First established as a country club in the 1890s before building an Alex Findlay-designed 9 holes on Tyngs Island by the turn of the century, Vesper hosted the first Mass Open in 1905 won by no other than their future architect himself, Donald Ross. Almost 15 years and many elite courses later, Ross returned to Tyngs Island to redesign the 9 island holes and built a new 9 across the road.

Finished by 1921, the design has changed very little over the years, with Ross’ crew returning in 1947 to lengthen the 7th and 14th holes being the only significant adjustments in over 100 years (18 was redesigned in the ‘80s but plays essentially the same).

  Today’s course is a joy to play and walk. The mostly gentle land twists and rises or falls in all the right places to add strategic interest and partial blindness without getting quirky or squeezed. A (very successful) tree planting program in the early 60s turned the once open design into a heavily tree-lined affair, but work over the last decade has removed a lot of the glaring encroachments and exposed the brilliance of the design.

Highlights include:

The par 4 2nd

Further tree removal would undoubtedly dry out the course and open up more expansive vistas, but overall the conditions are as good as any in the region thanks to a new superintendent. The membership full of elite golfers shows a strong affection for their once-overlooked club now comfortably and correctly recognized as a top tier course in Massachusetts.