[Mark McKeever]

I thought it would be a good idea to post up a few ore pictures of Worcester CC in Massachusetts.   It's a Donald Ross restored by Prichard who successfully executed a master plan over the last decade.  

First of all, the work is incredible, I have to hand it to Ron.  There are old photos of the course in the clubhouse, and he nailed every one of them.  Ross would love what is there today, and I'm sure everyone on here would too.  It's about an hour outside of Boston, but worth the ride.  

I didn't take enough pictures, so if anyone has others, feel free to chime in.  

I will start with my first picture of the 4th hole.  It's a monster par 3 of around 240 yards and plays into the wind in the off season with northern winds.  The hole is deceptively all carry.  Anything on the front 15 feet of the green as well as between the bunkers feed back to a 60 yard pitch.  I had a guy (I will let him chime in directly to give us personal commentary) in my group leave a bunker shot short, and he had 60 yards left for his third shot from the bottom of the fairway.  The par 3's here are stout, you wont see anything in your hand less than a 160 club in the 5 par 3's at Worcester.  Aside from the single shorter hole on the back nine, everything else is around 200+.

The first hole can be seen on the left side here as it falls away from the perched clubhouse.

[Mark McKeever]

The 5th is a par 5 that shares a fairway with the third hole on the right side.  It's a short par 5 where the tee shot that challenges the creek down the left yields a reachable green in 2 shots.  Anything short of this green runs a ways back down the fairway.  I think I hit driver, 5 iron downwind.

[Mark McKeever]

From 5 green looking backwards and up to the clubhouse.  You can see 17 coming down the hill, and 18 heading back up.  Note the all or nothing carry of the tee shot on 18!

[Mark McKeever]

7 is a monster uphill par 4 that rides a diagonal ridge off the tee.  The more you bite off the better, but its no easy task into the wind to aim up the right side.  I hit driver, 3 wood here into a stiff wind.



The green has a lot of slope on the front half, no easy finish for such a long par 4. 


I will post some back nine pictures later. 

[Thomas Dai]

Looks interesting.

Is this the same club/course where the 1927 Ryder Cup was played?

atb

PS - what's the tall-thin tower to the right in the first photo, the photo of the 4th hole?

[Mark McKeever]

Tom, yes they hosted the '27 Ryder Cup and the '25 US Open. 

The tall tower is a bird house!

[Charlie Gallagher]

     Nice job of posting photos of this fabulous Donald Ross course. I have played it regularly for 20 years and witnessed its transformation from a good members course covered with huge oaks, maples, and white pines into a gorgeous and manly test of the game. Wind is now much more of a factor at Worcester, especially on the holes up on the ridge, but also on the lower part of the property. Long vistas encompassing multiple holes are numerous all over the property and there is always a sense of anticipation for what is coming next.
    Worcester is a par 70, 3 par 5's, and 5 par 3's. The par 3's are the guts of the course although there is plenty of challenge on the par 4's and 5's too. Total elevation change has to be in excess of 175 feet from the lowest part of the property to the top of the ridge where 14 green sits. The course is bisected by a rail line with the first 8 holes on the bottom of the property along with 17 and 18, and the remainder of the holes on the upper parcel. Tree removal has enhanced strategy and toughened the course which now dries out faster and plays firmer than it did 12 years ago. Pritchard lengthened Worcester as part of the renovation and that looks to be about completed as the 15th hole has a new tee this year that adds about 40+ yards to that three shoter. Worcester is a stern test and protects its par well.
    Thanks to Mark for posting. Metro Boston has a number of wonderful courses, but the members at Worcester are to be congratulated for shepherding the restoration that has made their course one of the very best in Massachusetts.  The work at Worcester offers a testament to the benefits of tree removal.  
   One final point, I was the guy who left the bunker shot on 4 short and had a lengthy pitch back onto the green. That hole is one of the very best long par 3's in all of New England. It's a beauty and a brute.  

[Charlie_Bell]

Worcester CC is the site of one of my favorite events in golf history, the 1925 U. S. Open. 

Bobby Jones and Willie MacFarlane were tied after 72 holes, and in their 18-hole playoff both men shot 75.  So they played another 18-hole playoff and Willie MacFarlane bested Bobby Jones 72 to 73.   

In the second round of the tournament proper, Macfarlane set the then-record for the best single round in the U.S. Open, a 67.

[Mark McKeever]

Fitting at this point to go onto 10 and 11. 

10 is the short drop shot par 3 that plays about 170 downhill so you can take a few off.  This is an all or nothing green that sits benched in the hillside below the tee.   Two gnarly little bunkers are stuffed into the hillside for those who try to bail out.  On the right side of the photo you can see 11 playing out over the crest of the hill. 
 

[Mark McKeever]

11 is a medium length par 4 made famous when Bobby Jones called a penalty on himself when the ball moved during address.  This area of the course is astonishing and perfectly exposed to the wind that whips across the hillside.  There are 5 holes that fit in this corner of the course and its nearly devoid of trees within the holes themselves.  I cant get enough of the classic look of this part of the course.



The plaque on 11..

[Mark McKeever]

11 Up at the green.  Players need to be careful on the front half, or else they may need to chip back onto the green.  Putting from the back to the front is no easy task..

[Jeff Spittel]

Lovely stuff. Looks like an excellent piece of property with some tough holes. 

Spent four of the best years of my life in Worcester on college hill. Will have to check this place out next time I'm back.

[Mark McKeever]

Jeff, you need to get out there to see it, there is some really good stuff out there.

Moving on to hole 15, a great par 5 heading out of the cleared area and back up the hill at the end.

The view from the par 5 15th hole below.  This is the normal back tee, not the newly built one.  From the tee, this hole strongly resembles one other I have seen before, though I cannot put my finger on it..



View up by the green.  Note the super tall flag stick.  Due to the wild terrain on some of the holes at Worcester, 3 of these monsters are needed.

[Andy Ryall]

I grew up in Shrewsbury, just about 10 minutes away from WCC, and did not know the historical and architectural relevance until after I moved to Minnesota.   We just knew that's where Bob Cousy was a member.   It is amazing to see the vistas in these pictures given the tree removal project since I left.   Maybe someday on a trip back home.

Thanks for posting.
Andy

[Mark McKeever]

Lastly, a great picture of the home hole.  The tee shot is played up a steep hill, that will funnel the ball backwards if you don't make the carry.  This is the view after successfully making the top of the hill.  It's worth the climb!

[Charlie Gallagher]

A couple of points about the 18th at Worcester. It has a steeply pitched two tier green, going long is inadvisable. The recovery shots around the green are perhaps the most interesting on the course as so many of them have a high pucker factor. Beyond and above the green is one of the best verandas in all of golf where one can view vistas of the course  that encompass near 200 degrees, in addition to watching players below you finish out their games. That activity becomes particularly interesting during member guest tournaments where the proximity of the players to the veranda leads to rich and varied commentary.

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