Brae Burn Country Club
 Brae Burn County Club | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | 321 Fuller Street, West Newton, Massachusetts |
| Established | 1897 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 27 |
| Website | www |
| Designed by | Donald Ross |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,631 (championship tees) |
| Course rating | 73.3 |
| Course record | 64 – Nick Maccario[1] |
Brae Burn Country Club is a golf course located in Newton, Massachusetts.
History[edit]
The Brae Burn course was built in 1897. Early in the year the Boston Evening Transcript announced, "Grounds have already been secured and work on the course is under way." There were supposed to be around 80 original members. The club's first president was Mr. George Phelps.[2] Brae Burn Golf Club opened on May 29, 1897.[3] The course is referred to as Brae Burn in honor of golf's Scottish heritage. There are many meadows and brooks on the course and in the Scots language "brae" means a bank against a valley and "burn" refers to a stream.[3] In March 1898, the club was "elected to allied membership" to the United States Golf Association (USGA).[4] In June 1899, the club hosted its "first open tournament."[5] Also in 1899, the first clubhouse was constructed.[3]
In 1900, The Boston Globe noted that the sizable amount of unused land near the course could be used to expand the course to a full 18-hole course.[6] In 1901, leading amateur golfer Arthur G. Lockwood suggested in the The Boston Post that Brae Burn and Woodland Golf Club merge their nine-hole courses into one 18-hole course. There were several nine-hole courses in Newton but no full-length courses.[7] In 1903, this almost became a reality. In March, the USGA reported that the courses intended to combine "with a subsidiary nine-hole course for beginners" too. However, at the last minute, Brae Burn rejected this idea.[8] At the annual meeting, held in December, the committee voted to extend the course to 18 holes. The course had 135 acres to work with which helped facilitate this expansion. The course would be 6,007 yards.[9] The committee also announced that they intended to expand the venue from a golf club to a country club. The members intended to add winter sports like skating and tobogan.[9][10] Also, tennis and archery were possible additions.[10] A new clubhouse was intended to be completed in the spring of 1904.[9] The clubhouse would have several floors and a restaurant.[9] In March 1904, the club voted to change its name from Brae Burn Golf Club to Brae Burn Country Club.[10] They also voted to limit membership to 300 members;[10] however, this was an expansion from the original 100 members list.[9]
1912 and 1928 redesigns[edit]
In 1912, Scotsman Donald Ross underwent his first redesign of the original eighteen-hole layout. Following the success of his restoration came Brae Burn’s second United States Golf Association Championship, the 1919 United States Men’s Open Championship. The event was won by the formidable Sir Walter Hagen. In 1928 Donald Ross made a return visit to Brae Burn to revamp the course for the club’s hosting of the 1928 United States Men’s Amateur Championship. A modification of the eighteenth hole included a back tee, subsequently coined the “Jones Tee”, for eventual champion Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones Jr.[citation needed]
Later history[edit]
Since 1928, the course has remained the same, only a few alterations to tee boxes and greens have been done. Brae Burn continued to host national championships, including the Curtis Cup in 1958 and 1970, and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1975. In Brae Burn’s centennial year, 1997, the U.S. Women’s Amateur returned, in which Italy’s first amateur champion, Silvia Cavalieri, defeated Robin Burke of the United States, 5&4. Today Brae Burn is a member of both the USGA and the Massachusetts Golf Association, and actively participates as a host club for various MGA events. In 2024, Brae Burn will host the US Woman’s Mid-Amateur, from September 7-12.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^ "Nick Maccario shoots course record, leads at 2019 Massachusetts Mid-Amateur". Mass Golf. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- ^ "May 01, 1897, page 6 - Boston Evening Transcript at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Our History - Brae Burn Country Club MA". www.braeburngolf.com. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "Mar 31, 1898, page 4 - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Jun 10, 1899, page 7 - Boston Evening Transcript at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ "Apr 15, 1900, page 30 - The Boston Globe at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "Dec 01, 1901, page 7 - Boston Post at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ "10 Things To Know: Brae Burn Country Club". MASSGOLF. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Dec 27, 1903, page 35 - The Boston Globe at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Mar 13, 1904, page 41 - The Boston Globe at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- Brae Burn Country Club. (1997). Brae Burn Country Club, 1897–1997, Centenary, One Hundred Years of Golf and Family Life. Walsworth Publishing Company.