George Wright Golf Course

Did George Wright, the baseball Hall of Famer, ever imagine his name gracing a challenging golf course in Boston? Here at the George Wright Golf Course, his legacy lives on, intertwined with the history of this remarkable public course. George Wright, the man, not only excelled in baseball with the Boston Red Stockings, but also spearheaded the introduction of golf to the Boston area in 1890. This course, a testament to his love of the sport, opened in 1938 thanks to President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. The George Wright Golf Course is a unique blend of natural beauty and human ingenuity. Designed by the renowned Donald Ross, the course presents an exciting challenge to golfers of all skill levels. Ross, upon seeing the initial terrain of ledge and swamp, reportedly quipped that building a suitable course here would require “either a million dollars or an earthquake.” The eventual construction certainly involved a Herculean effort. Workers used 60,000 pounds of dynamite to blast through ledge, moved 72,000 cubic yards of dirt to elevate the playing area, and installed 57,000 feet of drainage pipe to tame the swampy conditions. The George Wright Golf Course is more than just fairways and greens. It’s a story of resilience. During the 1970s and early 80s, budget cuts threatened the course’s existence. But the city, recognizing its value, leased it to the Massachusetts Golf Association, paving the way for its eventual revival. Today, George Wright Golf Course stands as a popular destination. It has been recognized by Golf Digest and Golfweek for its excellence, reclaiming its place among the top municipal courses in the country. The course features over half its holes incorporating hills, often demanding blind shots from golfers. Mature trees lining the somewhat narrow fairways add another layer of complexity to this relatively short but demanding course. Local lore has it that “Suicide Hill,” the steep face of the 12th hole, has been a favorite sledding spot in winter, despite a tragic incident in the mid-1990s. The George Wright Golf Course continues to thrive. It’s a living tribute to a baseball legend, a testament to the enduring spirit of a community, and a challenging yet rewarding experience for any golfer who steps onto its historic grounds.