Ryan Warner, 13, of Beacon Falls won the Frank Kringle PGA Junior Championship in the 9 Hole Division held in Westfield, Mass. recently. Ryan shot a one over par 37 to earn his first championship win. CONTRIBUTED

“I have been working on my putting and chip shots,” Warner said. “Each tournament I have been able to knock a few more strokes off my game. At the last tournament the field was pretty competitive. But, I finished up strong and it certainly was a great feeling to win the championship.”

Ryan was in a battle with Jonathan Farrell of Feeding Hills, Mass. for the title. Farrell jumped out to an early lead after shooting a birdie on the first hole of the match.

Warner came storming back with some solid play down the back stretch. Ryan hit a birdie on the 15th hole and then went on to par the final three holes to win the championship in a match of cards with Farrell.

Warner, 13, is the son of Bob and Melissa Warner of Beacon Falls and was playing in his eighth tournament of the season.

On June 27, Ryan played in his first tournament of the season at the Ellington Ridge Memorial. Warner posted a score of a 12 shots over par but continually brought his scores down over the following seven tournaments.

Ryan began taking up golf seriously last year and takes lessons at Stony Hill in Bethel. His love for the game comes from his dad, and the father and son duo have formed a close bonding experience through the game of golf.

“My dad has really helped me to improve my game tremendously,” Ryan said. “Usually when I play against him I’m only a stroke or two behind him.”

In the fall, Ryan will look to continue improving on the links as a Hawk.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to learn the game. Next year, when I go to Woodland High School, I will be ready to go out for the golf team,” he said.

Although college is still a few years away, Ryan can see himself on the links at the collegiate level. However, the young golfer has his priorities in order.

“I would like to go on and play in college,” Ryan said. “But the main thing is to get a good education and enjoy the game of golf in the process.”

Naugatuck took home sixth place under head coach Craig Blanchard at the NVL championships held at Crestbrook Country Club in Watertown. The Hawks finished right behind the Greyhounds at seventh place.

“We had a good season,” Blanchard said. “We had four seniors leading the way in captains Tim Fleck and Mike Leona along with Aaron Johnson and Collin Waldron. We did defeat Watertown during the regular season by six shots and had awesome rounds from Johnson with a 41 and Nick Tribanas who got his first medalist honors shooting a 40.”

Wolcott took the top honors at the championships with a team score of 323. Watertown and Holy Cross finished tied for second shooting a 333. Naugatuck shot a 382, as Woodland posted a 384.

Johnson led the way for Naugatuck with a 94, followed by Tribanas with a 95, Fleck at 96, Leona at 97 and Waldron with a 108.

“We played Wolcott during the regular season and lost by eight strokes,” Blanchard said. “Even in the loss Fleck was outstanding shooting a 38 to keep us in the match. Tim closed out the regular season shooting a par 36 against Crosby and won all division (Copper) honors in the NVL.”

The Hawks under head coach Ross Cooper fell two shoots off the pace of the Greyhounds in the NVL championships. Anthony Memoli led the Hawks with an 85 at the championships, just missing out on top ten honors.

Falling in behind Memoli for Woodland was Mike Segala with a 92, Pat O’Dell with a 98, Andrew O’Dell with a 109 and Matt Greggis with a 115.

With this season in the books, Blanchard took a moment to look ahead to next year.

“We will have a solid group back next year led by captains Tribanas and Matt Schumacher, along with Ty Sounanthanum, Brendon Waldron, Jordan Bronko and Dan Capone.” Blanchard said. “I think next year will definitely be a challenge for us. We have some critical matches against Wolcott, Watertown and St. Paul and they will all be at their place so we will have our work cut out for us.”

The borough allocated the public course about $395,000 for this fiscal year that ends June 30, and plans to allocate the same amount next fiscal year. But the true costs of operating the golf course are considerably higher when employee pensions, insurance and other benefits are factored in. Although the course took in more than $456,000 in the 2010 calendar year, it lost $60,000 in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010, Controller Wayne McAllister said.

The course employs a head greenskeeper, a supervisor and a maintenance worker, all of whom are members of AFSCME Local 1303-02, the Public Works union.

Costs for other items are increasing as well, such as seed for the grass, sand for the sand traps and fuel for maintenance machinery and golf carts, Pro Shop Manager Paul Grant said.

“They tell us that we’ve been losing money for the past three years,” Grant said.

The Golf Course Commission wrote a survey, distributed over the past week, to ask golfers how they would like fees to be raised. The three options are: Increasing yearly membership fees by $100 and raising daily rates by $2; increasing the yearly membership by $50 and daily rates by $1 each year for the next two years; or implementing a surcharge of $1 per round. The fourth option is to write in a suggestion.

The Board of Finance has repeatedly asked the commission increase fees until they are comparable to nearby golf courses, Mayor Robert A. Mezzo said. If the commission refuses, Mezzo and some burgesses who sit in on the Board of Finance budget workshops said they would consider amending the ordinance that gives the commission the authority to set the fees. That power would then be given to the borough board or some other entity, Mezzo said.

Borough residents pay $460 for an annual golf course membership, while teens and seniors pay $360.

Out-of-towners pay $860, while teens and seniors from other towns pay $660. The most comparable neighboring course, Farmingbury Hills in Wolcott, charges $650 for residents, $475 for resident seniors, $780 for non-residents and $565 for non-resident seniors, with a surcharge of $1.50 per round, according to a survey the borough conducted. Other courses were more expensive, with Oxford Greens charging $2,600 for a membership.

Hop Brook’s nine-hole daily fees are also lower than nearby courses, charging $12 or $14 for residents depending on age and $16 or $18 for non-residents.

The most comparable course, Hawk’s Landing in Southington, charges $15 weekdays and $17 on weekends. Fees increased from there up to Oxford Green’s $45 weekday and $65 weekend fees.

Some residents at Monday’s budget hearing said they wanted the borough to sell the course to a private company.

“You don’t run a business if you’re planning on losing money,” said David Cronin, who recently stepped down as Taxpayers In Revolt president. “Why should we be putting money in for something that’s going down the tubes?”

The Naugatuck golf team is 7-4 nearing the end of the Naugatuck Valley League regular season, and head coach Craig Blanchard is happy with his guys.

“The guys have played well recently,” Blanchard said. “I’ve been pleased.”

On Monday, the ‘Hounds squared off with Woodland in a non-league exhibition match that Naugatuck won, 174-197, in poor conditions.

Naugy was led by Tim Fleck, who shot a 40 to earn the medal. Nick Tribanas followed with a 42 while Aaron Johnson shot a 45.

“The guys played OK,” Blanchard said. “It was typical of the weather that we had.”

For Woodland, Anthony Memoli shot a 43 while Mike Segala turned in a 44, Pat O’Dell carded a 45, and Steve Symolon shot a 65.

Blanchard praised Memoli, who has been Woodland’s leader throughout the season.

“Anthony’s a good golfer,” Blanchard said. “I was happy to win, but I was happy to see another golfer do well.”

On Tuesday, Naugatuck put up a strong fight against undefeated Wolcott, but lost, 168-176. Fleck shot a season-best 38 at Hop Brook while Tribanas and Johnson each carded a 45. Mike Leona and Colin Waldron turned in a pair of 48s.

“We were close,” Blanchard said. “That’s a closer match than I anticipated. Wolcott found Hop Brook a little tougher than they’re used to.”

Though Naugy is 3-3 in its last six matches, Blanchard has been encouraged by the quality of golf his team has played, especially after a win over Watertown on May 5.

“Overall I’ve gotta be happy with the season,” Blanchard said. “They defeated Sacred Heart and Watertown, which was a big match for the team.”

Woodland, meanwhile, fell to 5-10 on the season with losses to Northwestern and Thomaston/Wamogo on Tuesday. The Hawks shot a 212 compared to Northwestern’s 168 and Thomaston/Wamogo’s 170. Memoli led the team with a 40 while Pat O’Dell carded a 48, Matt Greggis shot a 60, and Andrew O’Dell turned in a 64.

Woodland hosted Wolcott today and will competein the Chappa Tournament on Thursday. Naugy hosted Crosby today on will play in the Chappa Tournament as well.

The NVL championships are scheduled for June 2 at the Watertown Country Club. Blanchard thinks Holy Cross and Watertown may have a bit of a home-course advantage heading into the tournament but thinks the Greyhounds have a chance to make their presence felt.

“Holy Cross has a couple of guys who play out of that club, so I think they have a little advantage,” Blanchard said. “If we play well and a couple of guys shoot well, we have a chance to squeeze into fourth or third place. You never know.”

Key matches loom for the Greyhounds, who will host St. Paul and Watertown this week with a chance to put themselves in the thick of the Naugatuck Valley League title race.

“The big test is going to be this week,” Naugy head coach Craig Blanchard said. “If we can beat [St. Paul and Watertown] the match against Holy Cross will be a big match.”

Blanchard was referring to a home match at Hop Brook against the Crusaders on May 10. Before then, the Greyhounds were slated to play three league matches—St. Paul on Wednesday, Watertown on Thursday and at Wilby on Monday.

In the first meeting between the Crusaders and Greyhounds on Tuesday, Holy Cross beat Naugatuck, 158-178, at Western Hills. Mike Leona led the team with a 43, while Tim Fleck, Nick Tribanas, and Aaron Johnson each shot a 45.

So far, the Greyhounds (3-3) have received solid play from numerous players. Fleck, the team’s top returning senior entering the season, has posted four rounds in the 40s, including a medalist performance against Kennedy on April 13 at Western Hills.

Leona, another important senior, has been impressive lately. Leona shot a team-best 41 at Torrington on April 18, then followed up with the squad’s top round—a 45—against Woodland a week later.

The ‘Hounds have also received some timely play from Tribanas, a newcomer who posted three straight rounds in the 40s. Tribanas has stepped up while others have been out of the lineup.

Tribanas’ future appears bright.

“Nick is going to be a good player for Naugatuck,” Blanchard said.

Also in the mix for Naugatuck are two seniors, Johnson and Colin Waldron. Both can shoot in the 40s and will be called upon to contribute as Naugatuck as the NVL season progresses.

This week, Blanchard said he expects to have a “home-field” advantage in the team’s home matches.

“Both St. Paul and Watertown play on more open courses,” Blanchard said. “You can get in trouble off the tee easily at Hop Brook.”

While any home-course edge may give Naugatuck a five- or six-shot cushion, it will still come down to executing for the Greyhounds.

To keep the level of competitiveness up for the 15-member Greyhounds team, Blanchard has been holding weekly qualifying matches within the team. The concept is simple: If a player wants to be a part of the varsity matches, he has to score well in practice and be on the top of his game.

More importantly, if a player didn’t qualify one week, he can qualify the next. There’s a constant opportunity for players.

“If you work on your game and practice,” Blanchard said, “you might make it the next week.

One thing is clear: The coming week will be less about practice and more about performing in match play. After this week, we’ll know what kind of team we have.”

“We’re improving,” Cooper said on Monday evening following a loss to Holy Cross at Western Hills.

Despite the 163-183 loss to the Crusaders, three of Woodland’s top four golfers shot a 46 or lower. Senior Anthony Memoli shot a team-best 42 on the par-36, nine-hole stretch on the Waterbury course.

Memoli, who plans to play golf at Post University next year, has been the Hawks’ best player in the first four matches. He shot a 43 and was the medalist in Woodland’s match against Naugatuck on April 21 at Oxford Greens.

“Anthony has been the best player I’ve had as a head coach,” said Cooper, now in his fourth season at the helm for Woodland. “He’s capable of shooting in the 30s.”

In his other two matches, Memoli shot a 40 against Torrington at Oxford Greens and 41 against St. Paul at Chipanee. Cooper said he has been working closely with Memoli on his drives.

“Anthony can hit the ball a ton and he’s pretty good around the green,” Cooper said. “He’s also a real student of the game and is easy to coach.”

On Monday, Mike Segala, an upstart junior, shot a 45 and senior Nick Veneri posted a 46 for the Hawks, who have also faced Sacred Heart, Naugatuck and St. Paul thus far. Cooper spoke highly of Segala and Veneri.

“Mike has been consistently good,” Cooper said. Segala carded his best round of the season to date on Monday.

Veneri has been in the 40s in three of his first four rounds and has been Woodland’s second-leading scorer twice. Segala has posted the Hawks’ second-best score in the team’s other two matches.

“These guys really haven’t hit their strides yet,” Cooper said.

Senior Kyle Mascoli (50) and junior Pat O’Dell (54) also participated for the Hawks on Monday.

Mascoli was described by Cooper as being an important member of the team. His leadership is constantly on display during practice and on match days, Cooper said.

O’Dell continues to work on his game and could become more of a factor down the stretch.

“I have faith Pat’s game will improve with practice,” Cooper said.

And that’s the theme of the first part of the season—getting better. Cooper said the goals are clear: Get the team’s scoring average below 180 per match, qualify for state tournament play and finish at or better than .500.

“We’re getting close, and we should hold our heads high, win or lose,” Cooper said.

On Tuesday, Woodland lost to perennial power Torrington, 165-205. Memoli led the team with a 40, while Mascoli carded a 52 and the O’Dell brothers, Pat and Andrew, turned in a pair of 56s.

Woodland was set to host Northwestern on Wednesday at Oxford Greens before playing at Shepaug Valley on Thursday and at Watertown on Tuesday.

The past, though, is the past, said Blanchard.

“So far away,” he said.

Blanchard did recall a particular victory over Sacred Heart enthusiastically, since the Hearts had beaten Naugatuck earlier in the season last year. His sights were set more on the future though he, asserting comically, no longer made predictions on whom the team will beat or how the players are going to perform.

“Well, obviously we’d like to perform better than we did last year,” Blanchard said. “I have a lot of seniors returning and that’ll be good. I’ve got two senior captains returning and they’re pretty good players.”

Tim Fleck and Mike Leona, the two senior captains, will both play the No. 1 spot, interchanging every other match. Aaron Johnson is looking like a solid candidate for the No. 3 position, so long as he, as he has been working to do, “improves a little bit and plays his game just a little bit better,” said Blanchard.

Blanchard is currently looking for a four and five to compliment the first three, but it is simply too early in the season to make the call.

Despite the weight that Fleck and Leona pull for the team, Blanchard is adamant that those two can’t carry the whole squad.

“You can’t depend on a number one and a number two,” Blanchard said. “You’re only as strong as your weakest link. It really comes down to four of the five guys that you play—and maybe even five of the five—have to be pretty decent to beat teams like Holy Cross, Watertown or Wolcott.”

This is not to mention that the last team on that list, the league champion of last year, will have all its players returning. Blanchard cited some other disadvantages for Naugatuck, including how “perennial teams”—like Holy Cross—have many players who are also members of the Watertown Golf Club as the players, though attending privately at Holy Cross, reside in Watertown. In addition, the Watertown team plays out of Crestbrook, which runs a fairly large program out of its 18-hole facility. Naugatuck continues to pay gratitude to Hop Brook, where the team regularly practices.

In the end, past seasons, future predictions, and certain disadvantages have to give way to the game itself which, for Blanchard, comes down to the fact that a player is only as good as his short game.

“Chipping and putting,” Blanchard said. “You can hit a 300-yard drive and then miss a three-foot putt, and they both count the same.

You don’t have to be Godzilla and hit it a long way, but you have to make that three or four-foot putt every time.

“We’re going to try to do our best,” Blanchard added. “Always do.”

The Greyhounds are set to start their season on April 13 against Kennedy at Western Hills.

Last year, Woodland was plagued by injuries. No. 1 player Anthony Memoli—who Cooper called “crucial” to the Hawks’ chances this year—was hurt as a junior. Another key player, Kyle Mascoli, suffered from both back problems and shoulder issues, which severely affected his game.

“We just didn’t have a lot of depth,” Cooper said of his team last season. “Our record was 7-9, so that was our worst record in a long time. Last year was really a building year. This year we should be a lot better.”

Cooper’s optimism is grounded in part to the fact that Memoli is fully recovered, strong, and playing his best game ever.

“He’s our number one, without doubt, and he’s going to be the anchor that holds the ship in place,” Cooper said. “He works really hard and it shows. His game is beyond my ability, at this point. But where I can help him is in the mental part of the game—his approach.”

Cooper emphasizes the short game. The focus of every day is putting, and his drills for daily practice revolve around it.

At the same time, he recognizes that Woodland’s home course, Oxford Greens, is a very long course, requiring a second shot that is longer than usual. Regardless, Cooper remained confident in his ability to help Memoli and company with their approach to that aspect of the game.

Cooper thinks this season can be another opportunity for the program to take a step forward with a strong core of returning players and opportunities to use different courses.

“Our program continues to grow and develop,” Cooper said. He said he enjoys Oxford Greens, the Pomperaug Golf Course, and especially Highland Greens, a supporter from the very beginning and where the team “really works the short game.”

Woodland’s No. 2 player, senior Nick Veneri, has been the team’s “unsung hero” for the past few years, Cooper said, and his skills are expected to shine through this season especially. The roster is rounded out by Mascoli, fully recovered as a senior, and juniors Pat O’Dell and Matt Greggis.

O’Dell’s younger brother, Andrew, is currently a freshman and a legitimate candidate for the No. 5 spot as well.

Cooper is looking forward to a great season with the goal of helping his team become mentally stronger and playing the course rather than the opponent. Because Woodland was below .500 last year, balancing the win-loss margin is another huge endeavor for the program.

“There are certain teams we like to beat,” Cooper added, “but the NVL is very competitive. Our goal match-to-match is to, as a team, score 180 or less. That’s our goal.”

Woodland is set to tee off the regular season on April 13 when it hosts Sacred Heart at Oxford Greens.

For more information, call (203) 720-7066 during pro shop hours or the Public Works Department at (203) 720-7071.

Naugatuck finished match play with a 4-7 overall record, good for a seventh-place tie with Kennedy in the NVL standings. While matches and individual play were up and down throughout season, Blanchard said several players on the team showed progress and had potential to be even better next season.

He came away with one bright spot in particular: the team’s work ethic.

The team played practice rounds on Fridays, something previous Naugy teams rarely did. The team also met to putt for 90 minutes on Sundays.

“They’ve worked very hard,” Blanchard said.

In particular, Blanchard praised the efforts of juniors Tim Fleck and Mike Leona. The two have combined to be a formidable duo in matches.

“Those two guys are our one and two, or two and one depending on the day,” Blanchard said. “There’s maybe a half-shot difference between their average rounds.”

Fleck has been the team’s usual No. 1 player during matches, but Leona has been improving steadily throughout the year.

“Mike plays a lot of golf,” Blanchard said. “He really works on his game and has become a decent putter.”

Blanchard also said he remains hopeful that three more juniors—Anthony Orisini, Chris Reilly and Colin Waldron—will improve during the off-season.

Asked Tuesday about the NVL tournament, Blanchard spoke about some of the top teams, Wolcott, Holy Cross, Torrington and Watertown. And while his team was a middle-of-the-pack squad this year, Blanchard made something more of the league tournament than just playing out the string.

The tournament represents one more chance for the Greyhounds to prove they are better than their record indicates. It’s also a chance for Naugy to face some familiar foes in a neutral setting and make up for regular-season defeats.

“The big test will be how they play out-of-town against teams that beat them,” Blanchard said.