Glenn Kelly was a young teenager from Pembroke when he got his first job in golf as a caddie at the local country club.
The longtime head professional at Woods Hole Golf Club headlines the New England PGA section award winners for 2024. Beginning his 40th year at the storied club, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this season, Kelly, 62, has been honored as the NEPGA Golf Professional of the Year.
Kelly said he likes being the first one there in the morning six or seven days a week, and staying until the last golfer comes in.
The Golf Professional of the Year Award recognizes overall performance, level of service to the section and to the association, leadership ability, image, the ability to inspire fellow professionals and promotion of the game.
Kelly thanked the board of governors and the membership at Woods Hole Golf Club for their support.
Kelly’s peers say he is the definition of what a PGA professional should be: a student of the game, a mentor to his staff and a valuable employee to his club.
Johnson, who is a past recipient of the NEPGA Professional of the Year Award, said that Kelly has all the other qualities as a good businessman, and is spectacular at orchestrating tournaments and managing a staff.
Kelly joined the golf Industry as an assistant to Andy Froude at Charles River CC in 1981. Along the way, Kelly worked for Les Kennedy at Pawtucket CC, Don Ross at Glastonbury Hills in Connecticut, and came to Woods Hole in 1985 as an assistant to Herman “Dutch” Wessner.
Kelly attained his PGA of America professional membership in 1988 and has served on several NEPGA committees. He also has twice been honored as the NEPGA Cape Cod chapter Professional of the Year and earned the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund Professional of the Year award. He has also participated in 18 Golf Fights Cancer Marathons, raising close to $250,000.
Now in his fifth decade at Woods Hole, Kelly’s passion hasn’t waned. He enjoys playing, but does not like playing “bad golf.” Kelly said the most rewarding part of his job is conducting events at the club.
Kelly credits Mel Cowe and Frank Brown as mentors when he was young and helping to guide him. Cowe was a golf sales representative, and Brown the green’s chairman at Woods Hole.
Bill Higgins is the retired sports editor of the Cape Cod Times.
