Brookline GC at Putterham Meadows (MA) | Info Needed About Original Routing

[Nick Campanelli]

I was recently looking on historicaerials.com at Putterham Meadows (Brookline, MA) and was curious if anyone has come across any history regarding the course's original routing (1931) compared to whats there today?  I played there this past weekend and noticed areas that looked like abandoned holes...this peaked my interest.

At a quick glance it looks like the 14th green was shifted east somewhere in the mid 70's, and the current 5th hole was added when land was acquired on the property's north end.  If this is correct, I would assume the round began with a par 3 (the current putting surface adjacent to the maintenance shed between current holes 1,3,9)?  Can anyone confirm this?  

[Sean Leary]

Nick,

Is the Clubhouse in the same place?

[Jay Cox]

Nick, did you find a 1931 aerial showing the routing, or is your assessment of what changed based exclusively on what you saw on the ground?  If you have the 1931 aerial, can you post or link to it?

I'm very interested in any information about the history of Putterham's routing.  I always have enjoyed the course, even though it probably is not worthy of a Cobbs-esque restoration movement.

[Nick Campanelli]

Sean, it doesn't look like the clubhouse was moved.  You can see it behind the 18th green (its faint).  The building your seeing in the center of the 1955 plan is the maintenance shed???  Thats what is there today at least. 

Jay, I was comparing this 1955 aerial from historicaerials.com and Google Earth's plan from 2010.  The 1955 plan was the earliest i could find.  You can see the present 5th hole doesn't exist back in 1955.  There also appears to be a par three in 1955 where today's first hole sits (you can actually see the now unused green just west of the maintenance shed on the 2010 map).  I was reading on their website that the nine's were originally designed to play in reverse, but it was never realized because the round would have begun with a blind drive, requiring an assistant starter to signal the next group off the tee.  The nines were reversed prior to opening to speed up play.  Would this comparison prove the course once began with a par 3 (originally designed as the 10th, but switched to the 1st)?? 

1955


2010

[Jay Cox]

Nick, that's a really neat comparison.  The most striking thing to me is how LITTLE has changed on a macro level in the last 50+ years.  With the exception of the changes you mentioned -- addition of the current #5, removal of the par 3 near the clubhouse, and movement of the 1st and 6th tees and 14th green -- the green and tee locations and most visible bunkers look pretty much the same.

The story about flipping the nines is fascinating too.  I can see why the tee shot on the current 10th would make a troublesome opener to a round.

I had wondered whether something was changed in the area around the 13th green, 14th tee, 16th green, and 17th tee to create the awkward walk from 16 to 17, but that area looks exactly the same in the old aerial as today.

[Ronald Montesano]

I played Putterham in the early 1980s as a mid-teenager and really enjoyed it.  Who did the layout and the build?

[Mike Cirba]

Very cool, Nick.

Is the land similar to neighboring TCC?   It sure has a cool name, and the holes seem well conceived.

Who designed it?

[Nick Campanelli]

Arch:     Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek (1931)

According to the course's website, park commissioners Paul M. Hubbard, Richard C. Floyd and Francis J. Oakes Jr. are responsible for the build.

[Nick Campanelli]

Is the land similar to neighboring TCC?  

Unfortunately, I have no clue.  TCC's composite 9th hole is visible from Brookline GC's 6th green....from that single view, TCC looks hillier (not much of a comparison haha).  I wasnt living in the Boston area in '99.

[Nick Campanelli]

I'm workin on a review of the course on my site (not meant as self promotion).  I'll post the link when done.  It has descriptions and pics of all holes (although they were shot this weekend....the course is dormant).  I'll have to go back in the spring to re-shoot the grounds.  This thread was created to see if i could find out more about the changes to the course prior to my posting the review.

[PCCraig]

Is the land similar to neighboring TCC?  

Unfortunately, I have no clue.  TCC's composite 9th hole is visible from Brookline GC's 6th green....from that single view, TCC looks hillier (not much of a comparison haha).  I wasnt living in the Boston area in '99.

In both of your routings of Putterham you can see the 11th and 4th greens of TCC (member's course) in the top part of the picture. Putterham is a pretty nice public course for the area and it gets a ton of play.

The land is more subtle than the other side of the fence. TCC's land is pretty rugged, with a lot of steep drops courtesy of rock outcroppings as well as some good overall movement in the land. The land at Putterham is closer to the low part of the Primrose nine.

[Mike Cirba]

Thanks, Pat....I really did like the land at TCC, and love the land of New England for golf generally.

[Brad Tufts]

I agree with PC's assessment.  

TCC's land is pretty dynamic, excepting the second shot into 15 through 18 (and #1).  I have not played the lower Primrose holes that are not found on the Composite layout.  

Putterham's land is basically.  I've only played PM (or BGC?) one time, but I remember the best holes coming when there was some sort of land feature involved.  The par three in the trees near the clubhouse is neat, as well as an uphill par four near the end (16? 17?).  The first couple holes have some elevation change, but I remember them being more dirt than grass when I played there back in 05 or 06.  There are a few push-up greens that are cool as well.

How has the conditioning been at BGC the last couple years?  It has improved at the other Boston (or close to) muni courses, so I'm curious if the same mentality has helped BGC...

[Michael Moore]

Very cool, Nick.
It sure has a cool name

Let the record show that this course is currently named the "Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course at Putterham Meadows".  The love affair between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and her public servants seems boundless.

Been meaning to play this one for years.

[Nick Campanelli]

Pics from the Course for those interested...

http://thecognizantgolfer.blogspot.com/2010/12/robert-t-lynch-golf-course-at-putterham.html

[PCCraig]

Maybe it's because it's only 10* outside and snowing or I've been in Chicago for too long now after being in school in Boston, but Putterham is looking pretty good these days. I forgot about the 12th hole, the par-3. Looks pretty neat in this picture:

[Nick Campanelli]

Pat,  It looked like alot of the tees were recently redone.  The bunker on the 5th hole looks relatively new as well.  this was my first time there, but it looked like they had put alot of recent work into the place. 

The holes in the flats 4,6,7,8,9,13,15,16,18 still look they have drainage issues (craters all over the place)   

[Walter Bart]

 I grew up in Brookline and started playing Putterham in the late 50's.  I  still play there once or twice a year and much prefer the back nine.

  In the 50's the first hole was a short downhill par 3 and caused a real back-up. It was eventually replaced with # 5 a much tougher hole. The current 1st hole was previously a par 4 , I believe.  Number 12 which is a nice, short,  downhill par 3 was actually even shorter  ( 100 yds) with a tee to the right of the current one. Hole #14 , the toughest one on the course,  was shorter, as the green was move back some 50 -75 yards.   

   

[PCCraig]

Pat,  It looked like alot of the tees were recently redone.  The bunker on the 5th hole looks relatively new as well.  this was my first time there, but it looked like they had put alot of recent work into the place. 

The holes in the flats 4,6,7,8,9,13,15,16,18 still look they have drainage issues (craters all over the place)   

Looks like you're right Nick, I don't remember the bunkers having the somewhat "scruffy" look in places, so perhaps those are the areas where they put work into along with the tees.

From what I remember almost all of the TCC property sits alot higher than the Putterham property, so I can imagine their lower lying areas get a good amount of water overflow from there.

[Nick Campanelli]

I grew up in Brookline and started playing Putterham in the late 50's.  I  still play there once or twice a year and much prefer the back nine.

  In the 50's the first hole was a short downhill par 3 and caused a real back-up. It was eventually replaced with # 5 a much tougher hole. The current 1st hole was previously a par 4 , I believe.  Number 12 which is a nice, short,  downhill par 3 was actually even shorter  ( 100 yds) with a tee to the right of the current one. Hole #14 , the toughest one on the course,  was shorter, as the green was move back some 50 -75 yards.  

    

Walter, thanks for the insight.  This is the kind of information i started this thread for.  I appreciate the help.