The Golf program at Holyoke has a long tradition that goes back to the 1968-69 academic year when HCC played against local teams. The team was coached by English Professor Joe Moriarty for the 1st three seasons. In 1972-73 , HCC joined the "National Jr. College Athletic Association" (NJCAA) and participated in Region 3 - an area that ranged from Providence, Rhode Island to Buffalo, NY. That year the golf team finished 2 nd in this large region. In 1974, the New England Region 21 was formed. In the 31 seasons of New England Championships, HCC has finished 1 st or 2 nd on 16 occasions. [ 10 Firsts and 6 Runner-Ups]. In addition, 56 students earned All New England recognition over these years. Many qualified and played in National Tournaments. Holyoke CC won Championships under coaches Bob Duncan and Rich Frasco in the 1970's and 80's. In 1985, Coach William Sullivan took the helm for 18 years, until 2003. HCC won five NJCAA Tournaments during this time. Coach Sullivan won a championship in three different decades while at HCC.
Among HCC's notable players are Tony Kelly 1976-77. Tony captained the team that year, and was the championship's medallist. He went on to finish 16 th in the NJCAA National Tournament. Currently, Tony is the Head Professional at Wycoff CC in Holyoke, MA. He has been the pro at Wycoff since 1982.
Also, Rick Fleury, (New England Medalist 1982) was elected to P.G.A. membership. In 1995, Rick assumed his duties as Head Professional after serving as 1st Assistant at Hickory since 1988. Prior to working at Hickory Ridge, Rick served as an assistant professional at many prestigious golf clubs including: The Orchards Golf Course in South Hadley, Massachusetts, John's Island Club in Vero Beach, Florida and Canoe Brook C.C. in Summit, New Jersey.
Jim Gavron (All New England 1989) is also a Head Professional in the Pioneer Valley. Jim is currently at Mill Valley CC in Belchertown.
The College has utilized golf courses from throughout the Valley, including Shaker Farms, The Orchards, Southampton, Hickory Ridge, East Mountain, and Wyckoff CC. Currently, Wyckoff CC is the home course to HCC. The team has qualified and participated in National Tournaments in locations as far away as Florida, Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, Tennessee, North Carolina, and New York.
The team is led by Head Coach Brian Shelasky. This year's team will be led by 2 nd year captain Brandon Johnson. Brandon was an All New England player in 2005. New comers Curtis and Craig Centracchio will provide a great one – two punch. In 2003, Craig finished 2 nd in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) high school tournament, while Curtis finished 5 th . 2 nd year men Bill Ashton and Jay Popko, coupled with newcomers Patrick Madrid and Jeff Lewis make the outlook of this year's team quite strong.
The team will open its match schedule in early April. The New England Tournament will be held on May 9 th and 10 th at Maplegate CC in Franklin, MA. The winner of that tournament will travel to the NJCAA National Tournament on June 5-9, 2006 at Chatauqua Golf Course in Chatauqua, NY.