Turning the corner

Despite its rich history, Far Corner Golf Course has adjusted to the times in order to remain one of the more popular layouts in the area

By Barry Scanlon

Less than 10 minutes away, cars cruise up and down Route 495, their drivers concentrating on getting home after work, or visiting downtown Lawrence or Lowell, or heading north to hit the beaches of Seabrook or Hampton.

Five miles off the Ward Hill exit, meanwhile, is a picture of tranquility, where Far Corner Golf Course has been entertaining golfers since 1967.

You won’t hear any horns honking. But there’s a chance you’ll get a glimpse of a fox or deer at Far Corner, one of the few 27-hole public layouts in New England.

“It’s one of the best public courses around,” says Lee Gallagher, a 56-year-old Bradford resident who has been playing Far Corner for 15 years. “It’s a tough but fair course. I like the layout. It’s real appealing to everyone I talk to.

“I like the fact that you’re in the woods. The newer courses have houses all around. It’s not like golf when I was a kid.”

In the fall, during foliage season, Far Corner could pass as a northern New England layout.

“You step up on the 11th tee and look around, and it could very easily be Vermont or New Hampshire,” says Hamilton resident Bill Tanzer, who has been enjoying the challenges Far Corner presents since 1988.

The Tanzer-Far Corner relationship has been a smooth one. Tanzer, a 12-handicap, is a member at Far Corner and he estimates he plays 60-80 rounds per season there. He says he is never bored, no matter how many times he plays.

“I’m very happy. Everyone I play golf with is pretty much in the same boat,” the 62-year-old added. “They wouldn’t think of playing anywhere else.”

Developers Dick Locke and Joe Cyr built Far Corner and opened it in 1967 as a semi-private course, attracting the likes of John Salvo, Joe Pasquale and Jim Holbrook. Later, three-time North Shore Amateur champion Bob Avellino and Steve Lundquist, who strung together seven straight club championships (1984-90), also made their reputations at Far Corner.

Lundquist’s best round of 68 is four off the course record compiled by Paul Cortese.

In 1978, when Far Corner was put up for sale, a bid by then-head pro Ron Vaillancourt and his partner, Phil Friel, was trumped Bill Flynn, then the head pro at Thomson Country Club.

Still a fixture at the course – he checks in almost every day – Flynn decided that 18 holes wasn’t enough to satisfy the legions of North Shore, Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire golfers who populated Far Corner. So he purchased more land – the original course was built on an 180-acre parcel – and built nine more holes 12 years ago. The third nine was welcomed by Far Corner regulars since it virtually eliminated bottlenecks at certain holes and decreased the times of average rounds.

“I love it because it won’t back up a lot,” Gallagher says. “It’s really speeded up play. And I enjoy the new nine.”

The “new” nine measures 3,220 yards and boasts a 131 slope. The “old” course is 5,090 yards from the women’s tees with a slope of 119 and 5,655 yards from the front tees with a slope of 115. From the white tees the course has a 126 slope and is 6,185 yards. For those with a little extra power at their disposal, the back tees present a 6,711-yard test with a slope of 130.

And don’t be afraid to take out the driver, especially from the back tees. This is a not target golf. Many of Far Corner’s fairways offer spacious landing areas.

“It enables you to hit every type of shot and use every club in your bag,” Tanzer said. “And the greens really make Far Corner. If you get on the wrong side of the hole on several holes, you’re just dead.”

Examples are holes 9, 10, 14 and 17. The wrong side of the green can mean a skyrocketing score.

“It’s really interesting. We jump back and forth from the white tees to the blue tees, and it’s a different course from the blue tees,” Gallagher said. “It changes a lot of the shots we make.”

The course also features a two-tiered practice green and an all-grass driving range.

Fees are $44 on weekends, $39 on weekdays, with carts $15 per person. Nine-hole rates are $22 and $19.50, with carts $7.50 per person. The club’s PGA Professional John O’Connor said keeping Far Corner, owned by Bill Flynn Golf Course Management, priced fairly is very important to the Flynn family. Club officials say having Flynn as a hands-on owner, and not some out-of-state corporation interested only in the bottom line, is a win-win situation for Far Corner’s golfers.

“Far Corner has pretty much had the fees the same for the last four of five years,” Tanzer said, “and they’ve kept a pretty full audience.”

Many consider the par 3 seventh hole, which plays 170 yards from the white tees, the signature hole. The green is elevated and guarded by water that surrounds the front of the green.

Think that’s tough? Try the blue tees, which force you to play a 238-yard, white-knuckle shot from the tees. Smart golfers swallow their pride before the water swallows their tee shots. They lay up, chip on, two putt and leave with a bogey and their scorecard intact.

“If you can get away with a 3, you walk away happy,” Gallagher said.

“It’s one of the best par 3s in New England,” says O’Connor. “It’s all carry. People don’t realize how big the green is.”

If the length of the holes doesn’t punish golfers, there are always the devilish narrow sand traps that protect some greens and a handful of fairways. Getting in takes little effort; getting out isn’t quite as easy.

Far Corner has a long history of hosting prestigious tournaments, including the North Shore Amateur. Other tournaments to stop in West Boxford layout include the Mass State 4-Ball, the New England PGA Pro-Am, the State Open Qualifier and the New England Amateur Qualifier.

“Coming through Boxford you think you’re in Maine. It’s always been a popular layout,” O’Connor adds. “You’ll be rewarded with a good drive here. You’re not forced to lay up on par 5s. That makes it fun. This isn’t target golf. You can bang it around out here.”

Far Corner is proud of its past. And confident of its future.

“Some of the newer courses have spent so much money building they have to get $75 or $100 a round,” O’Connor says. “Their hand is almost forced. We try to put money back into the course.”