Cherry Hill Pitch & Putt Greens

There are times in research when a place unexpectedly appears, sparking my curiosity. This was one of those times, and here is the story of the Cherry Hill Pitch & Putt Greens, later called the Cherry Hill Short Course.

The year was 1931, and the country was in the grip of the depression. Costly entertainment was a luxury for many. Johnny Campbell, who was a golf pro at the Mt. Tom Golf Course (later Wyckoff Country Club), decided to build a pitch and putt course in Holyoke. 

This was a short course that didn’t need much land to place the fairways and greens for the 18 holes. The course was laid out on the John Delaney family farm tract on the north side of Cherry Street, opposite the Carpenter Hospital for contagious diseases. The Day Brook, which ran through the property, also served as a water hazard. 

This offered an inexpensive, enjoyable, and time-saving alternative for an individual or family than paying a greater sum to purchase equipment and play at a local golf course.

The course opened up on the weekend of June 13, 1931. The fee to play was 25¢ for adults and 10¢ for children on weekdays. Clubs and golf balls were provided to the players.

In May 1932, Mr. Campbell hired Edward “By” Twohig, a Holyoke resident and golf pro, to provide golf lessons for newcomers and those looking to improve their game. Over the 4th of July weekend, a tournament was held with prizes awarded for low scores. 50 entrants participated in the matches. The list of the top 8 finishers was published on the Sports page of the Holyoke Transcript.

In August 1932, parts of the course were redesigned. One hole’s distance was increased to 90 yards. The condition of the fairways and bent-grass greens was greatly improved from the first year of operation.

In early 1933, Edward Twohig left the Cherry Hill Short Course after being selected as the golf pro at Middle Meadows Golf Course in Northampton. 

No further information was found about the short-lived Cherry Hill golf course, which likely closed after its second year. The land is now part of Interstate 91 at the Cherry Street exit.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.

Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories