It may be a stretch to say a golf course that has been in plain sight since 1922 is a hidden gem, but South Shore Country Club in Hingham, Massachusetts may actually qualify. Or, on second thought, maybe it’s more appropriate to say the course is in the process of being rediscovered.
Designed by Wayne Stiles during the so-called Golden Age of golf design in the United States, South Shore Country Club retains its classic look today but with many enhanced features. Stiles is probably one of the least known of the great architects that have plied their trade in New England, but his work has stood the test of time and is appreciated more today than ever before. Golfers may recognize some of his more famous designs throughout the state, like Taconic in Williamstown, Thorny Lea in Brockton, Wellesley Country Club, Dedham Country and Polo Club, and Duxbury Yacht Club, but South Shore Country Club holds its own amongst these more well known tracks.
For most of South Shore Country Club’s existence, it was a private club serving the upper crust of the area. But during the booming real estate era of the 1980s, this expansive land in a beautiful coastal town like Hingham became very attractive to developers and the owners were tempted to sell out for the big bucks. In a moment of civic enlightenment, the owners first offered the property to the town; in a testament to the wisdom of the resident voters of Hingham, they voted to buy the golf course and run it as a public course.
At the time Hingham took over South Shore, the course was just one of a handful in the area. The 1990s saw a golf course construction boom with new courses like Waverly Oaks, Pinehills and Crosswinds in Plymouth, Olde Scotland Links in Bridgewater and Granite Links in Quincy, all of which began to eat into revenues at the Hingham track.
While the town leased out the golf course operation to private operators for a majority of the time since the town took ownership, things needed to change with the increased competition. At the beginning of this decade, under then General Manager Nora Berard, ground work was laid for the town to take over management.
One of Berard’s first hires was a young golf course superintendent named Jay McGrail, who came aboard in 2005 at the age of 27. McGrail has been around golf all his life, having worked at a local course as a kid, and then attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, earning a degree in Plant and Soil Sciences. After college, he honed his craft building new courses on Cape Cod and Nantucket, thus leading him to the job at South Shore Country Club. Just three years later in 2008, McGrail was appointed director of operations and now oversees the entire club.
Since McGrail’s rapid ascension, South Shore Country Club has been on the rise, so much so that longtime Head Professional Joe Keefe has pronounced that McGrail has singlehandedly turned the course around. In something that would appear obvious but isn’t always a priority at other clubs, golf course conditions are what drive golfers to the first tee. With McGrail’s background in course maintenance, upgrading conditions is always Job One and that is what has provoked the turnaround. “It was like the Mona Lisa covered with cobwebs and now the conditions do justice to a great layout,” says Keefe.
In recent years, the golf course has gained a reputation as a true test of championship play, hosting such events as the Southeast Amateur, the Massachusetts Mid Amateur, and the Massachusetts Public Links.
“This has been a great year despite the economy and we’re now considered one of the top public courses in the Boston and South Shore area” says McGrail. “We’ve had comments from a number of people saying the conditions here are as nice as at their private golf clubs. We’re in a position to do very well at a time when revenues at some clubs are down by 15 percent.”
Another major achievement for McGrail has been increasing membership. He accomplished this by adding Super Senior and Young Professional categories. In fact, the latter category, for 20-29 year olds, has been so successful, there is already a waitlist, something that should prove effective in feeding the more senior membership categories for years to come. Additionally, McGrail signed a 10-year food and beverage lease with Raphael’s, which operates eateries in nearby Quincy and Hull; leased the pool operation to the Quincy YMCA; and has kept the golf course open year-round (weather permitting).
In addition to golf, swimming, and dining facilities, South Shore Country Club boasts a 10-lane candlepin bowling alley, a remnant of Massachusetts past. If you’ve never bowled candlepin—and if you’re not a Massachusetts native, chances are you haven’t—give it a shot. It takes a lot more skill than the more common 10-pin format.
Even with all the great improvements and course conditions, South Shore Country Club offers a great value with rates as low as $37 on the weekdays, $42 weekends in shoulder seasons, and $42 and $52 respectfully in high season. Walking is allowed anytime and a cart costs $17 for 18 holes.
Although golf rounds are down from the heyday, they have increased back to a respectable 40,000-rounds-a-year figure, giving you an idea about just how popular and welcoming South Shore Country Club has become.
For a tee time, call the affable Head PGA Professional Joe Keefe at 781-749-1747.