Page 11 - BusinessWest May 11, 2026

Southwick >>Continued from page 9 and a willingness to try new things to keep the prod-
uct fresh and bring more people to the track — mean-
ing competitors and spectators alike.
Which brings us back to the Woods O’Cross.
“It brings in not just the motocrosser, but the trail
rider as well — you get a good mix of people, and
they had a great time,” Johnson explained, adding
that this was the first new event that organizers have
run, and it drew close to 600 participants. And it was
followed up a few weeks later by another new offer-
ing — a Massachusetts state championship.
“We’ve been racing since the ’70s, and we never
realized that Massachusetts never had a motocross
state champion,” he said, adding that the Wick recti-
fied this with an event that drew good crowds and
hundreds of competitors to the track.
“You have to try things like this; you have to
freshen things up and give people new things to do,”
he explained, adding that the Wick has a full slate of
events on tap for the year.
The Johnsons brought another trait to this venture
— a willingness to re-invest in the facilities and con-
tinually upgrade the facility, known hills and overall
stern challenge.
Indeed, over the years, they’re added a new scor-
ing tower, a new starting line, new irrigation lines
to water the track and make it safer for riders, and
more.
“We’re the only national track in the Northeast,
and we have a reputation, and we have a commit-
ment to maintain the highest level that we can,” he
explained. “When you are national caliber and you’re
“We’ve had the same number of rounds
every year since COVID, which is good.
COVID created a boom, and we were
worried that we couldn’t maintain those
numbers, but we have; it’s been really
good.”
on NBC television (for the nationals), you can’t slack
off, you have to make sure you do it the best you can.”
Round Numbers
“Barns are in ... people want old, rustic, charm.”
With that, Tamburini started to explain why the
Ranch has been doing well on the events side of the
operation’s ledger, specifically weddings.
Indeed, couples are looking for different kinds of
venues these days, and barns have become a popular
choice. The Ranch has two of them — extensively
renovated — that date back to the late 1800s; one
houses the pro shop and restaurant/pub, and the
other is used for functions.
This trend, coupled with a resurgence in gather-
ings following COVID has helped the Ranch put
more events on the calendar, he noted.
“We’re not the busiest venue in Western Mass.,
but we do between 40 and 50 weddings a year, on
average, and probably the same number of other
events, like retirement parties, baby showers, and
bridal showers.”
Tamburini said the Ranch benefits from strong,
hands-on ownership — Pete and Korby Clark and a
partner living in the Boston area — and a team that
has remained intact for the past several years, a rar-
ity in this business.
“We’ve had the same superintendent, the same
event coordinator, the same front-of-house manager,
the same chef,” he said, adding that this continuity
helps the operation provide consistent, high-quality
services, from the course to the event facilities. “At a
golf course, that’s extremely rare; I’ve been around a
little bit, and I know that’s hard to keep the same peo-
ple for an extended period of time in our industry.”
As for the course itself, while it’s pricey — $125
for 18 holes and a cart, peak season, among the high-
est fares in this part of the state — it continues to be
a strong draw, and because it’s semi-private (although
Tamburini doesn’t like that phrase) it’s more play-
able that private venues such as GreatHorse and
Longmeadow.
“We’re a public golf course,” he said, adding that
players can book tee times all seven days of the
week, although there are often tournaments on Mon-
days and early Saturday morning is reserved for
members.
Overall, golf enjoyed a surge from COVID because
so many other activities were put on ice, and the
Ranch, like many venues, has been able to maintain
the momentum generated by that unique moment in
time.
“We’ve had the same number of rounds every year
since COVID, which is good,” he noted. “COVID cre-
ated a boom, and we were worried that we couldn’t
maintain those numbers, but we have; it’s been really
good.”
And many businesses in this recreational commu-
nity can say the same thing. BW
Recognizing Who Our Clients Rely On
We’re proud to recognize Tammy, Eric
and Jill for their unwavering dedication and
exceptional sevice to our clients.
Thank you for setting the standard every day
A
Antonella R
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a year ago
Eric goes above and beyond for his
customers. I really appreciate his help
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me the options of how I could save
money. He is amazing at his job and
an asset to his insurance group.
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Edited 8 months ago
I want to acknowledge Tammy Dowd
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