Charles River Country Club – Played June 2024
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 483 Dedham Street, Newton, Massachusetts
- Year: 1921
- Original Architect: Donald Ross
- Additional Work By: Ron Pritchard
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts & Caddies Available
Score Card Information:
- Gold: 6,701 yards, Par 72, 73.4 Rating/143 Slope
- Blue: 6,436 yards, Par 72, 72.2 Rating/138 Slope
- White: 6,182 yards, Par 72, 71.1 Rating/136 Slope
- Red: 5,578 yards, Par 73, 73.1 Rating/130 Slope
My New England tour continues, this time at Charles River Country Club. Any time I can add a Donald Ross course to the schedule, I’m going to do it! Thanks to my Boston friends, we were able to get this on the calendar.
Charles River was the home to Francis Ouimet for a number of years and he was the club’s first honorary member. His famous caddie, Eddie Lowery, was also a member. In the 90s, Ron Pritchard came in to remove trees and enlarge the greens. Like so many older courses, Charles River seems to have benefited from this work. Let’s get into the tour.
**Note – Not all holes will have photos. I was enjoying the round and getting pictures when I could.
Hole 1 – 416 yards – Par 4
While the length here might suggest driver, the fairway trundles down to a water hazard, so something 225 yards is all you will need. Favor the right side of the fairway.
Hole 3 – 373 yards – Par 4
The elevated tee box lets you launch drives and shorten the approach shot. Make sure to not miss over the green.
Hole 7 – 453 yards – Par 5
This shorter dogleg right par five is quite gettable if you stay out of the trees. It has a truly wild green though and it’s a tough one to hold.
Hole 8 – 402 yards – Par 4
The rock outcroppings scream New England to me (I’ve said that many times before). This is a demanding hole from tee to green with not many good places to miss around the putting surface.
Hole 9 – 170 yards – Par 3
A tabletop green makes this an imposing hole, not to mention the parking lot to the left.
Hole 10 – 469 yards – Par 5
This hole has a road running along the left side for a majority of it but the playing corridors are wide. The second shot plays downhill and you can easily run your ball onto the green to start the backside off well.
Hole 11 – 236 yards – Par 3
It might not look it but this hole plays a bit downhill and the slopes feed down to the green. You don’t need to be a hero and carry it all the way there.
Hole 12 – 355 yards – Par 4
This tee shot is blind, so making sure you have the correct line is important. I’d imagine the right rough is a popular spot.
Look at those crispy mowing lines and the fairway slope!
Hole 13 – 348 yards – Par 4
This tee shot is a bit quirky and pinched in but the fairway is wide enough if you don’t hit driver. Trying to go up the left side is not as beneficial as you might think since a large tree sits to the left of the green.
Hole 14 – 187 yards – Par 3
While this is a good hole with a wonderfully framed green, the elevated walking bridge is the star of the show.
Hole 15 – 474 yards – Par 5
Looking back down this hole gives you a feel for the elevation change from the upper fairway to the green. The water in front makes you think about your second shot if you are in a position to go for the green.
Hole 16 – 530 yards – Par 5
Compared to some of the other par fives, this one is much more difficult to reach in two. The heavily canted fairway gives way to large hills as it meanders towards the green. The big land movement makes you think about where you need to hit each shot.
Hole 18 – 435 yards – Par 4
The final approach shot can be a long one depending on your length and quality of tee ball. If you find your way into the right side of the fairway, the second shot is there for the taking.
Charles River Country Club was a delightful walk with some dramatic land movement. When you pair that with a set of Donald Ross greens, it’s pretty hard to have less than a great time!