Taconic Golf Club

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Taconic Golf Club
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Taconic Golf Club
Club information
Coordinates 42°42′20″N73°12′07″W / 42.705503°N 73.201863°W / 42.705503; -73.201863
Location Williamstown, Massachusetts, U.S.
Established1896;129 years ago (1896)
TypeSemi-private
Owned by Williams College
Total holes18
Website taconicgolf.com
Taconic Golf Club
Par 71
Course record64 [1]

Taconic Golf Club is a semi-private golf course located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The land that Taconic Golf Club is owned by Williams College, but an independent Board of Directors oversees the daily operation. The course has repeatedly made Golf Magazine's list of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play [2] and Golfweek's list of top collegiate campus courses, where it was most recently ranked 3rd in 2020. [3] Golf Digest ranks Taconic as the 9th best course in the state of Massachusetts. [4]

Contents

History

In 1896, William Howard Doughty, James M. Ide, and Edward C. Gale received permission from Williams College to install three tomato cans on land adjoining what is now the 18th fairway of Taconic. [5] In the same year, the course was expanded to seven holes; one of those holes, the present 17th, is the oldest at Taconic. [5] In 1897, a longer nine-hole course was laid out. [5]

In 1927, Wayne Stiles of Stiles & Van Kleek, a Boston firm, was commissioned to design and construct an 18 hole course. [6] Construction began in August 1927 and a par 73 layout was completed by Labor Day in 1928. [7] The course was revised in 1955 to a 6,640 yard (gold tees) par 71 layout. [7] In 2009, Gil Hanse completed a renovation of the course. [8]

Course layout

Many of the greens are located on top of knolls or small hills. The property is approximately 100 acres (0.40 km2). [7] In general, the course provides plenty of room off the tee, with the real challenge being ahead at the green. The greens are often fast, with significant slope from back to front, and it is usually preferable to remain short of the hole rather than beyond the flag stick. [9]

Scorecard

Taconic Golf Club
Tee Rating/Slope 123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
BlackM: 73.5 / 134480406421358178372402394178318950647837740316344146024654536196808
GoldM: 71.8 / 131470355383346157356368382167298449844936337715242643022151034266410
PurpleM:68.9/128 W:74.8/129450339373318135335350360152281245836631036014538438020041130145826
WhiteM:65.8/117 W:70.5/123391324344256126257293297143243141531530031012836133215939227125143
ParMen's and Women's544434443355444344353671
SI Men's148212164610181337517911115
SI Women's126214161048181157517931113

Source: [10]

Tournaments hosted

YearTournamentWinner
1956 U.S. Junior Amateur Flag of the United States.svg Harlan Stevenson
1958 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships [11] University of Houston
1959 Massachusetts Amateur Flag of the United States.svg John Tosca Jr.
1963 U.S. Women's Amateur Flag of the United States.svg Anne Quast
1971 Massachusetts Amateur Flag of the United States.svg Tracy Mehr
1972 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships [12] LSU-New Orleans
1981 Massachusetts Amateur Flag of the United States.svg Steven Tasho
1992 Massachusetts Open Flag of the United States.svg Andy Morse
1996 U.S. Senior Amateur Flag of the United States.svg O. Gordon Brewer Jr.
1999 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships Methodist University
2004 Massachusetts Amateur Flag of the United States.svg Frank Vana Jr.
2016 Massachusetts Amateur Flag of the United States.svg Brendan Hunter

U.S. Junior Amateur

In 1956, Harlan Stevenson of California defeated Jack Rule, Jr. of Iowa 3 and 1. Rule beat 16-year-old Jack Nicklaus in the semifinals 1 up. Nicklaus made a hole-in-one on the 14th hole at Taconic during a practice round, where an engraved rock commemorates this accomplishment. [5]

References

  1. ↑ "Competitive Course Record Set in Mass Am at Taconic Golf Club". iBerkshires. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  2. ↑ "Taconic Golf Club at Golf.com". Golf Magazine. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  3. ↑ "Golfweek's Best 2020: Top 30 Campus Courses". Golfweek. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  4. ↑ "The Best Golf Courses in Massachusetts".
  5. 1 2 3 4 "News Archive: NCAA Taconic Golf Club - Notoriety and National Tournaments". Williams College Athletics. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  6. ↑ Pennington, Bill (2008-08-04). "On Par - Stiles and Van Keek - Forgotten Architects Who Built Timeless Courses". The New York Times . Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  7. 1 2 3 "Taconic Golf Club at Williams College Women's Golf". Williams College Sports Information. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  8. ↑ "Taconic Golf Club Restoration Update". Hanse Golf Course Design. Archived from the original on 2009-06-20. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  9. ↑ "Taconic Golf Club at Golf Club Atlas". Golf Club Atlas. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  10. ↑ "Taconic Golf Club Scorecard".
  11. ↑ "Houston University Golf Program: History and Records" (PDF). University of Houston. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  12. ↑ "NCAA News: LSUNO Golfers Lead CD Field" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
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