Started in 1934, Whirlaway Golf Center is the oldest single family owned range in the country. It was later established as the Riverside Golf Range by Golf Pro "Saco" Kazanjian.

Read our entire history in a 2001 Golf Range Magazine below!
4TH GENERATION OWNERS THE KAZANJIAN FAMILY WHIRLAWAY GOLF CENTER, METHUEN, MASSACHUSETTS
BY STEVEN J. DI COSTANZO
Golf Range Magazine, January/February 2001


It was an offhand remark made by Mark Kazanjian at the Las Vegas PGA Show, "Did you know that our golf range in Massachusetts is now into its' fourth generation of family involvement. Four generations? We've covered in the past golf range family empires like the Troys of Chicago, the Scallys of Pittsburgh and the Fisks, also of Massachusetts. But four generations? Surely there was a story here, and indeed, what a fascinating story it is. A tale of a family, emigrated to America in the late 1800s from Armenia. A tale of a family, finding their way in this country through the tough days of the Depression and World War II, to a better time where sheer perseverance, foresight and determination have led to the present Whirlaway Golf Center.

Rose Kazanjian & Her Six Boys
The tale begins, according to Mark Kazanjian, with his grandmother Rose, the matriarch of the Kazanjian clan and the six Kazanjian boys: George, Arthur, Victor, Joe ("Saco"), Casey and Harold. Back in the 1920s, there was a 9-hole golf course carved out of a potato farm called Loch Haven that Mark's father, Joe (Saco) worked at as a 12 year old, and Saco's older brother, George, ran as the head pro. With the shadow of the 1929 Wall Street crash hanging over the country, Loch Haven was a victim of the economic times and went bankrupt.


In 1934, risk-taking Rose, unbeknownst to anyone, decided to mortgage the family house and purchase a 10-acre tract of the old golf course. Said Mark, "My grandfather wanted to kill my grandmother over this one. But it was in keeping with her character. If she lived today she would probably own half of Methuen!"

Carving out the range from three of the old golf holes, George managed the place and Saco worked when free time from school would allow. Mark relays the story, as related to him by Saco.

"My brother George ran the place for two years, but left to get a real job. There just was really no business back then. In 1934, I left school in the 10th grade and took over the place. We built a teeline that was basically clay, and I bought 500 golf balls at 2¢ apiece. We named the place Riverside Golf Center after the Merrimack River, which flowed across the dirt road."


Saco went on to explain, "The only people who played golf back then were the doctors and lawyers in town. We sold a basket of balls for 25¢ and to pick up a little tip I would help tee up the ball on those old-style 'carrot' tees. I can vividly remember several of our best customers because they really helped our family. For example, Dr. Hoffman, a distinguished older gentleman, was like a godfather to us. He would hit balls here and we would barter medical check-ups. Dr. Bersil, a dentist, did the same for dental work, and Dr. Rosenberg, a lawyer, did the same for legal work."


World War II Intervenes: "Saving Private Kazanjian"
During WWII, four out of the six brothers saw battle, and Riverside Golf Center was closed. Saco was in the Engineer Corps in the China, Burma, India theater. Against all odds, every brother returned back to the U.S. after the war, and the place reopened in 1947 with a twist. The Town of Methuen would give a seasonal liquor license to that family with the most sons who fought in the war. Was it any contest? With the brothers all pitching in, the family built a 40 ft. by 30 ft. lounge next door to the 10 ft. by 10 ft. kerosene-heated "shack" that served as the office for the range.