Salem Country Club is a private country club in Peabody, Massachusetts. The club's early history was unstable. In the late 19th- and early 20th century, the club moved between four locations in Salem and Peabody. In 1925, the club made its final move to western Peabody converting a territory called Sanders Farm into an 18-hole golf course. The construction was a major undertaking, costing nearly half a million dollars and necessitating 3,000 laborers. The club has had a largely stable history since then, hosting several USGA championships as well as being consistently rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 100 courses in the United States.
| Golf Facility Name: | Salem Country Club |
| Location: | Peabody, Massachusetts |
| Type: | Private |
| Holes: | 18 |
| Tournaments: |
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| Designer1: | Donald Ross (golfer) |
Salem Country Club was founded on November 4, 1895.[1] The club origins are peripatetic. The original members were described "as adventurers into a more or less unknown sport" and were unsure of where to place to club.[2] They ultimately settled on placing the club in North Salem on a piece of property called Gardner Farm. The property was recently owned by the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.[3] It was a nine-hole course and called Salem Golf Club. It cost $10.30 to construct. The following year the club "they moved clear across town" for their next venue, another nine hole course. The moves continued. In 1897, they returned to Gardner Farm, but to a different part of the farm. Membership expanded in ensuing years and in 1912 the club moved into Peabody, Massachusetts. It remained a nine-hole course. During this era, Salem became a member of the USGA.[4]
In 1925, the club made their final move to the west side of Peabody. The organization purchased a territory called Sanders Farm and converted it into a golf course.[5] Engineers needed ten tons of dynamite to clear out the "wooded areas." They were assisted by 300 Maine lumberjacks. Overall, it took 3,000 laborers to complete the construction of the course. The course cost nearly a half a million dollars to build. The famed golf course architect Donald Ross designed the course.[6] The new club officially opened on October 12, 1926. In the 1930s, Salem began hosting a number of significant tournaments. In 1930, the course hosted the Massachusetts Amateur. In 1932, Salem hosted the U.S. Women's Amateur. During this era, Tony Manero, former U.S. Open champion, served as club pro.
The mid-20th century, however, was a time of financial hardship for the club. According to The Salem News, the club "suffered during the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II." In 1936, Salem increased life membership $1,000 per person to raise revenue. Financial distress resumed, however, during World War II. The club sold steel lockers to the defense department to help stem the tide though. This was "the last rough spot the organization has known" financially.
In the 1950s, there were great improvements to the club. A caddy house, driving range, and practice greens were added. In 1956, an Olympic-style swimming pool was incorporated into the club.[7] Lionel MacDuff, president of the Massachusetts Golf Association, also greatly influenced Salem. He was able to help the club secure a number of notable tournaments, the first of which was an exhibition match between Sam Snead and Ben Hogan in 1953. The following year the club hosted the U.S. Women's Open.
In the mid-20th century, the course received a number of accolades from Golf Digest. In 1969, the publication included Salem Country Club on its America's 100 Greatest Courses list. It remained on the list for the remainder of the century.[8] In 1977, the publication stated that Salem was among the top five courses in Massachusetts. It also maintained this status for the remainder of the century.
Around the turn of the century, however, the quality of the course regressed. By 2005, the course fell off Golf Digests Top 100 list. The following year, it was no longer listed as one of the top courses in Massachusetts for the first time in decades. Salem hired designer Eric Iverson to improve the course. The club spent $3,500,000 in an effort to rehabilitate the club and assure that the modern course corresponded to Ross's original design. According to The Salem News, "The greens were restored to their original dimensions the end of 2015." During this era, many trees were also removed to provide better sunlight to the surface of the course. Salem quickly returned to be noted as one of the top courses in the state by Golf Digest. In 2017, the course hosted the U.S. Senior Open.[9]
The club's logo is a witch. The witch's name is Luba Nin.[10] Club member Edie O'Connor served as the club's mascot when Salem hosted USGA championships in the 1980s and 1990s. Her costume received much media attention, including from Sports Illustrated.
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