Photo Essay — William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park
America’s second oldest public golf facility sits at the juncture of several of Boston’s lower-income neighborhoods, surrounded by a zoo, a hospital, a slew of triple-decker housing units, and a handful of tire shops, gas stations, and pizza joints. This is William J. Devine Golf Course at Franklin Park, locally called either Franklin Park, or simply, “the Park.”
It’s the lesser-known, yet more fun, of Boston’s two municipal layouts, with George Wright serving as many golf fans’ introduction into this area’s public offerings. But the Park offers a stronger history, fewer blind shots, and the kind of origin story that deserves its own block quote. (If you want to skip to the holes, feel free to skim this next part).
The short version of the course’s inception is this. Former Boston Red Stockings shortstop George Wright opened a sporting goods store after finishing his ballplaying career, and stumbled across golf equipment while perusing a British catalog for some cricket gear. Intrigued, he ordered a few sets of clubs and balls and took some friends to the neighborhood park to begin the search for that elusive high draw. The cops promptly kicked them out, as would any right-thinking officer who saw people smacking projectiles near where families were picnicking. Undeterred, Wright headed to his local Parks Department meeting and secured a permit to try the new sport out on an experimental basis. On December 10, 1890, Wright and his buddies returned to Franklin Park, buried some tomato cans at irregular intervals, stuck poles with red flannel at the top into them, and played America’s first-ever public round of golf.
Franklin Park (named for Boston’s native son Benjamin) was still under construction at that time, and was developed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the so-called “father of American landscape architecture.” Olmsted worked on nearly every significant landscaping project in 19th-century America, including Central Park, Golden Gate Park, and the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair grounds. In Boston, Franklin Park marked the largest and final piece of Olmsted’s “Emerald Necklace,” a ring of parks surrounding the city that gave urbanites some much-needed green space. A true family destination, Franklin Park today boasts a zoo, baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, picnic areas, and over 15 miles of walking paths, in addition to this 37,000-round-a-year golf course.
My piece in the Golfer’s Journal delves into the rollercoaster history of this part of the city, but you’re here for the course. So let’s get into it.
1st hole, par 4, 386 yards
As is evident from the panorama video above, Franklin Park stretches the term “wide open” to its outer limits. The first fairway gives about a football field’s width of short grass to aim at, and only the very worst of first tee jitters will produce a troubling miss in either direction.
The first green presents a sort of “infinity” look, with the entire second hole running behind and no mounds or backdrop behind the green to aid in judging distance.
2nd hole, par 4, 329 yards
I felt it appropriate to drop in the overhead view here for two reasons. One, because I forgot to photograph the view from the second tee, and two, because it showcases the interesting routing that begins to take shape as you leave the first green.
The way the course is routed is fascinating, because the front nine features four sets of consecutive holes that run in the same direction (1–2, 3–4, 6–7, and 8–9), but all of them feel totally unique because of various angled tee shots, elevation changes, and doglegs.
This is the view from behind the first green, looking up the length of the 2nd hole. The fun here comes in the semi-blind tee shot, which originates from behind and to the right of where this was taken. Players have three options off the tee: lay up short of that patch of roughage encroaching from the right to set up a nice angle into the green, bail left (forcing an approach over that bunker), or fly the rough and set up a flip wedge in.
The view from behind the third green shows the target for bombers trying to clear the junk, as well as the long view all the way back towards the clubhouse down the first fairway.
3rd hole, par 4, 421 yards
A short walk through a patch of trees and a 180 degree turn bring you to the 3rd tee, and another chance to absolutely pummel a driver. Moderately long hitters will be able to clear the dark patch crossing the fairway above, which resolves into a shaggy hillside covered in ball-trapping fescue.
You descend the hill to find your tee shot, only to be confronted with an uphill approach that adds at least one club to your calculations. The green is open in front and features a lower front and higher back tier, so distance control is key.
Experienced players take a peek at the 5th green (center above) when climbing the hill to the 3rd, as the 5th tee shot is blind and you’ll need to know the pin location before choosing your line. Also, note just how ridiculously wide the 5th hole can be. You can smoke your drive 70 yards right and still play it, albeit from the 3rd fairway. Trust me, I’ve done it more than once.
4th hole, par 3, 189 yards
The fourth tee box brings one of the best views on the entire course. With the fourth green straight ahead (and the clubhouse and 18th green visible behind)…
The native areas separating the fourth and fifth tees…
The look back down the third and over the fifth…
And the stacked fairways and greens marching across the property…
It can be quite difficult to focus on dialing in your yardage. Then, on your way to the green, you’re distracted by the view up towards the 18th tee…
And before you know it, you’re writing down a 5. At least, I was. Let’s check this hole out one more time so you don’t forget it:
It’s the third green in four holes that sits totally exposed on all sides, making wind a major factor and playing havoc with your sense of depth perception. Also, huge shout out to course superintendent Russell Heller and his team for the overall conditioning, but specifically, some of the bunkering. Look at those beauts.
5th hole, par 4, 355 yards
The first of only a few totally blind shots on the course comes at the fifth. The play here depends on the pin position, as the green is elevated and sits at an angle to the fairway. This is where your flag-spyin’ tendencies from the 3rd hole come into play.
If the pin is on the left or in front, a bail out to the right can turn out just fine. Your drive should split the two trees (near right and far center above), but even drives way right of the righthand tree will catch the 3rd fairway and set up some sort of angle, even if it’s coming in off a downhill lie.
For back and righthand pins, however, you need to stay as far left as you can steel yourself to go, as that front right bunker is not to be trifled with. In any case, you stroll up the hill to reveal…
The fairway and green, where hopefully you’ve ended up in a good spot.
From here, it’s a short iron or wedge that’s all about distance control and angle of attack. Also, once you’re clear, you get to give a hearty rap on this old thing:
6th hole, par 4, 380 yards
After finishing the 5th, you climb part of Schoolmaster Hill, which holds a piece of Boston history at its peak. Famed native son Ralph Waldo Emerson lived atop the hill for several years, and behind the back tee box are remnants of the course’s original clubhouse, which also served as a community gathering place and park facilities building.
And not to take anything away from the current clubhouse, but the original had a pretty superb view:
It’s bombs away again here, with the caveat that right is certainly preferred to left off the tee. The hole plays down into the same valley and back up the same hill as the third, and the one bunker short left complicates any approaches from that side.
There’s a lot more green to work with than it seems, and any lefthand pins can seem like they’re tucked impossibly far to the left unless your drive stays along the right.
7th hole, par 4, 389 yards
Strangely enough, the green at the far end of this photo isn’t the 7th. It’s the 8th.
This par-4 stands as the hardest hole on the course, and with good reason. Though less than 400 yards, it takes some serious brass to cut anything off this corner. A solid fade with a 3-wood will leave you about 170 yards out, off a downhill lie, to a massive green sloping left to right.
It’s one of the few holes with real trouble lurking alongside, a test of accuracy that seems doubly cruel considering the cupcake driving holes that precede it.
8th hole, par 3, 178 yards
This lovely par-3 sits in the far corner of the property, and on summer days, the din from multiple block parties happening in the adjacent playground/parking lot can be somewhat distracting. Nonetheless, it’s a great hole with three well-positioned bunkers.
9th hole, par 4, 349 yards
One of the more underrated holes on the property, the 9th asks for a faded tee shot into a blind landing area.
Cresting the hill reveals the rest of the hole, and hopefully your ball resting in the short grass. Right off the tee is super dead, and left is manageable, though the two lefthand bunkers can pose problems.
Again, beginners can scoot approaches onto this green, but aerial entries have a better chance of nestling close.
10th hole, par 4, 342 yards
This is my favorite hole on the course.
I want to write so much about this hole because I love it, but the photos really do the trick. It’s just right there in front of you. It’s not dripping with strategy, width, and angles, but it doesn’t have to be. I’m a sucker for an elevated tee, a landing area that demands precision but offers a bailout (in this case, the entire 9th hole to the left can be used), and a perched green ringed by trouble. The 10th asks you two questions: Can you hit the fairway? Good. Now can you judge your short iron/wedge uphill?
Another green sloping gently from back to front, with some width but not much depth. It’s target golf in a sense, but it feels refreshing when contrasted with the many ultra-wide and forgiving holes at the Park. Though less than 350 yards, the 10th shows some teeth.
11th hole, par 5, 533 yards
Some of the best views on the course come on the 11th tee box.
Interestingly, the line of trees directly in front of the tee box is your aim point, and also shows the direction in which the fairway marches. Clear those, and you’re left with either a layup into the low area in front of the perched green, or a mighty whack with a fairway wood that needs to come in from the left side to avoid the cavernous front bunker.
12th hole, par 4, 404 yards
A short stroll through the woods brings you to the signature hole — the par-4 12th.
Legend has it that Bobby Jones never made par here in a dozen attempts during his time at Harvard, and I’m fairly certain I’m in the same boat, despite today’s equipment standards. It’s just a brute.
Depending on the conditions, the fairway ranges somewhere between very difficult and impossible to hit, as the city apparently buried several decommissioned warships beneath it. The approach takes you further up the hill, over a deep and recently rebuilt bunker front-right, and onto a cruelly sloping putting surface.
13th hole, par 3, 139 yards
Just when you’ve sworn you’re giving up the game of golf, Franklin Park presents its shortest and easiest hole. Nothing but a wedge here to a circular green with a punchbowl-style front section, designed to hopefully help less fortunate efforts meander their way onto the dance floor. It’s a reprieve.
14th hole, par 4, 358 yards
The first five holes of the back 9 all play in different directions. The 11th plays 90 degrees away from the direction of the 10th, and from there, the holes flip 180 degrees each way. So 14 plays in the same direction as 12, and demands a blind drive up onto the same hill that the 12th played along. The view from the tee box is literally just the side of a hill, but once you crest it, you realize how difficult it is to miss this fairway.
As you approach the green, it becomes evident that the right side of the fairway is not your friend. The R → L sloping green is guarded by an elevated patch of fescue on the right, making any approach from that side quite a tough ask.
15th hole, par 3, 164 yards
Sack up and hit a golf shot.
Uphill and usually against the wind, this hole plays closer to 170–175, and the green sits beneath that overhanging tree on the left. It’s not easy, but at this point in the round, you should be ready for the challenge.
I’m actually amazed they can keep grass alive on this green. Heavy tree removal is in order. Also, you get a nice view of the clubhouse and the fescue-covered hillside bisecting the 18th hole above left.
16th hole, par 4, 337 yards
The 16th feels a little jammed in, but it’s worth it for the 17th. This hole plays a bit like two par-3s back to back, and a mid-iron followed by a short iron finds you in good shape for a par.
From left of the fairway, the green opens up. This hole also presents the first water hazard on the course.
17th hole, par 4, 287 yards
A close second for my favorite hole on the course.
Driveable under the right conditions, the 17th is a superb penultimate hole. That righthand fairway bunker complicates the tee shot, as the DAF trap in front of the green is to be avoided at all costs, and the best angle of approach is from the right. With every foot closer to the bunker that your drive comes to rest, the green opens up to be more and more receptive.
From the middle of the 16th fairway (which you have to cross to get over to the 17th, via the same bridge as you crossed on the 16th), the green isn’t even visible.
Looking back down the hole, both bunkers are hidden from view.
18th hole, par 5, 473 yards
Franklin Park ends with a par-5 that might sound reachable on the scorecard, but doesn’t always play that way due to the massive, shaggy hillside about halfway down the fairway.
Titanic drivers of the golf ball may be able to clear the hill and end up with a short iron in. But I’m fairly certain that’s about a 310+ carry from the back tees. Mortals will end up here, with a blind shot to the open upper fairway and a green guarded by bunkers left and right.
Some folks aren’t in favor of this design feature…
But as it’s a par-5, I think we can give it a pass.
Also, I neglected to photograph the upper fairway and green. I could pretend it was to heighten the suspense of your first round playing the course, but it was really because I was grinding to break 80 and totally spaced out. I also did not break 80.
Overall, Franklin Park is a fun, open, strategic, historic, affordable ($50 on the weekend), and varied golf course offering a verdant escape from the city of Boston. I can’t think of a better way to spend one’s time or money than a trip around this course.
