Mass Golf has officially confirmed Brockton native Megan T. Bearce as its newest president this week as part of its announcement of the 2023-24 Board of Directors during the organization’s Annual Meeting on October 12 at Winchester Country Club.
Bearce becomes the first female to assume the role of president of Mass Golf, having also served as president of the Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts (WGAM) from 2014 to 2015. She was part of the facilitation team that organized the merger between the WGAM and the Massachusetts Golf Association to form Mass Golf in 2017. She later joined the Board of Directors and most recently served as Vice President.
“When I realized I was chosen, I was flattered, a little overwhelmed but was absolutely up for it so long as I was prepared,” said Bearce, a longtime member of Thorny Lea Golf Club in Brockton. “I’m constantly impressed by the level of talent and professionalism of everybody I’ve interacted with at Mass Golf.”
Bearce, 66, succeeds Alan G. Macdonald, of Winchester Country Club, who has served for the past two years. In 2023, Mass Golf surpassed 120,000 memberships, a high watermark for the association, and continued to see increased event participation and youth involvement throughout the season.
“I am so happy that he was my predecessor,” Bearce said of Macdonald. “We’ve always been on the same page. He is very intelligent, well-spoken, and is a great facilitator of conversation. He was the right person for me to sit, observe, and learn from over the years.”
Mass Golf is also excited to welcome three new members to the Board of Directors:
-Morris C. Davenport (Wyantenuck Country Club): Senior vice president and general manager of ESPN Radio and member of Mass Golf’s Marketing & Development and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees.
-Mace Foehl (Taconic Golf Club): A longtime volunteer and member of Mass Golf’s Championship Committee, who also serves as coach of the Northfield Mount Hermon varsity golf team.
–David I. Frem (Cyprian Keyes Golf Club): General manager of Cyprian Keyes and president of the New England Golf Course Owners’ Association.
“For Megan to be the first female president of Mass Golf speaks volumes to what we’ve developed into as an organization,” said Jesse Menachem, Mass Golf’s Executive Director/CEO. “She will be a tremendous leader. She has a great following and understands our objectives, our mission, our vision, and we have three new board members who can complement her.”
Megan Bearce said picking up golf in her 20s was the best decision she’s ever made for herself. She picked up the game two months before getting married with encouragement from her husband William (also from Brockton). The two play together frequently, even winning the inaugural season-long mixed-team club championship at Woods Hole Golf Club (2001), where the couple also are members.
“My husband wanted me to get involved with the game, and I can’t even imagine what I would be doing now without golf,” Bearce said. “It keeps me active, involved, and engaged with the game. When we travel, we travel with all our golf friends. It’s something we can do together.”
Since stepping up to manage the merger that formed Mass Golf, Bearce has been involved on several of Mass Golf’s committees and spearheading new initiatives. In 2022, Mass Golf established the Investment in the Game Award, offering merit-based funds to members within the Mass Golf community to further their commitment and advancement in the golf industry.
Bearce chairs the Invest In The Game Committee, and this issue appeals to her because it is unique as a merit based award. “I liked the concept of an award that was different in that it could be used for anything as long as it connected to golf and makes an impact on the golf Industry.” Bearce received a merit scholarship from the Veterans Administration to attend Boston University for a Master’s Degree in Nursing Administration.
After finishing graduate school, Bearce spent a decade at Mass General Hospital until one day she came across an opportunity in her hometown. There she opened Field House Day School, a childcare center with a staff of about 30. After more than 30 years of operating the facility, Bearce retired in 2019 and sold the business. In addition to traveling and spending time with her grandchildren, Bearce has dedicated her time to facilitating the growth of Mass Golf.
Over her two-year term, Bearce said she is hoping to see continued growth, especially in the women’s game. Drawing from her experience with the ever-popular Spring Team and Fall Cup matches, Bearce said she hopes to strengthen the community’s identification with Mass Golf and continue to offer programs available to individuals regardless of their Handicap Index.
“I’d like to see Mass Golf impact everybody,” Bearce said. “We have strong programs for juniors and women alike, and we would like to see some gender-neutral programs as well. We want players with higher handicaps to say this is something I belong to and participate in proudly.
“If we do this right, we’re going to be ahead of the game,” Bearce said. “It’s going to make us a great organization.”
Mass Golf would also like to thank its outgoing Board members — Henry St. Cyr (Oak Hill Country Club) and Sally DeGan (LPGA Amateur Golf Association – Boston) — for their decades-long service to the game in Massachusetts.
DeGan has been an enthusiastic member of the Board of Directors, particularly dedicated to bringing and retaining new golfers to the game. She has served as President of the LPGA Amateur Golf Association — Boston. Over the years, she has also been dedicated to supporting the Youth Game. She participated in the 100 Hole Hike, which raised funds for Youth on Course, which supports the program allowing young people 18 and under to play golf at select courses for just $5 per round.
St. Cyr has been involved in several capacities with the Massachusetts Golf community and became one of only a select few to serve as Official In Charge for six different Mass Golf Championship events, including the 2015 Massachusetts Amateur Championship and 2021 Massachusetts Open Championship at his home club of Oak Hill Country Club. He has also served on the Mass Golf Championship Committee, which helps organize every Championship Proper and qualifier throughout a given year with the oversight of all Championship policies, conditions, and regulations.
Mass Golf is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing golf in Massachusetts by building an engaged community around the sport.
With a community made up of over 120,000 golf enthusiasts and over 340 member clubs, Mass Golf is one of the largest state golf associations in the country. Members enjoy the benefits of handicapping, engaging golf content, course rating and scoring services along with the opportunity to compete in an array of events for golfers of all ages and abilities.
At the forefront of junior development, Mass Golf is proud to offer programming to youth in the state through First Tee Massachusetts and subsidized rounds of golf by way of Youth on Course.
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