NORTON, Massachusetts – This year, Mass Golf teamed up with Delta Air Lines to offer a challenge to members: how low can you get your handicap over the course of the season? The challenge is a new engagement opportunity for all Mass Golf members as they measure their progress throughout the season.
“As the official airline of Mass Golf and a proud member of the Boston community, we are thrilled to celebrate this year’s winners of the Most Improved Golfer challenge, Alyssa Barrett and Dennis Scarpa,” said Candice Stover, New England District Sales Manager at Delta. “Their achievement, and the hard work behind it, truly embodies Delta’s aspiration to ‘keep climbing.’ We look forward to showcasing Delta’s best-in-class service and hospitality as we welcome them onboard our first-class cabin to the destinations of their choice.”
In the men’s bracket, Dennis Scarpa handicap plummeted from a 21.2 to a 12.9, representing a 1.333 improvement factor. Scarpa noted that the journey was fun and rewarding.
Shaving over eight strokes off your handicap doesn’t happen without focused practice time, and Scarpa described his diligence in each area of his game: “I realized I was not consistent enough and did not know which wedges I should hit in each situation. I practiced hitting each wedge a different distance and trajectory. This allowed me to pick on the course which one worked well for the situation. For putting, I realized that going in to each round on the practice green I would work on hitting 10-15 putts from 25-30 feet to get my speed. This helped me make sure I was two-putting from most places once I started the round. Lastly, towards the end of the season, I began driving the ball more consistently. There was lots of videos online and my fiancé had to endure lots of practice swings in the house and backyard.”
While a sparkling new handicap is a reward in its own right, Scarpa is also excited to put his well-earned Delta First Class tickets to use, “We recently got engaged, so we may have a honeymoon in our future. Safe to say flying in first class would put a cherry on top.”
In the women’s bracket, Alyssa Barrett took her game to the next level. She went from a 6.1 on June 1st to a 0.9 on October 31st, a 1.441 improvement factor.
Barrett bounced back from an injury that she dealt with in 2022 and made the most of her time back on the golf course. “This season, I focused on getting out on the course and playing. After coming off a torn labrum and missing 4 months of golf last summer, I really just wanted to get out there and have some fun!” she said. “After work, I would head up to the golf course for a quick 9-hole round before the sun went down. I also have to give credit to my boyfriend, who is a former professional golfer. We had a lot of competitive matches this season, which really helped me dial in my game.”
As for those first class tickets, Barrett will be flying in style on her way to see Adele: “I’m very excited to use these first class tickets! I just recently purchased tickets to see Adele in Vegas this March, so I’m thinking I will use the tickets then!”
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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