Joe & Jennifer O'Connor - Owners
The O’Connor’s are excited to be joining the Holly Ridge family. Together they bring over forty-five years of golf experience and expertise to the facility. Both Jennifer and Joe are PGA members who are committed to making the game enjoyable for golfers of all abilities. Their golf background includes providing excellent customer service, facility and staff management, teaching and tournament operations.
Originally from Peabody, MA, Jennifer is excited about returning home after serving as PGA Head Professional at Northland Country Club in Duluth MN, and Prouts Neck Country Club in Scarborough, ME. In addition, she served as first assistant at Glastonbury Hills Country Club, Fox Hopyard Golf Club and The Country Club in Brookline.
Joe spent the past twenty seven years serving the membership of Northland Country Club as Head Golf Professional and General Manager, where he was responsible for entire club operations including food and beverage and golf course maintenance and renovations.
Their commitment to the golfers they serve and the game they love is ongoing as both Joe and Jennifer also serve as adjunct faculty members for the Education Department of the PGA of America, mentoring aspiring golf professionals who share their passion for golf. In addition, they have both taken an active role in the governance of the PGA association by serving on various committees and boards on the section level to help ensure the health and vitality of our game and those who enjoy it.
Joe and Jennifer look forward to carrying on the many traditions that have been established at Holly Ridge. They look forward to meeting you and ensuring that your experience at the Holly Ridge Golf Club is enjoyable and fun.
Darren Falk - Director of Instruction
Darren grew up in Walden, NY and was introduced to golf by his father, an avid golfer, at the age of 5. He began working at a local golf course in high school and quickly fell in love with the golf club environment. After deciding that a career in golf was something he wanted to pursue, he enrolled at Campbell University and graduated with a degree in Professional Golf Management. As an intern, Darren worked at The Tuxedo Club (Tuxedo Park, NY), Rockrimmon Country Club (Stanford, CT) and at The Country Club (Brookline, MA).
Following his final internship, Darren joined Prouts Neck Country Club (Scarborough, ME) as the First Assistant. He also worked seasonally in Florida at The Bears (Jupiter, FL) and The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Jupiter. Darren also served as First Assistant at Black Hall Club (Old Lyme, CT) and most recently at Chevy Chase Club (Chevy Chase, MD).
Darren joins the Holly Ridge team with a real passion to grow the game of golf through instruction. He continues to educate himself by staying up to date with the latest in teaching practices and technology and attending various instructional seminars throughout the year. He enjoys working with golfers of all ages and abilities.
Matt Cornuet - Golf Course Superintendent
Matt was born in Hampton, VA and grew up playing junior golf in the Tidewater area. After moving to Central Florida in high school, Matt was recruited to play golf at Saint Leo University, where his parents are Alumni. He studied Business Management, minored in Economics, and gave the Lions their first individual NCAA Div. II regional appearance.
Matt met his wife, Kristi, freshman year of college. They lived in Charlotte, NC for 5 years where Matt’s career started in Turf Maintenance. About 5 years ago, Matt and Kristi decided to move back to her hometown of Onset, MA. He landed an assistant superintendent position at The Cape Club in Falmouth. He participated in a full course redesign and installation of a new Rainbird irrigation system. Matt was most recently with Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, where he spent 4 seasons as the assistant superintendent. Matt and his 6-month old English Lab "LARRY" look forward to seeing you on the course!
Sherry Makerney - Golf Professional
Sherry Makerney is an LPGA Class A golf professional with a passion for teaching and coaching golf.
Sherry grew up in Texas, played collegiate golf at the University of Northern Colorado, and has worked in the golf industry for twenty-five years. She worked as a teaching professional at the Chuck Cook Golf Academy and Hank Haney Golf Ranch in Austin Texas and Golf Digest Schools in Palm Beach Gardens Florida before moving to New England in 2006. Sherry spent the past fourteen years as the Head Golf Coach at Wellesley College and a teaching professional at Wellesley Country Club. Sherry moved to Sandwich with her family in 2020 and is excited to be a part of the Cape Cod golf community.
