Cyprian Keyes GC owner-general manager David Frem was voted vice president of the National Golf Course Owners Association in January and he will become president in January of 2028.
“It’s exciting,” Frem said. “Honestly, it’s a little nerve-wracking. I mean there are 4,000 members. I’ve gotten so much out of the organization. I’m excited to be part of it and hopefully help grow the golf business.
Frem has already served as president of the New England Golf Course Owners Association.
Walter Lankau, former owner of Stow Acres CC, was the only other New Englander to serve as president of the NCGOA, which is based in Charleston, S.C.
“It’s kind of cool to do something that Walt did 20 years ago because he’s always been someone I’ve looked up to,” he said.
This past week, Frem was busy taking care of water damage in Cyprian’s clubhouse after a sprinkler pipe burst in the kitchen ceiling late Saturday night. The clubhouse had to be closed for a few days, but it reopened on Thursday except for the restaurant. Frem said on Thursday that he expected the restaurant to reopen on Friday, July 17.
Cyprian’s 18-hole championship course and nine-hole, par-3 course remained open and while the clubhouse was closed staff accepted payment for greens fees, carts, drinks and snacks in the patio outside the pro shop. Floors and rugs in the restaurant, pro shop and restrooms were flooded so the clubhouse closed while they were cleaned and the building inspector checked the electrical wiring, according to Frem.
“It’s frustrating,” Frem said. “No one wants this to happen.”
Cyprian shuttled customers to the restrooms by the snack shack, which also remained open.
A Worcester County Women’s Golf Association tournament at Cyprian was rescheduled from last Tuesday to Sept. 8, but would have been rained out anyway. Frem said all other events, including two wedding receptions this coming week, will be held as scheduled.
“The experience for the most part for golfers and for events is unchanged,” Frem said, “except for someone who might want a bit to eat, but we’re trying to address that as fast as possible.”
Cyprian plans to park its beverage cart outside the clubhouse and cook on an outdoor grill this weekend and is considering renting a food truck.
Frem said closing the restaurant in May or June would have had a bigger impact because the club had more events booked then.
Frem said he was proud of how his staff dealt with the water damage.
“The silver lining for me is to see everyone come together,” Frem said, “and make sure that the customer experience isn’t affected. It’s been really nice.”
Frem said customers understood why the clubhouse had to close and were happy that they could still play golf.
In other Cyprian news, the club has removed a lot of trees over the years to widen fairways and to promote more sun and airflow.
“The course is playing a lot easier,” director of golf Scott Hickey said. “It’s still hard, don’t get me wrong, but it’s playing a lot easier than it was 25 years ago.”
The 18-hole public golf course in Boylston is fun and gets a lot of play, but make sure to bring a lot of golf balls.
Hickey said more and more members have moved up to play shorter tees as they’ve grown older.
“We want them to have fun out here,” Hickey said. “I think if a guy comes here once a year, he’d enjoy it. Some people would lose six golf balls where if they’d go to another place around here they might lose zero.”
Cyprian’s popular, nine-hole par-3 course has been busy since the pandemic hit because golf was considered safe to play during that time. The par-3 course is especially busy from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday after people get out of school and work.
Hickey said if he were to build a golf course during the pandemic, he would have constructed four nine-hole par-3 courses because they’re so popular, more affordable and take far less time to play.
Most people take carts on the championship course at Cyprian, but they’re not required. Most people walk the par-3 course.
Hickey said most golfers who play Cyprian come from Worcester or the towns to the east, but on weekends golfers travel from the Boston area and from along Route 495 South as well because Maplegate CC in Bellingham and Glen Ellen in Millis have closed.
Cyprian has always welcomed women. The club has a new nine-hole beginners ladies league on Thursday afternoons and there’s also a women’s division in the Thursday night members league.
Hickey, 53, doesn’t play as much golf as he once did because he’s busy at Cyprian and he coaches his children in softball and hockey.
“You used to know what you were able to do,” he said of his golf game, “and now that you can’t do it any more it’s a little depressing.”
Cyprian Keyes golfers fared well in the Mass. Senior Four-Ball in May. Terry Dunn of Cyprian teamed with Michael Haglof of Pleasant Valley to tie for third and
Alex McCallum and Steve Larson, both of Cyprian, shared fifth.
Hickey praised the work of Dan Brandt, who has been superintendent for four years. Brandt worked at Cyprian years ago and returned after serving as superintendent at Sterling National CC and Shaker Hills CC in Harvard.
“In my 23 years here, the greens and the fairways are in the best condition I’ve ever seen them,” Hickey said.
Hickey pointed out that Frem and his parents, Bob and Liz, the club’s three owners, like to hire people who know the course.
Hickey is in his 17th year since returning to Cyprian Keyes on Labor Day of 2009 to replace Terry O’Hara as director of golf. He had worked five years at Cyprian as an assistant under O’Hara and left for five years to serve as head pro at Norton CC. O’Hara is currently the director of golf at Longboat Key Club near Sarasota, Fla.
Greg Farland joined Cyprian this year as an assistant pro who is in charge of outside operations, including setting up events. Hickey knows Farland from playing with him in NEPGA Pro-Pro Match Play events.
Hickey said Farland considered joining the staff at Cyprian last year after he left Marlborough CC after 12 years as head pro, but he decided to return to his hometown of Southbridge to become head pro at Cohasse CC where he learned the game as a youth. Farland left Cohasse late last summer.
Dave Johnson is in his second year as Cyprian’s other assistant pro after working at Newport National GC in Middletown, R.I., and he organizes tournaments and the computer programs. Steve Clancy is the new director of instruction after having worked at Granite Links GC in Quincy and Blue Hill CC in Canton. Jack Gale is a popular, longtime teacher at Cyprian.
Hickey handled most of the outside operations last year after Shawn and Rick Durocher left following the 2024 season. Shawn is now the head pro at Amherst Golf Club where she worked as a teenager and her husband Rick is her assistant. The two met at Amherst Golf Club when both were members there.
Shawn had been head pro at Cyprian for seven years and an assistant pro there for four. Rick had been an assistant at Cyprian for seven years.
The Haven hosts NEPGA Pro-Pro Stroke Play Championship
The NEPGA Pro-Pro Stroke Play Championship will be held at The Haven CC in Boylston on Monday.
The tournament is a 36-hole, best-ball event.
Rich Berberian of Vesper CC and Matt Arvanitis of Southern New Hampshire University shot 65-65 for a total of 14-under 130 last year to win by four shots over Todd Scarafoni of Bass Rocks GC and Liam Friedman of Wollaston GC. Scarafoni was head pro at The Haven when it was called Mount Pleasant CC.
Berberian and Arvanitis also won in 2021 and 2024 and were co-champs in 2022.
The NEPGA headquarters is across the street from The Haven CC, between the parking lot and the driving range.
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—Contact Bill Doyle at bcdoyle15@charter.net.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: ‘We want them to have fun out here’: Cyprian Keyes among area’s best
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