Merrimack Golf Course all about putts, people & passion

This column has long-heralded the feats of local athletes and coaches, men and women who have woven themselves into the fabric of Methuen. However, in covering these sports artists, we sometimes ignore the canvases on which they create their masterpieces. Merrimack Valley Golf Club is one of these canvases. Owned by the Kattar family, it has been the site for countless area tournaments – one of the true sports gems of the Merrimack Valley for over 100 years.

With spring fully sprung, golf enthusiasts are already flocking to Merrimack Valley Golf Club for a round or two. Known familiarly to locals as “Merrimack,” it is a geographical sight to see with colorful views of bent grass and golfing landscapes. The Donald Ross-designed course and semi-private club welcomes golfers of all levels and has served as a longtime Methuen destination and meeting place.

Community course

Over the years, Merrimack has been the home course for the Methuen High School golf team and remains a huge plus for that program.
“Merrimack Golf Course is a Merrimack Valley Conference landmark,” says MHS golf head coach Bill Blackwell. “As for as how they treat our kids on the golf team, they are second to none. Players don’t pay a penny to use the course for our home matches. Many of our student-athletes currently work for or have worked at the course. The Kattars have helped us promote golf to the younger generation in the city of Methuen.”

In addition, Merrimack has served as the venue for numerous charitable tournaments. This year on July 28, Methuen High School Athletics in connection with the MAIC (MHS Boosters) will once again bring the Dennis Bistany Golf tournament to Merrimack. The tournament will be renamed the Methuen High School Athletics Golf Tournament but will continue to offer scholarships in the memory of Dennis Bistany, the beloved and respected Marsh Grammar School teacher and a member of the MHS Baseball coaching staff. The Shot Gun Start will be at 8am and feature 18 holes of golf including a cart. Registration will also include lunch, raffles and prizes awarded for Closest to the Pin and Putting. E-mail MHS Athletic Director Tom Ryan at tsryan@methuen.k12.ma.us to register.

In addition to being host to community events, Merrimack has been a place for personal golf triumphs. Sports Blitz has documented the hole-in-one accomplishments of many a local duffer. Last year, City of Methuen Veterans Services Director Paul Jensen had that thrill of a golf lifetime at Merrimack, and of course, the name Lenny Trignani has to be mentioned.

Dubbed the “King of the Hole in One” by the Kattar family, Trignani has shot 10 aces, many of which have come at Merrimack.
“It’s actually hard to remember all of them,” Trignani states, “But my first hole in one was in the summer of 2001 playing in the Merrimack Valley Golf Course Club Championship. I am a member there and have been golfing at Merrimack for 50 years.”

Golf guidelines

While Merrimack has a casual feel making it a home away from home for many area golfers, it maintains a true respect for the etiquette of golf. Men are required to wear slacks or Bermuda shorts with a collared shirt, and cargo shorts and pants are prohibited. Shorts or pants designed with inverted side pockets are acceptable, but must be designed specifically for golf. T-shirts and collarless shirts are prohibited except for mock turtlenecks.

Women are required to wear shorts, skirts or slacks with an appropriate golf shirt. Tank and halter tops are prohibited. Merrimack also requires members and guests to wear soft spikes at all times. Golf shirts must remain tucked in at all times and hats worn facing forward. No denim is allowed on the golf course.

In addition to attire, Merrimack, like many of the best and most played in New England, holds firm to timing and on-course protocols. 18-hole rounds of golf must be completed in four hours and 30 minutes or less. If a particular group falls behind the group playing in front of them or falls behind their scheduled time, they are asked to speed up play.

Personal pars

Beyond the course rules, Merrimack Valley Golf Club has become a fun meeting spot for regional golfers, but the Kattars are not just about socializing, they are also about social conscience.

In 2015, construction was completed on a one-of-a-kind Veterans Memorial at the course adjacent to the 17th hole. The memorial features an exquisitely designed stone wall with a common area, benches and majestic flags representing all branches of the military as well as POW-MIA. As with most things at Merrimack, the concept was all about family.

“My father (the late family patriarch George Kattar), other family members and many friends are veterans,” explains course owner Kevin Kattar. “This is a place where people can walk by, sit and never forget. It is about remembrance and being thankful for the sacrifices made by veterans.”

The breathtaking tribute and testimony to patriotism, bravery and commitment sits at the highest point of the golf course and is illuminated at night.

Says Kattar, “It was truly a family effort to create this. You can see the flags from anywhere. I have seen golfers stop at the memorial and get very emotional. Many veterans come by and salute these flags.”

The Merrimack course was originally designed by the legendary Donald Ross in 1906. Beginning in 2004, George Sargent Jr., of GF Sargent Design based in Franklin, N.H., began work on drainage issues and an eventual redesign at Merrimack.

Area courses with Sargent’s architectural imprint include Nashua, Point Sebago, Montcalm, Stonebridge, Salem, The Woodlands and many others. A longstanding member of the highly respected American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), Sargent has worked in all facets of the golf industry in his 67 years, from caddying to course owner. He is also an Air Force veteran who served in Da Nang, Vietnam in 1969 and 1970.

“Kevin and his family asked me to pick a good spot for the memorial,” explains Sargent. “I looked at the whole course and found the perfect location. We positioned the memorial at the apex of the course at 17. It really started with that vision and then some sketches.”

Sargent has worked on over 20 courses in New England, but the Merrimack holds a solemn place in his heart. He relates, “It immediately brought back memories of the guys I served with in Vietnam. We were just kids, and none of us were sure that would make it through each day. We did not know if we would ever get home.”

A respected and honored figure in the golf world, Sargent holds his Merrimack work in a special realm of regard.
“This monument means just as much if not more than any honor I have ever received in golf architecture,” says Sargent. “This is a really special and unique place for me.”

Sargent’s father, a World War II veteran, helped set some of the stones in the wall surrounding the memorial, making the project even more personal.

The past and present community impact of Merrimack and the Kattar family is also important to Sargent. He states, “The Kattar family has helped so many people here in the Merrimack Valley. They understand that freedom is not free and that veterans made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. It is not only about those who serve, but about their families and loved ones as well. This memorial remembers the sons and daughters, and honors all veterans.”

The construction of the Veterans Memorial took over a year from concept to completion, but for Kevin Kattar and his family, it became more of a passion than a project. He states, “It required a lot of planning. You could not just wing it. George’s eye for design was the key. It is such a beautiful and honorable spot. It has really become a quiet place to reflect in the middle of all the chaos of golf.

“You can go to a thousand courses and not see anything like this. This memorial will be here for perpetuity, and it makes me smile that it will be here forever. To me and my family, Merrimack Valley Golf Club is all about heart.”

John Molori is an author, columnist, and a 2011 inductee into the Methuen Athletic Hall of Fame. Facebook: John Molori, Twitter @MoloriMedia. Email molorimedia@gmail.com