Taconic Golf Club
Encyclopedia
Taconic Golf Club is a semi-private golf course
located in Williamstown, Massachusetts
. The land that Taconic Golf Club occupies is owned by Williams College
, and an independent Board of Directors oversees the daily operation. The course has repeatedly made Golf Magazine
's list of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play and has been ranked as one of the top collegiate courses.
to install three tomato cans on land adjoining what is presently the 18th fairway of Taconic. In the same year, the course was expanded to seven holes; one of those holes, the present 17th, is the oldest at Taconic. In 1897, a longer nine hole course was laid out.
In 1927, Wayne Stiles of Stiles & Van Kleek, a Boston firm, was commissioned to design and construct an 18 hole course. Construction began in August 1927 and a par 73 layout was completed by Labor Day in 1928. The course was revised in 1955 to a 6,640 yard (gold tees) par 71 layout. In 2009, Gil Hanse completed a renovation of the course.
of Iowa 3 and 1. Rule beat 16-year-old Jack Nicklaus
in the semifinals 1 up. Nicklaus made a hole-in-one on the 14th hole at Taconic during a practice round, where an engraved rock now commemorates this accomplishment.
42.705503°N 73.201863°W
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
located in Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
. The land that Taconic Golf Club occupies is owned by Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, and an independent Board of Directors oversees the daily operation. The course has repeatedly made Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...
's list of the Top 100 Courses You Can Play and has been ranked as one of the top collegiate courses.
History
In 1896, William Howard Doughty, James M. Ide, and Edward C. Gale received permission from Williams CollegeWilliams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
to install three tomato cans on land adjoining what is presently the 18th fairway of Taconic. In the same year, the course was expanded to seven holes; one of those holes, the present 17th, is the oldest at Taconic. In 1897, a longer nine hole course was laid out.
In 1927, Wayne Stiles of Stiles & Van Kleek, a Boston firm, was commissioned to design and construct an 18 hole course. Construction began in August 1927 and a par 73 layout was completed by Labor Day in 1928. The course was revised in 1955 to a 6,640 yard (gold tees) par 71 layout. In 2009, Gil Hanse completed a renovation of the course.
Course layout
Many of the greens are located on top of knolls or small hills. The intimate routing of Taconic is evidenced by the fact that the property is approximately 100 acre (0.404686 km²). In general, the course provides plenty of room off the tee, with the real challenge being ahead at the green. The greens are often fast, with significant slope from back to front, and it is usually preferable to remain short of the hole rather than beyond the flag stick.Tournaments hosted
| Year | Tournament | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship The United States Junior Amateur Championship is one of the thirteen U.S. national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association. It is open to amateur boys who are under 18 on the last day of the competition and have a USGA Handicap Index of 6.4 or less. The competition was... |
 Harlan Stevenson |
| 1958 | NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of... |
University of Houston University of Houston The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of... |
| 1959 | Massachusetts State Amateur Championship Massachusetts State Amateur Championship The Massachusetts State Amateur Championship or Massachusetts Amateur is a golf championship held in Massachusetts for the state's top amateur golfers. The tournament is run by the Massachusetts Golf Association in mid-July each year. The amateur championship is the biggest and most subscribed... |
John Tosca, Jr. |
| 1963 | United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship The U.S. Women's Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. It is played annually and is one of the 13 United States national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association . Female amateurs from all nations are eligible to compete... |
Anne Quast Anne Quast Anne Quast is an American golfer. She won the U.S. Women's Amateur three times and was runner-up three times . She was married several times and played as Anne Decker, Anne Welts, and Anne Sander.-Career:Quast was born in Everett, Washington... |
| 1971 | Massachusetts State Amateur Championship Massachusetts State Amateur Championship The Massachusetts State Amateur Championship or Massachusetts Amateur is a golf championship held in Massachusetts for the state's top amateur golfers. The tournament is run by the Massachusetts Golf Association in mid-July each year. The amateur championship is the biggest and most subscribed... |
Tracy Mehr |
| 1972 | NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships The NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships, played in late May, is an annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, but there is also an award for the lowest scoring individual competitor. Many of the individual champions have gone on to successful... |
LSU-New Orleans University of New Orleans The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor... |
| 1981 | Massachusetts State Amateur Championship Massachusetts State Amateur Championship The Massachusetts State Amateur Championship or Massachusetts Amateur is a golf championship held in Massachusetts for the state's top amateur golfers. The tournament is run by the Massachusetts Golf Association in mid-July each year. The amateur championship is the biggest and most subscribed... |
Steven Tasho |
| 1992 | Massachusetts Open Massachusetts Open The Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 at a variety of courses around the state. It was considered a PGA Tour event from... |
Andy Morse Andy Morse Andy Morse is an American professional golfer.Morse was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He turned professional in 1984. Morse played on the Southern Africa Tour in 1988 and 1989 and the Nationwide Tour from 1990 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. He also played on the NGA Hooters Tour where he won seven... |
| 1996 | United States Senior Men's Amateur Golf Championship United States Senior Men's Amateur Golf Championship The United States Senior Men's Amateur Golf Championship is a national tournament for amateur golf competitors at least 55 years of age. It is operated by the United States Golf Association .... |
O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. |
| 1999 | NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships The NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships, played in mid-May, is an annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, but there is also an award for the lowest scoring individual competitor.-Winners:-Team:... |
Methodist University |
| 2004 | Massachusetts State Amateur Championship Massachusetts State Amateur Championship The Massachusetts State Amateur Championship or Massachusetts Amateur is a golf championship held in Massachusetts for the state's top amateur golfers. The tournament is run by the Massachusetts Golf Association in mid-July each year. The amateur championship is the biggest and most subscribed... |
Frank Vana, Jr. |
U.S. Junior Amateur
In 1956, Harlan Stevenson of California defeated Jack Rule, Jr.Jack Rule, Jr.
Jack D. Rule, Jr. is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s.Rule was born in Mason City, Iowa and grew up in Waterloo, Iowa. He defeated Jack Nicklaus in the 1956 U.S. Junior Amateur semi-finals but lost to Harlan Stevenson in the finals...
of Iowa 3 and 1. Rule beat 16-year-old Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
in the semifinals 1 up. Nicklaus made a hole-in-one on the 14th hole at Taconic during a practice round, where an engraved rock now commemorates this accomplishment.
External links
42.705503°N 73.201863°W