Back to the Future

Rowley Country Club’s old-school charm has made it a favorite of North Shore golfers

By Jeremy Gottlieb

Dirt roads. Farmland and corn fields. Covered bridges.

Such is the environment that surrounds Rowley Country Club, home of a nine-hole, semi-private, 3,325-yard, par-36 course. The course, nestled into a large patch of thick woods just off of Route 133, past Skip’s Country Store and onto Dodge Road in Rowley, is not remotely pretentious or just retro for retro sake. Rather, Rowley, designed by Manchester native Phil Wogan, is utterly charming in its old school feel while remaining quite a challenge for beginners and experienced golfers alike. Eighteen bunkers and water hazards on six holes complement what the course description reads as “a gently rolling topography with several holes home to elevated tees and greens.”

“We haven’t changed a thing, but of course, we’ve tried to make improvements from time to time,” says Jerry O’Neill, Rowley’s owner since 1984. “I’m lucky to have a tremendous golf course.”

Upon approaching the first tee, golfers will immediately be presented with a challenge. The first, a 360-yard, par-4, offers a blind tee shot, one of four on the course. The rolling, hilly fairway is wide enough despite large clusters of trees on either side, but a lake stretching all the way across roughly 75 yards from the green may as well have a sign reading “LONG HITTERS BEWARE!”

Ah, but that pond. If it were not there, golfers would have no need to use the covered bridge on the right-hand side to take them over the water. The bridge, featured as Rowley’s scorecard logo and on the front page of the course’s website is, according to club pro James Falco, Rowley’s signature.

“The funny thing is, there was another just beautiful bridge in addition to the covered one on No. 1,” says Falco, in his third year at Rowley following stops at Lincoln CC and Firefly in Rhode Island as well as Boca Raton Resort and Winston Trails in Florida. “But it was washed out. Luckily, we held onto the covered bridge. It’s our trademark.”

If you’re lucky enough to cross the bridge happy – or at least, satisfied – you will deal with one of the toughest greens on the course. Two deep bunkers guard the front of the putting area. On the actual green, there are two slopes in front, some flat area in the middle and another upslope in the back. Pin placement is important at the first, with the center of the putting surface being the best place to put an approach shot.

Duffers had better be careful at the second, a straight, 190-yard, par-3 with an elevated tee and a mostly uphill area leading up to the green. If you don’t reach the green in one, the fairway area is quite narrow, with deep woods on either side. Trees also surround the green, which is uphill from the front to the middle with a slight downward slope in the back.

Ask O’Neill and he’ll tell you his favorite hole is the 360-yard, par-4 third, a dogleg right that looks like cake from the tee - until you actually reach the dogleg.

“The third is the most challenging hole on the course,” O’Neill says of the third, which is, indeed, the No. 1 handicap hole on the scorecard. “From the blues, it’s a good poke to the dogleg. And then you get there and you’re faced with the pond.”

A further example of Rowley’s old-fashioned nature comes up right between the third green and the fourth tee, where a small shed stands. In the shed, golfers will find a large cooler filled with ice cold water bottles. A sign hangs over the cooler requesting $1 per bottle with the words ‘honor system,’ scrawled underneath.

“When I first got here, we had issues with the water supply and so (O’Neill) decided to bring it in at his own cost,” said Falco. “We were giving it away which seemed like a win-win situation for a while but then we began to charge 50 cents and now we’re at $1. I think it’s safe to say that we know not everyone’s going to follow this honor system and to those who don’t, well, so be it. On busier, hotter days, we’ll have someone riding around with water. Overall, the system’s worked out quite well.”

If there’s anything close to a breather at Rowley, one might name No. 6 and No. 7 as such. But play these holes casually at you own risk as with both, just when you think you might be in good shape, something will jump out at you – the greenside pit bunker complete with a high, front wall at the sixth, or the elevated green at the seventh. Birdies can certainly be had at both of these holes, but not without at least a spot of good fortune.

Which brings us to No. 8, referred to by Falco as “our most characteristic hole,” and also named one of North Shore Golf’s “Dream 18,” in its inaugural issue. Step into the box at this 475-yard, par-5 and you’ll find another blind tee shot. Furthermore, long hitters definitely want to lay up in order to avoid water and have an uphill lie on the second shot.

“You can’t drive No. 8,” said Falco. “It’s too challenging.”

Traveling down the fairway, golfers will find more space to the left. At the water, which bisects the entire fairway, comes another old-fashioned amenity: a bridge with a bell at the front and a sign asking golfers to ring it, alerting those on the tee that it’s safe to play. Players will most likely be looking at their third shot as the approach to the green, a flat, elevated surface guarded by a deep bunker at the front right. Those who can birdie the eighth owe themselves a round of applause.

The course isn’t just the thing at Rowley. There are two driving ranges, two putting and chipping areas and also an area where golfers can get their swings recorded and burned to DVD for teaching purposes. In addition to a heavy volume of lessons, Rowley recently finished its 10th year of offering Nike Junior Camps. Each summer, Rowley offers two weeklong, full-day sessions to children ages 12-18 and two weeklong half-day sessions to children ages 7-11. Both O’Neill and Falco are very proud of the camps, with Falco saying, “Seeing a kid hit a great shot is very rewarding for me knowing that I might have been able to make a difference.” The full-day camps are priced at $495 and the half-day ones at $295.

Falco estimates that roughly 35,000 rounds are played at Rowley per year. The club has approximately 200 members, up from 40 three years ago and while the amount of outings per year is down slightly, he is trying to compensate by scheduling more tournaments and by creating “a more country club-like atmosphere.” Tee times must be made one week in advance and cost $19 for nine holes during the week and $21 on the weekends. Carts are an additional $6.

Rowley offers several deals as well, including a $14 special weekdays before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m., and a $44 flat fee for two players on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. good for nine holes, a cart and lunch at the Back Nine Tavern, which features a casual setting and moderate prices. There’s also a screened in area for dining that overlooks the ninth green.

Rowley’s course record, a 71 set by Les York in June, 1993, seems a fairly formidable order. Still, despite its challenging layout, Rowley receives kudos from every direction, thanks in no small part its membership (a portion of which O’Neill said consistently tells him that the course looks as good as it has in 20 years) and that old school feeling.

“The club is in awesome shape,” says Falco. “I think people want to model themselves after us. You can play and have fun here and you can learn. We want people to hit shots they can live with. You’re only as good as your worst swing. And believe me, it won’t be that bad.”