Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame | Class of 2025 Announcement video
Influential New England superintendent Don Hearn is among seven golf contributors set to be inducted into the Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame as part of Mass Golf’s 125th anniversary celebration.
Hearn, CGCS, has devoted over five decades to advancing the game of golf and the profession of golf course management in Massachusetts and beyond.
Beginning as a caddie at Woburn Country Club, Hearn became a Certified Golf Course Superintendent in 1977, serving at renowned courses like Weston Golf Club and Vesper Country Club.
His leadership includes serving as President of both the GCSA of New England and the GCSAA where he oversaw significant advancements, including the construction of the GCSAA headquarters.
As executive director of GCSANE from 2011 to 2024, he championed education, mentorship and sustainability. His numerous accolades include the GCSAA Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award, the USGA Ike Grainger Award for 25 years of service, and having GCSANE’s Distinguished Service Award renamed in his honor. Hearn has also been a passionate advocate, educator and mentor, shaping the profession and highlighting the critical role of superintendents in the game of golf.
In addition to several golf media contributions, he contributed to the first Best Management Practice guide for Massachusetts golf courses, standardizing environmental practices for the industry statewide.
Inductees alongside Hearn include Richard F. Connolly Jr., Geoff Sisk, Alex Ross, Florence Ogg McClusky, Marion Maney and Edith Noblit Baker.
For the first time, the Hall of Fame will also introduce a select group of 10 inductees as “Pioneers," a newly established category recognizing early trailblazers who helped lay the foundation of golf in Massachusetts. These Pioneers include the founders of both the Women’s Golf Association of Boston/Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Golf Association.
Among the Pioneers being inducted is Edward S. Stimpson. Stimpson revolutionized golf course maintenance with his invention of the Stimpmeter in the 1930s, a device used to measure the speed of putting greens. Adopted by the USGA in 1978 and later updated in 2012, the Stimpmeter became a standard tool in both professional and amateur golf. Stimpson, also an accomplished player, won the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 1935.
"This is a truly special moment for Mass Golf,” Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame committee chairman Thomas F. Bagley III said. “As we celebrate 125 years of our organization’s history, it’s only fitting that we honor a class this expansive and diverse. Their contributions have helped shape the wide-reaching legacy of golf in Massachusetts, and each of them has rightfully earned their place among the legends enshrined in the Hall of Fame.”
The official induction ceremony will take place as part of the Mass Golf Annual Meeting, featuring an early afternoon ceremony and luncheon on Oct. 16, 2025, at Thorny Lea Golf Club in Brockton.
Hearn, CGCS, has devoted over five decades to advancing the game of golf and the profession of golf course management in Massachusetts and beyond.
Beginning as a caddie at Woburn Country Club, Hearn became a Certified Golf Course Superintendent in 1977, serving at renowned courses like Weston Golf Club and Vesper Country Club.
His leadership includes serving as President of both the GCSA of New England and the GCSAA where he oversaw significant advancements, including the construction of the GCSAA headquarters.
As executive director of GCSANE from 2011 to 2024, he championed education, mentorship and sustainability. His numerous accolades include the GCSAA Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award, the USGA Ike Grainger Award for 25 years of service, and having GCSANE’s Distinguished Service Award renamed in his honor. Hearn has also been a passionate advocate, educator and mentor, shaping the profession and highlighting the critical role of superintendents in the game of golf.
In addition to several golf media contributions, he contributed to the first Best Management Practice guide for Massachusetts golf courses, standardizing environmental practices for the industry statewide.
Inductees alongside Hearn include Richard F. Connolly Jr., Geoff Sisk, Alex Ross, Florence Ogg McClusky, Marion Maney and Edith Noblit Baker.
For the first time, the Hall of Fame will also introduce a select group of 10 inductees as “Pioneers," a newly established category recognizing early trailblazers who helped lay the foundation of golf in Massachusetts. These Pioneers include the founders of both the Women’s Golf Association of Boston/Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Golf Association.
Among the Pioneers being inducted is Edward S. Stimpson. Stimpson revolutionized golf course maintenance with his invention of the Stimpmeter in the 1930s, a device used to measure the speed of putting greens. Adopted by the USGA in 1978 and later updated in 2012, the Stimpmeter became a standard tool in both professional and amateur golf. Stimpson, also an accomplished player, won the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 1935.
"This is a truly special moment for Mass Golf,” Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame committee chairman Thomas F. Bagley III said. “As we celebrate 125 years of our organization’s history, it’s only fitting that we honor a class this expansive and diverse. Their contributions have helped shape the wide-reaching legacy of golf in Massachusetts, and each of them has rightfully earned their place among the legends enshrined in the Hall of Fame.”
The official induction ceremony will take place as part of the Mass Golf Annual Meeting, featuring an early afternoon ceremony and luncheon on Oct. 16, 2025, at Thorny Lea Golf Club in Brockton.
