Unpacking The History Of Mass Golf Member Clubs Founded in 1900
By now, you’ve likely noticed that Mass Golf is celebrating an extraordinary milestone: 125 years of history in 2025. However, the association’s story is deeply rooted in the strength and legacy of its member clubs, which have long served as its foundation.
The Mass Golf 125 Series highlights the rich histories of these enduring golf institutions, each an integral part of their local communities. These clubs have not only hosted legendary matches and lively community events but have also provided members with a retreat into the stunning and diverse natural landscapes found throughout the Commonwealth.
Over the past two years, we’ve proudly showcased nearly a dozen Mass Golf member clubs that have been in operation for 125 years—predating the incorporation of five U.S. states.
This year, we turn our attention to clubs established at the dawn of the 20th century, in 1900. This includes eight remarkable clubs, collectively representing an astounding 1,000 years of history: Forest Park Country Club, Amherst Golf Club, Quaboag Country Club, Worcester Country Club, Thorny Lea Golf Club, Brockton Country Club, Bear Hill Golf Club, and Bass River Golf Course.
We invite all readers to help preserve and share the stories of these esteemed member clubs, as well as those approaching their 125th anniversaries. If you have historic photos, memorabilia, or personal memories tied to these clubs, we’d love to hear from you. Please share more about your contributions with Steve Derderian, Senior Manager of Communications at sderderian@massgolf.org.
Throughout the year, we will publish detailed profiles of these clubs on this page.
Next Up: Amherst Golf Club – February
FOREST PARK COUNTRY CLUB – ADAMS, MA (Published 1/17/25)
In 1900, President William McKinley might have swung a golf club with the same deliberate precision he used to campaign for his protectionist tariffs and the golf standard—but if he did, he wasn’t telling.
During an era when golf remained a foreign curiosity and out of reach for most voters, McKinley likely understood the political wisdom of keeping any affinity for the game under wraps. Yet, his connections to Adams, Massachusetts, and the influential Plunkett family—owners and founders of the Berkshire Cotton Manufacturing Company and caretakers of the land that would become Forest Park Country Club—paint a vivid picture of a U.S. president quietly appreciating the club’s marvelous, rolling layout, eyes gleaming with bewilderment as he approaches his ball and takes a big sweeping stroke in the backdrop of the state’s tallest peak.
McKinley visited Adams several times, including an 1896 trip to lay the cornerstone of the Adams Free Library. His economic policies, particularly the tariffs that boosted the town’s mills, helped secure the region’s prosperity. After McKinley was assassinated in 1901, the residents of Adams honored him with a life-size statue that still stands presently as a gesture of deep gratitude for his contributions to their community.
It’s within this connection between economic prosperity and picturesque landscapes that Forest Park Country Club emerged. For generations, golfers have enjoyed this gem in the Berkshires, which features crossing holes, drastically sloped greens, and odd bounces off its hardened, rolling surfaces and, sometimes, paved roads. It’s one of the few remaining public courses in northern Berkshire County, and its greens fees of $25 for 9 holes and $45 for 18 holes (including cart) remain one of the best deals you can find in the state.
Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts (3,489 feet), serves as the backdrop for Forest Park Country Club. (Contributed)
Early History
Before golf historians dubbed Francis Ouimet’s victory in the 1913 U.S. Open at The Country Club “The Greatest Game Ever Played”, two of golf’s earliest stalwarts — Willie Anderson and Alexander H. Findlay — met for an 18-hole match at Forest Park in what was then described as the “Greatest Match Ever Played in Berkshire [County].” Anderson, a Scotsman who later made his home in Pittsfield, had won the first of his eventual four U.S. Opens (1901, 1903-1905) and had previously lowered the course record to 34 before the match. Findlay, meanwhile, was golf’s earliest and most successful promoter and had improved upon Forest Park’s primitive layout to make it a viable course.
On the afternoon of July 30, 1902, the two met in the afternoon with an estimated gallery of 200 watching. The match was close throughout, with an outstanding collection of drives, approaches, and putts. Findlay took a 1-up lead through the first round, with the second round providing much more theater.
Tied on the 14th, both men saw their ball roll off the green onto a nearby bicycle track. Findlay hit his third shot about two feet to the hole, and while Anderson had to loft his next shot over a perpendicular bank, it landed directly in front of Findlay’s ball. In a scene similar to the movie The Greatest Game Ever Played, Findlay opted to loft his ball over Anderson’s, but, unlike the dramatization, it landed into the cup to halve the hole to the delight of onlookers. Findlay led on the final hole but overshot his approach, allowing Anderson to tie it for a draw. However, Findlay had lowered the course record to 32 and put on an excellent show for those in attendance.
While this match provided Forest Park with plenty of notoriety, it was the Plunkett family that nurtured the club through its earliest decades. Forest Park was not just a golf course but an extension of their home. Their summer clubhouse, a stunning Victorian structure built, remains standing today. Under their ownership, there were horse races, fairs, picnics, and other recreation on the land, in addition to golf.
Theodore Plunkett and William B. Plunkett were two of the family’s most successful golfers, setting several area course records. During a tournament in 1926, William B. Plunkett shot a record score of 31, only to best his mark a day later with a 30. It was almost a 29 with a near chip-in on the final hole.
“If it weren’t for the Plunketts, golf wouldn’t have taken off in our town,” said Jason Sniezek, a longtime member and Vice President of the Board of Directors, who previously coached high school golf at McCann Tech and Hoosac Valley for a combined 22 years.
In 1937, the Adams Forest Park Corp., a group of many townspeople interested in maintaining the recreation and forest area, bought the club for $10,000 from the Plunkett family. They held possession of the course through 1968 when the Adams Fairway Realty Co, a trust composed mainly of golfers belonging to the club, purchased the land for $45,000.
From left, W.C. Plunkett, T.R. Plunkett, Alex Findlay, and William B. Plunkett pose for a photo at Forest Park in 1914. (North Adams Evening Transcript)
The Course & The Toski Connection
Forest Park Country Club is often described as deceptively challenging. Spanning about 50 acres, the nine-hole course uses the natural terrain to its advantage, with dramatic elevation changes, sloping fairways, and greens that demand precision and strategy. Known colloquially as “The Rock,” the course has earned its nickname due to its sandy soil and lack of irrigation, which create unique playing conditions. (There’s also a large rock by hole 6.) During dry summers, the fairways turn firm and fast, giving extra rollout to low-trajectory shots and challenging players with unpredictable bounces.
“You find out from the hills and bumps that it’s not easy,” Sniezek said. “It’s all natural terrain. They only flattened holes 6 and 7. Until 1968, there were big hills on that part of the course, and there were blind shots.”
The course opens with a flat, welcoming 1st hole, with a direct line of sight to Mount Greylock and the blazed path called Thunderbolt Trail. But the terrain quickly shifts, introducing players to Forest Park’s signature hills and valleys. The downhill par-3 3rd plays about 150 yards and is bisected by a narrow scenic road that comes into play on several holes. According to longtime member Mike “Red” Clarke, somebody once won a $10,000 contest during a tournament when his ball bounced off the payment onto the green and into the bottom of the cup.
The 4th hole crosses over a pair of perpendicular roads and features a dramatic uphill approach to a bowl-shaped green, while the 7th requires a well-struck drive to crest an uphill slope before reaching a green that punishes errant shots with steep drop-offs. The 8th hole, a downhill par 4, offers sweeping views of Mount Greylock, making it a favorite among members and visitors alike, particularly when the mountain erupts with the yellows and oranges of fall colors.
“We take it for granted. Some of the older members, it’s what we’ve always seen,” Sniezek said. “When people from out of the area come to see it, they say the views are amazing.”
Staying on target is critical all throughout the Forest Park layout. (Contributed)
Similar to the Plunketts, the Toski name carries significant weight within the Western Massachusetts golf community. Among the four Toski brothers who achieved success in golf, Ben Toski stood out as a golf professional for over 50 years. His career began at the age of 16 as an assistant pro at Northampton and reached a milestone in 1934 when, at age 21, he became the head professional.
During his two stints at Forest Park between 1951 and 1977, Toski achieved what is still regarded as one of the most remarkable 9-hole rounds in the club’s history. He recorded nine consecutive threes for an immaculate score of 27, needing just 10 putts in the process. In recognition of his contributions to the club—ranging from teaching lessons to managing the clubhouse and bar—Forest Park held an annual “Ben Toski Day” for many years, honoring his retirement.
Ben Toski’s daughter, Joan, also demonstrated exceptional talent in the game. In 1953, she competed in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur at The Country Club, where she advanced past the first match before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Mildred Meyerson. She followed this performance by participating in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Rhode Island Country Club the very next week.
Bob Toski holds up his scorecard after firing nine consecutive 3s during his round on June 28, 1973. (North Adams Transcript)
Modern Times
For about 75 years, Forest Park has operated a Sunday Morning League, regarded locally as one of the longest continuously-running leagues around. Members gather at 7 a.m. in a shotgun start format, play around the course twice, and conclude their rounds with laughter and stories on the clubhouse porch overlooking the 9th green.
“It’s a club that’s friendly,” Sniezek said. “My experience with hanging out with members is that it’s a great place to enjoy laughs. We have a solid membership, and they like the atmosphere. You can jump right out and play 9 in a cart. I think people like it.”
In addition to a new roof on the clubhouse, there’s been ongoing work to renovate bunkers and tees, as well as remove trees. Since 2012, it’s all been overseen by longtime superintendent June Blake, a former three-sport athlete at Wahconah High School who previously spent summers working at Wahconah Country Club. Since joining Forest Park, she has gotten the greens in excellent shape, according to club leadership, and has taken on multiple responsibilities with a limited staff.
“I’m not just the superintendent here,” Blake told the Berkshire Eagle back in 2013. “If something breaks down, I have to be able to fix it. I’m kind of the mechanic as well. You have to be able to do every aspect of the job here. I enjoy that part of it because, like I said, every day is different. You never know what’s going to happen; something may break down, and you may have to spend time fixing it.
“That’s the exciting part of my job.”
With its dedicated members, hardworking staff, and ongoing improvements, “The Rock” offers a timeless golfing experience that welcomes players of all skill levels, all while immersing them in the serene beauty and tranquility the Berkshires provide year-round. It’s exactly the kind of enduring legacy the Plunketts, the Toskis, and many other of the club’s past stewards would be proud to see carrying on today.
A view of the 9th hole and clubhouse from across the street. (Contributed)
About Mass Golf
Mass Golf is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing golf in Massachusetts by building an engaged and inclusive community around the sport.
With a community made up of over 130,000 golf enthusiasts and over 360 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.
