#1 at Ponkapoag Golf Club

Ponkapoag Golf Club operates two public courses on land owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in Canton, approximately fifteen miles south of Boston. The first course, designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1933, represents one of the architect's later public works and remains a notable example of accessible Ross design in the Boston area. The property sits within the Blue Hills Reservation, providing a wooded, rolling New England landscape that Ross incorporated into his routing.

The course occupies terrain characteristic of the region, with elevation changes, rocky outcroppings, and stands of mature trees defining the playing corridors. Ross employed his typical strategic principles here—crowned greens with subtle contours, bunkers positioned to challenge specific approach angles, and holes that reward thoughtful placement over pure distance. The layout moves through varied topography, with several holes playing across or along natural ridges and valleys. As a public facility, Ponkapoag has served generations of Boston-area golfers and maintains its role as an affordable option for daily-fee play.

The course has undergone periodic restoration work to address maintenance challenges inherent to its wetland setting and to preserve Ross's original design intent where records and land conditions allow. While not among Ross's most celebrated designs, the first course at Ponkapoag represents his contribution to public golf during the Depression era and continues to provide a legitimate test of golf within the constraints of municipal operation.