Few of the Donald Ross designed golf courses in existence display the great genius of the design of the short par four as does the famed Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, Massachusetts.

In addition, Brae Burn may offer the best six opening holes on any golf course.

Let us take a walk:

Photos courtesy of Arthur Cicconi

Number 1 is a 310-yard par four that truly looks like a walk in the park. The tee is elevated, the fairway is generous, there are two fairway bunkers that are shrouded in fescue and both sides of the fairway are graced with stately maples and oaks. A stream runs across the fairway just short of the green. A well struck three iron shot will set up a pitch of seventy to eighty yards to an all too docile appearing green. All the player has to do is avoid the stream, avoid the left greenside bunker and position his ball below the hole. The green is outright diabolical. No putt in excess of a foot is without a break and there is a never-ending fear that any putt hit in a sloppy manner will get away. Getting away usually means between five and six feet with at least one break of six inches.

So regardless of the drive and the second shot, neither of which is overtaxing, bogey is an easy score to attain.

So the safe play from the tee is a 180 to 200 yard iron shot to the small fairway. The more aggressive player may play a driver or three wood to a smaller upper level. If the shot is properly executed there is only a small pitch to the green.

From the fairway the player is right on line with the front bunker. The green is two-tiered and scary looking, as is the areas surrounding the green. In all eight bunkers gird the green creating a visual nightmare. The front bunker will prevent par if the pin is on the upper level. The upper level will prevent par if the pin is on the lower level. The side bunkers require an enormously skillful shot if success is to be attained. The back bunkers do not offer much chance at par but prevent the dreaded others. Five is a good score if the second shot is right, left or long. The green is a nightmare. Putting here can only be accomplished very carefully.

Number 3 is a very straightforward moderately uphill par four of 325 yards. Again, like the first the driving area is generous, the fairway being about 35 yards wide 240 yards from the tee. Hitting the fairway is required. Any ball is the rough is pretty much dead unless the lie is lucky. The second shot, even from position A, is difficult to calculate. It is fairly straight up the hill but the green is obscured. The natural tendency is to take too little club and leave the ball short of the green. This is not done intentionally, but the experiences on one and two will educate the player from being long.

Unfortunately, short is not very good. The green is about 5,600 square feet of short grass that covers a cascade of dead elephants. Some of these pachyderms were placed in the front of the green usually forcing the player to over-hit the chip and leave one unmakeable eight to twelve foot putt after another.

The green is a wonderful study. Wider than its depth, there appear to be endless pinning positions all of which are challenging. Again, no putt over a foot is straight.

So Brae Burn, one, two, three, less than a thousand yards total and the defense of par is as nearly effective as Amen Corner at Augusta.

The fourth is a very difficult 440-yard par four with some of the best fairway bunkering in the game and a green that was built during the period when Donald Ross employed the Marquis deSade. The fairway bunker that sits about fifty yards short of the green to the left might be the best placed bunker in all of golf. It looks quite innocent and does not appear to come into play but it will envelop any ball not perfectly struck. Egress is difficult and par is nearly out of the question. It could very easily mark the origination point for the double bogey express.

Five is a five of substantial length (about 560) that is a study in course management. The driving area is wide and inviting. The second shot is the real tester. About 150 yards from the green the fairway drops down about sixty feet. The play is to either stay at the top of the crest or go all the way to the bottom. Position is the fairway is required as the third shot is to a two tiered green that allows little leeway. Any third shot that exceeds the green is a prescription for disaster. Any ball left short will test the nerve and skill of the player.

So the second shot must be hit to a flat lie, either at the top of the hill or at the bottom. Lay back too far and you have three iron in your hand. Hitting the ball over the crest, yet not attaining the bottom of the hill will produce a downhill lie that complicates life substantially.

Number six is an all or nothing downhill par three of 160 yards to a green that is encircled by a stream. The green is magnificent, offering little or no solace to those not well skilled with the rolling iron.

So in the first third of the golf course a player gets to see three of the great short fours anywhere, a classic long par four, a marvelously strategic long par five and a very devious one shotter.

Autumn view from the 6th tee

Approach to the 12th green      

This is not to downplay the rest of the course. The back to back par fives 13 an 14 are a great example of Ross giving and Ross taking away.

The finish is terrific. Number 17 is a downhill 250 yard par three and number eighteen is the longest 403-yard par four in the universe.

The eighteen-hole walk at Brae Burn is magical. Every club in the bag is used as well as the dimensions of the players imagination.

Add this journey to one of the great Clubhouses anywhere and the Professional Staff of Director of Golf Michael Bailey and the excellent manicuring of the grounds by Bob DiRico and his crew the sum is one of the great experiences in golf.

Teeing off the finishing hole