At the turn of the twentieth century, the U.S. Open briefly belonged to Myopia Hunt Club.

From 1898, when the championship expanded to 72 holes, through 1908, the club hosted it four times. The average winning score at the other Opens during that stretch was 306. At Myopia it was 324.

Many of the championship’s most infamous numbers trace back here. Highest winning score: 331. Highest single round: 157. Even today, at modern green speeds, it’s entirely possible from the wrong spot to watch a putt wander off the green and settle in a bunker.

At just over 6,300 yards, Myopia has no interest in announcing itself. But it’s also one of the best walks in Massachusetts, maybe anywhere. The primrose clubhouse. The honor bar. Weekly polo matches on the grounds.

Mock fox hunts still set out across the property, just as they have for generations. The horses were always part of the place.

At Myopia, you begin to see what the country club looked like before golf won.