Telegraph Sports Reporter Tom KIng.

It’s been a holiday weekend, but not the usual type of celebration we’re used to.

That’s why it’s a good thing we can look for history to be made once again at Nashua Country Club.

It’s a summer in which we need it. First we had the Nashua Silver Knights back to give us some baseball at Holman Stadium, and now some 156 golfers will descend upon Nashua Country Club for the 117th New Hampshire State Amateur Golf Championship.

Locally, it will be the premier event of the summer, at the area’s premiere golf course. NCC is in superb shape, and has a lot of hidden challenges for the golfers, for certain.

“We have a lot of good members who play here,” NCC head pro Jason Malcolm said. “Hopefully they’ll have an advantage playing it all the time.

“We haven’t hosted the Am in nine years. We haven’t really had any NHGA (New Hampshire Golf Association) events. Home course advantage? We’ll see how our guys do. But it’s definitely scoreable.”

You’re starting to see the young guns emerge. Tommy Ethier, the Bishop Guertin alum who has become a college standout at Bentley University, waltzed into NCC one afternoon recently and fired a 62, one off the course record set a year ago by now pro Mike Martel.

“He just went out with a couple of his buddies, Jack Brown (former Alvirne standout) and his cousin Austin Baker,” Malcolm said. “The three of them went around, and Tommy was nine birdies and nine pars. A pretty easy walk in the park.”

“You know, I think the key to that place is keeping it in between the tree lines,” Ethier said. “I just gave myself a bunch of looks at birdie.”

In the shadows of the pandemic, this will still be a great event. About six weeks ago, NHGA officials were worried they’d have to scale down the tournament if the state mandated tee-time intervals remained long due to COVID-19.

But those have since been updated since New Hampshire has entered the next phase of its reopening. So the field can reach the limit without a problem, and it’s said to be one of the biggest in years. Golf is definitely the premier summer sport in the pandemic year. Some 156 golfers will have split times, 78 golfers in threesomes Monday and Tuesday morning and 78 in the afternoon both days. May the best 64 surivive, and then match play begins Wednesday with the finals set for Saturday.

There’s still some COVID impact. No caddies will be allowed. But apparently – check with NCC to be sure – there will be spectators allowed, but they have to park at Rivier University and take the short walk over. Only players and members are allowed to park on Club grounds.

There’ll be about 20 volunteers to help shuttle the golfers, work as ball spotters, etc. “Members are excited to support the event,” Malcolm said. “It’ll be great.”

You look ahead and you see the weather looks like it’s going to be in the high 80s to start and possibly get into the low 90s as the tourney moves into match play.

“It’s going to be fun to watch,” Malcolm said, “because the field is really strong this year. Young high school kids that can overpower a course. You’ve got the older generation that can kind of piece it together. And there’s plenty of birdie opportunities out here if you’re finding the fairway. It’s going to be fun.”

New guard vs. old guard? We’ll see.

“It’s only like 6400 yards,” Ethier said. “It’s not too long. It helps some of the older guys who may not hit it as far as us college guys do. … This year is not necessarily an advantage to be long.”

Home course advantage? The member’s name that certainly comes to mind from the old guard is Phil Pleat – he won it at NCC in 1997 – and son James.

“Phil’s been around forever, he knows how to play this place,” Malcom said. “James is a strong player, too.”

“Having played there my whole life will definitely help,” Ethier said, “in terms of how putts will go, things like that. …

“Hopefully it will give people a break from everything that’s been going on, and focus on something that’s a little more enjoyable for a week.”

Perfect thought on a perfect event, right in our own backyard.

Tom King may be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or @Telegraph _TomK.

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