The Annual Holly Hog Invitational Golf Tournament will be held on August 10, 2024 at 8:00am at Holly Ridge.
The Story of the Hog
1999: The InHOGural Hog I
In the spring of 1999, a group of Sandwich HS friends decided to hold a golf tournament and BBQ party that coming summer. It was the first year for most of the group being out of college and the aim was to plan an annual event where friends could come home from all parts of the country and see each other. And so the Hog was born.
With a small field of 15 players, tee times were reserved for July 26, 1999 at the par-3 Holly Ridge Golf Course in Sandwich, MA, entry fees were collected, and the first official Holly Hog Invitational was underway. The following party was held at the Peters’ Estate at 18 Old Forge Road with the pool warm, the beer cold, and John Peters on the grill.
(A quick note on the derivation of the name Holly Hog - The first part, Holly, comes from the name of the golf course, Holly Ridge, on which the tournament is played. The second part Hog, refers to the name of the pond located across the street from the Holly Ridge club house. In the days of past, my brother and his neighborhood friends would taunt me with stories of a monster that lived at the bottom of this pond. This monster came to be known as the Hog Pond Monster and the image created by my brother and his cohorts still haunts me to this very day.)
2000: Holly Hog II - It grows
In the coming months, word spread to others in the Sandwich circle about a second tournament to be held the following summer. Several of the 15 original were able to return, as were some new faces, for a total of 6 foursomes in what was now becoming an annual tradition.
24 Hoggers showed up on July 22, 2000. This marked the first year that the Hog would have shirts made up (made possible through the generous sponsorship of Dan Creedon of DMC-EAM Associates, Inc. and the artwork of Michael Peters).
2001: Holly Hog III - The Year of the Hog T-Shirt
A tradition began to ensue as the popularity of the Holly Hog grew. The third Holly Hog, held on August 18, 2001, was also a success and almost doubled in size again. What was once a small event turned into a large success with the typical golf round at Holly Ridge, the post-party, prizes, tournament t-shirts (generously donated by the Dan Creedons' and once again artwork provided by Michael Peters) and the downright fun of it all.
2002: Holly Hog IV - The Hog Goes Charitable
Holly Hog IV was the culmination of all the past successes and more new faces. With over 50 players, the annual event was held this past summer, on August 10, 2002. As usual, Hoggers reveled in the magic that makes the Holly Hog a wonderful annual event.
2002 was the first year to have a Hogger score in the 50s, with Ben Fleet firing an impressive 4-over par 58 to take medalist honors.
New to this year, a portion of the entry fees and personal donations were made to the James W. Burgund Memorial Fund to benefit cancer research. A decision was also made to continue to choose a charity organization to which to make a contribution from the Hog entry fees on a going forward basis.
2003: Holly Hog V - "I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for quite a while..."
August 9th, 2003 marked the 5th annual Hog. Once again, over 50 players showed up, greeted by grey skies and light rain. We gathered in the club house, unsure of what the day had in store for us. Like true Hoggers, we sent the 1st foursome out to the 1st tee and hoped for the best. Within 30 minutes, the rain stopped, the sun emerged, and Holly Hog V was underway.
This year the Hog chose to donate its funds to the Jack Alves Memorial Scholarship, named in memory of Jack, a Class of 1998 SHS classmate, teammate, and close friend of many of the Hoggers.
2004: Holly Hog VI - The Year of the Tiger
August 7th, 2004 marked the 6th annual Hog. This was the year of the Tiger Woods red Hog shirt as the Hog welcomed 57 players to sunny skies in South Sandwich, MA.
This year the Hog chose to donate its funds to sponsor a young adult diagnosed with cancer from MA to attend a week long camp in Colorado.
2005: Holly Hog VII - Drive for Show, Putt for Dough
The Hog cracked the 60-player mark on August 6th, 2005. Even the sweltering humidity could not keep the Hoggers down, as they turned out sporting the baby-blue Greg Norman wicking Hog shirts.
The Hoggers were introduced to the $5,000 Putting Contest. One lucky Hogger had the chance to make a 50-foot putt for a $5,000 cash prize. Alas, this would not be the year.
This year, the Hog chose as its charity the Jordan Hospital Cancer Center in Plymouth, MA in memory of Joan Delaney.
2006: Holly Hog VIII - Lord Hog's Cup
On August 5th, 2006, nearly 70 players showed up, each adorned with another highly technical, Greg Norman yellow Hog golf shirt. Hog VIII also saw the introduction of what would become a highly sought after, highly coveted symbol of Hogs to come, the Hog Trophy. A tradition had been born, a tradition like none other. Golfers far and wide know of the esteem, courage, and tenacity that the Hog Trophy represents. It was also at Hog VIII when the ceremonial champagne sip from the trophy commenced.
Gary O’Reilly, a newcomer to the Hog, dazzled the field with a record-tying 4-over par 58, equaling the record set 4 years earlier by Hog veteran Ben Fleet.
This year The Hog donated the proceeds to the American Diabetes Association in memory of Walter “Wally” Cosgrove. Wally is the father of 2 long-standing Holly Hoggers, Brian and Marty. Wally was an avid sports fan and a long-time volunteer with the Special Olympics.
2007: Holly Hog IX – “Don’t throw in the towel, we’re nearly at Hog X!”
80 Hoggers and another milestone cracked. On August 4th, 2007, the Hog had officially become a large enough field that for a certain portion of the day, the Holly Ridge Golf Course was 100% filled with the sounds of Hog joy. It was this year that the Hog Marketing Department decided that 6 golf shirts was enough, deciding on a kelly green, embroidered golf bag towel.
And again, this year, Gary O’Reilly showed up to play. Coming off of his triumphant rookie Hog victory, he went out and tied his 2006 low score. In a match up of score cards, Gary edged out Hog newcomer Nick Alfano to earn his spot on the Hog Trophy and in Hog history as the 1st back-to-back medalist. Stories of trick shots were coming from the gallery. His playing partners were left speechless as they limped off the 18th green. O’Reilly, the sole Yankees fan in the field, took it all in stride, humbly accepting his champagne sip from the trophy.
Was the Hog becoming a race for 2nd place?
This year the Hog donated all of its net proceeds to the Eileen M. Ward Rehabilitation Children’s Center, a part of the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape & Islands (RHCI) facility in Sandwich, MA.
This was also the year that the Hog received its first piece of media print. An article ran in the Sandwich Broadsider the week after Hog IX, detailing the history of the Hog and the charitable nature of the organization.
2008: Holly Hog X – The Hog Goes Corporate
This year’s tournament will be held on August 2nd, 2008. A large field is expected.
Over the past year, the Hog decided to take the charitable aspect one step further. In early 2008, the Hog incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the state of Massachusetts. The name of the organization is the Holly Hog Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The goal of The Foundation will be to assist organizations that have a focus on education, youth services, and/or healthcare. To serve that goal, The Foundation is committed to building a substantial endowment through charitable donations stemming from both the golf tournament and ongoing contributions throughout the year.
2009: Holly Hog XI – Shotgun Start!
the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands (RHCI) and the Sandwich High School Holly Hog Scholarship Fund, as well as to the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts / New Hampshire chapter.
2010: Holly Hog XII – The Best Hog Weather Ever?
Hog 12 could potentially have been the best weather to grace the Hog…ever! With a field of 70 players, it was a perfect, 18-team shotgun start. With a first ever $5,000 Hole-in-One contest in place, we once again saw Gary O’Reilly fire a Hog record-tying 58 to take home the medalist honors. The clubhouse was adorned with corporate sponsors and we even had a beverage cart roaming the golf course. Many prizes were raffled, Red Sox tickets were auctioned, Holly Ridge put out a fabulous spread, and the Hog handed out hooded sweatshirts. HHCF will donate a portion of the day’s proceeds to its two long term partners, the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands (RHCI) and the Sandwich High School Holly Hog Scholarship Fund, as well as to the development of the Sandwich Sports Complex.
2011: Holly Hog XIII – Hog 13 on Aug 13
In the spring of 1999, a group of Sandwich HS friends decided to hold a golf tournament and BBQ party that coming summer. It was the first year for most of the group being out of college and the aim was to plan an annual event where friends could come home from all parts of the country and see each other. And so the Hog was born.
With a small field of 15 players, tee times were reserved for July 26, 1999 at the par-3 Holly Ridge Golf Course in Sandwich, MA, entry fees were collected, and the first official Holly Hog Invitational was underway. The following party was held at the Peters’ Estate at 18 Old Forge Road with the pool warm, the beer cold, and John Peters on the grill.
(A quick note on the derivation of the name Holly Hog - The first part, Holly, comes from the name of the golf course, Holly Ridge, on which the tournament is played. The second part Hog, refers to the name of the pond located across the street from the Holly Ridge club house. In the days of past, my brother and his neighborhood friends would taunt me with stories of a monster that lived at the bottom of this pond. This monster came to be known as the Hog Pond Monster and the image created by my brother and his cohorts still haunts me to this very day.)
2000: Holly Hog II - It grows
In the coming months, word spread to others in the Sandwich circle about a second tournament to be held the following summer. Several of the 15 original were able to return, as were some new faces, for a total of 6 foursomes in what was now becoming an annual tradition.
24 Hoggers showed up on July 22, 2000. This marked the first year that the Hog would have shirts made up (made possible through the generous sponsorship of Dan Creedon of DMC-EAM Associates, Inc. and the artwork of Michael Peters).
2001: Holly Hog III - The Year of the Hog T-Shirt
A tradition began to ensue as the popularity of the Holly Hog grew. The third Holly Hog, held on August 18, 2001, was also a success and almost doubled in size again. What was once a small event turned into a large success with the typical golf round at Holly Ridge, the post-party, prizes, tournament t-shirts (generously donated by the Dan Creedons' and once again artwork provided by Michael Peters) and the downright fun of it all.
2002: Holly Hog IV - The Hog Goes Charitable
Holly Hog IV was the culmination of all the past successes and more new faces. With over 50 players, the annual event was held this past summer, on August 10, 2002. As usual, Hoggers reveled in the magic that makes the Holly Hog a wonderful annual event.
2002 was the first year to have a Hogger score in the 50s, with Ben Fleet firing an impressive 4-over par 58 to take medalist honors.
New to this year, a portion of the entry fees and personal donations were made to the James W. Burgund Memorial Fund to benefit cancer research. A decision was also made to continue to choose a charity organization to which to make a contribution from the Hog entry fees on a going forward basis.
2003: Holly Hog V - "I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for quite a while..."
August 9th, 2003 marked the 5th annual Hog. Once again, over 50 players showed up, greeted by grey skies and light rain. We gathered in the club house, unsure of what the day had in store for us. Like true Hoggers, we sent the 1st foursome out to the 1st tee and hoped for the best. Within 30 minutes, the rain stopped, the sun emerged, and Holly Hog V was underway.
This year the Hog chose to donate its funds to the Jack Alves Memorial Scholarship, named in memory of Jack, a Class of 1998 SHS classmate, teammate, and close friend of many of the Hoggers.
2004: Holly Hog VI - The Year of the Tiger
August 7th, 2004 marked the 6th annual Hog. This was the year of the Tiger Woods red Hog shirt as the Hog welcomed 57 players to sunny skies in South Sandwich, MA.
This year the Hog chose to donate its funds to sponsor a young adult diagnosed with cancer from MA to attend a week long camp in Colorado.
2005: Holly Hog VII - Drive for Show, Putt for Dough
The Hog cracked the 60-player mark on August 6th, 2005. Even the sweltering humidity could not keep the Hoggers down, as they turned out sporting the baby-blue Greg Norman wicking Hog shirts.
The Hoggers were introduced to the $5,000 Putting Contest. One lucky Hogger had the chance to make a 50-foot putt for a $5,000 cash prize. Alas, this would not be the year.
This year, the Hog chose as its charity the Jordan Hospital Cancer Center in Plymouth, MA in memory of Joan Delaney.
2006: Holly Hog VIII - Lord Hog's Cup
On August 5th, 2006, nearly 70 players showed up, each adorned with another highly technical, Greg Norman yellow Hog golf shirt. Hog VIII also saw the introduction of what would become a highly sought after, highly coveted symbol of Hogs to come, the Hog Trophy. A tradition had been born, a tradition like none other. Golfers far and wide know of the esteem, courage, and tenacity that the Hog Trophy represents. It was also at Hog VIII when the ceremonial champagne sip from the trophy commenced.
Gary O’Reilly, a newcomer to the Hog, dazzled the field with a record-tying 4-over par 58, equaling the record set 4 years earlier by Hog veteran Ben Fleet.
This year The Hog donated the proceeds to the American Diabetes Association in memory of Walter “Wally” Cosgrove. Wally is the father of 2 long-standing Holly Hoggers, Brian and Marty. Wally was an avid sports fan and a long-time volunteer with the Special Olympics.
2007: Holly Hog IX – “Don’t throw in the towel, we’re nearly at Hog X!”
80 Hoggers and another milestone cracked. On August 4th, 2007, the Hog had officially become a large enough field that for a certain portion of the day, the Holly Ridge Golf Course was 100% filled with the sounds of Hog joy. It was this year that the Hog Marketing Department decided that 6 golf shirts was enough, deciding on a kelly green, embroidered golf bag towel.
And again, this year, Gary O’Reilly showed up to play. Coming off of his triumphant rookie Hog victory, he went out and tied his 2006 low score. In a match up of score cards, Gary edged out Hog newcomer Nick Alfano to earn his spot on the Hog Trophy and in Hog history as the 1st back-to-back medalist. Stories of trick shots were coming from the gallery. His playing partners were left speechless as they limped off the 18th green. O’Reilly, the sole Yankees fan in the field, took it all in stride, humbly accepting his champagne sip from the trophy.
Was the Hog becoming a race for 2nd place?
This year the Hog donated all of its net proceeds to the Eileen M. Ward Rehabilitation Children’s Center, a part of the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape & Islands (RHCI) facility in Sandwich, MA.
This was also the year that the Hog received its first piece of media print. An article ran in the Sandwich Broadsider the week after Hog IX, detailing the history of the Hog and the charitable nature of the organization.
2008: Holly Hog X – The Hog Goes Corporate
This year’s tournament will be held on August 2nd, 2008. A large field is expected.
Over the past year, the Hog decided to take the charitable aspect one step further. In early 2008, the Hog incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the state of Massachusetts. The name of the organization is the Holly Hog Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The goal of The Foundation will be to assist organizations that have a focus on education, youth services, and/or healthcare. To serve that goal, The Foundation is committed to building a substantial endowment through charitable donations stemming from both the golf tournament and ongoing contributions throughout the year.
2009: Holly Hog XI – Shotgun Start!
the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands (RHCI) and the Sandwich High School Holly Hog Scholarship Fund, as well as to the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts / New Hampshire chapter.
2010: Holly Hog XII – The Best Hog Weather Ever?
Hog 12 could potentially have been the best weather to grace the Hog…ever! With a field of 70 players, it was a perfect, 18-team shotgun start. With a first ever $5,000 Hole-in-One contest in place, we once again saw Gary O’Reilly fire a Hog record-tying 58 to take home the medalist honors. The clubhouse was adorned with corporate sponsors and we even had a beverage cart roaming the golf course. Many prizes were raffled, Red Sox tickets were auctioned, Holly Ridge put out a fabulous spread, and the Hog handed out hooded sweatshirts. HHCF will donate a portion of the day’s proceeds to its two long term partners, the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands (RHCI) and the Sandwich High School Holly Hog Scholarship Fund, as well as to the development of the Sandwich Sports Complex.
2011: Holly Hog XIII – Hog 13 on Aug 13
ChampionsThe Holly Hog has two different award categories each year.
The Medalist is the low individual score for the day. The Team award is the low team score for the day. This award is selected via a blind draw, i.e., golfers do not know who is in their foursome until after play is finished. Hog I - 1999 Team: Dan Creedon, III Mike Messier Chris McDermott No Medalist (Archives do not show record of a low individual) Hog II - 2000 Team: John Peters Matt Hickson Ryan McCarthy Greg Jaroszuk Medalist: Terrence Murphy (64) Hog III - 2001 Team: Scott Rubin Ryan McCarthy Tim Shatas Dan Creedon, Jr. Medalist: Ken Wiehe (65) Hog IV - 2002 Team: Sean Creedon Ben Fleet John Bugbee Jamie Coughlin Medalist: Ben Fleet (58) - Holly Hog Record Hog V - 2003 Team: Seann Reardon Marty Cosgrove Mike Andersen Dave Chiaruttini Medalist: Seann Reardon (62) Hog VI - 2004 Team: Ben Fleet Mike Peters Matt Goodwin RJ McGrail Medalist: Kevin Sullivan (63) Hog VII - 2005 Team: Mike Peters Marty Cosgrove Tom O’Connor Brian Lubelczyk Medalist: Dr Rick James (59) Hog VIII - 2006 Team: Gary O’Reilly Justin McCarthy Jim Hoben Medalist: Gary O’Reilly (58) - Ties Holly Hog Record Hog IX - 2007 Team: Gary O’Reilly Eric Burgund Matt Goodwin Matt Livacarri Medalist: Gary O’Reilly (58) - Ties Holly Hog Record Hog X - 2008 Team: Barry Neagle Ted Christiano Jeremy Baker Dan Creedon, III Medalist: Gary O’Reilly (60) Hog XI - 2009 Team: Greg Jaroszuk Eric Burgund Gary O’Reilly Medalist: Gary O’Reilly (58) - Ties Holly Hog Record Hog XII - 2010 Team: Adam Zanelli Paul Grasso Gary Sheehan Michael Cuddy Medalist: Gary O’Reilly (58) - Ties Holly Hog Record Hog XIII - 2011 Team: Brian Peters Paul Hayes Gary O'Reilly Ted Ell Medalists: Ben Fleet (60) - winner by scorecard matchup Gary O’Reilly (60) 2012 Individual – Ryan McCarthy (58) Foursome: Ben Fleet John Peters Sean Tedeschi Kevin MacArthur 2013 Individual – Steve Iannotti (56) Foursome: Ryan McCarthy Steve Iannotti Nicholas Ochoa Michael Drew |