2004 U.S. Women's Open:
A History of The Orchards

When Laurie Priest, Mount Holyoke's director of athletics, announced to the college community that the United States Golf Association wanted to hold the 2004 U.S. Women's Open at Mount Holyoke's golf course, The Orchards, people were stunned and thrilled. The Open is the world's most prestigious women's championship, drawing players such as Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb and prime-time television coverage across the globe. How could The Orchards attract such a huge sports event? Simple: It's one of the best golf courses in the country.

In 1922, Holyoke industrialist Joseph A. Skinner, who served as president of MHC's board of trustees form 1912 to 1931, decided that his daughter Elisabeth, an avid and talented golfer, should have her own course. Wanting the very best, Skinner called upon Donald J. Ross, the Frank Lloyd Wright of early twentieth-century golf course architects. He provided Ross with a rolling 200-acre site across the road from his summer estate, just north of the Mount Holyoke campus. The course became known as The Orchards, for the rows of apple trees Skinner planted there in the early years.


Joseph A. Skinner, founder of The Orchards.

The golf course, which was sold to the College in 1941 for $25,000, was a worthy addition to Mount Holyoke's ambitious physical education program instituted by Mary Lyon, who founded the college in 1837. At a time when women were discouraged from physical activity, Lyon believed that intellectual and physical education were of equal importance. Although the college's athletic activities have changed since Lyon's day, they are still going strong. In September 2000, Sports Illustrated for Women rated Mount Holyoke the number one women's college for women athletes.

Over the years, many MHC golfers have advanced to the Division III Women's National Championships, including team captain Audry Longo '05, who came to Mount Holyoke in large part for the golf program. "It's a privilege to play here," she said. She is looking forward to the U.S. Women's Open. "Everyone on the team is so proud to be able to show off their facility to the world."

Big changes came to The Orchards in 1999 when Mount Holyoke entered into a 25-year lease of the property with Arnold Palmer Golf Management. The arrangement has been a tremendous boon for the course and the college. Palmer has invested $1.5 million in improvements, including $800,000 to restore the course to Ross's original design. In 2000, the organization donated $500,000 to establish an endowment fund in support of the college's golf program, named in honor of Winifred W. Palmer, late wife of Arnold. "[The Palmer people] are very supportive of the college, very professional in their attitude towards the team," Priest said.

It was Priest who first drew the USGA's attention to hosting the 2004 U.S. Women's Open at The Orchards. Three years ago, Joan McAnaney Fay '73 came to play in the college's Friends of Athletics golf tournament. She mentioned to Priest that her husband, David Fay, executive director of the USGA, had always loved The Orchards. Ten days later, Priest received a telephone call from David Fay, who told her the USGA was interested in holding a championship there. Priest at first was silent with disbelief. "Yes, Laurie," he repeated, "the U.S. Women's Open."

The Orchards has hosted several significant tournaments, including the 1987 USGA Junior Girls Championship, the 1993 National Golf Coaches Association Division II and III National Championship, and the 2002 NCAA Division III Women's National Championship. Capturing the U.S. Women's Open marks it as a truly great course.

The U.S. Women's Open is a big event for western Massachusetts, which has never before hosted a major golf championship. The tournament is expected to draw more than 100,000 spectators to South Hadley. It will require 2,300 volunteers and have more than 15 hours of live television coverage on ESPN and NBC.

Priest sums up her pride and satisfaction in having 156 of the world's best women golfers compete at Mount Holyoke: "How many courses were designed for a young female player? And at a time when women had no exposure to golf and restricted time to play? This is a prestigious women's college and we're hosting the most prestigious golf event for women. It's a perfect story." Joseph A. Skinner would certainly agree.

Tickets to attend the 2004 U.S. Women's Open
June 28-July 4
Ticket prices: $12 for a practice round (June 28-30); $25 for a championship round (July 1-4). Children 16 and under will receive free admission daily when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Season pass for $80 includes seven tickets, one for each day of the tournament, including practice rounds on June 28-30. $170 flex book includes ten tickets that may be redeemed for a daily ticket on any of the seven days.

For more information on the U.S. Women's Open and volunteer opportunities, go to the USGA's Women's Open website.

2004 U.S. Women's Open: A History of The Orchards

2004 U.S. Women's Open:
A History of The Orchards