Juniper Hill Golf Course
Address: 202 Brigham Street, Northborough, MA 01532
Phone: 508-393-2444
Fax: 508-393-2279
Website: www.juniperhillgc.com
Number of employees: 100 (seasonal)
Top Executive: Margaret Peddle, president; Dudley Darling, VP, general manager
Product or Service: Public golf course
Year founded: 1931
Juniper Hill celebrates 75 years of golf
In an era when golf clubs had colorful names like niblick, brassie, and spoon, Homer C. Darling opened a nine-hole golf course on the site of the former Brigham farm in Northborough. Darling had played golf years before at private clubs where he felt snubbed by the members. He vowed that if he ever owned a course, it would be open to the public and friendly.
Seventy-five years later, Dudley Darling follows his grandfather’s directives as he manages the business that has grown to two 18-hole courses. His brother Thornton is maintenance manager for the course. Juniper Hill is, like many other public golf courses in the area, family owned and operated.
"There is friendly competition between local courses, but it’s not cutthroat; we’ll call each other if we have a problem," says Dudley Darling. "We’re all in the same boat, trying to grow the game of golf."
The number of golfers in the U.S. has remained flat in recent years as economic woes, job insecurity and longer workdays have virtually eliminated the practice of skipping out of the office for a day of golf. Golf courses are also competing with a host of other activities as members of the sport’s primary demographic group-35 and older-spend much of their limited free time chauffeuring kids to activities instead of hitting the links.
Golf courses like Juniper Hill have responded by trying to make golf more family-friendly. Four years ago, Juniper Hill started offering free golf for junior players accompanied by an adult on weekend afternoons. For the last three years Juniper Hill participated in the National Golf Course Owners Association sponsored, "Take Your Daughter to the Course Week," with a free clinic and golf for girls accompanied by a parent or grandparent.
Juniper Hill also markets itself as a venue for charity tournaments and company outings. A major expansion of the clubhouse was completed in 2000, including a grillroom with seating for 70, a 100-seat deck overlooking the new 13,000-sq.-ft. practice green, snack bar, conference room, locker rooms and offices. The pro shop was tripled in size to 1,200 sq. ft. An outing pavilion with seating for 300 is adjacent to the clubhouse and practice green.
From the very first ads for Juniper Hill in the 1930s, the original Riverside course has been described as "sporty, interesting and picturesque." It’s a traditional New England-style course with tree-lined fairways winding through the rolling countryside.
The founder’s son, Homer D. Darling, with golf course architect Phil Wogan, designed the second course, called Lakeside. It’s a challenging Carolina-style course with mounding that kicks errant shots in or out. Its narrow fairways demand a high level of concentration, and there’s a premium on accuracy over distance.
Management and maintenance of the courses have grown more scientific since his grandfather’s time, Darling notes. "We follow an integrated pest management system by limiting the number of pesticides and using them only when needed," he explains. "We use organic alternatives to pesticides whenever possible, and we don’t spray unnecessarily."
Juniper Hill touts its membership in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System.
"We recognize that a golf course is not just land, it is part of the ecosystem," Darling says. "The Audubon program has shown us ways to preserve and interact with nature. We’re advocates for nature, not competitors."
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