Groton Hill and Country Club

History
Groton Country Club was a typical golf course ski area that existed in the mid 1940's through likely the early 1970's. It offered skiing on a 600' wide slope served by two parallel rope tows. George Putnam describes the ski area below:

"The Country Club had two rope tows on a broad, gentle slope. I wish I had more information on it, but I just remember that it was fun skiing there in a day when rope tows were the standard at many areas.

There was a certain pride in being able to stay on those things to the top of the hill!"

Bruce White: Groton Country club is/was an odd beast. Prior to the Groton Country Club was the Cross Country Club. This was a riding club - of the hunt or steeplechase variety. Remains of their trails were in existence until the late 70's early 80's. By the way, across the street from Johnson's and (You guessed it) Weiwal's rope tow. Sometime before I was born the Country club was started and 9 holes built over the old riding trails. The ski hill was two sided. One shallow the other steep. More on this later. Remember skiing there as a kid ('65). Lawrence (Academy) ski team still used it to practice, but there were no tows. One of the teacher's (Jack Burkess -sp?) was friend's with my folks. His daughter Marty (who was doing some racing, think with LA) gave me some basic lessons there when I was 5. In the mid to late 70's it was still referred to as the "LA ski hill." I was on the cross country (running) team. Our coach's favorite hill work out was run from the high school to the hill, then run up the steep side, and down the shallow side (where the tows had been) and back up. 10 times. Then run back to the high school. Steep side was about 40-50 degrees.

Bill Curry: I am not sure exactly what year the commercial aspect of the hill might have ended and it may have been in the 1950's, as Priests Hill came into being and most would go there instead of continue at Groton Hills, but my Grandparents (Carl Lawrence) lived on the hill just up from Lawrence Academy and he sponsored the LA ski team when I was there from 1968 to 1971. The Lawrence Academy Ski Teams (Varsity and JV) used the area for practice daily and there was a rope tow (very high speed and it could have been done by the staff?) at the time. We had ski meets at Indian Head in Pepperell (and your Egon Zimmermann, who had clinics with us, mention brought back flashbacks!), but all our practices were at Groton Hills.

The Groton Hills (and Country Club) area indeed was running in the 1960’s. It was listed in a Skiing issue in September of 1969 as one of the areas in Eastern MA. This jibes with my recollection that I skied at Groton Hills until Priests opened in 1962, and then we had the two areas until about 1970 or so. I think as Priests expanded and Nashoba got more popular (and Wachusett got snow-making) this all combined to kill Groton Hills - I did ski there as a Lawrence Academy Ski Team member in 1968 to 1971.

Here are two photos- one I took of a team mate (below left) and the other someone took of me (the below right image) both taken on Groton Hills in 1969. The tow by the way, used to go up what is now the 2nd hole at Groton CC golf course.

Year	Lifts	Trails	Other Info	Source
1947-1948	2 600' parallel rope tows	800' slope, 600' wide, novice and intermediate	Warming hut, canteen, parking, 150-200' drop, NW Exposure	Where to Ski in New England
1949	Same as above	Open slopes for novices and intermediates	Season: Christmas - Mar 1, Exposure: north Operated by: Dana C. Sherlaw Rates: $1.50/day Coffee available at Club House, equipment rented	Where to Ski
1951	Same as above	Same as above	Vertical drop 150-200', exposure NW, ample parking	MA Ski Guide