Bob Green, who is about to begin his 41st year as head golf professional at Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead, has been named the New England PGA’s Golf Professional of the Year.
“I’m honored and humbled,” said Green, 69. “To even be considered for this award, which has been won by an incredible group of people, is amazing.
“We all want to be the best professional we can be at our clubs. Honors and awards are the result of that. I consider everybody in our chapter to be professional of the year. There are so many deserving professionals. We all work very hard.”
Green is the longest tenured head golf professional at a North Shore private club in history. Green, who served as predecessor Les Dunn’s assistant for eight years, has announced he will retire at the end of this season. That’s 49 years at Tedesco. Dunn won the award in 1972.
“Tedesco has had two head golf pros in the last 66 years. That’s an amazing record. I am so grateful to the club and the members.”
The NEPGA announced on Tuesday that Green and fellow award winners will be recognized for their hard work, dedication and success at a banquet Nov. 2 at Cyprian Keyes GC in Boylston.
The organization said award winners were chosen after a thorough and selective process. After being nominated to the NEPGA Awards Committee and Board of Directors by a fellow PGA member, nominees completed an application form. The committee then reviewed each application before making its recommendations to the NEPGA board. Green said his longtime friend, Kirk Hanefeld, director of Instruction at Salem Country Club, submitted his nomination.
In its announcement, the NEPGA said of the Tedesco pro: “Green will accept one of the most prestigious awards of the year. … Green has overseen the club’s remarkable growth, marked by exponential increases in merchandise sales, advancement of assistant professionals and outside operations staff, and rounds played. The award will be the most recent in an outstanding career for Green, one that includes the inaugural 2017 Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund Professional of the Year, the 2006 NEPGA Bill Strausbaugh, and the 2003 NEPGA Eastern Mass. Chapter Horton Smith awards.
When Green was a Swampscott kid playing at the former Happy Valley Golf Course in Lynn, did he ever imagine he’d receive such a prestigious award?
“No way. My wants at that time were very simple. I just wanted to be a golf professional. Happy Valley was a great place for kids; I’d carry my bag around the course, 54 holes most days. Larry Gannon, the pro, encouraged and inspired so many of us, many who would become golf professionals.”
Green has spent the winter in Florida, teeing it up with friends and fellow golf professionals about four days a week at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie. “The weather’s been terrific, and there are three golf courses to choose from,” he said.
“I look forward to retiring,” said Green. “I’m going to miss it, but I’ll be 70 in July and I’m feeling pretty good. It will be nice to have time to play golf at courses up there, too.”
