The Pride of Lynn

Golfers from the city of Lynn have always had a special affection for their hometown golf course

By Barry Scanlon

It was built during the rough-and-tumble Great Depression, when money was tight and dreams remained just that, dreams. The ambitious project had every reason to fail.

But it didn’t.

Bankrolled by the city of Lynn, which spent $87,793.14 on the course and another $60,527.63 on the clubhouse, an 18-hole golf course was built on a 100-acre lot. In 1931, Happy Valley opened for business.

Three years later, to celebrate the opening of the clubhouse and the second nine, crowds ringed the greens to watch Francis Ouimet, 1921 U.S. Amateur champ Jesse Guilford, six-time Massachusetts champion Fred Wright and Happy Valley club pro Larry Gannon stage an exhibition.

This season, 75 years after its opening and 30 years after it was renamed Gannon Municipal Golf Course after its legendary pro of 42 years, Gannon continues to be vibrant and continues to make history.

“Good old Gannon,” says 12-time women’s club champion Tara Johnson with pride oozing out of her every word. “It’s just a great place to be. How lucky are we? It’s the jewel of Lynn. Everybody always comes back.”

Current head pro Mike Foster, who took over for Gannon in 1975, one year after Gannon’s death, said the club will host a 75th anniversary gala July 29-30. A who’s who of some of the top players the North Shore has produced are expected to return. Foster said one reason Gannon has produced so much history is its firm commitment to the present.

“It’s got such a great tradition with junior golf. The vibrancy of the club is the junior program,” Foster says of the club’s junior program that has 100 members and attracts 200 players annually for its junior clinic. “That’s our pride and joy, obviously. I just tried to pick up where (Gannon) left off.”

At 6,106 yards from the back tees, Gannon is not long. But what it lacks in length, it makes up in character and hills. The front nine in particular is made for “Billy goats,” jokes Johnson.

Although the back nine isn’t as hilly, the finishing holes offer plenty of challenge, including the majestic 563-yard closing hole aptly named “Homeward Bound.”

There are plenty of thrills to go with those hills, like the view of the Boston skyline from the fifth fairway, or the rebuilt 14th hole, a picturesque and challenging par 3 over water that plays 138 yards from the middle tees.

Gannon is a par-70 municipal course with 500 members that get preferred tee times on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Unless it’s raining, Gannon sees a tremendous amount of play. Foster said approximately 50,000 rounds were played there last year. The price is certainly right. The weekday greens fees are $32 for non-residents ($45 with a cart), $18 for nine holes. Lynn residents, meanwhile, pay $28 for 18 and $16 for nine. Memberships are $1,000 per year for Lynn residents and $1,450 for non-residents.

“It’s affordable,” Foster says. “And we’re usually in pristine shape. We get a lot of people calling from Boston. Course management comes into play. No two holes are alike. Here you have a distinction between the holes. There’s no flat ground to speak of. You’ve got to learn how to hit off slopes. Local knowledge is important. And you can’t hit driver all over the place.”

Despite its urban setting, the course sits on a hill just a couple of well-struck shots from Route 129. Gannon has a real suburban feel. The adjacent Lynn Woods Reservation plays a huge role in that.

“People say, ‘I didn’t even know you were here,’” says Johnson, a part-time employee of Gannon.

Johnson, who has won six women’s club titles in a row, is quick to credit the work of Foster and Steve Murphy, the course superintendent.

“When you finish a round, you definitely want to come back and see it again. Every hole has its own character,” she adds.

Plus, Johnson says, “The people of Gannon are always so kind and nice. Everybody watches out for everybody else.”

Johnson says that a real family atmosphere exists at Gannon. Fathers introduce their children to golf at Gannon. Years later, the children become adults and another generation is introduced to the club the legendary Babe Didrikson attracted large crowds to in 1939 for an exhibition.

Like Johnson, Mike Cole learned the game of golf at Gannon. Last summer, the club’s six-time men’s champion made a terrific run at the Massachusetts Amateur championship before falling in the finals.

“It’s got everything you need,” the 50-year-old Cole says of his home course.

Cole is a big fan of the 385-yard eighth hole: “That’s a great par 4. It makes you play. You’ve got to hit two real solid shots.”

The closing hole is also one of his favorites.

“Eighteen is a challenge when you’re staring over that tee,” he said. “You’ve got to hit all the golf shots on 18.”

Bob Small, a 15-time men’s club champ, was as hot as a firecracker when he set the course record of 63 during a memorable round on July 4, 2000, breaking the record of 64, a score Cole has managed twice.

“The place is like night and day. Back in the days of the early ’70s the place was pretty well beat up due to budget constraints and everything. Over the years we’ve got creative and did some things,” Foster said.

Whether it’s rebuilding the 14th green and tee box or adding a deck onto the stately clubhouse, which offers picturesque views, club officials are determined to keep looking forward while also honoring Gannon’s storied past.

“I’m very lucky because I get a chance to play a lot of golf courses,” added Cole. “But to me nothing’s like Gannon. It’s a special place.”