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Inductee

Laura Shanahan-Rowe, LPGA

Laura Shanahan-Rowe, LPGAWith accomplishments spanning both the amateur and professional side of golf, Laura Shanahan-Rowe is well-deserving of this honor.  On the amateur side, one of her greatest accomplishments is winning the 2001 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, becoming the first female in New Hampshire to win a USGA event.  She also took home titles at the New Hampshire Women’s Golf Association Championship in 1999 and 2002 and the New England Women’s Golf Association Championship in 2002. 

Professionally, she has competed in numerous LPGA events and The Legends Tour events, gathering Top-3 finishing spots along the way.  In 2008, she won the LPGA T&CP (Teachers and Club Pros) Championship held at Pinehurst.  Regionally, she won the 2014 and 2016 New England Women’s Open and finished second in the 2004 Massachusetts Women’s Open.  She competed in the inaugural USGA Senior Women’s Open in 2018 and again in 2019, with a top 20 finish, which earns her an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Senior Women’s Open. 

Still competing around the country, Laura finished second in the Senior Division of the LPGA T&CP Championship this year and headed to French Lick, IN to compete in the LPGA Senior Championship just before the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. 

Currently, she is a sought-after Teaching Professional at Sagamore Golf Center in North Hampton, NH, a role which she has been in since 2009.

 

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Inductee

Stan Lencki, Sr., PGA

Stan Lencki, Sr., PGAStan Lencki’s service to the game of golf as a PGA Professional for over 50 years has earned him his place in the NH Golf Hall of Fame. 

Stan served as an Assistant Golf Professional under Joe Makara at Manchester Country Club from 1956-1979.  From there, he took over the position of Head Golf Professional at MCC from 1979-2000.  In May of 2000 he was honored with a “Lifetime Achievement” award from the New England PGA and presented a lifetime membership to MCC for his 50 years of service. 

Additionally, a permanently endowed McDonough Scholarship was named in his honor and in 2001, the McDonough Foundation created the Stan Lencki Distinguished Service Award.  He was well-known for frequently declining to be honored by the New Hampshire Chapter of the NEPGA for its “Teacher of the Year” and “Professional of the Year” awards, but finally accepted the “Professional of the Year” honor in October of 2000 upon the announcement of his retirement.

 

 

 

 

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Inductee

Bob Mielcarz

Bob MielcarzBob Mielcarz is regarded as the most winning State Amateur golfer in New Hampshire. He has racked up nine New Hampshire Amateur titles over the years (1977-1979, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000). He is the only player to have won the State Amateur in four different decades. Out of the ten times he has reached the 36-hole final match, he has only lost one time.
Adding to his accomplishments, Mielcarz has won the New Hampshire Senior Amateur Championship three times (2005, 2010, 2015). He has been named the Thomas J. Leonard Jr. Player of the Year three times (1993, 1995, 2006) and has been named the New Hampshire Senior Player of the Year two times (2007 and 2009).
Mielcarz has competed for New Hampshire in the USGA State Team Championship in 1995 and 1997. He competed in the 2004, 2005, and 2007 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship; in 2005 he advanced to the quarterfinals and made match play in 2007.
A member a Concord Country Club, Mielcarz is still playing competitively within New Hampshire.
 

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Inductee

Tony Loch

Tony Loch has been a PGA Professional for over Tony Loch50 years in the Granite State, serving the majority of that time as Head Golf Professional at Portsmouth Country Club.
During this time, he helped start the New Hampshire Chapter of the New England PGA and was part of a group of five individuals who started the Seacoast Amateur Golf Championship. He has served as the New Hampshire Chapter Tournament Chairman, on the New Hampshire Chapter Board of Directors, and on the New England PGA Board of Directors.
Over the years he has won over 100 Pro-Am tournaments throughout New England and was named the New Hampshire Chapter Professional of the Year in 1978. He won the New Hampshire Chapter Championship in 1977 and 1984.
Loch has had a great career in the golf industry in New Hampshire.

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Inductee

Dana Harrity

Dana Harrity is a the most decorated female amateur golfer in the Granite State. She has won the New Hampshire Women’s Golf Association Championship a total of 16 times (1982, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992-1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2014). She has also won the NHWGA Senior Championship twice, 2015 and 2017. In 2016, she was named the NHWGA Player of the Year.
On a larger scale, Harrity won the New England Women’s Golf Association Championship in 2014 and has competed in seven U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championships (2010, 2012-2017). She also competed in the 1996 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Harrity currently resides in North Hampton, NH. From 2015-2017 she led the NHWGA is their President. She and her husband currently own Candia Woods Golf Links and The Oaks Golf Links, both well-established golf courses in New Hampshire.
 

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Inductee

Kirk Hanefeld, PGA

Kirk Hanefeld was a stand-out junior golfer in New Hampshire. He won the New Hampshire Junior Championship and the Red Ryan CYO tournament in 1971, 1972 and 1973. From there he then went on to win the New Hampshire Amateur Championship in 1974 and 1976 and won the New England Amateur Championship in 1977.
During his years of winning on the amateur side of golf, he also competed for the University of Houston golf team from 1974-1977.
Once turning professional, he won five State Opens, including the New Hampshire Open (1982), the Rhode Island Open (1998 and 2005), and the Maine Open (2003 and 2005). He participated in three PGA Tour majors (one U.S. Open and two PGA Championships) and 26 PGA Champions Tour majors (10 Senior PGA Championships, 3 U.S. Senior Opens, 6 Senior British Opens, 6 Senior Players Championships, and 1 Tradition).
Hanefeld has made 71 starts on the PGA Champions Tour since joining in 2006. Among the awards he has won, he has been named the New England PGA Player of the Year two times and the National PGA Senior Player of the Year one time.
Outside of playing he was the Director of Golf and Head Golf Professional at Salem Country Club from 1985 to 1999. He was the Director of Operations at The Ridge Club from 1999 to 2000, the Director of Golf at the International Golf Club from 2000 to 2006 and currently is the Director of Instruction at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts.
The NHGA Junior Player of the Year award is named after Kirk for his numerous accomplishments in the Granite State.
 

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Inductee

Jesse Guilford

Jesse Guilford set the bar for New Hampshire golfers in the early years of the New Hampshire Golf Association. He competed in and won the New Hampshire Amateur Championship in 1913, 1916, and 1917. He also won the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 1916, 1921, and 1924.
One of his greatest accomplishments was defeating Robert Gardner 7 & 6 at St. Louis Country Club to win the 1921 U.S. Amateur Championship. The following year, he earned medalist honors in the U.S. Amateur that was held at The Country Club.
Guilford went on to play on three of the first four Walker Cup teams (1922, 1924, and 1926). The U.S. won all three times he was a part of the team.
Following his amateur playing years, Guilford turned professional and won two more tournaments as a professional. Nicknamed “Siege Gun” for his long driving capabilities, Guilford was one of the founding members of Intervale Country Club. Those who play at Intervale see a monument on the course that was dedicated to him in 1993.
 

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Inductee

Phillip Friel, PGA

The Friel name is very well-known in the Granite State when it comes to golf and Phil Friel started it all. As a professional golfer, he has many accomplishments, including winning the New Hampshire Open and Maine Open in 1954. He went on to win the New England PGA Championship in 1957 and was named the New England PGA Professional of the Year in 1971. He also competed in seven PGA Championships over the years. For his numerous accomplishments, he was inducted into the New England PGA Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of the first class of inductees.
Friel was a golf professional at Woburn CC (MA), Bellevue CC (MA) and Nashua CC (NH). While head professional at Nashua CC, he designed and built his first golf course, Green Meadow Golf Club which now has 36 holes and is one of the most successful golf courses in the state. He ended up owning and operating ten golf courses across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine.

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Inductee

Robert "Doc" Elliott

Robert ‘Doc’ Elliott served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the New Hampshire Golf Association for 35 years beginning in 1963. During his tenure, ‘Doc’ Elliott expanded the New Hampshire Amateur Championship to include 36 holes of qualifying before seeding the 64-player match play bracket. Elliott also created the New Hampshire Senior Championship in 1972, the New Hampshire Mid-Amateur Championship in 1984, and the New Hampshire Father-Son Championship in 1990 (known today as the New Hampshire Parent-Child Championship). Today, the Robert H. Elliott New Hampshire Mid-Amateur Championship is named in his honor.
‘Doc’ Elliott was most known for being the leading authority on all things golf in New Hampshire. He was widely respected for his extensive knowledge of the rules of golf and was consulted regionally and nationally for questions on the topic. He took a “tough but fair” approach to officiating New Hampshire’s golf championships and because of that, he earned the nickname “God” amongst players. Many will tell you that when ‘Doc’ made a ruling, it was final.
Robert ‘Doc’ Elliott was a longtime member at Manchester Country Club where his family still belongs today.
 

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Inductee

Pat Bradley

Pat BradleyBeginning her golf career at age 11 out of Nashua Country Club, Pat Bradley has found much success from an amateur and professional standpoint. She won the New Hampshire Women’s Amateur Championship in 1967 and 1969 and went on to win the New England Women’s Amateur Championship in 1972 and 1973. She was a vital member of the Florida International University Golf Team and became an All-American in 1970.
From there, she joined the professional ranks of the LPGA in 1974 and won 31 LPGA Tour events, including six major championships, the Peter Jackson Classic in 1980, the U.S. Women’s Open in 1981, the du Maurier Classic in 1985 and 1986, the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 1986 and the LPGA Championship in 1986. Bradley has been a part of four Solheim Cup teams – 1990, 1992, 1996 and 2000 as a captain. The U.S. team won it in 1990 and 1996.
Her accomplishments extend to being named the LPGA Player of the Year in 1986 and 1991. She is the only player to have won three of the four modern-day majors in one season, 1986 and she her win at the LPGA Championship in 1986 made her the third player to complete the LPGA Career Grand Slam.
Bradley was ultimately inducted in to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1991. Regardless of the time of day, her mother would ring a bell off the family’s back porch following each win Pat had. That bell was donated to the World Golf Hall of Fame.