54 that f lows around Wells Pond and the ridge rising above Cohasse Brook. And then the clubhouse and hints of a course. The combined designs define a spirit of place as having stepped out of the twenty-first century and into a world where links and open space bring us to consider the values of trees, clean air, open space and civic life. The club opened in 1918 and after a few years of play, the Wells family hired the Olmsted Brothers to design the landscape around the club and the nearby estates. At the time, the Olmsted Brothers and Ross would have had offices adjacent to each other in Brookline, though it appears they did not consult on the work (the busy Ross was noted for not returning letters or calls). Either way, the result is a sterling country nine surrounded by gardens and rock walls, diverse forests and natural water features that speak of a past when industry, public space, golf and civic life were interconnected. Decorated greenkeeper Paul Veshi came to Cohasse from nearby Dudley Hill, another 1920s nine designed by Devereaux Emmet and created by early industrialist Samuel Slater for his employees. Can you imagine Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos building a golf course for their workers? Veshi considers Cohasse an outstanding layout, for a number of reasons. Three of the holes lay across the scenic Eastford Road such that daily commerce might be interrupted by pedestrians and golfers on a walkabout. Veshi doesn’t imagine many designers would sound the holes in the way Ross did. There are typical Ross features such as the six elevated greens, lateral hazards, and a need to use every club in the bag. Veshi also notes the back-to-back par threes: one has 190 yards of pure carry and the follow-on is a 125-yard par three over water. “You can’t rest on this course,” Veshi notes, even at a par 35 and 3,000 yards. “As far as a home golf course goes, this one prepares you for golf anywhere.” Sitting on his tractor, Veshi points out another creation of note: tucked behind the pines just off the sixth fairway, George and Ruth Wells built, in 1932, the northeast’s first home with an international design. Boston architect Paul Wood created an east-facing steel and glass structure, which won design awards from House Beautiful in 1933 and is now on the National Registry of Historic Houses. Covid has notably brought golfers back. Veshi says that for the first time in a long while there is a waiting list to join Cohasse. This is all to the good, though – for this writer – renewed interest in golf calls for further discussions. ROSS AND OLMSTED Correspondence between the Wells family, the original owners of Cohasse, and the Olmsted Brothers regarding planting recommendations Images: Library of Congress; The Crowley Comp any
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