In the late 19th- and early 20th century, the club moved between four locations in Salem and Peabody.
In 1925, the club made its final move to western Peabody converting a territory called Sanders Farm into an 18-hole golf course.
The construction was a major undertaking, costing nearly half a million dollars and necessitating 3,000 laborers.
The club has had a largely stable history since then, hosting several USGA championships as well as being consistently rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 100 courses in the United States.
[2] They ultimately settled on placing the club in North Salem on a piece of property called Gardner Farm.
[1] Membership expanded in ensuing years and in 1912 the club moved into Peabody, Massachusetts.
[1] The organization purchased a territory called Sanders Farm and converted it into a golf course.
According to The Salem News, the club "suffered during the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II.
[7] Lionel MacDuff, president of the Massachusetts Golf Association, also greatly influenced Salem.
He was able to help the club secure a number of notable tournaments, the first of which was an exhibition match between Sam Snead and Ben Hogan in 1953.
In 1969, the publication included Salem Country Club on its America's 100 Greatest Courses list.
[1] Salem quickly returned to be noted as one of the top courses in the state by Golf Digest.