An ‘Olde’ Standby

Steady prices, a friendly atmosphere and improving conditions have helped Salem’s municipal course remain a constant for North Shore golfers

By Barry Scanlon

Dick Drew wasn’t seeing red when he was handed the three sheets of yellow paper. But he was feeling a little blue.

Drew faced a daunting task when he accepted the superintendent’s job at Salem Municipal Golf Course in 1983. He discovered just how daunting when he was presented with three pages of complaints about the condition of his course, now known as Olde Salem Greens.

“We had some equipment dating back to the 1930s when I came here,” said Drew, adding that help and equipment were problems. “I didn’t have enough of either. The equipment was antiquated and everything was done by hand. I only had two people when I came here. It was very, very difficult.”

Drew can manage a smile when recalling those days because the nine-hole course off Willson Street that runs adjacent to Highland Park and the Salem Woods Trail has come a long way under Drew’s guidance. Today, the popular course is known for its true greens, hilly terrain and friendly golfers.

“It’s a placement golf course,” says seven-time club champion Steve St. Amand, a Salem resident who now plays out of The Meadow at Peabody, but has seen his share of rounds at Salem Muni. “It will test the best short games. Some of the side hill lies will test your alignment. You have to think on every shot. It’s an enjoyable place to play because every day is different. If you don’t have a short game, you’re not going to score, put it that way. You fight for your scores.”

At 6,052 yards from the gold tees, 5,694 yards from the blue tees, and 4,994 yards from the red tees, Olde Salem Greens, owned by the city of Salem and run by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, can be attacked with accurate shots, especially those off the tee.

Although the number of rounds played at Olde Salem has rose the previous two fiscal years, a badge of honor during a troubling time for most courses in Massachusetts, business has seen better days. For the period from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006, approximately 38,000 nine-hole rounds were played, a far cry from the course’s high of 53,000 nine-hole rounds.

“I think golf is on a downswing. Money is tight. But I don’t see conditions as a problem,” Drew says.

The opening of The Meadow at Peabody has had a profound impact on business at Olde Salem, according to Drew.

“They’ve really whacked us,” he says.

Still, Olde Salem, which plays at a slope of 116 from the men’s tees and 112 from the women’s tees, remains the perfect course for players like Marblehead residents Susan Hassett and Sandy Newman, who test their skills there at least once a week.

“It’s in good condition,” says Hassett, who took up golf five years ago when her husband bought her clubs. “The people here are very friendly. Considering all the rain we got early in the season, I think the conditions are really good.”

The course opened as Salem Municipal Golf Course on Sept. 12, 1933 after weeks of updates in area newspapers. During opening day, the first ball was struck by Timothy Fitzgerald, the president of the Salem City Council, and a gallery of 600 strong was treated to a match pitting Kernwood Country Club Pro Jack Shea and United Shoe Machinery Club Pro Thomas Mahan against top amateurs Emery Stratton and William McPhail. Led by Mahan, who fired a 72, the pros won the entertaining match, 1-up. Following the match, Park Commissioner Max Shribman presented the golfers with suede leather jackets.

The next day, the course was opened to the public and 121 golfers played, bringing the city of Salem a total of $60.50 in revenue. From Sept. 13 to Dec. 3, 1933, officials say 2,414 golfers graced the fairways of the new layout.

The cost to play was 50 cents, 75 cents on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, while an all-day pass cost $1.50. The course continued to be a moneymaker for Salem until 1972, when heavy rains caused Olde Salem to lose money for the first time.

“It’s an old-style course with push-up greens and it’s very, very hilly,” Drew says. “It’s not that difficult if you hit it straight. You will get a physical workout walking. If it’s warm, take a cart.”

Olde Salem has been nine holes since its inception, but there have been attempts to create a 18-hole layout. Due to environmental concerns, proposals to create a second nine have been rejected.

And there’s no talk of reviving any of the proposals.

“No, that’s gone by the wayside,” Drew says. “They’ve tried three times since I’ve been here and I can’t see it happening.”

Whether or not the course ever grows into an 18-hole layout, the conditions of the current nine holes have improved dramatically since Drew’s arrival.

“I hear that all the time, actually. People who haven’t played here in years and years and years suddenly come back and say, ‘I don’t remember the course looking like this,’ ” Drew said. “We’ve had pretty good luck. When we have money to do something we can make things happen. When we’ve done well, when we’ve made a profit, we used it to upgrade equipment.”

St. Amand, who won four two-ball championships at Olde Salem Greens with his brother, Charlie, said Drew deserves plenty of credit.

“I think he attracts most of the players there because of his conditions. When he came over, he fixed the watering system. All the pipes were busted. He’s done a heck of a job there,” St. Amand says.

As far as signature holes, the memorable hole on the course may be No. 2, a treacherous 251-yard monster (from the back tees) par 3. Although the green sits well below the tee, this still requires a whale of a tee shot and in, most cases, a wood. The lone par 5 at Olde Salem Greens awaits at No. 4, a 484-yard test from the middle tees.

As a course that prides itself as the home of blue-collar golfers, Olde Salem Greens continues to be one of the best bargains in the area.

Non-residents can play nine holes during the week for $18 and 18 holes for $33. The prices for Salem residents are $16 and $26, respectively, the same prices the course charged in 2005. Salem residents can enjoy a full membership (7-day pass) for $875; the price for non-residents is $1,300.

“We’re cheaper than many North Shore courses,” Drew proclaims. “And we’re usually in pretty good shape.”