After taking an unorthodox year off from the business, a rejuvenated Mark Mangion is ready to take on a new challenge as a head golf professional.
The 47-year-old Mangion is the new PGA pro at Far Corner golf course in West Boxford, the public facility popular to North Shore players and the only 27-hole layout in the region.
“I’d had some terrific opportunities in my career,” said Mangion. “I got a great start at Bradford, helped Groveland Fairways grow over several years, then had a great 10 years at Haverhill. But I needed to take a pause after 2022, so I stepped back in 2023, needed to take a mental break and get recharged.
“Now I’m ready to go full steam ahead with (GM) Bob Flynn at Far Corner, another wonderful golf center with terrific people. I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my career, knowing full well I’m taking over for a legend, John O’Connor, after his 37 years here.”
Flynn likes Mangion’s “well-roundedness, professionalism with public and private course experience, and the fact he’s a local guy who knows our golfing population at Far Corner.
“Mark is outgoing, friendly and knows how to interact no matter what kind of player, including outing golfers, he might interact with here. Mark should fit in well,” Flynn said.
A Haverhill native, Mangion grew up playing Far Corner, Garrison and Haverhill, played for the Haverhill High golf team, and knew his calling before he graduated.
“I wanted to be a club professional,” Mangion admitted. “That’s why I went right from high school to work for Rick Wolchko at Bradford, getting into the PGA apprentice program right away.”
After taking PGA classes in Buffalo and Port St. Lucie, Fla., Mangion was an accredited PGA assistant pro at Bradford from 1996 to 2002, first under Wolko, then Mike Shoueiry. When Shoueiry (a native of Lebanon) accepted a job in Qatar, Mangion became head pro, a post he held from 2002-04.
He moved on to Groveland Fairways in 2005, a six-year run where he primarily taught at the practice facility before returning to his roots as Haverhill CC assistant pro from 2013-19 and head pro from 2019-22.
“Returning to Haverhill was like a homecoming,” said Mangion, “since I’d been a junior member and my grandfather had been a member. Besides, I’d had a long friendship with Jason Dufresne, the head pro. When Jason left to become No. 1 assistant at Vesper, I became head pro.”
Now he has turned the page once again and hopes to be the ideal successor to O’Connor.
“It’s a great new golf family for me at a special place with 27 holes,” says Mangion. “I intend to provide the level of service expected these days at any course, public or private, taking care of every player that walks onto the Far Corner property. I learned all about making the member experience the very best possible at Haverhill. I plan to provide the same member experience to everyone playing Far Corner.
“We also have a nice big pro shop I hope to enhance come spring.”
Mark and wife Jessica, a real estate agent, are based in Bedford, N.H.