North Shore Golf Fall 2018

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GET A GRIP, ANNE MARIE
YEARS LATER, NERVOUS GOLF CHAMPION
TEES IT HIGH AND LETS IT FLY
By ANNE MARIE TOBIN
PHOTO: David Colt/MassGolf
Anne Marie Tobin gets her drive airborne during opening ceremonies
at the Women's Amateur Championship at George Wright GC.
t was July 23, about 1:20 p.m. I was minding my own
I
business when my cell phone rang. It was
Becky Blaeser, director of communications for
MassGolf, the new statewide organization created
following the merger of the Massachusetts Golf Association
and Women's Golf Association of Massachusetts.
Becky made me offer I could not refuse. She asked me to hit
a ceremonial first drive prior to the start of the Women’s
Amateur qualifying round to honor the occasion. As a
seven-time women’s amateur champion and longtime
proponent of bringing the two organizations together, I
understood why I had been asked.
I explained to Becky that I hadn’t played a round of golf in six
years and that I played only once in the past decade. She said, “No
problem, Anne Marie. You don’t have to hit a driver, you can hit a
hybrid or a 9-iron for that matter, whatever you want.”
I had no idea where my golf clubs were. I told her I
wasn’t sure I could even get a ball airborne, it’d been so long.
Again, Becky said “No problem, Anne Marie, Jim Driscoll hit it in
the water when we had a ceremonial first drive at Charles River, and
the Boston cop who hit the ceremonial drive at the men’s amateur
topped it.”
Having exhausted all of my lame excuses, it dawned on me that I
had to accept her offer. It was my obligation. It was the right thing
to do.
After all, MassGolf is in the middle of a historic summer of firsts
and was about to conduct its first Massachusetts Women’s Amateur
(and 115th in all) the following week at George Wright Golf Course.
For the first time in the history of Massachusetts golf, both state
amateurs were being hosted by the same public course.
For me, the merger of the two organizations had added
meaning. About 25 years ago, I chaired a WGAM committee
seeking to establish ties with the MGA and engage in joint
activities with one mission: to grow the women’s game.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. But I was on
board with MassGolf’s decision to mark its first year of existence
with the decision to play both amateurs at George Wright,
the jewel in the city of Boston's crown and a hidden Donald
Ross gem.
It had been years since I last competed in the women’s event,
and by the time I hung up with Becky, the only emotion I felt was
sheer terror.
So I came up with a plan. Practice! Ugh. The practice range
has never been my thing, but for the next six days it >>> P.19
12 >>> FALL 2018