The Country Club

The Country Club

President Taft at the club in 1913
Club information
Location in the United States Location in Massachusetts Show map of the United StatesShow map of MassachusettsShow all
Location	Brookline, Massachusetts
Established	1882, 140 years ago
Type	Private
Total holes	27
Designed by	Willie Campbell (1895) Alex Campbell (1902)
Par	71
Length	7,033 yards (6,431 m)
Course record	64

The Country Club in 1913

The Country Club in 1913

Harry Vardon at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts at the 1913 U.S. Open

Fred McLeod and Harry Vardon at the 1913 U.S. Open

The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest country clubs in the United States.^[1] It holds an important place in golf history, as it is one of the five charter clubs that founded the United States Golf Association, and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the 1913 U.S. Open won by then-unknown Francis Ouimet. Although the club has 1300 members, it is known for its exclusivity.

History[]

On January 14, 1882, a group of men from Boston met to form the club.^[2] The club is listed on the USGA's list of the first 100 clubs in America.^[3] The original club was focused on horseback-riding and other outdoor activities; the golf course was not built until 1893. For several years there were conflicts between golfers and other club members over land use; in fact the original golf course overlapped with the pre-existing race track.^[4]

The golf course itself grew in several stages, and so is not the result of any one architect. The first six holes were laid out by three club members in March 1893, and the following year the Scot, Willie Campbell, was brought in as club professional. He oversaw the expansion to nine holes that summer, and to a full 18 holes by 1899 following some land acquisition. Around 1902 the Haskell golf ball became widely used, necessitating a further lengthening of the course. After an additional land purchase, two club members designed three new holes which opened in 1908. Rees Jones renovated the course further in preparation for the 1988 U.S. Open.^[5]

In 1894 The Country Club was one of the five charter clubs which founded the United States Golf Association. The original purpose was to sponsor an undisputed national amateur championship, which was first held in 1895. The first U.S. Open (almost an afterthought) was held the following day. The first USGA championship held at the club was the 1902 U.S. Women's Amateur.

In 1896 the Club hired Scottish professional Alex Campbell, who would go on to serve as the head professional from 1896–1916. Campbell was in large part responsible for the development of caddie Francis Ouimet into a championship caliber player.^[6]

The 1913 U.S. Open was held at The Country Club. The heavy favorites were English legends Harry Vardon (1900 U.S. Open winner; four-time British Open winner) and Ted Ray (reigning British Open champion). After 72 holes the pair found themselves tied with 20-year-old amateur Francis Ouimet — who had grown up across the street from the course and was a former caddy at the club — forcing an 18-hole playoff the next day. In a shocking upset, Ouimet soundly defeated the two professional golfers in front of a large gallery, and the resulting newspaper stories captured the imagination of the American public. The number of golfers in the country at least tripled in the subsequent ten years, with a corresponding increase in golf courses (including many public courses, opening up the game to a larger segment of the population). The 1963 and 1988 U.S. Opens were also held at The Country Club, the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the Ouimet victory. However, the 2013 U.S. Open, marking the 100th anniversary of Ouimet's improbable win, was contested at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia. The Country Club instead hosted the 2013 U.S. Amateur.

The story of Francis Ouimet’s triumph at the 1913 US Open was commercialized by Mark Frost’s 2002 book, “ The Greatest Game Ever Played". Coincidentally, author, Mark Frost shares the same surname as the former 1976 President of “The Country Club”, Thomas B. Frost.

The club hosted the Ryder Cup in 1999. This intense match exploded into controversy following a competition-turning 45-foot putt on the 17th green by Justin Leonard (the same green where Ouimet effectively clinched his victory), as the other American players stormed the green in celebration before José María Olazábal had a chance to attempt his own difficult putt. Olazábal was forced to regain his focus after order was restored, and missed the putt.

The Country Club has long been considered the best course in Massachusetts and has hosted a record 10 Massachusetts State Amateur Championships.

Golf courses[]

The golf facilities have a total of 27 holes, divided between two courses.

The Main Course is composed of the Clyde and Squirrel nines, essentially the original 18 holes. This was the course used for the 1913 U.S. Open, and is the course played by members today.

The other nine holes are the Primrose Course, an executive course built in 1927. This was designed by William S. Flynn, who also (re)designed Shinnecock Hills, Cherry Hills Country Club near Denver, and the Cascades Course at The Homestead, and the Kittansett Club also in Massachusetts.

The Championship, Composite, Anniversary, or Open Course is used for major competitions today, when a longer layout is required. In this configuration, three and a half holes from the Primrose Course (1st, 2nd, 8th, and 9th) are used to replace three holes of the Clyde,^[7] resulting in a length of almost 7,400 yards. This layout has been used for major competitions since the Primrose Course was built. For the 2022 US Open, the Championship Course will be altered from the course used in prior championships, with the par 4 4th hole of the main course removed and the par 3 12th hole of the main course added, resulting in a 7,312 yard par 70 layout.^[8]

Tournaments[]

Major championships[]

Year	Major	Winner	Winning Score	Margin of Victory	Runner(s) Up	Winner's Share ($)
2022	U.S. Open
2013	U.S. Amateur	Matt Fitzpatrick	4 & 3		Oliver Goss	N/A
1999	Ryder Cup	United States	141/2 to 131/2		Europe	N/A
1995	U.S. Women's Amateur	Kelli Kuehne	4 & 3		Anne-Marie Knight	N/A
1988	U.S. Open	Curtis Strange	278 (-6)	Playoff	Nick Faldo	180,000
1982	U.S. Amateur	Jay Sigel	8 & 7		David Tolley	N/A
1963	U.S. Open	Julius Boros	293 (+9)	Playoff	Jacky Cupit Arnold Palmer	17,500
1957	U.S. Amateur	Hillman Robbins	5 & 4		Dr. Frank M. Taylor	N/A
1941	U.S. Women's Amateur	Betty Hicks Newell	5 & 4		Helen Sigel	N/A
1934	U.S. Amateur	Lawson Little	8 & 7		David Goldman	N/A
1922	U.S. Amateur	Jess Sweetser	3 & 2		Chick Evans	N/A
1913	U.S. Open	Francis Ouimet	304 (+12)	Playoff	Ted Ray Harry Vardon	300
1910	U.S. Amateur	William C. Fownes Jr.	4 & 3		Warren Wood	N/A
1902	U.S. Women's Amateur	Genevieve Hecker	4 & 3		Louisa A. Wells	N/A

Other tournaments[]

• 1905 Massachusetts Amateur, won by
• 1908 Massachusetts Open, won by Alec Ross
• 1911 Massachusetts Open, won by Donald Ross
• 1915 Massachusetts Open, won by Walter Hagen
• 1920 Massachusetts Amateur, won by
• 1925 Massachusetts Amateur, won by Francis Ouimet
• 1932 Walker Cup, won by the United States over Great Britain & Ireland 9½-2½
• 1934 Massachusetts Amateur, won by
• 1949 Massachusetts Amateur, won by
• 1953 U.S. Girls' Junior Amateur Championship, won by
• 1967 Massachusetts Amateur, won by
• 1968 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, won by Eddie Pearce
• 1973 Walker Cup, won by the United States over Great Britain & Ireland 14-10
• 1976 Massachusetts Amateur, won by
• 1987 Massachusetts Amateur, won by Kevin Jones
• 2003 Massachusetts Amateur, won by
• 2009 Massachusetts Amateur, won by

Notable members[]

• Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen^[9]
• Anne Nason^[10]
• Prescott F. Hall - Hall was a recognized authority on economics and legal matters, in addition to taking an active part in psychical research. Hall is known today primarily for his role in the Immigration Act of 1917 and his advocacy for eugenics

Other facilities[]

In addition, the club has five indoor tennis courts, four outdoor tennis courts including grass courts, paddle & squash courts, an Olympic-sized swimming pool with a cafe, curling, skeet shooting, skating & hockey pitches.^[11]

References[]

External links[]

• Official site
• 1913 US Open at club from the Library of Congress at Flickr
• Founding of The Country Club
• Francis Ouimet's U.S. Open win

Coordinates: 42°18′48″N 71°9′3″W / 42.31333°N 71.15083°W / 42.31333; -71.15083