NORTON, Massachusetts – Back in the 1930s and 40s, Oyster Harbors Club was a regular host of the Massachusetts Open Championship. The signature event was contested on the Donald Ross layout seven times over an eleven-year span, with the first coming in 1932 and the last in 1942. The Massachusetts Open was not played from 1943-45 due to World War II, ending Oyster Harbors run as regular host. The championship has not returned to Osterville since.
When Oyster Harbors celebrates its Centennial in 2026, they’ll do so by welcoming back the Massachusetts Open Championship for the first time in 84 years. An agreement was recently reached between Mass Golf and the club to bring the storied event back to its former home in June of 2026. This will mark the eighth time the Mass Open will be contested at Oyster Harbors, making it the most prolific host in the event’s history. Oak Hill CC (scheduled to next host in 2031) and Worcester CC have also hosted seven times previously.
Speaking about the excitement around the event, Oyster Harbor’s General Manager, Douglas Mayo added, “In 2026, the Oyster Harbors Club will celebrate our Centennial as our Club was established in 1926. Having hosted 7 previous Mass Opens, we are extremely excited to host our record 8th Mass Open tournament.”
Francis Ouimet won the first Mass Open ever played at Oyster Harbors in 1932. Harold “Jug” McSpaden won the Mass Open four times in his career, with three of those wins coming at Oyster Harbors. His final victory in 1941 came just months after a top-10 finish at The Masters Tournament, his second of three top-10s in the prestigious event. Horton Smith, winner of the very first Augusta Invitational (now known as The Masters Tournament), was also victorious at Oyster Harbors.
Past Champions of the Mass Open at Oyster Harbors
*Amateur Competitor
In 1960, the club hosted a USGA Championship for the first time, welcoming the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship to the Cape. The event was interrupted by heavy rains which followed Hurricane Donna, causing two days of cancellations.
To squeeze the event in, the USGA was forced to schedule both the quarterfinal and semifinal matches on the same day. This was the first time senior golfers had ever been asked to play two rounds in one day. As a concession, the USGA permitted carts for that day of play, marking the first time carts were ever allowed during USGA Championship. Michael Cestone defeated David Rose in the championship match the next day. (Source NJSGA HOF)
Oyster Harbors has hosted many other Mass Golf Championships over the years, most recently in 2016, as part of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament, won by Matthew Naumec, Julia Ford (Women’s), and Joe Walker (Lowery)
Other Massachusetts Championships Hosted at Oyster Harbors
Oyster Harbors Club is situated on Grand Island, Osterville, on the southern shores of Cape Cod. The course is synonymous with championship golf and takes pride in its standing as one of New England’s best-kept secrets. In 2009 the bunkers were restored by Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design, under the direction of Bruce Hepner. And in the coming years, Gil Hanse is expected to help re-establish Donald Ross’s original design with master improvement plans.
Mayo also noted, “Our Superintendent Weston Neff joined our team in 2021 after overseeing the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2020. Wes and his team have done a remarkable job with our original Donald Ross design. The Golf Course promises to be in fantastic condition for the Open as it will be traditionally renovated and restored in 2024 by Gil Hanse Golf Course Design.”
Mass Golf is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing golf in Massachusetts by building an engaged community around the sport.
With a community made up of over 110,000 golf enthusiasts and over 340 member clubs, Mass Golf is one of the largest state golf associations in the country. Members enjoy the benefits of handicapping, engaging golf content, course rating and scoring services along with the opportunity to compete in an array of events for golfers of all ages and abilities.
At the forefront of junior development, Mass Golf is proud to offer programming to youth in the state through First Tee Massachusetts and subsidized rounds of golf by way of Youth on Course.
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