Talk of the Town

Unicorn GC and the adjacent Stoneham Oaks
provide far more than just great golfing memories

By John Shimer

Teeing off in front of a hearty gallery at the Unicorn GC is commonplace. The popular municipal course averages more than 40,000 9-hole rounds a year. Photo by Mike Norris

How would you like to help raise money to purchase a new fire truck for your town or hire a new fifth-grade math teacher for your 11-year-old simply by knocking a little white ball around with a thin metal stick?

Well, if you live in Stoneham you have that option. With two nine-hole municipal golf courses – Unicorn Golf Course and its sister par-3 course, The Oaks, in back – every time someone chooses to play either course, the town of Stoneham benefits.

In a given year, Stoneham town selectman Robert Sweeney says its two municipal courses generate approximately $150,000 in gross profit after all other maintenance fees and costs are taken care of for the course. While it is not exactly an exorbitant number, Sweeney says that in this day and age where municipalities are looking to maximize every possible revenue stream it’s considerable.

“Especially in this time where the economy is hurting, we try to exhaust every source of revenue that is out there,” said Sweeney, who added Unicorn is a great supporter of Special Olympics, allowing those athletes to use the course year round for free and holding a tournament each year for them in July.

“The money goes into a general fund for the town and is not necessarily earmarked for a specific purpose. It finances schools, public safety and public works. It’s not a ton of money but it helps.”

Originally built in 1928 as a nine-hole course by several wealthy merchants in the Boston Athletic Association, Unicorn later expanded to an 18-hole course before again receding back to a nine-holer when the town of Stoneham bought it in the 1970s as part of a recreation project backed by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. Along with the par-3 Oaks course that was eventually added on, Stoneham used part of the land to also build its ice hockey arena, which sits just a stray 8-iron’s distance behind the par-3 course.

Sweeney believes the recreational facilities – easily accessible from either I-93 or I-95 – enhance Stoneham’s real estate values.

“It’s a nice draw to the town, like another added recreation area, and we have resident rates for both courses,” Sweeney said. “We have a zoo, two golf courses, a nice recreational area – it’s a nice mix and a nice draw to get people to move to Stoneham because we have town-owned entities that are recreationals. The town is kind of proud of the golf courses.”

Designed by Stiles and Vanleek, both disciples of famous golf course architect Donald Ross, Unicorn shows off many of the principal trademarks of the master, most specifically shapely fairways with mounds throughout and the elevated greens with trouble in the back. Nearly every green on Unicorn is elevated, and nearly every green has severe trouble in the back with steep slopes running away from the green. It’s indeed a shot maker’s course -- run the ball up at your pleasure, but don’t dare be long.

Yet for the most part, Unicorn is a fair test of golf, allowing players to hit any, and every, club in the bag. With virtually no dog-legs and a single water hazard, the course plays for the most part straight ahead. Just watch out for the out of bounds marked off in small sections.

At 3,234 yard from the blues, Unicorn’s toughest aspect is its length. Sporting three par-4 holes in the 425 to 450-yard range and a long 507-yard par-5, having command over the longer clubs, driver and the woods, is a key component to shooting a low round on Unicorn. But at the same time, the course offers variation with two par-3s and three legitimate par-4s on holes one, two and three.

“It’s a good test of golf because you can hit pretty much anything here,” said Unicorn’s PGA Golf Pro Carl Marchio, who feels a key component to the course’s popularity is its affordable rates combined with the enjoyable walk it provides without many steep hills. “You’ve got a couple of par-4s that are around 450 yards where the average guy can hit woods into the greens and you’ve got par-4s where you can hit wedges. I think it’s as good a variation as any course around.”

For 82 year-old Jack Downs, who has seen many of the changes to Unicorn over the 70 years he’s been teeing it up in Stoneham, the course lost some of its glamour when it became a nine-hole course. However, since being purchased by the town, Downs said the course has been whipped back into shape. A former Medford High School golf coach and golf instructor, Downs said Unicorn has something to offer to everyone from the Stoneham High School team that uses it as their home course, to the hordes of women who like to play there, to the beginners as well as old timers like himself.

“It’s an interesting course for a municipal nine holes because it plays hard and has everything on a course you could like without losing a dozen balls,” said Downs. “We’ve had leagues for over 30 years, and I go up there and play with a group every week. Where else are you going to spend three hours with friends at a reasonable rate?

“I taught a night adult golf fundamentals class for beginners a while back, and 50 percent would show up at Unicorn,” Downs continued. “You’re not taking off an arm to play, and I think a lot of people start there.”

And with the beautiful pitch-and-putt par-3 in back tailor-made for beginners who are still leery of swinging a driver, The Oaks offers the perfect starting spot. The course features elevated greens and tee boxes as well as pristinely maintained greens that, according to Marchio, are in even better shape than Unicorn.

“We have the other par-3 course behind, which gets a lot of beginners to go there and is a great course for that,” Marchio said. “The Oaks is newer so the greens are awesome and really incredible. The drainage is better, the grass is newer, the design is better, it’s just in awesome shape. People often graduate from over there to here.”

A Staple in Stoneham

Founded: 1928

Architect: Stiles & Vankleek

Greens fees: For 9; $19 (week), $20 (weekend); discounted rates for Stoneham residents

Par / slope / rating / distance: 35 / 126 / 70.8 / 3,234 (For 9 holes)

Course record: Carl Marchio, 31, 9 holes

Club Champion: 2008 Ray Malzone

Most famous player: Babe Ruth

How did it get its name? The Boston Athletic Association originally bought the land to build the course back when Stoneham was a one-horse and buggy town of mostly farmlands and named the course Unicorn after their logo, the unicorn. Folks that trek down to the marathon finish line or actually run the race can still see the BAA’s unicorn at the finish line.