GREENFIELD — Two Country Club of Greenfield legends will receive a well-deserved honor tonight.
Phyllis Canon and the late Mac Sennett are among a group of eight who will become the 10th class to be inducted into the Western Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame.
The ceremony is part of the Tournament of Champions and Hall of Fame Day at the CC of Greenfield.
Canon was shocked when she first received word about her inclusion in the Hall.
“When the guy called me, I thought it was a joke. I was speechless,” she said humbly. “It’s so nice that they’re doing this, it’s just such an honor. I’m very fortunate to have accomplished what I have (in golf).”
Canon said having the ceremony at CCG is certainly a bonus.
“To me that’s the most wonderful part, I don’t have to go somewhere else,” she said. “It’s like a second home to me. It has a special place in my heart.”
Canon, 72, was arguably the best woman golfer at CCG and arguably the best in Franklin County for the better part of four decades. She is a 14-time women’s club champion and has won countless other team and individual titles during her storied career. She also has six career aces, three of them at CCG.
Canon continued to play the game despite suffering from an autoimmune illness in December 2005 that left her paralyzed and unable to see or speak. She made a remarkable recovery and resumed playing in April 2006. She still carries a 10-handicap today, after being as low as a 4. Her low round at CCG is a 72 in 1999.
Off the course, Canon may have an even bigger impact at CCG. She served on the club’s Board of Directors and was its membership chairperson for 18 years apiece, was a member of the 200 Club Committee for 25 years, is a past president and tournament chairperson of the 18-hole women’s league, and past chairperson of the women’s league and junior golf program.
“I love the place,” said Canon. “I’ve always said that if I got a membership somewhere else for free, I’d turn it down and pay to be a member at the Country Club. That’s how much I love the club.”
Canon and her husband, Bill, have been married for 52 years. They have one son, John.
Canon, a member of CCG for 44 years, took her first golf lessons from Mac Sennett, the other local honoree.
Born Clarence J. Sennett, he served as the head pro at CCG from 1928 to 1969 and was widely regarded as an immensely talented player, as well as an ardent supporter of women and juniors who wanted to learn how to play the game.
The Troy, N.Y., native fired a then-record 66 at the club in 1935 — a record that held up until Jim Ruschioni fired a 9-under 63 on Sept. 11, 2001.
While he was still living, Sennett was the guest of honor at the Western Mass. Tee Party in 1959.
“He was great guy,” recalled Canon. “He was such a gentleman. My dad knew him really well and had nothing but good things to say about him. I always felt lucky to have known him.”
The other members of the Hall of Fame class include Amherst native Shawn (Chalmers) Durocher, an assistant pro at Cyprian Keyes GC in Boylston; Longmeadow native and 1993 Massachusetts Amateur champion Flynt Lincoln; Easthampton native and current resident Ray Magdelenski, one of the top area golfers in in the valley for decades; Chicopee native Bob O’Neill, a 42-year PGA pro (the last 29 at Ludlow CC); the late Art House, who was head professional at Ludlow CC for 43 years; and the late Stan Kogut, a 30-year course superintendent at Ludlow.