Mark Copithorne readily admits that New England Country Club in Bellingham is not the easiest course for golfers to find in the Blackstone Valley region of Massachusetts. However, once he arrived there in 1999 as assistant professional then becoming the head pro in 2000, it’s been an easy find for him because it’s like his second home.
“It is a fun, fun course,” said Copithorne of the Hale Irwin-designed layout. “It’s a difficult area located between Boston, Providence, and Worcester, kind of off the beaten path. There’s a lot of competition for the consumer golf dollar both north and south of here, but people who play here for the first time marvel at what the course has to offer.” An Easton native, the 43-year-old Copithorne started his golf career in the retail sector, working at Joe & Leigh’s Discount Golf Pro Shop at Pine Oaks Golf Course in Easton where he was once a junior member. Copithorne worked at Joe & Leigh’s pro shop from 1985 to 1992 before becoming an assistant professional at Norton Country Club. ”I learned a lot from (owner) Leigh Bader. He’s a brilliant man,” said Copithorne. “I enjoyed working there, but I wanted out of retail at that time and wanted to work more in a country club atmosphere.”
When Copithorne moved over to New England CC and eventually became head pro in such a short time, he was honest about his good fortune: “It was kind of a lucky position, given my qualifications at the time.” But Copithorne went to work right away to improve the culture at New England CC. When he first arrived, the facility had a reputation for attracting corporate outings, but not enough individual and family memberships or junior participation. Copithorne helped bring the Nike U.S. Junior Sports Camps program to New England CC. Now in its fifth season, it helps provide junior golfers with half-day, practice-and-play options Monday thru Friday during the summer, utilizing both new and classic golf instruction techniques.
“We still do well with outings, with a lot of repeat business,” said Copithorne, “but we have changed the overall image. We have grown the membership to almost double what it had been. Part of that is having a person like Brad Adamonis (Nationwide Tour player from nearby Cumberland, R.I.) who played and practiced here extensively at one time. Also, Jon Fasick (winner of numerous MGA events) has been men’s club champion 17 of the last 20 years.” But, ultimately, the X factor is daily-fee, public course business and what can be done to generate higher volume. Copithorne knows the rates at New England CC are not cheap, but he has a theory about that.
“Courses keep lowering their prices and offering different deals, and that’s tough on them,” he said. ”Lowering prices isn’t necessarily a good thing for an individual golf course as a whole. How low can you go before it affects the bottom line?”
(Bob DiCesare is the golf writer for The Enterprise in Brockton, MA, and he is also a member of the International Network of Golf)
About Greg Sampson
I am the Sales and Marketing Manager for NEGM. I am a member of the International Network of Golf & the Golf Writers Association of America. I specialize in customized all-inclusive programs across a multi-media platform.
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