday's event at CC Halifax. By noon, it was close to the 60 degree mark, and there were several fine performances. Joe Kalil got his first low gross victory of the year with an 8 over par 80. Joe, a nine year B.A.G.S.' member, also took the Net Division A title for the event with an even par net score. Rick Kelly and Chris Kreilkamp also played well, and tied for second with net scores of 2 over par. In the Net Division B competition, Mike Doran showed some of his old form and came in with 40 stableford points or 4 under par net to win by 1 stroke over Ed Guertin. Allan McCue took third position with a fine 1 under par net score. B.A.G.S. has scheduled two events for next year at this fine layout.

The mild weather returned for the weekend event at Poquoy Brook on Saturday, October 25. By the afternoon the temperature was in the mid-60's, and the course was in great shape. Johnathan Law didn't play particularly well on the first nine with a 6 over par 42. However, 4 straight pars on the second nine got him back into the tournament, and after a two putt birdie on the 474 yard par 5 fourteenth hole, Johnathan was back to just 5 over on the round. After pars on 15 and 16, Johnathan missed the green on the 453 yard par 4 seventeenth, botched a chip shot and ended up making a double bogey. Johnathan chipped up more successfully on the 481 yard par 5 finishing hole, and made the birdie putt for a 78 and a 1 stroke victory over Scott Brassard and Glenn Watson. In the Net Division A competition, Mark McQuaid, got his first ever B.A.G.S.' victory in his initial year as a B.A.G.S.' member with a fine even par net score. Kazuo Noda also played some fine golf, and finished in a tie for second a just 1 stroke behind Mark M. with Glenn Watson. In the Net Division B competition, John Sawyer had a huge turn around after making a triple on the 485 yard par 5 eighth for zero points and 17 total for the nine. On the second nine, John had a massive total of 22 stableford points including 3 net birdies and a net eagle, and was a two point winner over Russ D'Auria who also played well, and shot 1 under par net for 37 points. Buzz Speers and  B.A.G.S.' senior member, Jim Homans, finished in a tie for third position with 35 points.

After a very chilly start, it warmed up to around 50 degrees by early afternoon  for the Thursday, October 23 event at Walpole CC. The members all agreed that this is one of the best layouts we play all year, and the course was in superb condition. Rick Lewis played the final 8 holes in even par with 2 birdies to win the low gross with a 8 over par 79. In the Net Division competition, Jim Kelly got his second win on the season with a fine 1 under par net score. Just 1 stroke behind in a tie for second were John Danchik and Mike Ryan from Maine. Mike finished strongly with the only birdie on the day on 18. Larry Brewster also played well at this challenging course, and took fourth position with a 1 over par net score.

The fine spate of good October weather continued for the October 18 event at Sandy Burr. The course itself was in excellent condition considering the large amount of play this course gets, and the greens were also as good as those at any other public course. Late entry Paul Tracey made bogey to start on the 466 yard par 5, a hole this long hitter would normally reach with a mid-iron. However, Paul got that stroke back with a birdie on the 495 par 5 second hole, and finished the opening nine with another birdie on the short 262 yard par ninth for 1 over par 37. Paul didn't really take advantage of his length on the second nine par five's with only a par on the 450 eleventh and a bogey on the 511 yard seventeenth, but played the other holes in even par with birdies on 14 and 18. Paul's 2 over par 74 was good for a 1 stroke victory over Jeff Mucciarone who left his birdie putt on 18 on the lip of the hole. Johnathan Law was back in form for this event, and took third position with a 76. In the Net Division A competition, Paul Tracey's three under par net score was good for a 3 stroke win over Nate Liskov who only had 1 bad hole the whole round with a triple bogey on the 397 yard par 4 sixteenth. Nate finished strongly, however, with pars on 17 & 18 to secure second by 1 stroke over Rick Lewis and Chris Kelly. In the Net Division B competition, Allan McCue was the best. Allan shot even par net and was 2 points better than Rosi Stoltze and Carlos Duarte. 

Ferncroft CC was in absolutely fabulous condition for the Tuesday, October 14 event, and the weather cooperated with a fine sunny day with the temperature getting into the upper 60's. Smooth, fast, putting greens put all the players to a test, and being above the hole was almost a certain 3 or even 4 putt. Jeff Mucciarone was ever so close to having a great score, but a couple of poor tee shots cost him severely, and lead to double bogey. Jeff's 79 was the only score under 80. Tom Dromgoole played quite well, and took second low gross with an 80, and was the Net Division A winner by a point over Gary Grogan, Doug Bray, and Jim Scanlon. In the Net Division B competition, Robert Goldstein got his first win of the year with a fine even par net score. Allan Sutfin was back in form for this event and his 2 over par net score was 2 points better than Steve Rollins who played well on his last nine holes to take third.

It turned out to be a fine fall day for the October 11 event at George Wright GC. A mild breeze pushed the afternoon temperature into the 70's, and the members participating enjoyed a fine day for golf. Scott Brassard, who in the club championship finished second in the event with a superb 1 under par closing round score, was playing George Wright for the first time ever. It didn't seem to matter to Scott that this course requires a lot of local knowledge, he just kept hitting the ball to the right places. Scott shot 3 over par on the opening nine, and then after back to back pars on the tough 453 ninth and 462 yard par 4 eleventh, Scott really got on a roll. 5 straight pars followed until a birdie 3 on the 340 yard par 4 sixteenth and a bogey on the 165 yard par 3 seventeenth broke the string. Scott finished off the second nine with a par on 18 for an even par score of 35 on the second nine holes for a score of 3 over par 73. Well done, Scott! Paul Mitchell, a long time member at this course, shot a fine 6 over par 76 to secure second spot after returning to B.A.G.S.' competition after several weeks off recovering from surgery for an appendectomy. David Gibson played well once again, and took third spot with a fine 77. Rey LeMaine took the net division title with a 1 under par net score off a fine gross score of 78. Rey was on form from the very beginning and was just 2 over par after nine holes good for 21 stableford points or 3 under par net. David Gibson was in second place with an even par net score Scott Brassard shared third place with Paul Mitchell at 2 over par net.

After a 45 minute frost delay it warmed up quickly into the low 70's by afternoon for the October 8 event at the Milton-Hoosic Club. Glenn Watson won this event on the 18th after sticking his wedge approach shot on this straight away 365 yard par 4 to within inches of the hole for a tap in birdie and a score of 76. Jeff Mucciarone also birdied 18, but hole number 6 as the 411 yard par 4, and number 15 as the 420 par 4 got him both times for double bogey and cost him the victory as he came in with a 77. Lew Weitzman shot just 2 over on the second nine, and took third with a fine 78. In the Net Division competition, Lew, who only had 1 stableford point after 3 holes managed to gain a tie for first with 37 points with the much improved, Dick Malo, Peter Elliott the Medford B.A.G.S.' veteran of 18 years, and Chris Gibson, who also played extremely well.

Ballymeade CC was in superb condition for the annual Cape Cod Fall Classic. The greens were smooth, fast and true, and the fairways have never been better. The layout was as good or better than any private club we've played at this year. Ballymeade is beautiful, but it can play tough, as it's a tight course and with the thick, juicy, rough that grabbed wayward shots well up this year, good scores were hard to earn. Saturday was a fine day with 100% of the possible sunshine and the breezes that could only be felt on the higher tee boxes and greens. Defending champion Jeff Mucciarone played the first 9 holes in just 1 over par 37, and seemed well on his way to great score. However, on second nine Jeff was a little more inconsistent with some missed putts and a double bogey and was in with a 40 for a total of 77. Brian Boyle and Will Peishoff both played very steady golf, and were just 3 behind Jeff with 8 over par 80's. Sunday was a much different sort of day. A cool morning soon gave way to a steady light rain. The rain was light, but it brought a nuisance factor to the round, but didn't effect the later starting groups as much as it ended before most of the later starters made the turn. Jeff again played the opening nine well with a 1 over par 37 that included birdies on 3 and 9. After a par on 12 and a bogey on the 165 yard par 3 eleventh, Jeff's club slipped on his tee shot on 12 and was push - sliced well to the right. Jeff couldn't save bogey, and ended up with a double. Jeff made a nice par on the difficult 415 dogleg right thirteenth, but made back to back bogeys on the side by side 14th and 15th holes. After a nice par on the 150 yard par 3 sixteenth, Jeff rolled in a nice birdie putt on the 410 yard par 4 seventeenth. Jeff finished with a nice par on the 500 yard par five finishing hole for another score of 40, and an identical score of 77. Brian Boyle was forced to finish strong after shooting 6 over on the first nine, and he did so with a 39 including a deuce on the 150 yard par 3 sixteenth, to grab second place over Will Peishoff and the fast closing Tom Dromgoole who tied Jeff for low gross on Sunday with a 77. In the Net Division A competition, long time Rhode Island member, Al Ferretti, played well on Saturday with an even par net score to trail Boston member, Chris Kreilkamp, by just 1 stroke. Lew Weitzman was also 1 stroke behind. Chris started out all right on Sunday at even par net through the first 3 holes, but lost the touch on holes 4 through 6 with all double bogeys. After a nice par on 367 yard par 4 seventh, Chris then made doubles on the 8 & 9 and finished the nine with only 12 stableford points. Chris played better on the second nine with 16 points, but he knew he had left the door open for anyone that wanted to walk through. Al Ferretti played decently enough on Sunday with a 4 over par net score to take the Championship trophy by 2 strokes over Lew Weitzman. The above mentioned Tom Dromgoole, who played so well on Sunday caught Chris for third position. In the Net Division B competition, a new member this year, Nick Comer, won easily. Nick was just 1 off the lead on Saturday with a 1 over net score of 73. The leader after the first round was Alex Beelaerts who played quite with an even par net score. Sunday did not go as well for Alex, while Nick again played very fine golf, and was in for an even par net score. Nick's total margin of victory for the Net Division B trophy was an astounding 10 points over Alex, who just hung on for a tie for second with John Murphy who closed with alacrity with a 1 under net score, the best on the day.

Fine early fall weather returned for the Thursday, September 25 event at Trull Brook GC. After the morning clouds dissipated, it became a very pleasant day for golf and there were several superb performances. Jeff Mucciarone, who went low here last year with a 3 under par score, made birdie on both par 5's on the opening nine and finished the nine with a 1 over par score of 37. Jeff also made birdies on both the second nine par 5's, and with 1 bogey and the rest pars was in with a 1 under par 35 for a fine even par score of 72. Andrew Klein caught fire after a bogey on the 485 yard par 5 seventh, a hole this long ball hitter would normally reach in two. Andrew finished off the opening nine with pars on 8 and 9 for a 5 over score of 41. Following a bogey 4 on the downhill 195 yard par 3 eleventh, Andrew played the rest of the way in at 1 under par with birdies on both the second nine par 5's. Andrew had all 4's on the card on the last nine holes for a 36 and a total of 77, his best ever in 8 years of B.A.G.S.' competition, to beat Tom Randele by 1 stroke for second low gross. Andrew's net score of 65 was good for a 2 stroke win over another Andrew, Andrew Leonard. Andrew Leonard shot a very fine gross score of 81, his best ever in a B.A.G.S.' event. A probable winner in most other events with 40 stableford points, Dan Chicoine, who also shot a fine gross score of 81, had to settle for third spot. Also playing well with 3 under par net scores in a tie for 4th were: Rosi Stoltze and Tampa Pete Thompson.

It was overcast start for the early morning shotgun start at Pawtucket CC on Monday, September 25. The greens, as usual, ran fast and true and being above the hole lead to many three putt greens. In the low gross competition, Jeff Mucciarone won for the second consecutive time with a 6 over par 75. Gary Grogan was right there with Jeff for most of the way with a 77. Gary's net score of 68 was the best in the Net Division A competition. Dan Fitzgerald had by far his best result in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member with a net 69 good for second place. Also playing well and in a tie for third were: Neil Denenberg, Glenn McIntyre, and Paul Ratti, all in with 1 over par net scores. In the Net Division B competition, Rhode Island member, Bob Autieri, who loves this layout, was the winner with a 1 under par net score.

The fine string of early fall days continued for the Saturday, September 20 event at Sandy Burr. Jeff Mucciarone was in fine form for this event, and was 1 under par after the opening nine with all pars and a chip - in birdie on the 220 yard par 3 fifth hole. Brian Boyle and Johnathan Law, who also chipped - in for birdie on 5, were just 1 stroke behind after nine with even par scores. Jeff put this event away with an amazing second nine with 4 birdies and two bogeys for a superb 2 under par score of 34 for a 69. This ties the lowest gross score at this event site which has been on the B.A.G.S.' tournament schedule for 20 years. Brian Boyle continued his fine play through the second nine, and was in at even par 72 and got his first entry into the B.A.G.S.' Record Book for an even par or better gross score. Johnathan Law was just 1 behind that with a 1 over par score of 73. In the Net Division A competition, Joe Kalil, back in action again after a layoff, was in good form and shot a gross score of 78 good for 39 stableford points, and got a tie for first spot with the above mentioned Jeff M. and Brian B. In the Net Division B competition, Rosi Stoltze got her first win in a B.A.G.S.' event with a 1 under par net score. Jim Kelly and Pete Thompson were tied for second with 1 over par net scores.

It was a fine early Fall day for the Thursday, September 18 event at Hickory Hill GC. After a cool start, it warmed up into the mid-60's, and there were several fine performances. Doug Bray took the low gross title with a fine 6 over par gross score of 77. Jeff Mucciarone, back in after finishing tied for 17th in the Mass Mid-Amateur at Berkshire Hills GC on Monday-Wednesday, took second place with a 78. In the Net Division competition, Mike Harney played some fabulous golf. A gross score of 42 on the first nine was good for 20 stableford points. Mike shot a 41 on the shorter but tighter second nine for 20 more stableford points and a total of 40. Mike's gross score of 83 was his best ever in a B.A.G.S.' s event. Well done, Mike! Well back in a tie for second were: John Danchik and Doug Bray with even par net scores.

Franklin Park GC was in fine condition for the Saturday, September 13 event, and there were many fine scores. In the low gross competition, Jeff Mucciarone had just 1 bogey on the card and with a birdie on the 473 par 5 finishing hole got yet another entry into the B.A.G.S. ' Record Book with an even par score of 70. 5 shots back in second place was Johnathan Law who played quite well after returning to B.A.G.S.' competition after several weeks away. In the Net Division A competition, Jeff's net 69 was good enough for a 2 shot victory over Rob Mucci. Rob played consistently well the whole round with just 1 double bogey and 8 pars for an 81 gross. In the Net Division B competition, Ted Scholnick was the best with an even par net score of 70. In a tie for second were Zecca Fernandes and Pete Thompson with 1 over par net scores.

Norton CC was in great condition for the Wednesday, September 10 event, and the weather co-operated with a fine day with the temperature right around the 72 degree mark by afternoon. Jeff Mucciarone made a bogey 5 on the 363 yard opening hole, and then played the rest of holes in 1 under par including 3 birdies in succession on holes 12, 13, and 14 for a fine even par score of 71. This is a B.A.G.S.' record low score at this event site in over 15 years of B.A.G.S.' competition at Norton CC. Well done, Jeff! Just 3 strokes back in second place was John McNeill, who played exceptionally well on his first trip over this tight layout. In the Net Division A competition, Chris Kreilkamp struggled on the opening nine with just 14 stableford points. After a nice birdie starting out on the second nine on the 348 yard par 4 tenth, Chris seemed to catch fire and the momentum grew. Pars followed on 11, 12 and 13. Chris made another birdie on the 524 yard par 5 fourteenth for 14 quick stableford points in 5 holes. After 3 consecutive bogeys, Chris made par on the 426 par 4 finishing hole for a 1 over par gross score of 36 and 22 stableford points, and a tie for first place with the above mentioned Jeff M. In the Net Division B competition, Rhode Island member, Al Latour, was the best with a 1 under net score of 70.

The overnight rainstorm was long gone by the first tee off time for the Sunday, September 7 event at Bretwood - North course. Jeff Mucciarone got off to a slow start with a bogey on the 421 yard par 4 opening hole, and a double bogey on the 612 yard par 5 second hole after hitting his second shot into the hidden pond on the right. However, Jeff played the next 16 holes in just 1 over par with 2 birdies for a fine 4 over par score of 76 on this 6976 yard course for a 4 shot victory over Brian Boyle. Ray Fearnley had his best result in his first year as a B.A.G.S.' member with a tie for first place in the Net Division with Holger Stoltze. Both men played extremely well and shot even par net scores.

Crumpin-Fox Club  was in superb condition for the Saturday, September 6 event. The greens were in absolutely mint condition, and although it remained cloudy after some early morning rain, the day remained dry and calm. Jeff Mucciarone found the calm conditions to his liking, and with the greens holding all approach shots well, was able to shoot an even par score of 72. This was the best score at this course in 17 years of B.A.G.S.' competition here in Western Mass. Well done, Jeff! David Gibson was in fine form and played the opening nine in just 2 over par. After three straight bogeys, David hit a pulled tee shot on the 370 yard par 4 thirteenth that struck a tree and dropped down and left him with about 195 yards to the green. David pulled out a fairway metal and hit it to the back fringe and drained the 12 foot birdie putt. After pars on 14 & 15, David played the last 3 holes in 2 over par for a fine score of 78, and a tie for second place with Doug Bray who shot just 1 over par on the opening nine. David G.'s massive total of 42 stableford points gave him the Net division title by 3 strokes over the consistent Paul McCurley, and 18 year B.A.G.S.' member, Pete Thompson, who broke of his recent slump with 9 gross pars on the card.

The second trip to Atlantic CC was about 40 degrees warmer than the early April event with the temperature into the low 80's on Saturday, August 31, and there were several superb performances. Glenn Watson had the putter working on greens that were somewhat slow, and had 3 birdies on the opening nine and shot a 1 over par 37 despite making a double bogey 5 on the 185 yard par 3 seventh hole. After a par on the 406 yard par 4 eleventh hole, things seemed to slip away. Bogeys on 11 and 12 was followed by a double bogey 6 on the short 339 yard par 4 thirteenth after a pushed to shot to go to 5 over par for the day. However, pars on 14 & 15 got Glenn back on track. Glenn made a nice approach shot to the 525 yard par 5 16th, and sank the 10 foot putt for birdie, and on the 165 yard par 3 17th, made about a 12 footer for his 5th birdie on the day. A nice par on the 409 yard finishing hole got Glenn in at 3 over par 75, and a 2 stroke victory over rival Jeff Mucciarone who had won the last 5 events that he had participated in. In the Net Division A competition, Rob Mucci was definitely the man. Rob was off to a great start with a par on the opening hole and a birdie on the 176 yard par 3 second hole. Rob played the first 13 holes in just 4 over par gross, and finished with a fine score 78 which was tied for third best on the day. Rob's total of 41 stableford points or 5 under par net was good for a 3 point victory over the above mentioned Glenn Watson. In the Net Division B competition from the Blue (middle) tee markers, Mike Robinson came away with a fine victory. Mike shot a net 70, and had his best result of the season. Just 1 stroke behind with another fine effort was Russ D'Auria, who was at 1 under par net for second place. Ted Scholnick recovered well enough from a slow start, and took third position with an even par net score.

Triggs Memorial was in excellent condition for Wednesday, August 31 event. Fast, smooth, putting surfaces and nice fairways considering how much play this Donald Ross gem gets, along the fine weather, made playing here in Providence a fine experience. Doug Bray played some very steady golf, and easily captured the low gross title with a fine 6 over par 78.

It was a very pleasant day for golf for the Saturday, August 23 event at Blackstone National. The temperature reached the low 80's, and there was very low humidity under a cloudless sky. Recently aerated greens made short putts an adventure, but there were still many fine scores. Jeff Mucciarone continued his command of the low gross division competition with another fine performance. Jeff made the turn at just 2 over par 38, and did even better on the second nine at just 1 over par for total of 75. Along with the streak, Jeff has gotten his handicap index to its lowest level ever at just 0.1. Well back in second with 79's were Rick Lewis and Johnathan Law. In the Net Division A competition, late entry Nate Liskov made the most of his opportunity. Nate was tied for the low gross lead after nine holes with a fine 38 good for 20 stableford points. Nate got only 3 more pars on the second nine, but had no zero points holes and came in with a 43 good for 18 more points for a total of 38 or two under par net. Dennis Callahan was seemingly out of the tournament after nine holes with only 13 points. However, to his credit, he didn't give up after making a double on the 160 yard par 3 eleventh. Because, Dennis then went on a hot streak that included pars on 4 of the next 5 holes for 14 points, and then the superb finish of birdie, birdie for 7 more stableford points for a second nine total of 23. Dennis finished with 36 points and second place by himself. Well done, Dennis! In the Net Division B competition, Jon Baron played extremely well. Jon shot a superb gross score of 82, his best in a B.A.G.S.' event in over 3 years. Jon also finished strongly with pars on the 3 closing holes for 9 points and a total of 40. Jon needed the strong finish because Paul McCurley also played exceptionally well was already in with 39 points. Another couple of strokes back in a tie for third were John Murphy and Tony Carmona, who hung there to the finish despite a painful toe injury from a cart accident.

There was a touch of fall in the air for the Wednesday, August 20 event at Poquoy Brook, but it warmed up nicely under a strong sun into the low 70's by mid-day. The course was in its usual excellent condition and the members participating all enjoyed this fine event site which has been on the B.A.G.S.' tournament rotation since the first year of B.A.G.S.' competition in 1989. We will be returning to this fine layout for the final weekend event of  the B.A.G.S.' local season on Saturday, October 25. Jeff Mucciarone took control of this event with a fine even par gross score of 36 on the opening nine. Jeff was only 2 over par before making a double bogey 6 on the long, 461 yard par 4 sixteenth. Jeff was just short of the 481 yard par 5 eighteenth in two shots and chipped up and made a birdie for a fine 3 over par score of 75. Charlie Rozanitis took second low gross with an 80. In the Net Division Competition, Marc Basch played well on the first nine with 19 stableford points or 1 under par net. Marc then got serious and played the next 8 holes in just 3 over par gross before making a double bogey on eighteen for a gross 41 good for 21 points, and an easy 3 point win. Back in a tie for second with 1 under par net scores were: Jordan Rose who continued his fine play this month, along with the above mentioned Charlie R. and Jeff M.

The 20th annual Society Championship was played at Olde Scotland Links on the weekend of August 16 and 17,  and there were many superb performances. Saturday's opening round for the Low Gross Championship was a tight battle. Brian Boyle and two-time past champion Jeff Mucciarone both shot 2 over par 74's with 3 birdies each on the card, including shots to within 2 feet on the 235 yard par 3 thirteenth hole. Jay Leonard, Paul Tracey, and 18 year B.A.G.S.' member Jim Eldredge were just 2 strokes behind with 76's. Scott Brassard, in in first B.A.G.S.' championship was at even par through 14 holes before getting a bad break by hitting the sprinkler head just in front of the 15th green, and bounding over the green. Scott made a double and a after a poor tee shot on 17 into the hazard on the left made a triple, and finished at 77 with just 2 bad shots on the day. Sunday was a tougher day for scoring with swirling winds. The four leaders: Jeff M., Brian B., Jay L., and Paul T. went off together in the final group. Jeff started with a bogey on the tough 433 yard first hole, that remained the only hole in the 36 hole event that was not birdied. Jeff got that stroke back with a birdie on the 378 yard seventh hole, and shot 36 for the nine. Brian Boyle was at 2 over par after 9, and got to within 1 stroke of Jeff after making a par on the 455 yard into the wind par 4 tenth after Jeff made a bogey. Jay Leonard got within a stroke of the lead after playing the first 11 holes in even par. Jeff got the lead back with a nice birdie on the 397 yard par 4 eleventh hole. After Jeff made a bogey and Jay a birdie for a 2 shot swing on the 383 yard par 4 fourteenth, there was a tie for the lead. The 389 yard par 4 fifteenth across the pond ruined Jay's chances of winning as he made a double bogey and Jeff a par. Jeff finished the tournament in true winner's style with a closing birdie on the 523 yard par 5 for an even par score of 72, and a two day total of 2 over par 146. Fast closing Scott Brassard shot a 1 under par 71 on Sunday for a 148 total to just beat Jay Leonard, who ended up shooting a fine 1 over par 73 for a 149 two day total. Brian Boyle hung in there quite well against the scratch handicappers, and took fourth position with 152. In the Net Division A competition, also contested from the Black (back) tee markers, there was another close battle for the Championship trophy. Mike McAllister had by far his best performance in a B.A.G.S.' event  Mike, who had never shot better than an 85 in an event, went seriously low with a 6 over par 78 good for a massive total of 42 stableford points. Craig Putnam was also into the zone and with the help of a hot putter, shot a 77 gross for 40 points. James Kendall was close by and ready to make a move with 36 points. Sunday belonged to James Kendall while Mike M. and Craig P. were not quite as on top of their games as they were on Saturday. James was simply amazing shooting a 4 over par 76 despite making two double bogeys. His 42 stableford points or net 66 was just enough to get him the Net Division A trophy by 1 stroke over Mike M. who played well with 35 points, but it was just not enough on this weekend. Craig P. held onto third spot by 1 point over Jordan Rose who played well both days. In the Net Division B competition from the Blue tees, there were also some astounding performances. Holger Stoltze took the lead on Saturday with 42 points or 6 under par net. Mike Harney was just 2 behind, and Rich Sevieri was lurking at 3 behind. On Sunday, Rich Sevieri put it all together. After a fine gross 42 on the first nine for 20 stableford points, Rich really caught fire on the closing 4 holes with 3 pars and a birdie on the 321 yard par 4 seventeenth for 24 more points and a total of 44. Rich's total of 83 points was well ahead of John Murphy who passed all the other competitors on Sunday with an amazing total of 45 points off a gross score of 80 and a two day total of 77 points. Mike Robinson and Gene Wright both had under par net scores on Sunday, and finished in a tie for third with 75 points or 3 under par net. Steve Rollins also shot under par net on Sunday and took 4th position.

River Bend dried out quite well after heavy recent rainfall for the Wednesday, August 13 event. In the low gross competition, Jeff Mucciarone was in command of the tournament right  from the start. Jeff played the first 10 holes in 2 under par with the assistance of birdies on 6 and 9. Bogeys on 11 & 12 brought him back to even par for the day. After a par on 13 and a bogey on the 207 yard par 3 fourteenth 14 to go to 1 over, Jeff made his third and final birdie on the 393 yard par 4 fifteenth to get back to even par. Jeff made pars on the three finishing holes for a fine even par sore of 71. This is the second time that Jeff has shot even par at River Bend, and it remains as the best score at this course in a B.A.G.S.' event from the back (Gold Tees) in B.A.G.S.' eight years of competition at this site. In the Net Division A competition, also from the Gold markers, there was a 4 way tie for first at 1 under par net 70. Boston Division players: Craig Larzelere, Bob Steward, and Jeff M. were in the tie along with Rhode Island Division members: Jim Colbert and John Buffery. In the Net Division B competition from the Blue tee markers, Ford Lafleur now in his 10th year of B.A.G.S.' competition, came through with one of his best rounds. Ford shot just 2 over par gross on the opening nine for a massive 23 stableford points. Ford cooled off somewhat on the tighter more difficult second nine with a gross 43 for 18 more points. Ford's gross score of 80 was his best ever performance in a B.A.G.S' event, and his total of 41 stableford points was easily good enough for the winner's trophy. Well back in second was RI member Jim Marsh with 39 points. Paul McCurley survived a couple of bad holes, moved on and played well, and took third position with 37 points or 1 under par net.

B.A.G.S. made its final trip of this season to Acushnet River Valley for the Saturday, August 9 event. The course was in excellent condition, and there were no threatening thunderstorms. Jeff Mucciarone, who holds the B.A.G.S.' low round at this course with a 68 from 2 years ago, again showed his proficiency at this layout with fine even par score of 72, which included birdies on 3 of his first 5 holes. Jim Mullins, who also seems to play consistently well at this course, took second low gross with a fine 78 with a fine 2 over par 38 on the second nine. In the Net Division A competition, Jim's 6 under par net score was easily the best by 5 strokes over Jeff M. Charlie Rozanitis also played extremely well with a gross score of 79, and got third spot in Net A with a 73. In the Net Division B competition, there was another wide margin of victory. Bob Steward, who has overcome some back problems from earlier in the year, showed he's now back on form and ready for Net Division A competition. Bob played the opening 10 holes in even par gross for an astounding total of 27 stableford points or 7 under par net. Bob cooled off somewhat after that, but still made pars on 3 of his last 5 holes for a total of 44 points. Well done, Bob! Well back in second place, and perhaps a winner on any other day was Rich Liberace with 38 points of his own. Russ D'Auria played well again and ended up in a tie for third with Jim McKenna who had his best result in his first season as a B.A.G.S.' member.

Allendale was moved to Thursday, August 7 because of the inclement weather the previous day, and this proved to be the correct move, as Thursday turned out to be a fine day for golf. The course was in wonderful condition, and the members participating all enjoyed this nice layout with its tricky undulating greens. Jordan Rose, in his B.A.G.S.' debut, took the low gross title with a fine score of 81 on a day when no one could totally master the tough hole positions. In the Net Division competition, John Murphy who has struggled in his last several events, put it all together. John shot a superb gross score of 84, tying his best ever gross score in over 2 years of competition. John's 40 stableford points or 4 under par net was good for an easy 4 point win. Well done, John!

B.A.G.S. traveled to Crosswinds for the Saturday, August 2nd event. A bright morning quickly turned overcast by early afternoon, and despite a good pace of play by the early groups off, who got their rounds done in under 4.5 hours, the thunderstorms did catch up to the last several groups out, and they had to complete their rounds after a 45 minute storm delay. Johnathan Law didn't get off to a particularly scintillating start with two bogeys and a double on his first 3 holes, but was able to stop the bleeding with a par on the 350 yard par 4 fourth. After another bogey on the par 5 fifth, Johnathan played the final four first nine holes in 1 under par for a 4 over par 40.  A par on the 400 yard 10th was followed by a superbly struck 6 iron on the 174 yard par 3 eleventh which pitched 3 feet from the pin, bounced once then checked and spun back into the hole for an ace, and a free 12 month membership in B.A.G.S.! Johnathan also had a nice birdie on the short 340 yard par 4 sixteenth, and shot 1 over par 37 on the second nine for 77. Scott Brassard, in just his second B.A.G.S.' event, showed he can be a solid low gross division contender, as he took second place with a 78. In the Net Division A competition, John Gibson came away with a strong 3 point victory. John, who'll be competing in the Mass State Public Links Championship next week at Blissful Meadows, shot a gross score of 79. John's brother David Gibson also played well, and finished in a three way tie for second with the above mentioned Scott B. and J. Law. In the Net Division B competition, Tony Carmona was the only participant to shot under par net with 37 stableford points or 1 under par net.. Tony played the opening nine extremely well with 21 stableford points, and got it to 4 under par net with a gross par on 13 before the thunderstorms approached the area. Well back in second was Paul McCurley with 34 points or 2 over par net.

The members participating in the Wednesday, July 30 event at Blackstone National enjoyed an excellent day for golf on a very nice golf course. Rick Kelly got out of the starting gate quickly with birdies on the first two holes, and lead from wire to wire. Rick played the first 14 holes in even par before making a double bogey 6 on the downhill, 480 yard par 4 fifteenth. Rick got one of those strokes back with his 4th birdie on the day at the uphill, 568 yard, par 5 sixteenth to get back to 1 over par. Rick made bogeys on the 17th & 18th to finish with a fine 3 over par score of 75. Tom Dromgoole was only 2 over par after making a par on the downhill 358 yard par 4 thirteenth, but bogeys on 13, and 15 hurt his chances, and Tom finished 1 stroke behind Rick with a 4 over par 76. Defending two - time champion from last year, Brian Boyle, took third spot with a 77. In the Net Division A competition, Rick Kelly's net 66 was just good enough to win by a single point over Chris Kreilkamp, who shot a very fine gross score of 79 and had the win in sight, before making a triple bogey on the finishing hole. Andrew Leonard also played well and shot a gross score of 83, his best in a B.A.G.S.' event this year, and took third position with a net 68. Bob Jarchow had his best result this year, with a net score of 69. In the Net Division B competition, Howard Fox was definitely the man. Howard shot a gross score of 83, his best by 4 strokes this year, and his stableford point total of 43 or 7 under par net, was good for a 2 point win over Rhode Island member, Jim Marsh. Karl Eigsti had his best finish this year with a total of 39 stableford points or 3 under par net, and took third.

Norfolk GC was in superb condition for the Monday, July 28 event. For those that missed this fine event site. located just off Rt. 128 in Westwood, there will be another tournament here on Monday, September 29. This course is "old style" golf at its best. Jeff Mucciarone turned it around after opening with bogeys on the first two holes, and played the rest of the holes in even par for a fine 2 over par score of 72. Doug Bray had the lead in the tournament after the opening nine with a 1 over par score of 36. Joe LeRoy, playing in his first B.A.G.S.' event, was just 1 stroke back. Doug lost the lead after making a double on the 405 yard par 4 thirteenth after hitting his tee shot left into trouble. After reaching the greenside bunker in 2 on the uphill 427 yard par 5 fourteenth, Doug left his third in the sand, but with amazing focus, holed out from the same bunker for a birdie 4 and got it back to 3 over par. However, bogeys on 2 of the remaining 4 holes cost him a chance for the low gross win. Joe LeRoy also met with disaster on the thirteenth, and made a quadruple bogey, but  finished well, and was in at 76. Joe Pimental played the first 5 holes in 7 over par and then caught fire and played the final 13 holes in 1 under par for a fine 76. In the Net Division A competition, Steve Ross and Rick Sprague both played exceptionally well. Steve shot a superb 76 gross and Rick shot an 80. Both finished with 38 stableford points or 2 under par net. Rick Kelly shot a 77 good for 37 stableford points, and a tie for third with the above mentioned Doug Bray. In the Net Division B competition, Ron and Charles Siewert were in their own battle for the title with the other competition well off the pace. Ron, who previously hadn't broken 90 in a B.A.G.S.' event, shot an impressive 81 gross score with a 2 over par 38 on the second time around this nine hole course which included a closing birdie on the 180 yard  par three18th for a net 61. Charles, who hadn't scored better than 100 in his other event, shot an 85 for a net 64. Well back in a tie for third were: Walter Watson and Howard Fox.

It was a typical mid-summer afternoon for the Saturday, July 26 event at Passaconaway. The afternoon became quite warm, but the humidity was down, and there were no threatening thunderstorm around. Johnathan Law didn't start out in great fashion with bogeys on two of his first 4 holes, and got a bit lucky when a pushed tee shot stayed in bounds on the 591 yard par 5 fifth hole after hitting one of the trees along the out of bounds line, and ended up on the cart path. Johnathan was able to make birdie after playing up short of the green, and pitching on. A pushed approach shot from the right rough on the long 478 yard par 4 seventh also hit a tree and also stayed in bounds, but Johnathan was way out of position and make a double bogey. Johnathan made another bogey on the 185 yard par three eighth, and finished the first nine with a par, for a 4 over par 39. Johnathan's putter, which has caused him problems this year started to cooperate, and he made a nice birdie putt on the 10th. He got up and down from well short of the 223 yard par 3 thirteenth green. On the next hole, Johnathan was next to the green in two on the 521 yard par 5 fourteenth after playing out of the middle of the 15th fairway, and made his third birdie of the day to get it back to 3 over par. He made a nice 12 foot birdie putt on the 340 yard par 4 sixteenth for his 4th birdied, and finished with consecutive pars for a fine 2 over par 73. Jeff Mucciarone never quite recovered from a double bogey on the 561 yard par 5 opening hole, and finished second with a 77. Brian Boyle and Doug Bray both played well, and had their usual tight battle, and finished in a tie for third with 79's. In the Net Division A competition, John Faucher was red hot coming home on the slightly easier and shorter second nine with a fine 1 over par gross score of 37, and a massive total of 23 stableford points or 5 under par net. John's stableford total of 40 was good for a three point victory over Dave Wheeler, who returned to B.A.G.S.' competition after a long lay off. Dave also ate up the second nine with a gross 40 good for 21 stableford points. Tom Simard also played well, and took third position with a 1 under par net score. In the Net Division B competition, Rich Liberace, a new member this year, and Dan Chicoine, a 14 year B.A.G.S.' veteran, were in close battle for the title. Both had 20 stableford points after nine holes. Dan made a nice par on the 165 yard par 3 thirteenth hole to take the lead after Rich made a double .Rich got the lead back on 15 with a par after Dan made a double. Dan tied up the lead with a gross par on 16 after Rich made a bogey, and they both made pars on 17 & 18 and both finished with 40 points or 4 under par net. Holger Stoltze had his best result this season with a net score of 3 under par, and finished in a tie for third with the consistent Tony Carmona.

It was an overcast day with a few light sprinkles during the morning for the B.A.G.S.' event at Stonebridge CC for the Sunday, July 27 event. The course was in nice condition, and there were several exceptional scores. Rick Lewis got off to a great start with birdies on two of the first three holes, and finished off the first nine with 4 straight pars for a fine 1 under par 34 gross. Another birdie on the 349 par 4 eleventh hole after a par on the tight 533 yard par 5 tenth got Rick to 2 under par. After a par on the 355 yard par 4 twelfth, Rick missed the green on the 208 yard par 3 thirteenth, and ended up with a double bogey 5. Rick matched the card for par on the remaining 5 holes, and ended up with a superb even par round of 72 from the way back (Black tees) at 6808 yards and both a B.A.G.S.' tournament record score for this course and a spot in the B.A.G.S.' Record Book. Well done, Rick! Brian Boyle, who plays the tough courses as well as anyone else in B.A.G.S., was right on Rick's tail all day, and pulled to within 1 stroke after making a par on the tough 208 yard par 3 thirteenth. Brian's only loose shot on the day was his tee shot on the very next hole the tight downhill 560 yard par 5 fourteenth. The drive was only pulled slightly to the left, but the ball could not be found as the fairway drops off sharply on that side, and Brian had to play his provisional ball and made a triple bogey 8 to fall 4 off the lead. Brian played the remaining 4 holes in 1 over par for a fine score of 78 and second place. Ron Jacques hung in there with Rick and Brian for nine holes with a nice 1 over par score of 36. However, Ron couldn't get past the tough 533 yard tenth hole without disaster, and finished the hole with a triple bogey 8 which seemed to let the wind out of his sails, and Ron finished with an 81 for third position. Rick L. was 4 strokes better than Brian B. for the Net Division A title. In the Net Division B competition from the shorter Blue Tees, Jim Kelly was definitely the man. Jim has had his moments this year, but Sunday was truly amazing. After an opening double bogey, Jim played the rest of the opening nine in just 6 over par gross for 20 stableford points. Jim kept it going on the second nine, and finished strongly with gross pars on the two tough closing holes, the uphill 520 yard par 5 seventeenth and 400 yard par 4 eighteenth for 7 more stableford points, and a massive total of 43 or 7 under par net. Well back in second place with 35 points were: Mike Harney and Mark Jezowski.

B.A.G.S. traveled to Olde Scotland Links for the Wednesday, July 16 event. It was another warm and breezy day but with no thunderstorms on the way for once on this date. Jeff Mucciarone got by the first two holes with no disasters at 2 over par on the tough opening holes, and then cruised through the rest of the holes in just 1 over par for a fine 3 over par score of 75. Bob Beach, back in action after a few weeks lay off from B.A.G.S.' competition, was somewhat rusty to start off the round. Bob played the opening 3 holes in 4 over par, but finished with a nice birdie 4 on the 476 yard par 5 ninth that seemed to kick start his round. Bob then made a birdie on the long 455 yard par 4 tenth, and played the remaining 8 holes in even par, for a fine 1 under 35 and a total of 77 good for second place. Johnathan Law was in third position with a 78. Steve Ross played well and was in fourth with a 79.

It was a fine day for golf for the Saturday, July 12 event at Kettle Brook. The course was in its usual superior condition with nice fairways and smooth quick putting greens, and weather was perfect with the temperature in the mid-80's. Jeff Mucciarone and Jay Leonard went off in the same foursome, and both played exceptional golf. Both played the first 10 holes in even par. Jay took a 1 stroke lead with a birdie 4 on the 536 yard par 5 eleventh hole, and upped it to two shots with another birdie on the 506 yard par 5 fourteenth. Jeff then got the lead back with consecutive birdies on 15 and 16, after Jay made bogey on the 414 yard par 4 sixteenth. Both made par on the tough uphill 220 yard par 3 seventeenth. Jay made a nice par on the long 455 yard par 4 finishing hole, and got a tie for the low gross title with an even par 72 when Jeff made a bogey 5. Glenn Watson and Brian Boyle, also both playing in the same group, had their own intense battle for third with Glenn making a superb birdie 3 from out of the right rough on the18th hole to catch Brian at 3 over par 75. In the Net Division A competition, Brian Boyle's 4 under par net 68 was good for a 2 stroke victory over: Jay Leonard, Jeff M., and Glenn Watson. In the Net Division B competition, Randy Namath showed that he's more than ready for Net Division A competition and perhaps the low gross competition. Randy was phenomenal on this day after getting off to great start with 2 birdies in his first 6 holes, and was just 2 over par gross before making a double bogey 5 on the 200 yard par 3 twelfth across the hazard. Randy got another birdie on the 363 yard par 4 fifteenth to get it back to 4 over par gross, and finished well with pars on 17 and 18 after a bogey on 414 yard sixteenth to finish with a fine 5 over par 77. Randy's massive total of 45 stableford points got him a spot in the B.A.G.S.' Record Book. Well back in second, but perhaps a winner on any other day with an impressive total of 39 stableford points, was Wayne Daley. Bob Steward played well again, and took third position with 38 points. Paul McCurley was back in form and finished in fourth with a 1 under par net score.

Highfields was in very nice condition for the Wednesday, July 9 event. It was a windy and warm day, and there were several fine performances on this enjoyable golf course. Jeff Mucciarone was 4 over on the first nine, and after a bogey on the 411 yard par 4 10th hole, which played directly into the wind, Jeff played the final 8 holes in even par for a 5 over par 77. Gary Grogan was in second place with a score of 80. In the Net Division competition, Buzz Speers was definitely the man. Buzz shot a superb gross score of 81, third best on the day, and had 6 net birdies and a net eagle on the 385 yard sharp dogleg right thirteenth hole good for whopping total of 41 stableford points. Only two strokes behind were John Murphy and Rich Liberace who both played exceptionally well with 39 points or 3 under par net. 

It was warm and breezy for the Sunday, July 6 event at Sandy Burr, and there were many exceptional scores.  Johnathan Law played the first 9 holes in 1 under par 35 was a 1 shot leader over Jeff Mucciarone and Chris Rollins who both shot even par 36's. Jeff shot a 1 over par 37 on the second nine, and finished in a tie for first with Johnathan who made a bogey 5 on the 391 yard par 4 finishing hole for a 73. Chris Rollins was right in there, tied for the lead after 15 holes, before making back to back bogeys 16 and 17, and finished just 1 behind with a 74. Mark Dwyer also had a chance to win this event. Mark was on  the18th green in two with a birdie putt from about 18 feet to shoot even par 72 for the win. Mark came up short, and then missed the par putt and finished with a 74. In the Net Division A competition, Dennis Callahan, on a course where he's had many superlative scores, came up with one of the best scores in B.A.G.S.' history for Net Division Stableford competition. A fine 2 over par gross score of 38 good for 23 stableford points with net birdies on 5 of the holes was just the beginning of things to come. The next nine was just pure magic with three gross birdies on: 11, 15, and 16, and 24 more stableford points for a total of 47 and spot in the B.A.G.S.' Record Book. Dennis' gross score of 75 was the 3rd best on the day. Well done!, Dennis. Chris Rollins and Ron Jacques tied for second place with 38 points each. Ron shot a very fine gross score of 78.  In the Net Division B competition, the scoring was not nearly so good, but the outcome was much closer. Paul Kudarauskas and Rosi Stoltze finished in a tie for first with 1 over par net scores. Steve Rollins got third spot with a 2 over par net score and Jon Baron and Mike McLaughlin ended in a tie for fourth.

It was a very warm and windy day, with the looming threat of a late day thunderstorm on the horizon, for the Thursday, July 3 event at Marlborough CC. The course didn't play particularly long with the back (Blue Tees) moved up somewhat, but the fast, sloping greens made any putt from above the hole precarious. New member, Bill Hutchins, in just his second B.A.G.S.' event, shot a very fine 5 over par 76 to win by a couple of shots over Johnathan Law, who played well once again. Bill was superb on holes 9-18 playing these 10 holes  in 1 under par. In the Net Division A competition, Ron Jacques, a member at Marlborough CC, was in complete control of this event with an unbelievable short game. Ron got up and down from off the green on 1 for a par. He then made a seemingly impossible 25 footer with 7 feet of break on 2, perhaps the toughest green, to save another par. Ron made another nice up and down this time for bogey on the long par 3 fifth hole after taking an unplayable lie from a hole left where a rock had been removed. Ron seemed to have saved another par with a nice chip shot to within a couple of feet on nine, but missed the putt and shot 39 gross for 19 points. A double bogey on the 12th, the island green hole, and a bogey 6 on the short 467 yard par 5 thirteenth, was quickly made up for with a brilliant birdie putt attempt from the back of the super fast 14th green that somehow stopped near the hole, and Ron made a par for a net birdie and 3 stableford points. Two nice pars followed on 16 and 17 for net birdies with dark angry clouds moving in rapidly from the west. Just before the clouds burst and with lightning all around, Ron made a two putt par on the 175 yard par three closing hole for a gross score of 79 and 37 stableford points good for a 2 point victory over Bill Hutchins. In the Net Division B competition, Paul Kudarauskas played his best golf in a B.A.G.S.' event so far this season. Paul was just tremendous with 3 gross birdies, and superb score of 82.  Paul's 40 stableford points was easily the best by 2 points over Rhode Island member, Don Denuccio.

B.A.G.S. returned to River Bend CC for the Sunday, June 29 event.  Mark Dwyer was back in the competition after a month and half away, and proved once again that he's the man to beat whenever he tees it up in a B.A.G.S.' event. Mark's opening tee shot was hooked into the pond on the left, and Mark ended up making a double bogey 6 on the 369 yard first hole, but it was clear sailing after that. Mark had 3 birdies to offset 3 bogeys, and played the next 17 holes in even par for a 73. Jay Leonard was superb form once again, and for the second consecutive weekend finished in a tie for first. Jay didn't have any birdies on the day, but avoided double, and  had 16 pars for his 2 over 73. Johnathan Law also played well again with 3 birdies, and took third position with a 76. In the Net Division A competition, Bob Steward  came through with his best performance of the season. Bob shot a fine gross score of 84, and his only zero point hole on the day was on the short 330 yard par 4 third hole. Bob had 8 net birdies, and finished with 37 stableford points good for the narrowest of victories over the quartet of: John Danchik, Mark Dwyer, Jay Leonard, and Ron Jacques who all shot even par gross scores or 36 points. In the Net Division B competition, Russ D'Auria, also a winner the previous weekend, got a slim 1 point win with 38 points over John Sawyer who had his best result this season.