Fore! Meadow at Peabody Golf Course Now Open

Joseph Petersen didn't care if there was a wind chill factor that made Monday's 40 degree temperature feel a lot colder. He only needed to know one thing.

"I called Sunday night to see if they were open," said Peabody man about the status of . To his delight, he learned the municipal golf course opened on Friday morning and nearly 100 golfers had already hit the links.

"It's my favorite course," said Petersen, who plays 18 holes an average of two- to three times each week.

His first drive at Meadow at Peabody off the first tee was struck shortly after 12 noon and the high winds pushed it to the right near one of the golf course's maintenance buildings, but Petersen was just thrilled to be golfing again.

Inside the Meadow at Peabody Clubhouse, Peter Cronan was busy booking tee times for Monday and the rest of the week.

Cronan, who serves as the golf course's clubhouse manager, said the weather wasn't a factor when they chose to open for the season on Friday at 9 a.m.

"We had 20 people on Friday, but by Sunday we were up to 75," said Cronan. "We opened 15 days later than the year before."

But the heavy snow that covered the city with high snow banks for much of the winter actually blanketed and insulated the greens and left them in great condition, Cronan said.

He said several hearty golfers who played the course this weekend told him, "The greens are rolling nice and the course is in great shape after the now melted."

Cronan said they were able to open the back nine and allow golf carts to use the course, which is often not the case so early in the season.

The Meadow at Peabody Golf Course is run by the city Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department and has five full time employees and about 25 seasonal part-time employees, Cronan said. It has an annual budget of more than $1.45 million and $900,000 of that budget pays for its maintenance.

The city-owned golf course opened in 2001 and much of the land was owned by Eastman Gelatine. On Sept. 20, the course will mark its 10th anniversary, Cronan said.

Unlike many North Shore golf courses that are either private or semi-private, the Peabody golf course doesn't have any memberships, which allows anyone to book a tee-time. The rates are also pretty reasonable and many of the holes on the hilly course yield some great views, Cronan said.

"We call it the hidden gem," Cronan said. "From the top of the 13th hole you can see Marblehead Neck and the ocean. From other points, you can see the Boston skyline."

On Monday, about a dozen golfers came out and played the course. Cronan said as soon as the weather warms up, his phone will be ringing off the hook.