Brookline High's golf team will switch to stroke play in fall 2027 under a sweeping overhaul approved by the state's governing body for high school sports.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Board of Directors voted 17-0 on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at a virtual meeting to adopt the new scoring and postseason format. The Boston Globe first reported the vote and the details of the new structure.
The change eliminates the patchwork of scoring systems that currently varies by league across the state. Match play, Stableford and modified Stableford formats will all be banned. Every program, including those in the Bay State Conference, will use stroke play.
A statewide ratings system will rank individuals and teams based on scores, course ratings and slope. Only a golfer's top 10 regular-season scores will count. A maximum score of double-par-plus-one on any hole will keep meets moving.
"This was an attempt to get away from a sectional model and go to a statewide model like we have with other sports," MIAA assistant director Phil Napolitano said at the meeting. He added that the change could bring more attention to high school golf.
The postseason gets a complete redesign. Sectionals are gone. Five divisional meets will replace them, with the top 14 teams per division qualifying based on the new rankings. Division winners and the next eight highest-ranked teams advance to the All-State championship.
Steve Burndrett, the Lynnfield athletic director who presented the proposal, responded to a concern from Quaboag athletic director Dave Bouchard about whether playing on an easier home course could hurt a team's ranking. Burndrett said playing away matches on tougher courses would also boost a team's numbers, and noted that only the top 10 scores count.
The MIAA has not yet named an official rankings provider. The organization is considering iWanamaker, a platform used in 25 states including Connecticut.
Brookline High competes in the Bay State Conference. The new format takes effect in fall 2027.
