Worcester (Ross) in Mass.

[mark chalfant]

I drove by here 2 months ago, it looked hilly and fun.
Hows the routing?
What are some of the best holes ?
Do the greens have nice contours
Thanks !

[michael j fay]

Worcester is a wonderful layout.

There is one predominant hill involved. The lowland of the course is on the fifth fairway (a reachable par five) and the highland is the ninth green and tenth tee. The hill is about 300 feet. The routing takes you from the uphill approach on number five to a slightly uphill par three followed by an uphill par four with an elevated tee. This is followed by another 175 yard uphill par three and a par four of 410 yards. The 410 yard par four plays like 460 as the last 70 feet of uphill are exhausted on this hole. The transition from the low ground to the high ground is very clever considering that Ross built this course sometime around 1913.

The greens are very interesting with many of the original contours and rolls. A couple of the surfaces have been changed over the years but four holes remain sloped from front to back. Another (#11) used to slope in this direction but was changed after irrigation changed the  strategy of the hole.

The Club is not short on history. The 1925 US Open won by Willie McFarland in a playoff with Bobby Jones was contested there as was the first Ryder Cup in 1927.

In the past couple of years Ron Forse has been hired to do some restoration work. The most immediate plusses of his work has been the removal of some major league trees that were killing the sunlight on the ninth and tenth greens.

Worcester is a real gem.

[mark chalfant]

Thanks ,Michael , it looks like 2-4 is a stirring start. two is 550
down a big hill and then #3  is an arduous 430 trip back up Four is a well bunkrerd par three over 220 yards.

[michael j fay]

Mark:

With the new tee on # 3, I think that the hole plays just over 400 yards. # 4 is an arduous par three at 246 with a mean an nasty green that does not give itself away until the ball has been putted. It is the kind of hole that can absolutely murder a medal round. I've missed the green, chipped to six feet and then three putted for five on more than one occasion.

I once played Worcester in a Ouimet Society outing, best ball of four. The winning team was composed of four guys who won the Massachusetts Amateur at Worcester. The youngest was about 60 and the eldest about 75. They combined for a best ball of 59 and missed winning the low net by one shot with their gross score.