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Skip Wogan Player of the Year Award
Eugene Wogan began his distinguished golf career when he began caddying at Oakley Country Club in Watertown, Massachusetts at the age of twelve. The eminent Donald Ross was the Head Professional at Oakley and he picked "Skip" as he liked to call him as his personal caddie and later as his assistant golf professional. When in 1910, Donald Ross took the Head Professional job at Essex County Club in Manchester, Massachusetts, he took young Wogan with him. After three years, Ross left Essex to serve at Pinehurst, recommending Skip Wogan as his replacement. Wogan remained as Head Professional and greens keeper at Essex until his death in 1957. As a protégé of Ross, Skip became active in course design and in expanding the concept of the Essex style four ball. Some of Wogan's courses during this period were Blue Hills in Canton, MA; Bellevue in Melrose, MA; Sankaty Head on Nantucket Island in MA; and Webhannet and a nine-hole course for an Essex member appropriately named "Labor in Vain."
Skip also became a renowned maker of scoreboards locally, then gained national attention for his board designs. He was a guru of the Rules of Golf and could quote them verbatim when necessary. Skip Wogan was one of the founders of the PGA of America as the Current New England PGA and was the Section's first President. Skip was also active on national PGA's Board of Directors. In recognition of his tireless work on behalf of the Association, the NEPGA named its Player of the Year Award after him. Essex County Club has also named their premier trophy the Skip Wogan Trophy, in recognition of his outstanding service to their members. In 1957, after forty-seven years at Essex, Skip Wogan passed away.
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