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Corporate Golf Management In The Press
Boston Globe 01.27.02
Boston Globe 01.06.02
Boston Herald 12.30.01

The Boston Globe	By Kathy McCabe, 1/27/2002
New Mass Cup gives corporate teams a challenge

SALEM - Corporations have long flocked to the golf course to raise money for charities, or to fly their logo on an official pro tour event, such as the FleetBoston Classic.
Now two local golf entrepreneurs want to give Massachusetts companies the chance to get into the game.
Dick Harrison of Middleton and Gary Larrabee of Wenham have teamed up to present the first Massachusetts Corporate Golf Championship, or The Mass Cup for short, an event designed to bring corporate golf to new heights.
The event, scheduled for a four-month period this summer, is the first event planned by the duo's new golf company, Corporate Golf Management Inc., based in Topsfield.
Their goal: Crown a new corporate titan in Massachusetts by establishing a golf championship for businesses only.
In addition to bragging rights, companies will also be playing for charity. As part of the proceeds from the tournament, a contribution will be made to an as yet-unnamed Boston hospital, the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, which benefits Massachusetts caddies, and a donation of up to $25,000 to the charity of the winner's choice.
Companies of all sizes are eligible to compete in the inaugural season, which starts in June at Kernwood Country Club, one of the North Shore's top private golf courses.
''Businesses have been very generous in their support of golf, mostly by supporting charities,'' said Harrison, 56, a competitive golfer who plays on a team at Salem Country Club in Peabody. ''What we want to do with this now is to allow businesses to participate in a competitive, but friendly, tournament for themselves.''
Said Larrabee, a well-known local golf writer, ''This is a special area for golf. The North Shore is rich in the history and tradition of golf. We think this will have broad appeal to companies.''
Already, several of the state's top firms, including Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston Private Bank & Trust Co., and EMX Controls in Uxbridge have signed up to compete.
Harrison and Larrabee have sent information packets to about 250 Bay State companies. They are also marketing the event on their Web site, www.masscup.com. The duo hopes to sign 72 corporate teams by March.
To participate, a company must form an eight-member team, which will be divided into four, two-player teams. A two-player team from each corporation will play in one of four rounds to be held at Kernwood on June 17, July 22, Aug. 5, and Sept. 30. Each 18-hole round will follow a best-ball format, meaning all golfers play to the hole but use the best individual score.
Unlike charity golf tournaments, which usually follow a scramble-format and offer giveaways to sweeten the pot, competition will be a driving feature of the championship, Harrison said.
''This is competitive golf. That's why we chose Kernwood, because it's a championship course. It's also a first-rate facility in terms of providing food and drink,'' Harrison said.
A $4,000 entry fee covers the cost of golf, carts, lunch, on-course refreshments, and a dinner following each round. The fee also includes tournament prizes and a donation to the winning team's favorite charity, perhaps as much as $25,000, depending on the number of teams competing, Harrison said.
"The charitable contribution that they'll make for the winner is a big reason we'll be playing," said Mark Thompson of Boxford, the president of Boston Private Bank & Trust Co. "I also think it will be a beneficial networking opportunity with many companies in and around the Boston area."
Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available. ''Marketing exposure is another element of this. We've already had interest from some companies,'' Harrison said.
In addition to bragging rights as the state's top corporate golf team, companies may also find a competitive advantage. Opportunities for team building, networking, and cultivating new business relationships are also part of the game plan, Larrabee said.
''We've structured this so that there will be ample time for players to meet and get to know one another. We recognize that is important to companies, because golf has become such a valuable tool for companies to do business,'' he said.
Corporate golf events, whether played purely for bragging rights or as a charitable deed, have increasingly played a role in the state's golf industry, an observer said.
''Businesses have certainly come to embrace golf,'' said Becky Blaeser, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Golf Association. ''Whether it's for marketing purposes or charitable fund-raising, it all contributes to the game.''
''We know we have to prove ourselves,'' Larrabee said. ''But we also see this as a great opportunity to bring corporate golf to a new level in Massachusetts. We think it's going to be an exciting summer.''
Kathy McCabe can be reached by e-mail at kmccab@globe.com.
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The Boston Sunday Globe	By Jim McCabe, 1/6/2002
Golf Notes - Corporate challenge

For years, Dick Harrison has played for Salem CC in the Met League, competing against golfers from various other clubs in Greater Boston, and always the thought has occurred to him: Why not organize a competition for corporations in the area? Now his idea is about to be realized, because plans for the 2002 Massachusetts Corporate Golf Championship are being released. The competition will be held at Kernwood CC in Salem over four dates - June 17, July 22, Aug. 5, and Sept. 29 - and the idea is to get 72 corporate participants to field eight players each, sending two to each of the four rounds. Gross and net scores would be kept and prizes would be handed out at the end of the 72-hole competition, with the winning corporation receiving the Mass. Cup. ''We'll donate funds to the charity of the winning team's choice, and also donate to the Boston Children's Hospital and the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund,'' said Harrison, a lifelong North Shore resident and avid golfer. ''It's a friendly yet competitive golf event. Let's see what we can do with it.'' There is a Web site - masscup.com - and for further information, call 978-887-6980.
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Boston Sunday Herald	by Joe Gordon 12/30/2001
Golf Notes - Cup filling up fast

Some of the most well known corporations in the Commonwealth have expressed serious interest in participating in a new golf tournament to be conducted by Corporate Golf Management, Inc.
Dick Harrison is the CGM principal and Gary Larrabee is his partner in the Topsfield company that has created the 2002 Massachusetts Corporate Golf Championship (the Mass Cup) to be contested at the classic Kernwood Country Club in Salem on four separate Mondays - June 17, July 22, Aug. 5 and Sept. 29.
The event will involve 72 corporations, firms and institutions which will make up eight-player teams in a 72-hole twosome best-ball gross and net tournament with different teams of two players participating on different dates. Charity will be a big beneficiary of the event, which costs $4,000 covering all eight teams' members for practice range access, lunch, golf and cart fees, on-course refreshments, clubhouse dinner, prizes and a charitable donation. The entry deadline is March 1. Phone (978) 887-6980 for information or log on to www.masscup.com.
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