Golf has been in the blood of Chip Ranco for a long time.

Bill Kennedy, Golf Columnist Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

That is because when he was a little kid his family belonged to Penobscot Valley, and he began working there as a 13-year-old. This led him to playing golf for the Orono High School and University of Maine teams, and from there he became a certified golf professional.

He fondly recalls competing in the Maine Open, where he finished sixth one year, plus the Maine Amateur and the Paul Bunyon. He also took note of the fact that he shot a 32 on the back nine at Norway once. He also shot a 65 at Penobscot at age 14.

So, he is a Mainer, but long time removed from the Pine Tree State. Currently he is the head pro at the Haworth Country Club in New Jersey, where he has worked since 2017, becoming its director of golf in 2019.

At Haworth, he has built one of the strongest junior programs in New Jersey, with an emphasis on girls golf. Proof of that is in the fact that in the 2023 New Jersey State Girls Tournament, the teams that finished first, second and third all had players from his junior program.

While Ranco modestly took credit for this, he emphasized that it did not happen overnight. Hard work is his golf formula for success.

“There are no shortcuts in golf,” he said.

Still, his reputation for attracting kids to his junior camps/clinics, and developing their skills is evidenced by the fact that he and his program have been repeatedly recognized by U.S. Kids Golf as far back as 2018, when he was named a Top 50 instructor.

Ranco comes from a very large Maine family, but golf has taken him away from Vacationland. He worked in South Florida for 16 years before being employed in New Jersey starting in 2001. Since then, he was employed at three New Jersey and one New York golf courses before his stint began at Haworth.

He proudly refers to his golf employment start at Penobscot Valley, where he worked on the course during summers and after school. And it is where he won a Maine State Tournament qualifier by shooting a 73, and finished in the top 10 during his junior and senior seasons.

Clearly, his success comes from his Maine roots.

*****

At the 105th Maine Amateur Championship July 9-11, which was played at Purpoodock, several players from local golf courses made the cut. Their total scores and their place finishes are as follows:

Andrew Slattery, formerly of Martindale, now playing out of Portland, finished in an eighth-place tie posting 80-72-70—222 (+9). Joe Baker of Norway with 76-72-72—222 also tied for eighth.

Among players who also made the cut were: Steve Lycette of Martindale, shooting 77-74-75—226 and a tie for 19th. Tied at 29th were Noah Duprey of Point Sebago (75-73-80—228) and Mike Brennan of Norway (75-76-77—228). Tied for 43rd were Jordan Jones of Fox Ridge (78-75=78—231) and former Martindale player Curtis Jordan, now of Portland (75-77-79).

*****

A Maine Golf men’s playday will be July 19 at Sugarloaf.

Bill Kennedy, a retired New Jersey golf writer and editor now residing on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, is in his 12th season as Sun Journal golf columnist.