Under the capable guidance of Affinity Management, Ferncroft CC

W has emerged into a true country club. E I V E R E S R U O C

All the Right Moves

BY BOB ALBRIGHT • NORTH SHORE GOLF & TENNIS • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 Faced with a room full of The membership would get rather quickly,” added course for better than a month skeptical former members, their answer almost immedi- Ferncroft General Manager had the drainage work not been many of whom were staring ately, however, once they start- Toby Ahern, who is celebrating done. In the ensuing years, back at their sixth ownership ed to look around their old his 20th year with the club this DeVito and Swales would build a group in the last decade, digs. Within a day of closing on year and who has certainly seen new multi-section practice area, Damon DeVito and David the property, what proved to be the good, bad and ugly of own- repave and re-route the cart Swales knew they did not have a $3.5 million, five-year string ership groups come and go. paths to improve the course’s exactly a captive audience, nei- of substantial capital improve- “The consistency factor has playability, and, most recently, ther in the literal or figurative ments began. First on the list been one of the biggest things,” complete a major dredging proj- sense of the word. was a complete renovation and said Ahern, who started as an ect on the course’s ponds. Along It was February 2006 and re-opening of the previously assistant pro in 1991. the way, they armored several of the two principals of Virginia- dormant 19th-hole restaurant, “Sometimes you were interfered the greens with stone walls to based Affinity Management had followed in short order by a with a lot and then sometimes keep them from eroding into just purchased the Ferncroft massive drainage project to 14 you weren’t interfered with at all. those same ponds. Country Club. Greeted with a of the 18 holes on the popular Every year was different, and we blank member roster sheet, as Robert Trent Jones Sr. champi- just kind of put out heads down A true country well as an uneasy combination onship course. and tried to do what we were club experience of blank stares and furrowed “It’s very easy sometimes to good at, running the golf course The golf course was just one brows, they knew that no mat- get excited and talk about and running a good tournament piece of the greater puzzle, ter how grandiose a prospectus things that are going to hap- schedule. however. When Affinity took they put forth simple words pen, but we try very hard to do “If you look at ’06 to now, over, Ferncroft’s eight tennis were not going to do the trick. things first and then say, ‘hey, however, every year something courts were in disrepair and Not with this group. we just broke ground on this,’” has been improved on.” unplayable, and its spacious “People would tell us that noted DeVito, who was hoping One of the first of those swimming pool was leased out. it’s not your fault, but that you to come away with 50 founding improvements, the drainage Major upgrades were made to are inheriting this cycle of mis- members in that first month. project, proved to be extremely both, and today Ferncroft has trust,” said DeVito. “People Instead, he got 118 applications well-timed as that spring the become a beacon of the North wanted to know what we were in the next six days. area was hit with the infamous Shore tennis community, not going to do before we asked “You undertake a project Mother’s Day deluge, which only with a thriving program of them to put up their money.” like that, and news carries likely would have closed the its own, but as home of the World Team Tennis entry with the club, says he cannot hole, the daunting 472-yard, Boston Lobsters, as well. count how many times on those par-4 13th. Ferncroft “We wanted to have a coun- weather-threatened days where “Thirteen is a pivotal hole try club. Yes, it was going to be his tee sheet has been turned when you are playing a match,” through golf-centric because that’s the upside down has he watched the Leiss said of the challenging history of the place, but if you remaining players all gather on hole, which features water on the years don’t golf, you should not feel the putting green and pair up. the left and necessitates two 1968-70 – Developed by Joe unwelcome here,” DeVito said. “Someone will say, ‘OK, give well-struck shots if you are to Mass, who brought in “There were people who felt me all the balls’ and they will have any hope of taking out renowned architect Robert that was wrong, and we got a all go out. It just doesn’t hap- your putter for your third. Trent Jones Sr., along with his lot of advice to just bulldoze pen like that at a lot of other “It can also be played two dif- son, Rees, who tagged along those areas, but that was not clubs.” ferent ways. You can play it like a on what would prove to be our vision.” par-5 and be really happy with a the first job of his illustrious It’s a family-friendly vision Calling all beginners bogey walking out of there.” career. that has been embraced by the The club offers one of the The famed 18th has been 1970 – The course opens as members. strongest junior programs well-chronicled. How many Topsfield Country Club with “It’s interesting that the around and also boasts a very LPGA Bank Five Classics, club former Bruin Bill Ezinicki makeup of some other clubs is worthwhile scholarship pro- championships or regional serving as its golf director. one where their members will go gram that introduces disadvan- events have been decided by a 1972 – Renamed Ferncroft somewhere else or be on vaca- taged youngsters to the game. player either choosing to – or Country Club; main clubhouse tion, but our members are here The proceeds from last year’s not to – try to carry the watery is built quite often,” says Ahern, a for- scholarship tournament alone grave that sits so ominously 1975 – Ferncroft Tower is mer standout on the 1981 St. enabled a dozen youngsters to between the fairway and the built John’s Prep championship golf learn the game. elevated green? 1980 – Dale Lundquist team. The latest new program is an captures the inaugural Boston “This is their vacation. They academy for complete beginners A return by the LPGA? Five LPGA Classic. are not in the Vineyard or at covering all aspects of the game Speaking of the LPGA, 1984 – After yet another Nantucket or whatever. They’re from technique, etiquette and DeVito said he would be ecstatic ownership change, the club here, and they are utilizing the terminology utilizing the club’s to see the tour come back to becomes known as Tara club. expansive practice center and Ferncroft and rekindle the rich, Ferncroft and part of the “The number one thing we adjacent par-3 course. Leiss decade-long history that saw Sheraton Tara Hotel Resort. wanted to get away from was notes that it’s the perfect setting Ferncroft and the Bank Five 1990 – Barb Mucha wins final that feeling of, my membership to lessen the anxiety that many Classic perennially rank as one LPGA Classic. costs “X” and I play “Y” amount beginners feel when they pick up of the most popular dates on the 1997-2005 – The club and of rounds and then do the the sport. LPGA calendar. DeVito says a hotel is sold five times to math,” DeVito added. “That’s “The great thing about the sponsor who had an interest in various management and not a private club, it’s a prepaid par-3 course is that there’s no rekindling the event approached hotel entities. membership.” pressure. There’s not the next him in recent years and the 2006 – The club alone is sold group coming up right behind course was subsequently quali- to its current owners – It’s still about the golf them. You can spend 45 minutes fied by the LPGA as a potential Virginia-based Affinity While their successful affilia- on the one of the holes talking future sight. Landing a title Management. tion with the Lobsters, the new about putting etiquette.” sponsor willing to put down the renovated pool area, the addition The academy is targeted to all bulk of the prize money, espe- of a top-notch fitness room, and adult beginners from the spous- cially in today’s economy, a gigantic upgrade in not only es of golfers to young profession- remains the major stumbling their restaurant but its staff, as als who need to learn the game block. From the Tips well, have all contributed to that for business purposes. “We know it was successful, COURSE: Ferncroft Country Club, balanced package DeVito and “People want to learn the and we think it would be Middleton Affinity were striving for, game for a lot of different rea- again,” he said. “If it were sim- PAR/YARDAGE/SLOPE/RATING: 72, Ferncroft will always at its core sons,” Leiss says of the program, ply up to us, there’s no ques- 6,632, 135, 72.9 COURSE RECORD: 65, Paul be a golf club. which assesses each student’s tion we would embrace it.” Barkhouse and Dan Dwyer It starts with a Trent Jones Sr. individual goals at the beginning So would the players. (modified tees) masterpiece that boasts one of of the process. “Not everyone Somehow you get the feeling OWNERS: Affinity Management the top finishing holes in the wants to be Tiger Woods.” that Michelle Wie and Co. HEAD PRO: Phil Leiss state. Add a rabid membership would have a few less qualms SUPERINTENDENT: Michael that perennially boasts some of Quite a finishing touch going for the for the gusto Cassidy the best players in the area and While the par-5 dogleg left with their second shots on 18 WEBSITE: www.ferncroftcc.com Head Pro Phil Leiss and his staff 18th, which personifies as their predecessors did back NOTABLE CURRENT MEMBERS: are busy April through risk/reward in every sense, will in the 80s. Bruins Assistant GM Don November. always stick out as the club’s sig- For a slideshow of all 18 of Sweeney, Bruin Shawn Thornton, “They are golfers and there is nature hole, Leiss says it’s just Ferncroft CC’s holes, log on to LPGA Hall of Famer Donna no air of pretense,” Leiss says one of several tests that make the North Shore Golf Blog at Caponi-Byrnes, Red Sox Hall of with a smile. The Danvers this course so compelling. One www.northshoremassgolf.com Famer Jim Rice, Bruins Hall of native, who is in his fifth year of his favorites is the No. 1 stroke / wordpress. I Famer Ray Bourque.