The Country Club (Clyde & Squirrel)

The Country Club in Brookline played host to the 1999 Ryder Cup matches between the USA and Europe. Team Captains were Ben Crenshaw (US) and Mark James (Europe). For the third successive time, a single point decided the Ryder Cup, which was dubbed the “Battle of Brookline”. Europe hoped for a third successive win and required only four points from the 12 singles matches on Sunday, but the Americans rallied and easily won the first six matches to take the lead. Europe’s chances rested on Jose-Maria Olazabal, who was battling with Justin Leonard. On the 17th, Leonard holed an unlikely long birdie putt that resulted in a premature US Team celebration, which deeply upset the Europeans. Unfortunately Olazabal missed his shorter putt for a half on 17 but went on to a birdie the last to halve the match. USA 14 ½ - Europe 13 ½. The Ryder Cup was played at Valderrama in 1997 and at The Belfry in 2002.

The name may sound a little arrogant and for golfers in the know, there’s no need to explain that THE Country Club was the first of its type in the USA. It’s set in the charming heart of New England but to be precise it’s located in the suburbs of Brookline, Boston Massachusetts.

Apparently there was talk of forming The Country Club way back in 1860, but the Civil War (in part) interrupted proceedings – the club was eventually formed in 1882. Soon afterwards, golf arrived in the shape of a simple 6-hole layout, which was soon extended to 9 holes by Willie Campbell. In December 1894, the Country Club became one of the five founder members of the American Golf Association, which was subsequently renamed the United States Golf Association. The other four charter members were: Newport Country Club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, St. Andrew's Golf Club (Yonkers, N.Y.), and Chicago Golf Club.

By 1910, golf had caught on in the Boston area and the course was extended to a full 18 holes. Little did they know that three years later, a defining moment in American golf would take place in the shape of the 1913 US Open, which saw amateur Francis Ouimet – a young, unknown twenty-year-old and a former caddy at the Country Club – defeat the legendary professionals, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an exciting 18-hole play-off. Ouimet’s victory injected huge interest in golf in the United States and it gave hope to ordinary Americans by proving that normal people could achieve success alongside those who were more financially fortunate.

The 27 holes in play today at The Country Club were constructed at different times with input from numerous architects. Francis Ouimet won the US Open on the original course (Clyde & Squirrel), but the modern-day championship layout consists of fifteen holes of the original eighteen, with four holes from William Flynn's Primrose nine-hole loop (two Primrose holes are combined to make one tough and long tournament par four).

In 2009, Gil Hanse was entrusted to deliver a Master Plan for the restoration of all 27 holes.