Home of the first Ryder Cup

Worcester Country Club

A Storied Start

Established in 1900—two years before the birth of golf legend Bobby Jones—Worcester Country Club emerged from a thriving Central Massachusetts manufacturing city eager to create a premier golf venue. In 1913, the club relocated and enlisted the legendary golf-course architect Donald J. Ross, who personally supervised the design of the new layout. His vision, complete with five par threes that make the course play longer than its 6,600-yard length would suggest, remains largely intact today. The course officially debuted on September 29, 1914, with former President William Howard Taft launching the first drive (a 125-yard hook, thanks to a case of nerves) before a crowd of 2,500 spectators.

The Birth of Tradition

The inaugural Ryder Cup was held at WCC 98 years ago, on June 3 and 4, 1927. The U.S. team, captained by Walter Hagen, faced off against. Great Britain in a competition that would grow into one of golf’s most celebrated international traditions.

Walter Hagen’s Leadership

Having turned pro in 1912 at the age of 19, Hagen was already a golf icon by the time of the first Ryder Cup in 1927. His sense of swagger and confidence would define the American team’s spirit and help shape the Cup’s identity.

A Singular Venue in Golf History

WCC is one of the few American clubs to host all three majorchampionships: the Men’s U.S. Open (1925), the inaugural Ryder Cup (1927), andthe Women’s U.S. Open (1960)

1925 U.S. Open

This contested championship saw Willie Macfarlane clinch his only major in a tense playoff against Bobby Jones—who famously penalized himself for touching his ball, a display of integrity immortalized in golf lore.