Bench dedicated to avid golfer at Cedar Glen

SAUGUS – It?s every golfer?s dream, both professional and amateur, to sink a hole-in-one. Very few are lucky enough to even come close to one throughout his or her lifetime. But for the late Eugene Duggan Sr., who passed away last summer, holes-in-one were almost a sure thing.?My father had five holes-in-one,” said Stephen Duggan, who memorialized his father last week with a bench on the second hole at Cedar Glen Golf Course. “He was a very avid golfer. This particular hole was his favorite hole on this course because it?s a par 5 and he hit a driver, then hit a 4-wood and put it in the cup for a double-eagle.”More than a dozen family and friends gathered Thursday afternoon at the second hole, where a small folding table held plastic cups of champagne in front of the bench, which was wrapped in a blue tarp and flanked by a pair of palm trees.Duggan, who passed away at the age of 79, raised his family in Malden and then moved to Florida to stay near the sport he loved.?He was probably playing three or four days per week, maybe more,” said Duggan?s son Vinny, who is one of eight brothers and sisters. “We all play. If we beat him, it took a long time to do it and I don?t remember ever beating him.”Before formally presenting the new bench, Stephen led those in attendance in a toast to his father.?Today we dedicate this bench in the memory of my father in a venue that he was well-comfortable in, that is the golf course and the palm trees,” said Duggan. “I know my father would be humbled to have this honor on a golf course where he loved to be. So at this time, I think we can raise a glass for dad, big Gene, papa. Hear, hear.”After his speech, Duggan, who lives in Revere, unveiled the bench to a round of applause. Everyone then took turns sitting on the bench and taking photos in front it.The bench is made of shiny black marble with a dedication to Duggan emblazoned on it along with a lifelike laser etching of Duggan and his wife Shirley, who was also in attendance Thursday.Shirley said it was a great honor to have the bench built in her late husband?s name.?It just shows how much people thought of him,” she said. “Everybody loved him. He was just that kind of a guy.”Stephen said he first came up with the idea for the bench shortly after his father died, and approached Cedar Glen about installing it.?When he passed away, we talked with the course about the possibility of doing a bench and they were all for it,” he said. “He was well known in this area. He golfed in leagues all his life up at Sagamore and Lynnfield and Melrose. He golfed all over the place.”Wellsmere Monuments of Boston built the bench, which was installed last Monday.After the ceremony, Vinny said his father probably would have preferred a more low-key celebration, or most likely, would have rather hit the links instead.?I wasn?t expecting all this,” he said. “Like Steve said, he would be humbled. It?s probably a little more fanfare than he would have liked, but he was big on golf. He probably would have said get on with the show and let?s play some golf.”At 430 yards, the second hole is the longest at the course, which Stephen said is a perfect spot for the new bench.?This hole backs up the most so it will definitely get a lot of use,” he said.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].