Time stands still at Sagamore Spring

Lynnfield course remains as one of the most popular and pristine in the area

By Steve Roberts

Serenely sprawled out on either side of Main Street in Lynnfield, the tree-lined fairways and testy greens of Sagamore Spring Golf Club have both welcomed and confounded golfers of all abilities and ages for the last 74 years.

With its simple, no-frills 19th hole and $5 price for a large bucket of balls at the practice range, Sagamore exudes the atmosphere of a public course. But walk a few holes on the immaculate and spacious fairways and you feel as if you’ve been invited to play through a polished private venue.

Founded in 1929, Sagamore has become a fixture on the North Shore, noted for its top-notch conditions that never seem to wane, regardless of the numerous rounds it hosts each year.

“It has been here for over 70 years and what I like most about it is that it provides an enjoyable golf experience to golfers of all abilities,” said head pro Steve Vaughn. “Everyone can enjoy this course. Blue collar, white collar, they all come here to golf.”

Thanks to superb drainage and the hard work of course superintendent Don Brooks and his staff, the course was the exception, rather than the rule this spring on the North Shore after a wicked winter that scathed so many others.

Founded by the Luff family, the course boasted rates as low as 35 cents during the Depression years. Add a dollar sign to that figure and you can get out on the course Monday through Wednesday (actually $34). Thursday to Friday the rate is $38 and $44 on weekends and holidays. Cart rentals will run you $13 and tee times are taken four days in advance.

With a strong junior program, Sagamore has produced its share of top golfers over the years, most notably Les Kennedy and Ross Coon, who combined for a whopping eight NEPGA titles between them. Current Sagamore grounds keeper Phil Miceli, holds the competitive course record with a 7-under par 63 and is tied with Tony Martinho for the most club titles (seven). Jean Martinho has dominated women’s play in recent years.

The numbers and titles are made all the more impressive when one sets out to tackle the challenging course. Sagamore may come in just a hair short of 6,000 yards at 5,936, but there’s plenty of trouble to be found around each and every corner, beginning with the 374-yard par-4 fourth.

“The fourth is one of the most challenging holes on the front,” Vaughn said of the hole that features a crest in the middle of the fairway right around the 150-yard mark. “You really have to plan your tee shot. Do you want to go over the hill or play around it?”

While the course is not lacking for shade, those who treat the center cut of the fairway like holy ground can take solace in the fact that most of the long holes offer plenty of recovery room.

For scenic quality it’s hard to beat the downhill slight dogleg left on the 356-yard par-4 seventh. It’s a hole that you could put on TV on any Sunday afternoon and it would not look out of place.

The ultimate test on the course has to be the 440-yard (from the blues) par-4 13th, the No. 1 handicap hole that has sent many a solid round south in a hurry. “I think that hole is one of the toughest around,” noted Vaughn. “Four hundred and forty yards from the blues? Maybe for a PGA player that’s not that bad, but for the rest of us humans that’s a driver and one heck of an iron.”

But while par fours like the 13th and the three par fives (521, 516 and 455 yards) will give golfers ample opportunity to flex their muscles, the crux to any good round at Sagamore lies in keeping your head above — and more particularly, not finding — water on the course’s six par threes. Four of those close out both sets of nines and most offer plenty of chances to pull the ball retriever out of your bag.

“I think the key to putting up a good score here is scoring on the par fours and fives and then holding your breath on the par threes,” said Vaughn whose best round at Sagamore is an even par 70. “Everyone of them comes with its own sets of obstacles. Those are the holes that always make or break my round.”

Then there are the greens, which will keep you guessing throughout the round.

“I think the big tip I would have with them is that they don’t break as much as they look like they do,” Vaughn explained. “They’re fairly small too. They’re more like the old traditional greens, as you would expect, instead of these newer courses where each green seems to be made up of three mini greens.”

As mentioned earlier, if you are looking for something more substantial than your standard hot dog and a cold beer or soda at the turn or after your round, nearby Rt. 1 (loaded with restaurants) is probably the spot for you, not the Sagamore clubhouse.

“It’s relaxing, but there’s not a lot of extras,” agreed Vaughn. “We’re all about golf here.”

Indeed. Aside from the course there’s a 16-bay driving range and the Sagamore Learning Center. Located behind the first tee, the center features two practice tees and enough video analysis equipment to locate and solve even the most minute swing idiosyncrasies.

The modern technology stands in direct contrast to 1721 William Smith House, which golfers pass on their way across Main St. and on to the 10th tee and one of the few reminders of the passing of time at this 74-year-old gem, which has hosted so many enjoyable rounds to such a wide variety of guests over the years.