WESTFIELD – Move over Masters, there’s another major golf story taking shape across the golf landscape.
Late this winter, E.J. Altobello stepped down as longtime director of operations at Tekoa Country Club to take over as head golf pro at Springfield Country Club. Having had several weeks already to settle into his new role, Altobello, 43, is more than ready to take this next journey.
“It’s a new opportunity, a new situation, and a good growing experience,” said Altobello. “It’s going to be a little bit of a change of pace.”
E.J. ALTOBELLO
A farewell celebration for Altobello and welcoming party for new Tekoa golf pro Rick Leal was planned for the Club’s 19th Hole Wednesday night from 6-8 p.m. The local golf community will likely deliver the celebrated individuals a round of applause.
For the last two decades, Altobello was a Mr. Do-It-All, of sorts, at Tekoa, serving all the functions of a golf pro while making sure the greens were in tip-top shape. His focus at Springfield County Club will be much more refined and deal more with the nuances of the game.
Altobello will be responsible for running the golf shop, selling equipment, providing instruction, organizing outdoor events, and as he explains it, “getting people on the course to have some fun.”
“Golf builds a lot of character, it’s good exercise and it gets everyone off of their mobile devices,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are just trying to get people to golf.”
The biggest challenge facing local golf courses is competition from each other.
“People are playing the same amount of rounds as they were in 1995 or 1996,” Altobello explained, “but now there are way more golf courses.”
Before Altobello left his post, he helped orchestrate the hiring of new Tekoa golf professional Rick Leal, a former pro at Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke. Tekoa also recently hired a new superintendent, Allen Young, who served as assistant superintendent at Springfield Country Club.
“My Dad and niece are members here,” Leal said, “so when the position opened up, it sounded like a pretty good fit for me.”
As an amateur, Leal won multiple USGA awards, and then after turning pro 15 years ago, he went on to win Pro-ams and other championship golf events. The 52-year-old Westfield native and current West Springfield resident plans on using his positive experiences to assist local golfers.
“With our junior camps, PGA Junior Leagues, and high school kids – or even members – if there are any (golf-related) questions, I can help answer them,” Leal said.
Leal said one of the biggest things he can share with local golfers is the patience he exudes on the golf course and demeanor he displays in certain situations like when a shot goes awry.
“That comes with experience,” said Leal, who noted his ability to maintain composure and not get all riled up in the face of adversity. “Of course I can share my knowledge (with the public) from past experiences, but I’m still learning every time (out on the golf course).”
Leal said the biggest challenge of moving from a semi-private golf course like Wyckoff to a public one at Tekoa will be dealing with a much more vast amount of golfers with a broad range of abilities and various experience levels.
“With a private golf course (in this area), you’re typically going to see the same 350 members every year,” Leal said, “but with a public one (such as Tekoa), there will be new faces around here every day.”
The other big difference is while a place like Springfield Country Club may hold just a half dozen or so golf outings annually, Tekoa Country Club figures to see upwards of 70.
No matter the differences or similarities that each golf course holds for Lee and Altobello, each golf pro appears more than ready to welcome the challenge.
E.J. Altobello, pictured above, served as the director of golf operations at Tekoa Country Club for two decades. He recently stepped down to take over as golf pro at Springfield Country Club. (Submitted photo)
