Headline: Eastward Ho! Opens Doors to 2016 MIAA Girls’ State Championship & Helps to Support Junior Golf

For Immediate Release: July 25, 2016

Eastward Ho! hosted the 2016 MIAA Girls’ State Championship which was won by Angela Garvin.

Chatham, MA — Every year, the MGA looks to recognize Member Clubs which take steps to help grow the sport of golf here in the Bay State.

Often times, those ways include hosting one of the many qualifying events for each of the 12 MGA Championships Proper. Other times, it might include hosting charity or regional events or clinics that increase youth participation or teaches fundamentals of the game to adults and children who have not had the opportunity to learn yet.

Lately, MGA Member Clubs have been gracious enough to host Member Days at sites throughout the Commonwealth as a way to provide an affordable, casual and fun atmosphere for all, while also providing tournament experience for those looking for healthy and spirited competition.

In doing so, one MGA Member Club - Eastward Ho! - hosted the 2016 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls’ State Championship just last month- an event that was considered top notch by players, fans, and the MIAA staff alike.

In fact, that event was won by Angela Garvin who just this past week advanced to match play at the U.S. Girls' Junior Amateur Championship. [click here to learn about Garvin's experience at that Championship Proper]

For Ned Doyle, the MIAA’s assistant director and golf liaison, the event was particularly special for not only Garvin but all the individuals on site competing as either an individual or as part of a team.

“The club virtually shut down for this championship and the women’s 18-hole group gave up this day so that the [MIAA] could have this championship," said Doyle. "The group then acted as fore caddies, guides and helpers for the entire day to make the event go as smoothly as possible.”

All those people coming together for this cause was the result of one Jack Farrell, an Eastward Ho! member who fought to bring the tournament to the Cape.

“He’s that guy you hope every team has and who is there for all the right reasons," said Doyle. "He called the MIAA last year and said [Eastward Ho!] wanted to host the state championship event there. He went through the list of things they could do and he delivered on every one of them.”

And deliver he did.

Players were greeted with complimentary snacks, including breakfast in the clubhouse, while all spectators, friends of golfers and volunteers were all given the same at the competitors made the turn.

”It was a really first class experience," said Doyle. "I was thrilled to be there and see it myself. I was just completely taken back by the graciousness and the friendliness and the accommodations.”

In addition to hosting a premier event like the MIAA State Championship, Doyle felt that that Eastward Ho! helped promote golf and was key to increasing interest in the girl’s golf at the state’s junior amateur level.

“With wonderful experiences like the one we had at not only the sectional meets, but particularly the experience we had at Eastward Ho! for the championship, which was just terrific, the word will get out there and more clubs will say, ‘Wow, this is special.’” Doyle added, “With everyone working – we hope everybody will kind of get together to push this along so we can have a much greater participation rate for the girls.”

The MGA and MIAA are grateful for the initiative taken by Eastward Ho! to host this event, and the professionalism and generosity shown to all attendees throughout the tournament.  

Increasing participation for both boys and girls has been one of the major goals that the MGA has set forth for the future of their program. Through The First Tee of Massachusetts program, several tournaments directed towards youth involvement and the work of the Member Clubs has been the reason behind a recent surge in those numbers.

For more information how your club can become involved in helping the MGA’s goal of increasing youth participation in the game of golf, please visit mgalinks.org.

At the MIAA State Championship Proper – Notre Dame Academy (Worcester) took the top prize over runner up Wellesley. In only its fourth year as a varsity program, Monomoy Regional High School placed third after winning their MIAA South Sectional title the week before.