By Steve Derderian
sderderian@massgolf.org
NORTON, Massachusetts (October 20, 2026) – When Joe Peters first told Tom Giffin that he was a “tech guy,” Giffin had little idea what exactly that entailed. As it turns out, the longtime Mass Golf volunteer had a knack for technology that would eventually transform the association’s entire course rating operation.
Peters has served as captain of the Greater Boston/North Shore region since 2024. In that relatively short time, he has developed new tools, produced training videos, and helped streamline a process that requires precision and consistency across hundreds of golf course tee sets.
Those efforts, combined with more than a decade of volunteer service, have made Peters a well-worthy recipient of this year’s Andrew J. Blau Volunteer of the Year Award, recognizing his innovative contributions to Mass Golf’s Course Rating Program.
During his acceptance speech, Peters recalled first learning about course rating from Art Phillips, while caddying for him years ago. That introduction eventually led to an opportunity to give back to a game that had already given him so much.
“I think the thing that makes golf different from a lot of other activities we do is we all have a sense of stewardship, paying it forward,” said Peters, a longtime member of Winchester Country Club. “There are dozens, probably hundreds, of volunteers that are worthy of recognition. I’m just humbled and grateful to receive this award.”
Online: Volunteer of the Year Award | Mass Golf Home
Peters’ most significant contributions began at the end of 2023, when Giffin approached him about replacing the outgoing regional captain, George Thompson, the Volunteer of the Year in 2021. After accepting the role, Peters met with Giffin to discuss ways to improve the information volunteers receive before conducting a full course rating.
About a month later, Peters introduced an intricate Excel spreadsheet that could take preliminary course data and automatically generate the forms used by rating teams for both men and women.
“I didn’t even realize that was possible for something to be so efficient and accurate,” said Giffin, Mass Golf’s Manager of Course Rating and Services, when the award was presented at the Mass Golf Annual Meeting on October 15 at TPC Boston.
“He’s really been that rising tide that’s helped elevate our course rating program to a level that we’ve obviously never seen before.”
The spreadsheet was implemented statewide in 2024, immediately improving efficiency and helping ensure that course obstacles were evaluated consistently across different tee sets.
Recognizing another opportunity to elevate the program, Peters produced professional-quality training videos, complete with drone footage, to help volunteers better understand the course rating process. Giffin shared them with Joe Sprague, a former Mass Golf executive director now serving as Regional Collaboration & Strategy Director, who praised their production quality, comparing them favorably to videos produced by the USGA.
During the winter of 2024-25, Peters took his technological expertise another step further, designing and coding an entirely new Mass Golf Course Rating website.
The platform incorporated the functionality of his original spreadsheet, allowing preliminary data to be entered online and customized rating forms to be generated with the click of a button. It also became a central resource for training materials and coordinating ratings. The website now supports the course rating operation throughout Massachusetts and has also been used for about a dozen ratings in Vermont.
Beyond his work behind a computer, Peters has participated in more than 50 preliminary or full course ratings over the past three years. Giffin also praised his patience and willingness to mentor new volunteers, helping them become comfortable with the technical aspects of rating a golf course.
“I would argue that there’s nobody in the United States that’s done more as a volunteer to elevate the course rating program in their specific association and region than Joe,” Giffin said.
This Andrew J. Blau Volunteer of the Year Award was established in 2012 to honor Andy Blau, a Mass Golf volunteer for nearly 30 years who passed away in January 2010. Through the years, he served as a volunteer for nearly every department of the organization including championships, course rating, handicapping, junior golf and communications.
Andy was instrumental in creating the Mass Golf Rules Official manual and even has a starter’s box – The Blau Box – named in his honor. His dedication, enthusiasm, attention to detail and unmatched spirit and commitment to Mass Golf is celebrated with this award. It is meant to honor volunteers from Mass Golf who demonstrate outstanding service and who help guide, lead and develop other volunteers.
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