Chicopee Country Club pro Mike O’Neill named 2023 Western Mass. Tee Party honoree
CHICOPEE – Longtime golf professional Mike O’Neill continues to carry on family traditions in the Western Massachusetts golf world, and he can now add winning the region’s top honor to that history.
O’Neill has been named as the guest of honor at the 2023 Rollie Jacobs Western Mass. Tee Party. The Director of Golf at Chicopee Country Club will be honored on Thursday, Sept. 21. A noon shotgun takes place at the municipal golf course, and O’Neill will be feted at an evening awards dinner at the Chicopee Portuguese Club on Exchange Street in Chicopee at 6 p.m.
“To me, this is really a family award,’’ O’Neill said. “I’ve been around golf all my life … my family has been so involved with golf for so long. I know what it means. I’ve been to a number of Tee Party events over the years, and I remember my father’s year.’’
O’Neill’s father Bob O’Neill was the Tee Party recipient in 1987, and the pair have worked for (and under) each other in the business.
“I grew up working under him at the old Oxford (CC), and I was an apprentice with him at Ludlow (CC) and now he works for me as a starter at Chicopee,’’ Mike O’Neill said. “My uncle Roy and uncle Ken were so involved with golf … Golf has been in my blood.’’
“Mike is outstanding tee party recipient,’’ Tee Party co-chairman Kevin Piecuch said. “He’s a second generation PGA Professional and has done outstanding job for the City of Chicopee and Chicopee Country Club. Along with being junior golf leader bringing the prestigious AJGA event to Western Massachusetts and also raising so much money for cancer research through his golf marathon – we could not think of a more ideal candidate for this year’s Tee Party. ’’
O’Neill, 51, has spent the last 10 years at Chicopee CC, where he lives “an 8-iron away from the 12th hole.”
“My time at Chicopee (CC) has been great, I do a lot of management now,’’ O’Neill said. “I can run tournaments in my sleep, it’s one thing I love to do more than anything.’’
O’Neill earned his PGA of America Class A card in 1996 and other professional stops along the way include: Mill Valley Golf Links in Belchertown; Crumpin-Fox Club in Bernardston; Twin Hills CC in Longmeadow; Elmcrest CC in East Longmeadow; and CC of Wilbraham.
“I learned so much under my father, but also other ways to run the business under guys like Mike Zaranek, Tim Quirk, Mike Devlin, Dean Helm, Mike Bechard …,’’ O’Neill said. “Being in the business for so long, it’s definitely an award that you think about eventually. But when I got the call, it was “wow.’’’
The golf tournament will send out fivesomes in separate amateur and pro-am divisions, and the ticket price of $110 includes dinner.
Dinner-only spots available for $40. Contact the Chicopee CC pro shop at (413) 594-9295 to reserve spots.