Championship sneak peek: Wellesley Country Club

It is pretty remarkable to reflect on how many great and historic golf courses there are in our relatively small state. The site of this year's MGA Father & Daughter Championship illustrates that point. Wellesley Country Club is a club with a rich and interesting history. It is also a club that has been a great friend to the MGA over the years, hosting countless Championships, and serving as the host venue for our annual Salute to Champions Dinner.

Wellesley is an interesting course in that it has been touched by three of the greats - Donald Ross, Wayne Stiles, and Geoffrey Cornish. Ross designed the original 9 in 1910, Stiles remodeled the course in the 1920s, and Cornish was brought in in 1961 to expand the course to 18 holes. Since then, famed golf course architects Brian Silva and Mark Mungeam have made renovations to the course. Not too shabby!

When they celebrated their centennial in 2010, Wellesley CC created a time capsule that will be opened in 2060. The story of the clubhouse is pretty interesting - it was originally designated as the town hall and 'poor farm.' Looking at it now, you would never even entertain that possibility - place is gorgeous!

From an article written about the club's beginnings:
The yearly lease was $300 and came with a few stipulations: Wellesley would continue to haul rock and stone from the gravel pit on site and no liquor was to be sold on the premises. Of the 33 founding members to sign for the incorporation of the newly named “Wellesley Country Club,” three were women.

The estimated cost to build a nine-hole course (designed by Donald Ross), two tennis courts, and a croquet area was $2,300. A similar amount was needed to convert the existing building into a clubhouse. The former town hall meeting space became the ballroom; the small pox hospital, the pro shop.

Wellesley has hosted the Mass Open twice, Junior Amateur twice, Senior Amateur twice, and Father & Son once. It also hosted the 2003 USGA Women's State Team Championship, and was just chosen as the site of the 2016 U.S. Women's Senior Open.

The original clubhouse (left); some players on the original course (right)

The 2014 MGA Father & Daughter Championship will be on August 14. The event features two divisions - the Championship Division and the Forward Division. Father/Daughter teams will be paired in an 18-hole selected drive-alternate shot format. Learn more here.

Read an interesting article about the club published in 2010