Brae Burn Country Club

Highland at Brae Burn Country Club occupies rolling terrain in West Newton, a suburb west of Boston along the Charles River valley. Donald Ross designed the course in 1897, one of his earliest American commissions after emigrating from Scotland. The layout represents Ross's formative work before he developed the signature design elements that would define his later career at Pinehurst and beyond. The property features natural elevation changes characteristic of the Massachusetts piedmont, with the routing taking advantage of the undulating landscape. The course has undergone various modifications over its long history, as most century-old designs have, though it retains the fundamental character of a classic New England parkland layout. Mature trees frame many holes, and the terrain provides natural strategic interest without requiring extensive earthmoving. Ross's early design philosophy emphasized using existing landforms, and Highland reflects this approach with holes that follow the property's contours. Brae Burn has hosted significant competitive golf, most notably the 1919 U.S. Open won by Walter Hagen in a playoff against Mike Brady. The club also hosted the 1928 U.S. Amateur and the 1957 Walker Cup matches. The membership has maintained an active role in regional amateur golf throughout the club's history. As a private club established in the late nineteenth century, Brae Burn represents the traditional country club model of the Boston suburbs, with golf as the central but not exclusive focus of member activity.