Brae Burn Country Club
326 Fuller St, West Newton, MA 02465Designed by Donald Ross · Est. 1897
Brae Burn Country Club is a historic private club in West Newton, Massachusetts, founded in 1897 and redesigned by Donald Ross. It has hosted the 1919 U.S. Open, the 1928 U.S. Amateur, and multiple Curtis Cups, cementing its place among New England's most distinguished golf venues.
History
Brae Burn Country Club opened its doors on May 12, 1897, making it one of the oldest and most venerable golf clubs in New England. What began as a modest six-hole course in West Newton, Massachusetts — a leafy suburb west of Boston along the Charles River — quickly evolved into a nine-hole layout and, within six years, a full 18-hole course that would become a fixture of American championship golf. The club's trajectory was transformed in 1912 when Donald Ross, the Pinehurst-based architect who would become the most prolific and influential designer of his era, was engaged to redesign the course. Ross crafted a layout of subtlety and strategic depth that took full advantage of the property's mature trees and gently rolling terrain. He returned in 1928 to make further refinements in preparation for that year's U.S. Amateur Championship, ensuring the course would present a worthy test for the game's finest players. Brae Burn's championship résumé is among the most distinguished of any club in the northeastern United States. In 1919, it hosted the U.S. Open, where Walter Hagen claimed his second Open title. Nine years later, Bobby Jones — then at the height of his incomparable amateur career — won the U.S. Amateur on Brae Burn's fairways. The club has also hosted the Curtis Cup in both 1958 and 1970, and the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1906, 1975, and 1997, underscoring its enduring importance as a venue for accomplished competition. Beyond its championship history, Brae Burn has long been a cornerstone of the Massachusetts golf community. The club has produced generations of accomplished players and has hosted countless regional and state competitions.
Its membership rolls have included prominent figures in Boston business, academia, and civic life, and the club has maintained a tradition of excellence both on the course and in its broader social programming. Today, Brae Burn Country Club remains a jewel of New England golf — a Donald Ross masterpiece that rewards precision and course management, set in a pastoral landscape mere minutes from the bustle of downtown Boston. The course's classic design, mature arboreal setting, and storied competitive history combine to create an experience that honors the traditions of the game while continuing to challenge and inspire golfers of every level.