GRAY – The Maine State Golf Association held its annual meeting on October 29 at Spring Meadows Golf Course to celebrate the association’s 101st year of existence. During the meeting, two Mainers were recognized for their efforts in promoting and fostering the game of golf here in the Pine Tree State. Harry Haylock was named as the winner of the TK Award, and Mike Pearce was named as the Dave Child Volunteer of the Year.
Haylock, who lives in Hartford and plays at Turner Highlands GC, was awarded with the TK Award, named for the late Tom Kimball, a tireless supporter and promoter of junior golf in Maine. The award goes annually to the individual who best exemplifies the values that former MSGA Junior Director Tom “TK” Kimball stood for, including honesty, integrity and humility. The award’s recipient is one who demonstrates their love of the game and promotion of the sport and its values to junior golfers and others who may benefit from golf’s life lessons.
Haylock has two daughters that compete regularly in MSGA junior events and play at Turner Highlands with many other young players that benefit from his efforts. Due to Haylock’s support, Turner Highlands has become a hotbed of junior golf in the Lewiston-Auburn area, as evidenced by Turner Highlands girls representing five of the eight junior golfers in this summer’s Maine Women’s Amateur Championship. His wife Heidi plays as well, which makes it a family affair along with daughters Ruby, 15, and Jade, 12.
Harry is a teacher at Leavitt Area High School, where he also serves as the golf coach. He recently saw Ruby tie for the high school individual title with teammate and good friend Morghan Dutil this season.
Mike Pearce was named as the recipient of the Dave Child Volunteer of the Year Award. The accolade is named in honor of the late Dave Child, a longtime volunteer for the MSGA. Through the years, Dave served as a volunteer for nearly every department of the MSGA, including the Board of Directors, Rules, championship events, Course Ratings, scoring and junior golf.
Pearce, an attorney who lives in Falmouth and plays at Portland CC, has been volunteering in golf for well over a decade. He currently serves on the MSGA Board of Directors and is a former president of the New England Golf Association. In addition to his tireless work on both regional golf associations’ Board of Directors, Pearce also volunteers as a Rules Official at MSGA and NEGA events. This year he worked his first USGA Championship as a Rules Official, travelling to Jacksonville, Florida to officiate at the 5th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball. From inside and outside the ropes, Pearce has given countless hours of his time helping to make golf all the better here in Maine and beyond.
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