The New England Public Golf Forum is a collaborative event from National Links Trust and Mass Golf which seeks to educate and connect public and municipal golf stakeholders from around New England. The event is co-hosted by National Links Trust, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC whose vision is to be known as the leading advocate and resource for municipal golf across the United States, and Mass Golf, Massachusetts’ state golf association committed to advancing the game of golf in the state by building an engaged and inclusive community around the sport. Features of the event include panel discussions and networking opportunities.
Location: South Shore Country Club (Hingham, MA)
Dates: October 29-30, 2024
Cost: $70 per person
Partial listing of confirmed education presenters include:
Jeff Arnold, Director of Communications, National Links Trust
Jeff Arnold is the Director of Communications for National Links Trust, where he leads the organization’s marketing and communications strategies, including social media, email, public relations, and branding. Before joining National Links Trust, he studied the acclaimed renovation of Winter Park Golf Course and authored a case study on its success.
Nicole Beaudet, Connectivity Sales Manager – Mid Atlantic & Northeast, Club Car
Nicole Beaudet is the Connectivity Sales Manager at Club Car, Nicole has spent 17 years in the golf industry, focusing on golf technology. From tee sheet and point of sale companies GolfNow, EZLinks, and foreUP, to fleet management at Club Car with C2 Vehicles. Currently, Nicole support C2 Vehicles in the Northeast with Club Car’s Connectivity product called Visage, which focuses on complete golf fleet management software.
Damian Cosby, Executive Director, National Links Trust
Damian Cosby is the Executive Director of the National Links Trust. He has been a PGA Member for over 20 years and prior to his current role, served as the PGA Director of Golf Operations for Cleveland Metroparks’ eight golf courses. Previously, he served as the Chief of Golf Operations & Park Maintenance for Anne Arundel County in Maryland where he oversaw two golf courses and 140 county parks.
Chris Davis, Director, Club Benchmarking
Chris is an experienced financial professional with expertise in budgets, data analytics and capital planning. His golf industry career includes event management at the U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Open at Pinehurst and Walker Cup Matches. Chris served as Director of Operations for Peter Jacobsen SPORTS for more than ten years. A Massachusetts native and proud father of two, Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Boston College, Carroll School of Management.
Elliott Dowling, Regional Director, USGA Green Section
Elliott Dowling is the regional director of the East Region for the USGA Green Section’s Course Consulting Service. Dowling is based in western Massachusetts and is focused on helping golf facilities maintain better playing conditions through on-site visits, educational outreach and research throughout New England and New York. Before joining the USGA, Dowling was golf course superintendent at Cress Creek Country Club in Naperville, Ill. He also was the superintendent at the Ivanhoe (Ill.) Club and an assistant superintendent at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., in addition to golf course internships in Illinois, Colorado and California.
Chase Fleming, National Sales Manager, NBC Sports Next/GolfNow
Chase Fleming, National Sales Manager at NBC SportsNext/Golf Now, was born into the golf industry, as his father, a PGA Professional and 35 year sales representative with Tommy Armour Golf (5) & Titleist (30), instilled in Chase a passion for people and all things golf. Today, nearing his 12th year with NBC Sports Next, Chase is a consultant who is a solutions-focused team member, responsible for new business development. In addition, Chase helps develop strategic partnerships with pinpoint focus on helping their partners be more efficient and profitable.
Chris Francis, VP of Commercial Sales, Turf Products Corporation
David Frem, General Manager, Cyprian Keyes GC & President, NEGCOA
David Frem graduated from Dartmouth College and joined a startup software development and consulting company in Cambridge, MA. He then went on to co-found BarrettFrem Consulting, an IT consulting company that included clients throughout the United States, including John Deere, United Healthcare and Kohl’s Department Stores. In 1997, he left BarrettFrem to join his family in developing Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, MA. He oversaw the IT infrastructure of the club and focused on sales and marketing before becoming General Manager in 2000. He continues to lead Cyprian Keyes as both owner and General Manager. David is currently the President of the New England Golf Course Owners Association, on the board of the National Golf Course Owners Association, and on the boards of Mass Golf and the Association of Massachusetts Golf Organizations (AMGO).
Mark Gagne, Senior Director of Member Services, Mass Golf
Mark has served Mass Golf as Senior Director of Member Services for 9 years. Previously, Mark was the Golf Course Superintendent for 23 years and General Manager for 3 years at Walpole Country Club, MA. He has served on the Boards of the UMass Alumni Turf Group and GCSANE, having served as GCSANE President from 2013 to 2014. He is a graduate of the Turf Management Program at UMass Amherst.
Scott Gilmore, Director of Golf Course Operations, Yarmouth Golf, MA
Scott Gilmore is the Director of Golf Operations for the Town of Yarmouth. The town Yarmouth has two golf courses, Bayberry Hills Golf Course (27-holes) and Bass River Golf Course (18-holes). As the Director of Golf, Scott manages the overall scale of the Golf Department for the town, which consists of 45-holes and a yearly budget of $5 Million. Scott’s main role is to make sure the operation is financially sustainable as they are a standalone enterprise fund within the town.
Kyle Harris, Director of Operations, First Tee of Massachusetts
Kyle Harris has been the Director of Operations for First Tee – Massachusetts since 2018. Under his leadership the organization has more than doubled in size, now featuring 11 program locations that serve more than 1,100 kids and teens every year. Harris grew up on Cape Cod, graduated UMass Amherst in 2004, then held a career in college athletics administration at the University of Georgia and University of Utah before returning to the Bay State.
Michael Higgins, Executive Director, NEPGA
Michael Higgins is the Executive Director/CEO of the New England Section of the PGA of America. He has been with the NEPGA for over 27 years and oversees both the Section, which is comprised of 1100 PGA of America Professionals, and the NEPGA’s 501c3 charitable foundation, PGA Reach New England. Michael is passionate about working with PGA Professionals and their facilities to grow the game of golf throughout New England, and help to improve lives through this amazing game we all love.
Russ Heller, Golf Course Superintendent, Franklin Park
Russell Heller, CGCS, has been the Superintendent at William Devine Golf Course (Franklin Park) since 2001. The course is owned and operated by the City of Boston. Russell is responsible for all aspects of golf course maintenance and manages a staff of 14 employees.
Jordan Howell, Associate Professor of Sustainable Business, Rowan University
Jordan P. Howell is a university professor whose research and teaching have focused on sustainability and business. Jordan emphasizes the pivotal role of businesses in achieving sustainability goals, and has deep expertise in the waste management, recycling, financial derivatives, and sports industries.
Dennis Hoye, Director of Golf, Yarmouth Golf, MA
Dennis Hoye is the Head Golf Professional at Yarmouth Golf, overseeing operations at Bayberry Hills (27 holes) and Bass River Golf Course (18 holes), in Yarmouth, MA. In addition to overseeing golf course operations, Dennis handles community outreach with town officials, local groups and charities along with 5-10-15 year capitol planning for the golf courses.
Chris Kallmeyer, Co-CEO, Golf Genius
Chris Kallmeyer, Co-CEO of Golf Genius, comes from the world of financial technology for global financial markets with 20+ years of experience. As the head of product development for Financial Software Systems, Chris led the scaling of the company’s global software operation that resulted in the sale of FSS to ION Trading in 2012. He remained on to run the FSS business unit until 2014. Chris is a member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club. His volunteer roles in club governance led him into the club software space where he combines his management experience in commercial software with a life-long love of golf.
Jeff Kinney, Senior Director, USGA Green Section
Jeff Kinney is based in Boston area and is the Senior Director of Business Operations for the USGA Green Section. He has been with the USGA since 2020 overseeing the sales, marketing and customer support efforts. Prior to coming to the USGA he has more than 20 years of sales and business operations leadership experience within the building and tech industries. In his free time Jeff enjoys playing golf, following Boston sports teams and spending time with his wife and three children.
Brad Klein, Author, Journalist, Golf Design Consultant, PGA Tour Caddie
Bradley S. Klein is a veteran journalist and academic. He has specialized in security studies, media, and sports culture and expanded this interest to include golf architecture and course maintenance. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Massachusetts and taught for 14 years before retiring from formal academia in 1999 to devote himself to golf journalism and design consulting and is principal in the consulting firm, Divot Designs LLC. In 2015 he was honored with the Donald Ross Award for lifetime achievement by the American Society of Golf Course Architects. From 1995 through 2017 he founded and ran the “Golfweek’s Best” course rating system. He has also consulted on over 100 golf course projects and lectured on the subject all over the world.
Scott Kravitz, VP of Analytics, Buffalo Groupe
As Vice President of Analytics at Buffalo Groupe, Scott Kravitz specializes in leveraging their golf supply and demand models and analyzing movement data across the US to gain insights into golfer behavior and spending. Scott’s role involves developing business intelligence and machine learning methods to provide deeper understanding and actionable strategies for our clients.
Justin Lawson, General Manager, Brookline Golf Course, MA
Justin Lawson comes to the Town of Brookline after a long successful career in the private club industry, notably spending time in leadership positions at Nashua Country Club, Dedham Country and Polo Club, and Sankaty Head Golf Club. As the General Manager of the Brookline Golf Course, he oversees all daily operations and leads all future planning and capital projects. Justin focuses his managing efforts by positioning the golf course to be an important community center for the Town of Brookline, furthering its value to the town.
Abby Liebenthal, Founder, Fore the Ladies & Head of Marketing and Experiences, Fried Egg Golf
Abby Liebenthal is founder and president of Fore the Ladies Inc., a female-based community and 501(c)(3) non-profit on a mission to introduce more women to the game and bring them together to play, watch, and participate in everything golf has to offer. Abby founded the organization in 2019 upon noticing a void in the golf market for young professionals to be introduced to the game. Her resume includes communications and marketing experiences at the USGA, American Junior Golf Association, Tiger Woods Foundation, Titleist, Imperial Hats and her present-day work at Fried Egg Golf.
Michael McCartin, National Links Trust Co-Founder
Mike McCartin is a Co-Founder of National Links Trust and has worked on golf course design and construction projects for 20 years. He has a wealth of experience in this field having worked as a design associate and independent contractor for Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf Design. His projects include the Schoolhouse Nine Golf Course (Sperryville, VA), Streamsong – Blue (Bowling Green, FL), Old MacDonald Golf Links (Bandon Dunes, OR), and The Renaissance Club (Gullane, Scotland).
Robert McNeil, Golf Course Architect, Northeast Golf Company
Robert McNeil formed McNeil Design Collaborative in 1996 to provide quality and comprehensive golf course design and golf community planning services to private, public, resort, and municipal clients. Robert has designed and managed over 200 golf course projects. Robert is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Golf Course Superintendents Association and the National Golf Course Owners Association. His skills and experiences in the golf development industry include master planning, comprehensive architectural design, operations management, agronomics, construction/project management, budget/feasibility analysis, and historic restorations.
Jesse Menachem, Executive Director, Mass Golf
Jesse Menachem is the Executive Director and CEO of Mass Golf. Raised in Framingham, MA, Jesse attended Indiana University as an Undergraduate and served three seasons as a USGA Boatwright Intern for the then Massachusetts Golf Association (now Mass Golf). After being hired full time by the MGA in 2008, Jesse spent five years working in multiple departments throughout golf administration before being hired as the Executive Director of the MGA in October of 2013. In 2021, Jesse was named the President of the International Association of Golf Administrators and currently serves as AGA Council Chair of the 57 Allied Golf Associations across the country. Jesse lives in Needham, MA with his wife Stephanie and three children.
Jordan Moore, Associate Professor of Finance, Rowan University
Jordan Moore is a university professor with expertise in quantitative finance and the development and management of equity investment strategies. His academic work focuses on behavioral finance and (with Jordan P. Howell) applications of financial derivatives to markets for recycled materials. Before academia, Jordan worked as an equity options market maker and proprietary trader for several global investment firms.
Mark Mungeam, Golf Course Architect, Mungeam Golf Design
Mark A. Mungeam, ASGCA grew up in Berlin, Massachusetts and majored in Civil & Environmental Engineering at WPI in Worcester, MA. During college he helped maintain 9-hole Berlin Country Club, which led to a job in golf course construction building courses from New York to Florida. Mungeam joined the golf design firm of Cornish & Silva, Inc. in 1987, and formed Mungeam Golf Design in 2006. New course designs include Cape Cod National (MA), Butter Brook (MA), LeBaron Hills (MA), Charleston Springs (36-holes in NJ) and Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds (MA). Prominent renovations include Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago for the 2003 U.S. Open, Donald Ross designed George Wright Golf Course in Boston, and Farm Neck Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard. A member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects since 1991, he will become President of the Society in October 2025.
Kevin Osgood, President, Sterling Golf Management
Kevin Osgood serves as the President and Founder of Sterling Golf Management, Inc. a multi-course operator that leases, owns, or consults for twelve golf courses across Massachusetts. Serving on numerous Boards he is Past President of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England, Past President of the New England Golf Course Owners Association and has served on the Mass Golf Association and Ouimet Scholarship Fund Boards.
Parish Pina, Golf Course Superintendent, The Ridge Club
Parish is currently the Golf Course Superintendent of the Ridge Club in Cape Cod. He is a GCSAA member and a 20 member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Cape Cod in which he also serves as a board member. His previous roles in the golf industry include 11 years as the Assistant Superintendent at Brookside Golf Club and an internship at New Seabury Country Club. He graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Turf Management from UMass Stockbridge and a Bachelor’s in Business with a specialization in golf from St. Leo University.
Matt Pringle, Managing Director, USGA Green Section
Matt Pringle, the Managing Director of USGA Green Section, has been with the USGA since 2000 after completing his doctoral thesis at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Matt’s contributions to the USGA include the invention of the pendulum test for spring effect in drivers and the USGA TruFirm turf firmness measurement system used at all USGA championships as well as many other PGA TOUR and major golf championships. He is also the co-inventor of the USGA’s GrooveScan portable groove measurement system. Matt is the inventor or co-inventor on seven United States patents related to golf. In 2010 he was named to Sports Illustrated’s GOLF’s “40 Under 40: The 40 most influential people in golf under 40.”
Jake Silva, Golf Course Superintendent, South Shore Country Club
Jake has served as the Golf Course Superintendent at South Shore CC for 14 years and as Assistant Superintendent for 3 years prior. He served internships at The Orchards GC and Cohasset CC and is a graduate of the Turf Management program at UMass Amherst. During his tenure, he has made numerous improvements to the course, including bunker renovations, green restorations and recently, construction of a new maintenance facility. Jake is the unofficial club historian and has documented the evolution of the Wayne Stiles original course from its inception to its centennial in 2022.
Hugh Smith, Senior Director, Youth On Course
Hugh joined the Youth on Course team in 2018. He has nearly 20 years of golf administration and foundation experience, including working for the USGA and the Met Golf Association in NY, serving as ED of The First Tee of Phoenix, and most recently, serving as the Director of Regional Affairs of the Pacific Region for The First Tee.
Michael Stachowicz, Project Manager, National Park Service
Michael Stachowicz has been with the National Park Service for ten years, first serving as Turf Manager for the National Mall Rehabilitation Project, then as Program Manager for Training and Maintenance at the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, and most recently as Program Manager for the NPS Washington DC Golf Lease. Prior to his time with the National Park Service, Michael was a golf course superintendent at multiple facilities in Massachusetts and participated in golf course construction and rehabilitation projects, environmental initiatives, and operational development.
Andrew Szunyog, Director of Sustainability, National Links Trust
Andrew Szunyog is a 20-year golf industry professional who currently serves as the Director of Sustainability for National Links Trust. The fundamental question that drives Andrew’s work for NLT is ‘How can 150 acres of urban golf course serve a community beyond providing recreational access?’ Andrew is also the Co-Founder of Driving the Green, a golf and sustainability focused newsletter and blog.
Mike Turner, District Sales Manager for Golf, The Toro Company
Mike Turner, District Sales Manager at The Toro Company, started in the golf business in 1988 as a student at UMSS Stockbridge School. Mike held a few Assistant Superintendent positions until 1996, the final stop as an assistant completing a grow in at Atlantic Country Club in Plymouth. From there, Mike started his sales career in 1996 with Turf Products Corporation selling Toro product on the South Shore and Cape Cod. In 2008 he transitioned his career and began selling Club Car products for Country Club Enterprises throughout New England. Then in 2016 Mike began his current role with The Toro Company as District Sales Manager for Golf, covering the northeast and parts of the mid-west. Not only does Mike love working in the golf industry, but he is also a single digit/avid golfer, playing out of Plymouth Country Club. Mike lives in Duxbury, is the father of two grown boys (one is the Assistant Superintendent at The Ridge Club) and married to his loving wife, Lauren.
Kevin Van Cleef, Cape Cod Community Activist & Assistant to the Superintendent, Old Sandwich Golf Club
Kevin Van Cleef is an Assistant to the Superintendent at Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Having grown up playing public golf all around Massachusetts, primarily on Cape Cod, he has become a staunch advocate for public courses. Kevin is a vocal supporter of preserving courses like Cape Cod Country Club and Cotuit Highgrounds, and emphasizes the role that public golf plays in close-knit communities.
Sara Velardi, Founder, Girls Gone Clubbin’
Sara Velardi is the founder of Girls Gone Clubbin’. In 2020, she had a vision of creating an environment where women got together to tee off on the course and in life. We are a passionate community dedicated to empowering women through the game of golf. Our group is more than just swings and putts; it’s about fostering camaraderie, confidence, and leadership both on and off the course!
Mass Golf is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing golf in Massachusetts by building an engaged and inclusive community around the sport.
With a community made up of over 130,000 golf enthusiasts and over 360 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.
