Championship Sneak Peek: The Mass Amateur

Over the coming months, we will try and highlight some of our 2014 Championship host clubs. We begin with Kernwood Country Club in Salem, site of the 2014 Massachusetts Amateur Championship.

Left: 1973 Mass Open at Kernwood - shown: Bob Crowley, the eventual Champion
Right: future MGA President William Blaney competing at Kernwood

While we are so rich in golf history in Massachusetts that it may seem like there is a Donald Ross in every corner of the state, Kernwood stands out as one of the most history-rich clubs in Eastern Mass. Located in Salem, the club, which was established in 1914, sits on the Danvers River. Kernwood was founded by a group of Boston business leaders led by Louis Kirstein, who "located their club in the North Shore seaside community of Salem, where they had purchased a peninsula estate owned since the mid-1800s by members of the prominent Peabody family." 

The founders hired aspiring architect Donald Ross, who had recently completed a tenure as golf professional and greenskeeper at nearby Essex County Club in Manchester, to build their course.  The membership was playing the first nine by the end of August, 1915, the second nine by late August 1918. (kernwoodcc.org)

Isn't it funny to think of Donald Ross as an 'aspiring architect?' 

Kernwood has hosted the Amateur Championship twice - in 1922 and 1932. (Some guy named Francis Ouimet was the Amateur Champion in the 1922 contest.) The club has hosted the Mass Open four times - 1924, 1963, 1973, and 2007- and hosted the Junior Amateur Championship twice - in 1985 and 1993 (when our friend James Driscoll was crowned the champion).

Kernwood's got it all: a beautiful riverfront location in an interesting city, classic Donald Ross layout, and so much history. I hope you're all as excited as we are to take the huge undertaking that is the Mass Amateur up to the North Shore this summer!

The Massachusetts Amateur Championship will take place from July 14 - 18. The Championship will begin with 36 holes of stroke play qualifying, leading into match play for the final three days. Click for more information