Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame Nominating Committee is proud to announce that longtime amateur standout Craig Steckowych will be inducted into the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025. With a career that has spanned more than three decades and includes championships at every stage of competitive amateur golf, Steckowych’s record is among the most decorated in state history. But to Craig, the game has always been about more than just titles.
Steckowych’s journey in golf began as a teenager at Derryfield Country Club. “I started playing at 13 or 14 years old,” he recalls. “My dad was a member at Derryfield and came home one day with a junior membership for me and my older brother. That’s where it all started.”
From those early rounds, Steckowych went on to etch his name into the record books. His list of achievements includes winning the New Hampshire Amateur Championship twice (1990, 1998), the NH Mid-Amateur twice (1991, 2003), and the Stroke Play Championship twice (2000, 2007). He also claimed victories in the Players Invitational (2012), the Four Ball Championship (2003), and is a five-time Senior Match Play Champion (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023). On a regional scale, his crowning moment came with a win at the 2001 New England Amateur Championship, a performance that proved he could compete, and win, on a broader stage.
“At the time, I had a quiet confidence that I could compete at that level,” he says of his New England Amateur victory. “It was very gratifying to pull off that win on a bit of a larger stage. It confirmed a belief in myself that I could achieve a personal competitive goal under pressure.”
That belief has carried him far beyond New Hampshire’s borders. Steckowych has competed in 12 USGA championships, a testament to his skill and consistency. Most notably, he qualified for and teed it up in the 2009 U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick Golf Club, competing alongside some of the best senior players in the world.
His competitive success has been recognized time and time again. Steckowych was named Thomas J. Leonard Player of the Year three times (2000, 2001, 2007) and has dominated senior amateur golf in recent years, earning NH Senior Player of the Year honors five consecutive times from 2020 through 2024.
But for all the trophies, accolades, and scorecards, Craig Steckowych’s connection to the game runs deeper. “I think that in life people identify with certain characteristics, social values, and morals,” he says. “The golf culture has many of those positive attributes to which I subscribe and embrace. It’s part of who I am.”
That sense of identity, and humility, runs through his reaction to learning of his Hall of Fame selection. “I’m not one to live in the past,” he says. “As I get older and the game gets harder, many of my accomplishments seem so distant. My drive is still there, but my game isn’t and there are just so many better players than me now. So, to be an inductee almost feels surreal. I don’t take it for granted, nor do I expect it. The fact that others feel that I am deserving is humbling because I don’t see it as clearly as they do. It’s an honor.”
That humility and grace haven’t gone unnoticed by those who’ve worked closely with him. Steckowych served nine years on the Board of Directors for New Hampshire Golf. Executive Director, Matt Schmidt commented, “For all of Craig’s accomplishments on the course, and there are plenty, what has made his career stand out the most is his humility, friendship, and character. You’d be hard pressed to find an individual who represents NH golf with more class and distinction than Craig.”
As Steckowych prepares to join some of New Hampshire’s most legendary golfers, the moment is not lost on him. “NH Golf has provided a competitive playground for me to test my abilities against my friends and fellow competitors, but it is much more than that,” he says. “Some of my best friends are here. I would hope that others felt that I was a good guy to play with rather than just a good golfer. I think that other Hall of Fame inductees embody that sense in one way or another. It’s special to be considered part of that group.”
Steckowych will be formally inducted on November 6th at the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame Ceremony taking place at Manchester Country Club, where his achievements, character, and impact on the game will be celebrated by friends, family, and the New Hampshire Golf community.