Standing the test of time

Ould Newbury, and its notorious tree, have been challenging North Shore golfers since the early 1900s

By Barry Scanlon

Hundreds of trees line the 60-acre Ould Newbury Golf Club. One stands apart, however.

To many who play the nine-hole, semi-private course just off Route 1, it is simply The Tree. Through the years, the 70-foot hickory tree has blocked more shots than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Positioned just off the ninth fairway, The Tree makes an already extremely challenging hole a nightmare for many. Without The Tree, golfers would have to blast a tee shot up a hill to a hole 211 yards away, a tough enough test. But due to the positioning of the tee box, unless a right-handed golfer can hook a shot with precision (or a lefty play an accurate slice), the only way to survive the par-3 is to hit over The Tree and land a shot on the green, something less than 10 percent of Ould Newbury’s members are able to do, club officials estimate.

“The seniors hate it,” says Jim Hilton, the club pro since 1983. “They’ve got to try and go around it.”

Approximately 15 years ago, a vote came before membership: Cut down The Tree or leave it standing. By a unanimous vote, members voted to keep The Tree. It appears to have been a wise choice and one in keeping with tradition.

One of the charms of Ould Newbury, opened on Labor Day 1916, is its consistency. The course today looks very much like it did 50 years ago. Not that changes haven’t been made. In an effort to speed up play, six bunkers have been filled in recent years. As legend has it, one man - disgusted with The Tree - tried to make the closing hole a lot easier when, after dark one day in the late 1940s or early 1950s, he attempted to burn it down. He failed, though, and actually ended up saving The Tree because the fire eliminated a disease in the middle of it. Supported by concrete in the middle, The Tree still stands.

“It’s a good story,” Hilton says with a smile.

From the back tees, the course plays only 6,230 yards. But this is no walk in the park. Seven of the nine greens are elevated, and while the greens are fair, many of them are small, requiring precise iron play. Mastering the pitching wedge is critical and soft, high entry shots are paramount. Bump-and-run players may struggle to shoot low scores on the par-70 layout.

“It gives your short game a true workout,” Hilton says of the course that has a slope rating of 129. “Even on the shorter holes you’ve got to be accurate.”

Hilton and Joe O’Keefe, a member since 1948, proudly note that new members quickly see their handicaps rise.

O’Keefe said he plays Ould Newbury for the challenge. “We have a lot of good golfers come in with one or two handicaps and they end up seven, eight or nine handicappers,” he says with a hint of pride. “Some nine-hole courses become somewhat boring for members. That’s not a problem here. Every shot is different. All you have to do is move a few feet and it changes the whole character of a hole.”

As starter Len Sherry comments, “The old saying is, if you can play Ould Newbury, you can play anywhere.”

The finishing hole isn’t the only challenge. The par-4 fourth hole, a 447-yard monster from the back tees, is a handful and the No. 1 stroke hole. Woods line the left side and it takes two pinpoint, long shots to get near the green in two.

Yardage isn’t everything. The next hole stretches only 327 yards, but a tremendously sloped green, which sits on top of a large hill, makes for interesting approach shots. Go long and kiss a decent score good-bye. Go short and you’ll be facing another chip. The other par 3 on the course resides at No. 6. At 157 yards, it’s nowhere the test the closing hole is, but it’s also no “gimme.” Golfers must hit over the edge of the marsh and onto a small green protected by bunkers. For Hilton’s money, the 380-yard, par 4, third is the most difficult hole at the course. The small green is difficult to hold and straight putts are as likely as the Boston Bruins becoming the NHL’s highest-spending team.

Want a birdie? The second hole, a 462-yard, par 5, can be had, especially for long hitters.

Ould Newbury has Donald Ross characteristics. Ross is not the architect, though he knew the architect (Jim Lowe, Ould Newbury’s first pro) well. Yardage-wise it’s deceiving because it plays longer than the scorecard reads due to the fairways being fairly soft. The small, elevated greens also give the course a Ross flavor.

“Deceivingly difficult is how I would describe it,” adds Hilton, who began playing Ould Newbury when he was 9.

There is little water on the course, though Newbury Marsh can come into play on No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6. In the summer, mosquitoes near those holes can be pesky, but club officials have taken steps to corral the problem. Hilton credits greens superintendent Nathan Walker with the strong condition of the course. Three years ago, Walker inherited a course with five destroyed greens.

“He’s brought them back. He’s worked hard at getting the greens’ speed up to a consistent speed,” Hilton says.

Ould Newbury is a semi-private course. It has 350 members, but the public can play Monday through Thursday and Friday before 11 a.m. The green fees are $30 for 18, $17 for nine holes. Add $28 for a cart for 18 holes, $18 for nine holes.

Hilton said the majority of golfers hail from the North Shore area, though, he added, “We’re seeing a lot of new people this year ... and that makes us happy.”

“It’s a nice, friendly crowd, too,” adds O’Keefe, a 68-year-old Newbury resident who grew up down the road from the course. “Even the pro plays with everybody.”

Speaking of Hilton, he has never had a hole-in-one on 211-yard final hole. Few have. In Ould Newbury’s history, there have only been seven holes-in-ones at the finishing hole, and none since 1996. But Hilton does own the course record of 64. Charles Volpone, one of the best players Ould Newbury ever produced, had the record of 66. Hilton and Mark Spencer followed with 65s before Hilton’s masterpiece on June 9, 2000.

“I’m proud of the course record on this golf course,” Hilton says. “There’s been a lot of good nine-hole rounds, but to do it for 18 is difficult. To keep your momentum going is quite a feat.”

Ould Newbury doesn’t figure to undergo any major changes in the future. There was talk a while back that Governor Dummer Academy, which leases the course to Ould Newbury, was interested in building an additional nine holes. Five years ago, however, 90 nearby acres were sold to the state, squashing any plans.

“We’ll always be a nine-hole course,” Hilton says.

But there is no sadness in Hilton’s voice. Ould Newbury has stood the test of time. Just like a certain tree that refuses to go away.