Hey Everyone,

If you had told me in 2020 that I would be driving to Falmouth in November for a Town Meeting involving a golf course and a solar company, I would have slapped you in the face.

Alas, I spent Monday evening in the balcony of a middle school auditorium (we even said the Pledge of Allegiance…) in support of Cape Cod Country Club. Sadly, the vote was probably the final nail in the coffin unless something wild happens. According to the course’s superintendent, CCCC should be open until June 2026.

You can read about my trip to Falmouth here.

News and Notes

Pro Golf

⛳️ Megan Khang is playing in her 10th straight LPGA Tour Championship. An extraordinary accomplishment that highlights her consistency and talent. She’s only 28! She shot 72 (E) and sits in 44th place after the first round in Florida. Live Scoring

🔨 Michael Thorbjornsen shot an opening round 64 in the RSM Classic down in Sea Island, Georgia. He is currently 72nd in the FedEx Fall and should lock up a top 100 spot and his PGA Tour Card for next year, as this is the last event of the season. However, one carrot for Thorbjornsen to chase is a top 60 spot, which would grant him a spot in the first two signature events - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational. It’s a big task; he would probably have to win this week.

Two Golf Courses sold

Heard this week that Blackstone National and Shining Rock were sold to two different finance/private equity companies. Will share more when I know more.

Plugs

This Monday, I sent out the first edition of the Small Bucket. Paid subscribers will receive this post 2-3 times a month, usually early in the week. The plan is for it to be on the shorter side, a few quick hits and thoughts, maybe a result or two (like when Michael Thorbjornsen wins this weekend…).

This past Monday’s post included some thoughts on:

• Megan Khang’s incredible Tour Championship streak

• The one benefit to pro golf tournaments that no one really talks about

• Some thoughts on Justin Thomas, Will Zalatoris, and Jordan Spieth’s surgeries

• The one lesson I took away from the Internet Invitational (I fast-forwarded to the last 20 minutes of the final episode for this one…)

• What does the finish to the professional tennis season tell me as a golf fan.

Here’s a link to the Nov. 17 Small Bucket.

Donald Ross’ birthday is this Sunday. I share my 5 favorite public courses he built in Massachusetts.

Going beyond “Keep it Below the Hole” with Donald Ross

Donald Ross courses are everywhere in Massachusetts. There are 14 publicly accessible courses and more than 40 private courses that he’s had a hand in, according to the Donald Ross Society list.

Of course, that doesn’t include the courses some believe are Donald Ross courses without any real firm proof.

CC of New Bedford spent most of its history claiming Ross as their designer until a member dug into the documents and discovered that Willie Park Jr. was the actual designer.

Ross is royalty in Massachusetts, and his design has some calling cards.

We all know the omnipresent advice on any Ross course: Keep it below the hole.

But there are other clues that you’re playing a Ross.

Here are three that go beyond his greens.

The par 3s. Uphill, downhill, short, and long

So many of Ross’ courses feature a lovely mix of par-3 distances. A player will rarely pull the same club on a set of Ross one-shotters. In fact, the range of clubs one will hit on the par 3s is often wide.

The long par 3 is popular with Ross, as is a short par 4. These half-par holes often challenge the best players, but also don’t generate much stress for a beginner.

Ross will also mix in a short par 3, and many of them have a similar look to them. From the 12th at Salem CC to the 10th at Worcester CC to the 14th at Winchester CC to the 7th at Essex CC.

Bunkering and a sloped green defend par but also allow for great shots if a player knows how to use those slopes.

The long par three 10th at Sandy Burr CC is one of the best examples in Mass. public golf of a Ross long one-shotter. The short 3rd at Sandy Burr, out on the edge of the property, offers a nice balance.

An easy walk

Ross said he aimed to “Build each hole in such a manner that it waste none of the ground at my disposal and takes advantage of every possibility I can see."

Without much equipment to move dirt and create mounding, Ross had to use the land he was given. Sometimes that leads to awkward spots on courses, and many times his routing pushes players out to the edge of the land.

Courses like Franklin Park, Concord CC, Winchester CC, Plymouth CC, Worcester CC, Wachusett CC, Kernwood CC, Vesper CC all have holes that run along the edge of roads. In some cases, the routing crosses roads.

Short walks between greens and tees are a staple of Ross courses. They are walkable, even if it means you’re traversing hills and valleys to get from the tee to the green.

Franklin Park is a wonderful walk; while George Wright is a hard walk, the trips from greens to tees are quick.

From beginner to expert… everyone can play

I have recently posted about the 12th hole at Franklin Park. One of the most well-known holes in Massachusetts. A devilish uphill par four that winds through the trees. The hole creates an odd sensation because the previous 11 holes play through open land. Suddenly, a player has to navigate between trees to a green that sits above the tee box. The land slopes hard from left to right.

One person commented that the hole is “objectively unfair” and that there was no risk/reward on the tee shot.

I wasn’t aware that every shot needed to have a risk and a reward. Sometimes you have to step up and hit the shot.

That’s what is great about the 12th. It challenges the low-handicapper because they have to hit two good shots to reach the green. They want to make par, but overpowering it, or thinking there’s a risk/reward aspect to it, leaves players feeling like it’s an unfair hole.

However, a high-handicapper can navigate the hole and make a bogey and feel great. There are no bunkers until the green. There’s a path to roll the ball (albeit uphill).

Back when Ross designed the hole, the uphill nature of most holes was made even harder because the ball didn’t fly far or high. So uphill holes squashed distance.

The famous par 4s at George Wright have the same characteristic as the 12th at Franklin Park. Hole nos. 5, 7, 9, and 10 are all playable along the ground. Each hole allows players to roll the ball onto the green. It takes two excellent shots to have a good birdie look. They are all holes that nearly anyone could play in five shots with a bit of thought and strategy. A good player can make par, but it’s well earned.

Ross courses don’t have much jeopardy as far as water hazards. Players can go around his course without losing a ball, it’s what makes Pinehurst No. 2 so great. It’s hard and penal, but the penalty is rarely that you’ll reach into your bag for another ball. Instead, you’ll be swiping at your ball in the waste area or 3-putting on the treacherous greens.

Ross’ ability to design greens is often the first thing mentioned when discussing one of his courses. Pinehurst No. 2 comes to mind. However, Mark Whitten of Golf Digest has detailed that those greens have changed significantly since they were built by Ross, making the turtleback even more pronounced.

I can’t find the article, but this Golf Club Atlas thread is a good window into how complicated it is to track changes to golf courses over decades. Even at a place like Pinehurst, which honors it’s history and has a museum doesn’t have all the answers about how Ross’ greens might have changed.

Ross’ calling card goes beyond his green complexes and “staying below the hole.” The par 3s, the easy walk, and the ability to test the expert while welcoming the beginner are all reasons that Ross courses are such a delight to play.

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When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

🛍️ “We Bought a 450-Pound Mystery Pallet Packed With Returned Goods From Amazon and Beyond. Here’s What We Found Inside.” Pretty great stuff here from Wirecutter

🇮🇪 I bought A Long Winter by Colm Toibin this week. Another excellent short novel.

I’m eating…

🥄 Made an outstanding chili using this NYTimes Cooking recipe. Skip the slow cooker and use a big pot.

🥣 This Butternut Squash soup rocked, too.

I’m watching…

🔪 Still finishing up Task, have two episodes left.

Know someone who might enjoy this newsletter… send it along to them!

Bay State Archives

• A list of golf courses open in the winter.

• Bay State Picks: Best courses you can walk for less than $60.

• Bay State Picks: Nine-hole courses to play before or after work

• Bay State Picks: 18 public golf that is worth your time

• Bay State Picks: Easy 18-hole public walks

• Bay State Deep Dive: Myopia Hunt Club