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: Worcester Country Club – April
QUABOAG COUNTRY CLUB – MONSON, MA (Published 3/20/25)
Before you even tee it up at Quaboag Country Club, you get the sense not too much has changed here. That’s kind of the point. The hills roll the same way they did when it was founded. The fairways still thread between towering pines, and the greens remain unforgiving to the overconfident. There’s no range or ornate practice area, just your prototypical clubhouse and banquet hall and admirable nine holes of golf on a patch of picturesque land carved out of the valleys forming the gateway to Western Massachusetts.
For 125 years, Quaboag [quay-bog] — an Algonquin word meaning “red water” — has been a constant for residents of Monson, as well as Palmer, Ware, Wilbraham, and other small Western Mass mill towns with limited golf options. Time and again, the land has served the town during its most challenging times, as well as its vital industries, and the townspeople and its leaders have kept the club going so generations could enjoy the game.
An overhead view of Quaboag Country Club, tucked along Route 32 in Monson, with the tall pines and rolling hills in the backdrop. (Contributed)
Early History
The club’s origins trace back to April 25, 1900, when Quaboag’s founders adopted a constitution and bylaws and elected officers. Its first president, Robert H. Cushman, was long active in civic affairs as he was born into a family of prominent industrial leaders. His father, Soloman Cushman Jr., collectively owned and operated a textile and woolen mill, eventually naming the company. S. F. Cushman & Sons.
Cushman and his fellow founders established a six-hole course on land surrounded by forest, with a new 40-by-58-foot, two-story clubhouse that would serve as both a golf hub and social center. Reports from the time described it as “lighted with electric lights from Palmer to Ware” with a large fireplace at the core. “Three large doors will connect the reception room with the verandah on the east.”
Quaboag was the center for social life in Monson. Throughout its early history, many of the regular golfers at Quaboag played in what was called the industrial league. In addition to hosting several dances and banquets, the clubhouse was used as a Red Cross station during both World War I and World War II.
As for the course, it took some time to develop. “Six holes were laid out and some rather wild scores turned in for this trick course with the pocket-handkerchief greens,” The Springfield Daily Republican published in 1925. “It is alleged that at one or two holes during this regime, a player needed to but tee up his ball and use a pool-cue to make a hole-in-one.”
In the 1920s, the club hired local Springfield prodigy Henry Bontempo as its first golf professional. Bontempo, referred to as the local Gene Sarazen for sharing Italian heritage and an aptitude for the game oversaw the club’s expansion to nine holes. While he brought some prestige to the club, he returned to Springfield in 1929 to become the first professional at the city’s new course, Franconia, serving in that role through 1968.
Through the following decades, floods, economic downturns, and wars challenged Quaboag, but it remained a gathering place. “The textile mills, which had been hardest hit by flooding, were given the use of the fairways and greens as a drying ground for thousands of yards of materials,” a 1965 news report recalled.
A newspaper clipping from the 1937 women’s club championship. Left to right, Mary McKelligott, runner-up; Mrs. Rachel Holbrook, champion; Al Ramsay, club pro; and Mrs. Mildred Kinmond, third place.
Tom DiRico, who served as Quaboag’s head pro in the late 1970s and again in the 2010s, called his early years at the club a turning point. “I was very fortunate to get the head pro position,” said DiRico, now the GM/Director of Golf at Agawam Municipal Golf Course. “I worked there one year as an assistant under Fran Monte… They were seven of my best years as a golf pro. I learned a lot, and it jump-started my whole career.”
In 1977, DiRico turned over the keys to his brother Dave after accepting a position at Cohasse Country Club. During that era, the club was under the ownership of Ken Sanderson and Bruce MacLeod, founders of Sanderson MacLeod, who, out of this small corner of Massachusetts, became a global leader in twisted wire brush innovation. Their company, born from the door-to-door sales days of Better Brush and later Specialty Brush Products, gained worldwide recognition for inventing the first twisted wire mascara brush. With roots deeply embedded in Palmer, the duo invested heavily in Quaboag.
One of Quaboag’s greatest traditions was the Sanderson MacLeod Four-Ball tournament. DiRico remembered it vividly: “Our big event when I was there was this big event, and members really supported it. It brought in players all over. It would be a very active weekend.”
A black and white postcard photo of Quaboag Country Club. (Monson Historical Society)
The Course
Quaboag’s layout particularly lends itself to match play, blending tight fairways, tricky greens, and a handful of risk-reward decisions that can change the momentum with one swing. The course took much of its modern shape in the late 1960s and early 1970s when new owners Sanderson and MacLoud added length to make it over 3,000 yards for the first time and introduced new tee boxes and 22 additional sand traps. Around that time, a modern clubhouse debuted with a new pro shop, lockers, a bar area, and a restaurant and cocktail area upstairs that sat 200 people.
As for the layout, it opens with a straightaway par-4, where players drive downhill before hitting an uphill approach into a two-tiered green. The second is a mid-length, downhill par-3, typically playing a half a club less.
The par-4 3rd, stretching about 420 yards, is often considered the toughest hole on the property. It snakes along rolling terrain with bunkers in play and trees pinching the fairway, demanding precision off the tee and a strong approach. The 4th offers some reprieve with a reachable par-5 at about 490 yards, where longtime pro Tom DiRico said he reached the green in two “80% of the time.” About 10 years ago, his grandson Camren made a rare albatross, holing out from 170 yards with a 7-iron.
Mid-length par-4s follow on holes 5 and 6, the latter featuring a green that punishes players who miss long or left. The matches often heat up on the drivable par-4 7th (about 245–275 yards), where players must weigh risk versus reward. A creek about 70 yards from the green gives players pause, especially with bunkers guarding the front. The 8th is a short par-3, once known for its three-tiered green with a central spine that challenged even the best putters.
A view from behind the 3rd green at Quaboag Country Club. (Contributed)
Then comes the 9th, which once put Quaboag in national headlines. Originally a par-5, it was shortened to a par-4 for nearly 30 years following a decades-long legal battle with adjacent homeowners. “You could see the old hole and what it was. It felt like something was missing,” said DiRico. In the mid-1960s, a Monson couple sued the club, claiming golfers trespassed on their property, insulted and threatened them, and damaged their grounds. A judge ordered the club to erect a 24-foot fence to block errant shots, but the homeowners argued it was insufficient and were awarded $5,367 in damages. In 1988, the owners agreed to reconstruct the hole.
For special events like the Sanderson Four-Ball, the club used an adjusted routing. The first four were played in the usual pattern, and golfers then played the new 9th with a green placed in the old fairway, followed by the 7th, 8th, 5th, and 6th.
It wasn’t until owner Bill Plante purchased the contested home and lifted the injunction that the hole could return to its original par-5 layout. For a decade now, it’s given the hole back much of the luster it had been missing. The revamped 9th now plays 489 yards from the back tees. A flat landing zone 220 yards out leads to a downhill slope and a brook, followed by a challenging uphill approach.
“It’s not a hard three-shot hole, but guys who try to get there in two… it’s a real gamble,” longtime member Joe Hinchey told Mass Live back in 2015.
The green is guarded by out-of-bounds left and long, with bunkers protecting the right. The closing hole sits in full view of the outdoor pavilion, where onlookers cheer or groan as matches wrap up.
DiRico summed it up: “It’s not long, but it’s challenging. You have to be in the right places.”
Notable Achievements
Tom Sullivan, affectionately known as “Sully,” was a key figure during the late 20th-century stretch of Quaboag’s history. He served as head pro from 1988 to 1999, putting together a remarkable 1995 season when he made the cut at the Greater Hartford Open (now the Travels Championship). He also found success in regional professional events, placing in the top 40 in the Mass Open despite facing a much younger field, and once shooting a course record 60 when Quaboag’s course was temporarily shortened to a par-68.
He took the head professional job at Wyantenuck Country Club in 1999 and was there for the rest of his career. Tragically, Sullivan died in 2020 at the age of 71, when a tree fell on his golf cart during a storm as he ensured the course was clear of players.
His legacy lives on particularly through the talented golfers he mentored, including three-time Mass Amateur Champion Jim Salinetti. “I was one of the best players in the state, and he was a better player than me,” Salinetti said. “You’d go to him for a lesson and next thing for you know, it’d be an hour or four hours. Sully was that kind of guy that I wouldn’t leave until he said, ‘I’ve got to go.’”
Tom Sullivan mentored several talented golfers, all while competing during his tenure at Quaboag Country Club. (NEPGA)
Palmer native Justin Kumpulanian, another Sully mentee who’s currently the men’s golf coach at Middlebury College, joined Quaboag after his father became a member. “Instead of summers traveling playing baseball, they’d leave us there for 3 hours,” Kumpulanian said.
“Quaboag was good with letting juniors play in afternoons,” he added. “The staff was great with us and what it means to be a member and better golfer.”
Those summers with friends helped build Palmer High School into a state power, forming a full team of players capable of breaking 40 in 9-hole matches. In 2000, Kumpulanian led the squad to a near-perfect season, finishing 19-1 in the regular season and capping it off with a storybook ending.
Playing the MIAA Division II state championship that spring at Quaboag was a gift, yet there was incredible pressure on them. “I had mixed feelings playing at my home course. Your expectations are so high because you know the course so well… I remember being very nervous and having a bad start playing-wise. I settled into my round and made birdies come in to shoot a good score.”
Despite the slow start, Kumpulanian carded a 2-over 70 to edge out defending champion Ben Spitz (2006 Mass Amateur champion) by two shots, making three birdies and key par saves on 12 and 16 to clinch both the individual and team titles. And Palmer’s team (— Kumpulanian, Mike Kyzocha, Dave Motyka, Matt Gouin, Greg Koss, Matt Santos — totaled 308 in the low four-scorers-of-six format to win the state title on its home turf. (Koss once aced and eagled the par-4 7th on the same day in 2009).
“I was happy with the way I played, and I knew if someone was going to beat me, they’d have to shoot a very good number to do it,” Kumpulanian said. “Looking back on that time, I know how lucky I was to have those buddies with whom I could play.”
Justin Kumpulanian tees off during the 2000 MIAA Division II state championship held at Quaboag CC. (Contributed)
Modern Times
In the early 2000s, then-pro Greg Farland, now leading the pro shop at Cohasse Country Club in Southbridge, led a round of course improvements and renovations. He also taught lessons at Heritage Country Club in Charlton, also owned by Bill Plante, tending to the pro shop alongside his wife Liz, an LPGA Class A Teaching Professional out of Heritage. Continuing in the tradition of successful golf pros, Farland also made several deep runs in the Connecticut PGA Match Play Championship.
“The owners here have made a great commitment to improve the club, and we want to show it off a little,” Farland said in 2006.
Today, Quaboag remains an active hub for golf in the region, hosting high school matches in the fall, as well as various pro-ams and tournaments throughout the season. The club’s Valhalla Banquet Facilities offer a picturesque setting for events, while the course still prioritizes quality conditions and a friendly atmosphere.
“It’s a good little spot,” said Bill Rosenblum when he was hired as Director of Golf in 2018. “There is a lot of potential here.”
AMHERST GOLF CLUB – AMHERST, MA (Published 2/14/25)
Class is back in session for this next edition of the 125 series. After all, few places in Massachusetts boast a golf club whose history is as deeply intertwined with both a prestigious college and a town that has long maintained a culture of fostering “sound minds in sound bodies.”
In fact, in 1861, Amherst College became the first institution to establish a college health program by establishing the Department of Physical Education and Hygiene. When the idea was floated to establish a golf club, its purpose was described as, “…a playground where students, faculty, alumni, neighbors, and friends of Amherst can meet in friendly rivalry in the ancient and noble game.”
Established in 1900, Amherst Golf Club has long been a nine-hole gem initially laid out upon roughly 60 acres of natural terrain that was part of an Amherst College professor’s residence and located just a half mile south of the campus and the town common.
Under the initial leadership of Amherst College president George Harris, the club was warmly embraced by the community and its summer residents, attracting many of the era’s top golf standouts to Western Massachusetts. As the Amherst Record newspaper reported during the club’s first open house on June 1, 1900, “Few places are or can be more ‘beautiful for situation’ than the home of the Amherst Country Club.”
Standing strongly as an affordable, member-operated club that’s open to public play, golfers who have experienced Amherst are impressed by the course’s tidy layout and fair test of skill, as well as the welcoming spirit of the club’s stewards — some of the friendliest ambassadors of the game you’ll find. That is particularly the case for the Twohig family, Ed and his son Dave, whose combined 80 years in the head golf professional role between 1944 and 2024. After 46 years, Dave Twohig retired at the end of the season, having spent decades guiding generations through the club, enhancing their skills, and fostering connections among members.
A view from the first tee at Amherst Golf Club at sunset. (Jack Jemsek)
Early History
Despite the club’s initial embrace in its earliest years, it nearly met the same fate as other Western Massachusetts clubs that closed permanently and became a distant memory — permanently being the keyword.
Although the Amherst club won several early inter-club matches and was a founding member of the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association, the land lease expired in five years due to declining membership and inability to meet expenses. It was acquired in April 1905 to establish the Fairholme School for girls. Golf continued that year under the name Doma Golf Club but did not return to the property until 1911, entering a stage that’s been dubbed the club’s intermission.
When the Fairholme School closed in 1908, Amherst graduate and respected philanthropist Mortimer L. Schiff purchased the land known as the Lincoln estate and passed the title back to the college’s board of trustees. Three years later, the club was reestablished under its current name and re-opened on July 8, 1911.
John G. Anderson, who played Amherst on both sides of the intermission, became the club’s first success story. One of the top amateur players of his era, Anderson won 53 tournaments worldwide and was known as having one of the sharpest minds in golf.
John G. Anderson was the lone Amherst member to win the Mass Amateur until 1971 when Tracy Mehr, a longtime Amherst College football and golf coach won the title match at Taconic Golf Club.
A native of Clinton, Massachusetts, Anderson came to Amherst College in the fall of 1901, winning the first club championship and the first two New England Intercollegiate Championships. He also lowered the original 18-hole course record to 81. He went on to win the Mass Amateur twice (1907 and 1911) and was runner-up in the 1913 U.S. Amateur. That same year, he had an epic semifinal clash with Francis Ouimet in the Mass Amateur at Wollaston, where Ouimet rallied from one down to shoot 6-under (2-3-3-3-3-3) for a 2&1 victory.
Outside of playing, Anderson became close with Rodman Wanamaker, a crucial figure who founded the PGA and became a founder of Winged Foot. He was also one of golf’s major writers and is credited with bringing to life the story of Francis Ouimet’s historic victory at the 1913 U.S. Open. Anderson would never win the U.S. Amateur but would twice be the runner-up in 1913 and 1915.
As the club found steady economic footing with an increasing number of members, it gradually adapted its layout, adding length and rerouting potentially hazardous crossing areas. It also hired its first pro, Roland Maggie, in 1924. In 1927, the first recorded women’s club championship took place, won by Mrs. H.W. Doughty.
The club hosted nationally-known performers in May 1936 when tour pro Henry Picard and sportswriter Grantland Rice played golf instructor Alex Morrison and Worcester Country Club pro Willie Ogg in an exhibition. Picard led the charge with an impressive 67, consistently reaching 275 yards off the tee and leading his duo to a 4 & 3 victory.
Ogg, who you’ll read about extensively in Worcester’s 125-year piece (later this year), is credited with bringing both the 1925 U.S. Open and the inaugural Ryder Cup in 1927 to Worcester. Picard, meanwhile, went on to win the 1938 Masters and 1939 PGA Championship and played on two winning Ryder Cup teams (1935 & 1937). Rice, meanwhile, donated a trophy given to the senior male club champion each year.
Women’s golf has been long embraced at Amherst. These efforts became more organized in 1943 when Edwina Fish, with the help of Betty Rogers, established the Amherst Golf Club Women’s Association. The group continues to run club tournaments and league play and remains one of the many strong social organizations within the club.
The Course
When it comes to historic nine-hole courses, it’s natural to wonder whether expansion to 18 holes was ever considered. At Amherst, the answer is documented, but the reason is less clear.
In 1927, longtime club president Arthur Dakin acquired 80 acres of land across the street from the existing course. However, the college advised against developing the land at significant expense, and the expansion never materialized. The land remains undeveloped to this day. Instead, the club focused on maintaining and improving the existing nine-hole layout, as well as the upkeep of a clubhouse that housed golf supplies, club repair services, lockers, and food facilities.
Until World War II, much of the course maintenance, including clearing trees and digging bunkers, was carried out by members under the direction of the greens chairman. By improving course flow, reducing crowding, and eliminating hazardous fairway crossings, the club eventually was able to establish nine unique green sites. (Previously, two holes had shared putting surfaces.) By the time these changes were implemented, the course had been extended to 2,720 yards, playing as a par 34 for men and a par 39 for women.
Significant renovations in the mid-20th century, led by golf architect and Amherst resident Geoffrey Cornish and his associate Bill Robinson, modernized the course over the years:
Hole 1 was originally a long par 5 with a blind tee shot. In 1964, the tee was moved up 95 yards to make it a standard-length par 4, eliminating the need for a periscope and light system to avoid wayward groups.
Hole 2 was previously a 113-yard par 3 but was lengthened into a par 4 with the old leveled tee and a fairway cut into the woods.
Hole 3 retained its original green, but a new tee and fairway were built deeper in the woods, converting it into a par 4.
Hole 5 used to have bunkers crossing the front of the green that were eventually moved and built into the hillside.
By 1964, the course stretched to about 3,055 yards (about where it is now) with a par of 35. Tees have been added to give a different look on the back nine while improving playability, pace of play, and safety. A new green was built for Hole 4 in 1968. (Fun fact on Hole 4: At age 77, Miles Seaver aced this hole twice, first in October 2005 and again in March 2006, using the same 7-wood. After 50 years of playing golf, these marked the first aces of his life).
“They’re all good holes,” said former golf professional Dave Twohig. “They’re all challenging, have nuances, and the way the greens are, there are subtleties.”
While each hole at Amherst holds a certain amount of lore based on all the years of play, Amherst’s final three-hole stretch truly saves the best for last with a massive par 5, a potentially drivable par-4, and a nerve-wracking par-3 that plays straight up the hill back to the clubhouse.
The 7th is the club’s lone par 5, which can stretch to a maximum of 525 yards and plays about 60 feet uphill before rolling back down toward the green. Deep rough and lurking trees can spell trouble for shots that stray from the fairway.
The short, downhill 8th is a dogleg right that used to take the driver out of your hands as it was protected by a massive tree with a stump that measured 15 feet in circumference. That was until years ago when it was struck by lightning, allowing golfers a much easier path to cut the corner and hit the green. Most golfers still do lay up, leaving about 100 yards on the approach. The best play is to play it to the lip of the fairway and have it roll safely onto the green.
Staring back up to the clubhouse, you face your final test, a 200-yard par-3, which plays to about 215 feet uphill with a small green that breaks sharply right to the left. Anywhere right or long of the green is considered “jail” as the hole runs down hard to the front. The best placement here is short and left. Nerves can definitely get the best of you here. Jesse ‘Jay’ Morgan III, who has won about a dozen club championships, once rallied from three strokes down on the final hole by making a 20-foot birdie putt after his opponent three-putted for a six, giving Morgan the title.
No. 9 at Amherst is challenging par-3 finisher. (Carol Lollis/Daily Hampshire Gazette)
The Morgans have had quite the legacy at both the club and Amherst College. In the 2003 club championship, Jay Morgan squared off with his son Jesse Morgan IV in an epic clash that saw the son not only defeat the father but take his course record with a 62, which still stands today. Michelle Morgan, Jay Morgan’s wife, claimed her own piece of history this past fall, making birdie on the 9th (18th) to set the women’s course record with a 73.
Prior to that, she was one of the top coaches in Amherst history, leading the women’s golf program for 25 years (1991-2015) and leading the Mammoths to 4 NCAA Tournament appearances. She also spent 25 years as head women’s soccer coach, with seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2001 Division III national championship game.
Amherst’s layout has been well maintained, thanks to many sets of caring hands. Carl Teschke started as superintendent in January 1996 and has led several projects and improvements to have the course playing in the best shape possible, according to Twohig and countless other members.
Prior to Teschke’s tenure, Dr. Joseph Troll, who pioneered modern turfgrass research and taught turf management for 40 years at the UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture, was the Greens chairman and oversaw improvements to the course in the 1970s and 80s. Troll was also a member of the USGA’s Greens Committee and earned the Green Section Award in 1991. When receiving the award, chairman Raymond B. Anderson said, “The turfgrass industries have made substantial improvements as a result of better-educated golf course superintendents and turf grass managers. These results are in no small way due to the dedicated efforts of Joseph Troll.”
An aerial view of a lawn design reading ‘THANKS JOE!’ in honor of Dr. Joseph Troll, a longtime leader in the Turf Program at UMass and the namesake of the Turf Research Center. (UMass Amherst)
A New Chapter
As you reach the end of the narrow driveway and around the parking lot at Amherst, you’re greeted with the sign “Twohig Way,” which is more than just an honorary name being recognized but a way of life at Amherst GC. That’s particularly true with teaching junior golfers.
Ed Twohig grew up in Holyoke, about a 2-mile hike to the old Mt. Tom Golf Club. He spent years as an assistant under pro Johnny Banks before taking the Amherst job in 1944. Starting in 1949, Twohig began offering free lessons and playing time for 16 boys and girls under age 8 each year, with the purpose of growing the game for local youths.
Ever since, introducing golfers to the game and building a community has been paramount for the Twohig family. Before taking the reins, Dave Twohig competed as an alternate for the UMass Amherst golf team, later teaching golf at the school from 1981-1993. Upon graduating in 1975, he worked for his father for three years doing everything from caddying, shagging golf balls, tending to the shop, scoring tournaments, or cooking hot dogs. He then took over in 1979, beginning the longest active, consecutive year tenure as head professional at a golf club in Western Massachusetts.
Twohig often would forsake his own tee times and spend countless hours genuinely taking an interest in how members were playing and what was going on in their lives. He always made time to support new and aspiring golfers.
“Either we did a good job, or they couldn’t get rid of us,” Twohig said with his distinctive deadpan wit. “My dad always wanted to provide what could be found at every other course: competition, people to mix with, and keep room for the casual/public player.
“A lot of what I’ve enjoyed is seeing young kids come up into the game, not preaching to them but showing them the ways of the golf club.”
Following Twohig’s retirement, it was announced that one of his mentees, Shawn Durocher (nee Chalmers), would become the next golf professional. Chalmers earned a Ouimet scholarship working alongside Twohig in the pro shop and won several local Amherst championships. She also met her husband Rich, the 1988 club champion there.
At the University of Hartford, Durocher won both the Massachusetts and Northeast Intercollegiate women’s golf championships in 1992 and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1993. Back home, she earned the 1991 Massachusetts Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship for the Keyes Cup and led the state’s Griscom Cup team to victory. Durocher became a PGA member in 1998 and previously served as head golf coach at Mt. Holyoke College, and for the past seven years was head golf professional at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club.
Twohig said he trusts Durocher to continue the strong traditions of the club — such as its weekly league play and Novemberfest, a late season 18-hole scramble/18-hole best ball tournament — but most importantly, continue to be the ultimate supporter of the membership at large.
“Shawn has good credentials, and I’m sure they’ll take over and hope to continue the friendliness,” Twohig said. “It was a good hire, and hopefully, everything will work out fine.”
Dave Twohig, left, and Shawn Durocher pose for a photo inside the Amherst Golf Club clubhouse. (Jack Jemsek)
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.
