WESTFIELD – “There are members who call and ask to play with him,” said a laughing Sean Hogan of his son, Jack.
The self-employed owner of Hogan Technology has been a member at the Springfield Country Club for several years now, an area institution among afficionados of the game of golf, a sport which his son is making quite the name for himself at, competing in tournaments all throughout Connecticut and western Massachusetts for the past two and a half years.
But why is he laughing? What is so funny about fellow members of your golf club inviting your son out for a round?
Here’s what: Jack Hogan is twelve years old.
“The pace of play in golf is big,” said the elder Hogan. “You’ve got to keep up. There’s proper ettiquette. There’s so much to it and I’m amazed at how well he’s taken to it. He’s a real student of the game.”
Jack’s rapid progression on the links began as a ten-year-old, when he was introduced to the game at the Camp for Champs, a summer day camp for the children and grandchildren of members hosted by the country club.
“They did arts and crafts, played tennis and golf,” said Laurie Hogan, Jack’s mother, who works as a teacher in Southwick. “It really began with that camp.”
Jack’s father credits Springfield Country Club’s Professional Golf Association (PGA) Teaching Pro Joe Grochmal with sparking Jack’s burning love for the game.
“Joe is a golf legend in western Mass. and he introduced Jack to the game. He took to it like a fish to water,” Hogan said.
Grochmal considers his impact on the young phenom’s game “extremely modest”.
“I encouraged him and maybe helped him adjust his grip,” said Grochmal. He’s such a nice kid. He’s a little gentleman is what he is.”
This summer has seen Jack compete in a whopping eighteen tournaments, the majority of which have been nine-hole events on the Connecticut PGA Jr. Tour, with six more tournaments set for this fall.
According to the star himself, he has enjoyed playing different courses and meeting new players and some of the best amateurs on the East Coast.
“I have about a twelve handicap,” said Jack Hogan, who attends Westfield North Middle School, and whose modest, youthful voice belies the maturity that comes from spending much of his free time at a country club. “I’ve been shooting around the low 40s, I’d say.”
The rightie is a fan of the games of PGA Tour pros Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, and Ricky Fowler, and while he enjoys watching these great stars, when asked about the best part of his game, Hogan said he channels much of his energy onto the putting green, much like his favorite PGA star, Eldrick “Tiger” Woods.
“My putting and chipping are the best parts of my game,” Hogan said, before going on to list his irons, specifically the five and six, as clubs which he can stand to improve most on.
Dan LaPierre, Hogan’s personal instructor, agrees completely.
“His short game is what seperates him from other kids his age,” said LaPierre, a former instructor at Springfield Country Club who was approached by Jack’s father about giving Hogan some extra instruction. “A lot of kids can really hit the ball, but his short game, as far as chipping and putting, is what seperates him from every other twelve-year-old.”
When asked about the best part of coaching a budding prodigy, LaPierre is quick to compliment Hogan on his attitude towards the game.
“He’s a kid that fell in love with the game,” LaPierre said. “You don’t have to ask him to practice. He’s on the course everyday on his own. He’s a very nice, polite kid who impliments what you tell him. He’s addicted to the game.”
Jack’s father acknowleges his son’s passion and admires his rapid progression at a sport with a high degree of difficulty that has been known to drive a person or two mad.
“The third hole at Springfield is 395 yards and it’s a par four. He pars it all the time,” said his dad. “He won most improved at the club this year. He’s cut his handicap down. He’s scratching at an 11.5. I’m scratching a 14.5!”
Jack has a life outside the roughs, fairways and greens. An avid soccer player and runner, he hopes to go on to attend Wilbraham and Monson or Suffield Academy, go to college “down south so I can play all the time”, and eventually become a professional.
When asked as to whether Jack can become a professional in some capacity, there is little doubt amongst his inner circle.
“I think the next step (for him) is to grow as a young man and a golfer,” said Grochmal. “There’s a lot of twelve-year-olds like him around the country, but none are nicer kids.”
“He’s got a long way to go, but he’s on the right track,” said LaPierre. “All the tools are in front of him.”
“He wants to be a PGA Tour professional,” his father said. “He’s got the drive. He wants to play college golf. I think he’ll be a pro of some sort. His career is in golf.”
The road to becoming a professional in any field is a long one, requiring discipline, determination, and long hours at work. For Jack, the work doesn’t feel like work at all. In fact, if you ask him, it’s the best part.
“(I like ) being out there, playing good and spending time with my family.” he said.
