Telegraph Sports Reporter Tom KIng.

The local golf community lost a good one recently.

Think back to the great time in early July, when the NHGA Men’s State Am was hosted at Nashua Country Club. The event started with NCC icon Bill Lochhead hitting the ceremonial opening drive off the first tee.

Sadly, Lockhead, 84, passed away just over a week ago. It won’t be quite the same at NCC without him being around the course, which he was often.

“We’re certainly going to miss him,” NCC head pro Jason Malcolm said. “He was here every day during the week …. It’s sad, because he lived a good life and played a lot of golf.”

He sure did. We told you about Lochhead and his thoughts on the game during the State Am this past July. He was the 1961 State Am champion, an NCC member for 70 years, and a standout golfer at the Univesity of New Hampshire.

Telegraph photo by TOM KING NCC's Bill Lochhead enjoyed watching the State Am this past July. Lochhead passed away just over a week ago.

He won two New England Intercollegiate tour titles in 1960-61 and was invited to compete in the NCAA Championships at Purdue University in 1961. A guy named Jack Nicklaus won that title. Lockhead was a past NCC board president and board member for many years.

He had a Stroke last January, yet there he was last spring playing at least three days a week. He recorded his seventh hole in one back on June 22 on NCC’s eighth hole, a 194-yard par 3.

“It was on the same hole I had one on years ago,” Lochhead said back in July. “Years ago I hit a five-iron. This time I hit a driver. I’m old. … Pretty lucky.”

Lochhead noted back then that the heavy hitters in his day would drive the ball 220, 230 yards. Today? Approaching 275-300 yards.

“They hit it so far,” he said that week, “you can’t find it.”

But that didn’t stop Lochhead from going out there with precision.

“Nothing was really holding him back,” said Malcolm, adding that Lochhead was at the course just a few days before his passing.

“I didn’t grow up around here, but since I’ve been at Nashua CC, I will remember Billy and his love of the game of golf,” said noted NCC golfer Phil Pleat.

“He was always a fan of tournament play once he stopped competing, and very congratulatory to any member of NCC that won or did well in an event.

He stayed on top of local, state and national events.”

Lochhead was all over the NCC course in his cart following the action during the State Am, and he saw a good one.

He knew that once it got to match play that it separated the field, mentally more than anything else.

He had a slight smile when he expressed that. Really, who would know more than him?

He was a natural to be chosen for that ceremonial State Am tee shot in July.

“I thought it was great,” Malcolm said. “You just saw how many people came out to watch, including a group of guys he grew up playing with.”

It was a proud moment, and as Malcolm said, everyone was glad to share in Lochhead’s special moment.

“Just loved the game.,” Pleat said. “I was glad the NHGA had him as honorary starter this year at the State Am.”

Pleat said Lochhead would always impart his experience on his fellow golfers.

“Great guy, many stories,” Pleat said. “The first one he told me is how he remembers my father-in-law, Tom Leonard, practicing early in the morning out on what is now the seventh hole.

“He’ll be missed.”

Indeed he will. We should all be jealous, because Bill Lochhead did something we all hope to. do.

He went out on top, still around the game he loved.

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