A Brief History

Like many golf courses in New England, Juniper Hill was once a dairy farm. The 300-year-old Brigham Farm was bought by Homer C. Darling in 1928 with the intention of building a golf course that could be played by the general public. Nine holes were opened on Memorial Day 1931, followed by the second nine in 1954. Over the years, the holes have been improved and beautified. During the 1960's and 1970's, adjacent land was purchased. Homer C.'s son, Homer D. Darling, did preliminary work on an additional 18 holes and during the late 1980's, began construction on the new course. The Lakeside Course opened with nine holes on Memorial Day 1991 and the additional nine holes in August 1991.

The original clubhouse was renovated in 1991. In 1999 and 2000 a major expansion was made to the clubhouse, adding a grille room and kitchen, meeting rooms, locker rooms, offices and an outing pavilion.

The courses have two distinctive personalities. The Riverside Course is a traditional New England style course with tree-lined fairways that wind through the rolling countryside, and share marshland with the Assabet River. The Lakeside Course is a Carolina style course with mounding that kicks errant shots in or out. The Lakeside demands a higher level of concentration than the Riverside. The narrow fairways put a premium on accuracy over distance.

Juniper Hill is home to a large variety of wildlife. It's not unusual to see a fox or woodchuck running across the fairway, or observe the flight of a red-tail hawk or blue heron overhead. A member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System, Juniper Hill is a blend of recreation and a wildlife sanctuary. It is sporty, interesting, and picturesque.

To improve playing conditions, Juniper Hill became a non-metal spike facility in 1997. The change to green-friendly spikes by courses across the country has given golfers a new level of quality on the greens and tees.

 

Member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System