Where It Began

I began my career as a greenkeeper in 1994 at The Country Club in Brookline, MA. It was my first job not delivering newspapers. My older brother, Mike was hired there first with the help of a friend. When I turned 16 I needed to earn some money, so off I went to TCC. A year later my younger brother Chris joined the crew.

I was on the staff for the 1995 US Women’s Amateur and the 33rd Ryder Cup Matches in 1999. I had an amazing career at the club that helped me land where I am today. I learned so much and have fond memories of my time in Brookline.

I loved my time there, so much that it became my life’s work. I’m writing this not only for my own pleasure, but I wanted to archive my memories of my time at TCC. I wasn’t very good at taking photos back then but hopefully I can paint a clear enough picture for you all.

Please allow me to go hole by hole and I’ll stop along the way to give you some of my favorite memories. Some of the routing on the course has changed since 1999, I'll address some of those changes as well. One similarity Pinehurst has to TCC is that it is a 27 hole property. For large USGA and PGA events they combine the courses to form one spectacular course. 

The First: A great starting par 4. Massive tee shared with the members 10th tee. The caddy-master hut was directly behind the tee and like most courses sat next to the driving range.

I have fond memories of this hole. First, I spent every spring break in high school and college raking up clay skeets in this fairway. While my college buddies spent their time in Jamaica, I had a rake in my hands cleaning up tiny bits of shattered pigeons before the fairway mower would come out each spring. Skeet shooting was a popular winter sport at the club. Golf is rarely played in the winter in Boston. Other winter activities included indoor tennis, curling, skating and paddle tennis.

The inside of the dogleg on 1 is a low point and has soils that did not drain well. Of course we had a hurricane roll up the east coast a week before the 1999 Ryder Cup leaving behind a ton of rain. My boss, now-retired Superintendent Bill Spence, had an answer for everything. He hired a member to bring his helicopter in to hover over the fairway to dry it out. It worked great.

Meanwhile, I was mowing the first green. It was also next to one of the entrances for spectators. As I lined up my mower for the first pass I couldn’t help but watch the hundreds of people come in through the gate. It was the first time I had nerves with a greensmower. Bill noticed my hesitation, approached me and asked how I was doing. I told him how I felt. He responded with, “That’s why you’ve been mowing the same greens all summer. You’ll be fine.” And I was.

The Second: Members play it as a par 4. But since the 88 Open it’s been played as a par 3 with a shorter tee box for the professionals. Up hill shot to a small green protected by sand all around. You can find plenty of places to read about all of the history at TCC. The greens were very small when I was there. Ahead of the 2013 US Amateur and for preparing for the US Open this year Gil Hanse was brought in to restore the club and bring it to today's standards to host an Open. So what are the two things that he worked on the most? Expanding greens and removing trees. Greens evolve over time and shrink. I am excited to see all of the new changes to an already great club.  

The Third: Welcome to New England. The fairway sits down in a valley with granite outcroppings on both sides. You can’t see the pin from the tee and depending on where you place your tee shot, most players hit a blind second shot to the green. The fairway is about 10 yards wide in the choke point. Small green, sand all around. If you go long you visit the skating pond.

The Fourth: Members play it as the fifth. The 4th on the main course is not being played for the open. TCC is a 27 hole facility just like Pinehurst. For professionals they combine both courses for an exceptional layout.

However this hole is amazing. One of my favorites. Blind tee shot, par 4 to the right. There used to be a Colorado Blue Spruce in the rough on the left. It was visible from the blind tee. This was a classic green committee move. I’m pretty sure Gil had it removed. This is just one more reason why caddies are integral to the game.

The Fifth: (Members 6th) up hill short par 4. It can be seen from Newton St. When my dad would drive by my brothers and I would always be glued to the window to get a peak. This was the hole I was stationed at after mowing greens on the final day of the Ryder Cup. I was so lucky. Once the last group played through I was free to watch golf. That day was so memorable. Sept 26, 1999

The Sixth: (members 7th) par 3. Slight down hill. Great hole. Massive bunker on the left front. Long green front to back. This green stood out to everyone. You had to mow straight lines on this green or you would hear it from the rest of the crew. When you are on this tee, look to the golfers right and you will see the Skeet shooting platform.

The Seventh: (members 8th) one of the most picturesque holes. Long par 4, tree lined on the left, bunkers on the right. The skating pond hit is way left. 

I remember Jesper Parnevik holing out an eagle from the fairway on the first day of the Ryder Cup. His playing partner, Sergio Garcia was jumping around in the middle of the fairway with excitement.

The Eighth: (members 14th) here’s where things get wonky with the layout. The members 9th & 10th holes are used as the practice range for an event like this. The 9th isn’t spectacular but the 10th is so cool. Very short par 4, blind second shot into another small green with sand all around. It’s a blind second shot because of a huge berm in front of the green. Covered in native grass, you can’t see the pin from the fairway. The green is not very difficult but getting there is all fun. 

Ok, the 8th, the first par 5. Long hole, long. There’s a massive net that I’m sure you see on the broadcast off to the right. It protects the pool. See when you host major golf tournaments on a property this old, compromise must be met. The game has changed.

Before the net you have to hit over a quarry to reach the fairway. The fairway climbs up a hill to the green. The tennis and curling buildings border the hole on the right.

During the practice rounds of the Ryder Cup I was asked by a golf writer if he could mow a pass on the green. He said he knew how. I had never met the guy and wasn't about to let some strange guy mow! I thought he was crazy. 

The Ninth: Here is where we get to the nine hole course on the property. It is called the Primrose. Unlike Pinehurst, there’s not much organized golf on the Primrose. It’s a beautiful 9 that is adjacent to Pine Manor College. Tom Brady and Dustin Pedroia used to have homes out there as well. Nice company.

This hole is gorgeous. More granite rock outcroppings and if you miss the fairway right, you’re wet. The green used to be surrounded by massive oaks, but I’m sure Gil cleaned that up a bit. Which is good. Oak saplings used to sprout up in the bunkers every year. It was a pain.

The Tenth. (Members 11th) back up the hill to the 8th tee box(shared). This is one of the most memorable holes at TCC. In '99 Davis Love III eagled from the top of the rocks. Cool views, great spectator area. The tee shot hits over the skating pond. Don’t go too far or you’ll reach the creek. Perched green with bunkers protecting it.

Before the Ryder Cup the town of Brookline had a parcel of land behind this green. TCC had no use for it so the town put it up for auction. Paul Fireman, former CEO of Reebok bought the land. Legend has it that he wanted a membership to the club, in turn he would gift the land to the club. Since he was denied a membership he built a 26,000 sq. ft home on the land instead. It opened in time for the Ryder Cup. 

This is also the hole I saw Tiger Woods for the first time during the first day of the practice rounds. We were mowing the fairway and not expecting any play. He and Mark O'Meara had just finished the 13th hole and instead of going to 14 they decided to play this hole again. So there were no crowds anywhere near us, just Tiger and a few members of the grounds crew.

The Eleventh (members 12th): I was surprised to hear this hole made the cut. I’m sure it was a memorable one for Gil. It’s such a short downhill par 3 you could almost putt it off the tee. But don’t. There’s a creek in front of the green. The green is perched up with sand around it too. It’s very Seth Raynor looking. Very unique, very cool. I’m highly interested in the scores on this hole.

The Twelfth (Members 13th) love this hole. Up hill par 4 blind tee shot to the right. If it rains that week this hole will play longer. The green sits in a bowl. Back in '98 I was pruning some Rhododendrons behind the green. I found a little bit of granite in the grass. I peeled back a few feet of the bluegrass that had crept over the rock. Bill noticed it and I asked him if I could keep going. I removed about 300 sq. ft of grass and exposed that whole rock. It made for a cool back drop on the back right of the green.

The Thirteenth: (Primrose 1) Amazing hole. There’s a little parking lot near the tee. Many Sunday evenings in high school or college I would finish watching golf, eat dinner, drive to the club and play the Primrose. The grounds staff could play it any day. I loved it. It was a slice of heaven.

Blind tee shot to a narrow fairway. The maintenance shop is on the right. The members play this as the first and second hole on the primrose. The first green will be grown up to fairway height and the second green is used for the green. A small pond protects the green in front. Many trees behind the green make this a highly picturesque green complex. Great viewing area for 11,12,13 & 14.

The Fourteenth (Primrose 8) my favorite hole on the property. This hole plays much longer than it did in 99. It’s now a par 5. Gil lengthened it for the 2013 US Amateur. 

The tee shot goes over a pond and through a narrow stretch of mature trees to a fairly flat and open fairway. But the fun doesn’t stop. You’re now looking at a wall of fescue with bunkers spattered in the slope. The second fairway and green are no where to be found. Most players will land safely in the second fairway past the slope. Getting to the green from the lower fairway is a tall task. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The small green is once again protected by sand all around. There’s also a nasty slope to the right of the green you must avoid. It’s so beautiful. I doubt tv can do this hole the justice it deserves. Once you climb to the second fairway you get some great views of the club. If you find your ball in a playable spot, your winning.

The Fifteenth: Here is where things line back up. Your now back on the main course to the clubhouse. The remaining holes will probably never change with the layout. This hole was lengthened primarily for the 2013 Amateur. But the original tee is where I have two fond memories in my life.

The first is this is where my brother Mike first introduced me to this golf course. I grew up playing a municipal course nearby, turf conditions were never great there. One summer evening Mike took me for a ride around TCC. The 15th tee was the first stop. I got out of the cart, knelt down on the turf and combed through the grass similar to some of my summer haircuts. The turf was perfect. Thick, tight and the way the summer sun shone on the turf was magical. I wanted more.

The second memory I hope I never forget. At the time there were some large juniper shrubs to the right of the tee. In early July of the summer of '99 I was cleaning out some weeds and doing some detail work in the juniper bed. We were having a one day member-guest tournament at the club but we were having one special guest play the course that day. He was not a part of the tournament but an exception was made for him to play. I heard a group of golfers finish at the 14th green and head for the 15th tee. I didn’t want to disturb them while in the bushes so I decided to get out of the way. As I stumbled out of the junipers I dusted myself off, picked up my head and there he stood. My golfing idol, Payne Stewart. He smiled at me and stuck out his hand, congratulated me on the conditions of the course. I congratulated him on his US Open victory. I then sat back and watched the greatest golf swing I had ever seen in my life.

I’ll never forget that day and I’ll never forget Oct 26, 1999. Just one month after winning the Ryder Cup for the US. Mr. Stewart left the us way too soon. I still miss him. The game misses him. The world was better with him.

The memories don’t stop on this hole. During the final day of the Ryder Cup, Chris and I followed Payne Stewart and Colin Montgomerie. It was a great match. As we waited for them to putt on 15, Hal Sutton had just closed out Darren Clarke on the 16th. As Clarke walked by us, he was looking at the scoreboard and told his caddy, “I think we’re fu@?!d”

Minutes later, an eruption occurred on the 17th!

The 15th is also where Kelli Kuehne won her first of two US Women’s Amateur Championships on the 33rd hole. She played some great golf that week. This is where a 17 year old kid from Boston first heard the phrase “Hook ‘em Horns”.

The Sixteenth: This is the first hole you see when coming through the main entrance of the club. A gorgeous par 3 over a field of fescue with sand all around the green. Cool undulations on the green one of the toughest putts.

The Seventeenth: Hands down, One of the most famous holes in golf. 1999 lived up to it.

When it came to mowing greens that summer of 1999 we didn’t start the summer with specific holes each of us had to mow. It just evolved. Until my college roommate, Matt (a Superintendent today)  claimed that he wanted to mow the 18th. He wanted the closing hole, the hole everyone could see.

That was fine by me because that left the door open for me to mow 17. And I did. Every day. Bill wanted us to be able to mow these greens with our eyes shut. We knew every roll in each green. We would have been the best caddies for the tournament. At the time we didn’t realize how good we were but it all came very apparent that week in September.

The first tee time on Sunday for the final matches didn’t start until 10.30. The greens mowers got a late start. Normally we were out the gate at 6am. This day it was closer to 8. The PGA wanted us to be as close to the first group as possible for the best conditions. By the time I made it to 17 green there was a group was playing the 1st which is right next to 17.

For those of you who don’t remember. The US was down 10-6 going into the final day. No team had ever overcome that margin in one day. It was hard to swallow. The 25 of us on the grounds crew at TCC poured our heart and soul into that course. We made it shine for the world to see. For the American team to play so badly on the first two days was demoralizing. But the Americans came out strong on that Sunday. I could hear the crowd from 17. There was a glimmer of hope.

When I finished mowing 17, I took a moment next to my golf cart knowing that it was the last meaningful time I will have mowed 17. It was perfect. It was ready. All I wanted was to witness an incredible sporting event and come away proud.

Remember this was 1999. The Sox had won since 1918, the Patriots had never won a Super Bowl. The Bruins hadn’t won a Stanley Cup in my lifetime and it had been 13 years for the Celtics (which was a long time for Celts fans). I was starved for sports success.

Back to that eruption I heard while I was at the 15th green. It came from the putter of Justin Leonard who went 1 up on Jose Maria Olazabal and he clinched the 14.5 point for the US to claim the Ryder Cup once again. It was amazing.

You could feel the excitement all day long building and building. Finally, the US had won. We had won on my green. My perfect green. 17.

The Eighteenth: The matches weren’t done yet. Stewart and Monty still had to finish. Chris and I raced over to 18 to watch them come in. The entire US team was celebrating. Everyone was celebrating. Gathered around the 18th green, the clubhouse and Men's Locker Room Building loomed in the background. The NBC cameras were all around. Chants of U-S-A grew louder and louder. It was an incredible time. It was the most patriotic moment of my life! Payne Stewart picked up Monty’s ball on the 18th and conceded the match. It didn’t matter anymore. The US won and it was time to celebrate. The crowd smothered the green. I saw people digging out a part of the green. It was chaos. Camera cranes were out above us all and the crowd sang out the National Anthem. It was and it still is the greatest sports moment of my life. I was 21 and I had seen the best.

Thank you for this wonderful stroll down memory lane. Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way. Special thanks to Bill Spence, my brothers and the entire crew in 1999 at TCC.