Origins and move to Great Pond Road (1897–1909).
NACC originated in 1897 and first operated on the opposite side of Lake Cochichewick before acquiring the Foss farm and moving to Great Pond Road in 1909. The club’s lakeside address and adjacency to Great Pond Road—laid out historically to capture vistas across the lake—have remained central to its identity.
Ross involvement (1920). Club materials state that in 1920 the course was “improved by bunkers and sand traps,” with some holes relocated; the redesigned course totaled nine holes. NACC also repeatedly identifies the present layout as a Donald Ross, 1920 nine. Taken together, these sources support characterizing Ross’s role here as a redesign of an existing club course rather than a ground-up original build.
Later work. Several modern directories list Ross Forbes as having worked at NACC (renovation/consultation), and his firm includes North Andover Country Club among its restoration/renovation clients, although dates and specific scopes are not published. In the absence of a club-released master plan or construction report, the extent and timing of any Forbes adjustments (e.g., bunker updates, tee work, green perimeter recapture) remain to be verified from primary documentation.
Unique Design Characteristics
Scale and rhythm. NACC plays as a traditional par-35 nine with a mix of short-to-medium two-shotters, a reachable par-5, and compact par-3s. Public scorecards show a men’s nine around 2,600 yards with holes like the 6th (~410-ish par-5) and 7th (~220-ish par-4) creating scoring variation before a short par-3 8th and modest 9th finish at the clubhouse. These yardages underscore a cadence that emphasizes placement and approach precision rather than brute length.
“Road” shot over Great Pond Road. A signature quirk—celebrated in club copy and member lore—is the short par-3 that plays across Great Pond Road with utility wires overhead; a local rule allows a re-play without penalty if a tee ball strikes the wires. This feature, born of the club’s siting along the lakeside roadway, contributes to NACC’s distinctive, old-footprint feel. (The club page notes the rule but does not assign a hole number.)
Setting. The loop offers lakeside views and transitions between open ground and tucked wooded corridors, with several green-to-tee walks measuring only a few paces—qualities consistent with an early-20th-century nine on constrained, scenic ground. The setting along the Lake Cochichewick shoreline and the road’s scenic alignment are documented in town planning materials.
Historical Significance
Within the Ross catalog, NACC represents a small-scale, 1920 New England redesign that integrated a mature community club into a scenic, semi-urban landscape. Unlike Ross’s grander Massachusetts commissions, the interest here lies in its continuity as a community nine and the survival of road-adjacent play that reflects early club siting compromises near public ways. The 1897 origin and 1909 relocation place the club among the Merrimack Valley’s earlier golf institutions, while the 1920 Ross intervention threads the course into the larger narrative of Ross’s regional work in the years just after World War I. (No evidence of high-profile state or national championships at NACC emerged in public sources; its significance is architectural and communal rather than tournament-driven.)
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing and scale. The course remains a nine on the Great Pond Road property, with par 35 and yardage in the mid-2,000s for the men’s set. The walkable loop, proximity to the clubhouse, and short transitions persist—markers of integrity at the routing level.
Features & later edits. The club’s own narrative for 1920 highlights added bunkers/sand and relocated holes; at least some hazard and tee work may have evolved since, and Ross Forbes’s appearance in renovation lists suggests selective modern interventions. Without published plans, the hole-by-hole survival of specific Ross features (bunker forms, green perimeters) cannot be assigned with confidence. The across-the-road par-3 and the compact finishing sequence beside the clubhouse appear to be longstanding characteristics that continue to shape the course’s identity.
northandovercc.com
Facilities and operations. NACC operates as a private club with tennis, paddle, pool, and dining, and promotes league play and informal golf culture on its Ross nine. The putting green serves routine practice needs; no full range is advertised publicly.
What’s well-documented: club founding and relocation (1897/1909), credit to Donald Ross (1920) for redesigning to a nine with added bunkers and relocated holes, present-day 9-hole, par-35 identity, the road-crossing par-3 and local replay rule, and basic yardage/rating published by third-party directories.
What remains uncertain or needs primary sources: (1) pre-1920 architect(s) of the earlier NACC course(s); (2) Ross’s detailed scope in 1920 (plans, bunker counts/placements, green perimeters, specific holes moved); (3) dates and scope of any Ross Forbes renovation/consulting at NACC; and (4) an official, dated club scorecard PDF to reconcile small variations across public listings.
Sources & Notes
North Andover Country Club — Golf page. Club description of the 9-hole Donald Ross (1920) course; note about the par-3 over Great Pond Road and local replay rule for balls striking overhead wires; amenities and “walk-up” tee culture.
NACC “History” page (club). Entry for 1920 noting bunkers/sand traps added, some holes relocated, and nine-hole redesign.
GolfMassachusetts.com — North Andover CC profile. Founding in 1897; 1909 move to current Great Pond Road site. (Secondary compilation; aligns with local histories.)
Massachusetts DCR / Heritage Landscape Reconnaissance Report (North Andover). Context for Lake Cochichewick and Great Pond Road as a scenic corridor—setting relevant to NACC’s site and “road” hole.
Forbes Golf Design — Renovations & Restorations list. Lists North Andover Country Club (Donald Ross) among courses restored/renovated/consulted by the firm. (No date/scope published—requires primary confirmation.)