Holyoke, Mass

Mount Tom Golf Club, 1912

April 21, 1901

Fine Location of the Club-House of the Mt. Tom Golf Club

The new clubhouse of the Mount Tom gold club on their links on Northampton street, Holyoke, is practically finished, and will be formally opened on Saturday, May 4, by a tea given by the women members. The new house is not unlike the original house of the Country club of this city in appearance, though not as large, costing about $1500m which was raised by subscription by the members of the club practically every member of the club contributing. It was originally planned to have the house shingled throughout, but by a happy thought the walls inside of the wide piazza were finished in log cabin effect, which harmonizes nicely with the trunk posts of cedar that support the roof of the piazza.

There are wide double doors leading from each end of the piazza to the reception hall, which is equipped with a fireplace for use as well as books, and next to the piazza windows is a broad settle, which is made use of as a storage place for fuel as well as for a seat. The locker room lead off from each end of this main room, there being a locker-room for men and one for the women, equipped with water closet, sink and running water. The men’s locker room will also be soon equipped with a shower bath as well. There are 86 lockers in all. There are tables and comfortable chairs and the railing around the piazza is fully a foot wide, a concession to the ever present masculine desire to sit on the same. A seat also is placed under the windows next to the “logs” of the building. The house was built by Contractor F. S. Dibble, and the plumbing was by C. F. Sullivan. Architect E. J. Parlett of this city drew the plans from suggestions of members of the club.

The location of the club house is ideal. Looking northward along the knoll on which it stands, just off from the Northampton road in the immediate foreground rise the towers of “Kenilworth castle,” beyond is seen the flash of the Connecticut and the multi-colored gleam of the canoe camp houses along its eastern shore, and still further left the abrupt sides of the purple Mt. Holyoke range with its white house crown. Looking east the broad fertile meadows of old Hadley are seen, then red Mount Holyoke college buildings against the green slope and further south the blue line of the Wilbraham hills and the white of villages that lie between. Looking south a second glimpse of river is seen and the spires and towers of the city of Holyoke — at night the glitter of its lights. To the west are the links, the blunt uplift of Mt. Tom with its new pavilion seeming but a stone’s throw distant, at nigh, too, the Mt. Tom cars can be seen as they crawl, firefly like, up the steep hill to the summit.

The Mt. Tom gold club now contains about90 members and is practically full, and doubtless soon will have a waiting list. Its old club house in use for the past three years will be used as a caddy and tool house. For nine years golf has been played, but it is only four years since the links were regularly laid out. This year, with the new house, more will be made of the social side than was previously possible, and there will be teas on many Saturday afternoons during the summer. Plans have been made for clock golf on the north side of the house, which proves very interesting and gives excellent practice in putting. There is to be put up also a tether ball, a new game that is very diverting. Eventually it is likely that the golf club will develop into a full fledged country club. It will have this year, as last, a club team that will play matches with others, and tournaments will be held every month, probably, with special ones on holidays.

From The Springfield Republican.