By: Stephen Hanjack
KINGSTON, Massachusetts (August 10, 2026) – The photo gallery from the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship, held earlier this year at Indian Pond Country Club, was filled with competitors in winter hats and hoodies. On Monday, things couldn’t have looked more different for the Massachusetts Net Four-Ball Championship, with polos popped an extra button wider and the Snack Shack lined with players seeking anything, and everything, on ice.
On the course, it was the side of Philip Joy (North Hill CC) and Philip Roberts (Green Harbor GC) that brought the heat. Leaning on three, second-nine net eagles, the duo put together a round of 62 (-10), good for a 1-stroke victory.
Mass Golf’s youngest championship, the Net Four-Ball Championship, was revived last season and is among the most popular events on the Mass Golf schedule. This year’s field was made up of 160 players (80 sides), using random lottery to manage the demand. Each team consists of two male Mass Golf members at least 21 years old with Handicap Indexes between 8.1–18.0, playing at 85% of their 12-month low index.
In the morning, the team of Philip Joy and Philip Roberts overcame a slow start before hunting down the early leaders. Teeing off on their sixth hole (No. 15) of the day, Joy and Roberts were just 1-under-par. But much like the temperature outside, that’s when Joy got hot. He proceeded to rattle off three-straight net birdies before making a net eagle on their 11th hole (No. 2).
Even with the mid-round hot streak, Joy and Roberts were still 3-back of the morning lead (9-under). Playing their 16th hole (No. 7), Joy then cashed in on yet another net eagle, making a 2 on the 133-yard par-3.
Perhaps feeling left out, Roberts then made easy work of the next hole, two-putting his way to a net eagle on the reachable par-5. Roberts then finished off the round with a clutch 5-net-4 on the final hole, securing a morning wave lead of 10-under par.
Flipping to the afternoon wave, teams had the tradeoff of tougher (hotter) conditions, but knowledge of what the target score might be.
One side that wasted no time stacking birdies was David and Gregory Wyman, who opened with a flurry of 5-straight to start their round. Unable to sustain the early run, their efforts eventually fizzled on the back nine.
The next side to make noise was Nick Ives and Paul Keenan (Olde Scotland Links), who like Joy and Roberts, tallied back-to-back net eagles (Nos. 11-12) to shoot up the leaderboard and get within two of the clubhouse lead. Unfortunately though, their round unraveled with a double-bogey on 14.
A few other sides got within shouting distance, but no side was able to finish the job. For Joy and Roberts, the score of 10-under was just enough, and after a 6-hour wait, were finally able to celebrate wherever their afternoon took them.
Next Up: Attention shifts to the Massachusetts Women’s Amateur, with Round 2 taking place Tuesday morning at Oak Hill Country Club. Read: Mass Women’s Am Day 1 Recap
Located in Kingston on the South Shore, Indian Pond Country Club is one of the younger venues to host Mass Golf championships, having opened in 2001. Even still, Indian Pond has quickly established itself as a championship-caliber test over the past decade, playing host to Mass Golf events every season. Further proving the commitment to championship golf, the club also co-hosted the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship earlier this season, along with Waverly Oaks Golf Club. That event saw Chris Gatcomb and Shane Walsh prevail in a playoff over Matt Parziale and Herbie Aikens.
Other recent championships contested at Indian Pond include the Ouimet Memorial Tournament (2024), Massachusetts Junior Amateur (2021) and Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur (2022).
Dramatically cut into the wooded hills of Kingston, the 18-hole championship course stretches to almost 6,800 yards and has dense rows of trees defining many of the holes. With both the 9th and 18th holes strategically routed back to the clubhouse, the course offers a thrilling theatre for events played in split starting tee format.
