Welcome to CTRiverGolf.com
O nly in middle age did I settle in the Connecticut River Valley. Actually my home is in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, but I knew to choose wisely enough to be just a 1-iron away from I-91, in order to gain the quickest possible access to all the incredible golf to be discovered in the region.
Of course getting up and down 91 can be about as daunting as hitting that 1-iron, but my travels consistently demonstrate that there are several dozen courses within an hour’s drive worth adding to the “rotation.”
From this experience of trying to play different courses every week was this website born. Having traveled all over the U.S. and usually with my golf bag accompanying me, I can state without the least bit of reservation that the golf courses of Western New England are my favorite in the country.
Not necessarily the most difficult, but that’s not what I was looking for when settling here. I wanted to play a range of layouts that would both allow me to walk 18 and to take in the beautiful natural scenery of the region. And I hoped the golf would consistently test my skills and imagination without overwhelming either.
Excerpts from CTRiverGolf.com
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB (ANDERSON GLEN), Hebron, Ct. Seductive burger aromas from the tavern provide no false advertising: They’re that good and more
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB (ANDERSON GLEN), Hebron, Ct. You can hit your driver on most every hole, but seldom without just a little bit of fear
STANLEY GOLF COURSE (BLUE / RED), New Britain, Ct. Mischievous breaks right near the cup are one of the course’s primary defenses
STANLEY GOLF COURSE (BLUE / RED), New Britain, Ct. Double water hazard 7th on the Blue is an ingenious design
TRIGGS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Providence, R.I. You can get through the front side with one ball, but might be well into your third sleeve when walking off 18
TRIGGS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Providence, R.I. Fescue-topped mounds can hide our ball as well as camouflage fairway bunkers
TRIGGS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Providence, R.I. Conventional parkland layout on the front, wetlands create mayhem on the back
CROTCHED MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB, Francestown, N.H. Par 5 7th and its convex fairway and woods on both sides can suck up a sleeve all by itself
CROTCHED MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB, Francestown, N.H. There’s big terrain around you and rolling terrain beneath your feet
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB (GILEAD HIGHLANDS COURSE), Hebron, Ct. Course has a nicely-calibrated difficulty / comfort rhythm to it
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB (GILEAD HIGHLANDS COURSE), Hebron, Ct. Signs indicating carry distances are very helpful
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB (GILEAD HIGHLANDS COURSE), Hebron, Ct. The twin-ponds-different-levels 12th would be famous if it were on the PGA Tour as a par 4
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB (GILEAD HIGHLANDS COURSE), Hebron, Ct. Excellent definition between primary and secondary cuts of rough, and fringe and collar
HERITAGE COUNTRY CLUB, Charlton, Ma. 600+-yard 6th hole also treats you to a couple of long bunkers pinching the green
THE GOLF CLUB AT WINDHAM, North Windham, Ct. The two finishing holes are wicked – according to both Webster’s and Massachusetts
TWIN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Coventry, Ct. Demonic 7th hole has a 90-degree dogleg and requires a long tee shot through a chute just to see the green
SUGARLOAF GOLF CLUB & RESORT, Carrabassett Valley, Me. The holes along the rocky Carrabassett River are no less gorgeous than those that start out above the trees
RICHTER PARK GOLF COURSE, Danbury, Ct. You don’t need to drive around in your car for a day with the fall foliage if you play here
NORWICH GOLF COURSE, Norwich, Ct. Practice your chipping before you come out – it will save you some strokes and a whole lot of frustration
NORWICH GOLF COURSE, Norwich, Ct. A great option for a day out on the links if you’re staying at Mohegan Sun and don’t want to blow all those precious gambling winnings on one of the area’s resort courses
NEW ENGLAND COUNTRY CLUB, Bellingham, Ma. The 17th hole can be a round-wrecker if you don’t get over the wetlands fronting the green
NEW ENGLAND COUNTRY CLUB, Bellingham, Ma. A lovely layout, which will enthrall the nature lover in you
WAHCONAH COUNTRY CLUB, Dalton, Ma. The front nine feels like a vacation course, with many opportunities to hit your driver. The back nine pulls in the reins
WAHCONAH COUNTRY CLUB, Dalton, Ma. Plush conditioning, even in areas which shouldn’t see much action
FARM NECK GOLF CLUB, Oak Bluffs, Ma. A Four-Seasons-In-One-Day type of course, and this has nothing to do with accommodations
FAIRVIEW FARM GOLF COURSE, Harwinton, Ct. Those greens! You want to bottle them and take them with you wherever you go!
CRYSTAL LAKE GOLF CLUB, Haverhill, Ma. Formerly Crystal Springs, in case you think you’re having a senior moment
CEDAR KNOB GOLF COURSE, Somers, Ct.Front 9 presents opportunities to score on most holes; back 9 clamps down
BRADFORD COUNTRY CLUB, Haverhill, Ma. Water needs to be contended with – and often carried – on most every hole on the front
TOWER RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB, Simsbury, Ct. Expect to be in the greenside trap at No. 10 more often than not
CRANWELL RESORT & GOLF CLUB, Lenox, Ma. Berkshires look downright majestic, strolling down the eighth fairway from the hotel
CRANWELL RESORT & GOLF CLUB, Lenox, Ma. Not even golf can spoil this walk – though it is strenuous if you’re carrying
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. One slip, and you’re dead as you try to navigate the monorail fairway of the 17th hole without fading away to oblivion on either side
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. Unless you’re gunning for a 15, do not use your water wedge from the pond fronting the 14th green
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. More “don’t go there” zones than a date with someone coming off a third divorce
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. 6th fairway runs at an oblique angle to the tee and sports a landing area about as wide as a Machu Picchu runway
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. The embankment separating pond from green on the short par 3 14th is slicker than a freshly shorn poodle
KENEY PARK GOLF COURSE, Windsor, Ct. Has more than a little Bethpage here and Oakmont there from a terrain and design standpoint
KENEY PARK GOLF COURSE, Windsor, Ct. Just on the edge of Hartford proper and maybe the most secluded course you’ll play all year
KENEY PARK GOLF COURSE, Windsor, Ct. If you come in the back way, the drive to the clubhouse is surrounded by an old-growth forest and what you find inside is actually a little magical
KENEY PARK GOLF COURSE, Windsor, Ct. Dips and swales galore greet you at the first fairway and carry right on for 18 holes
WINTONBURY HILLS GOLF CLUB, Bloomfield, Ct. Splash! Stratton Brook – Stratton Brook State Park, Simsbury (9.6 miles)
WINTONBURY HILLS GOLF CLUB, Bloomfield, Ct. Worth a Detour: Museum of American Political Life, West Hartford (5 miles)
WESTOVER GOLF COURSE, Granby, Ma. An anomaly for Western Mass.: tops out at over 7000 yards from the tips
VETERANS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Springfield, Ma., Hole #3 – Short par 5 with one big eye that has a focus in your direction. Any attempts to overpower the hole must deal with a bunker dead center in front of the green, about 80 yards out. Another Cyclops, protecting this dogleg right must be avoided from the tee.
VETERANS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Springfield, Ma., Hole #5 – Titanic par 3 of 239 yards from the blues with an unnervingly slopey putting surface awaiting
VETERANS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Springfield, Ma. Terrific variety of holes, which seldom double back on each other
VETERANS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Springfield, Ma. Native: Mike Scully, Writer and Showrunner for The Simpsons (alas, not a clue; he joined the show in 1993)
VETERANS MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE, Springfield, Ma. If you’re not careful, you’ll be putting downhill all day
TWIN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Coventry, Ct. Mastering the angles of this tricky layout is a prerequisite for success
TWIN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Coventry, Ct. Numerous go-for-it / layup scenarios off the tee and on subsequent shots
TWIN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Coventry, Ct., Hole #10 – Seemingly benign short par 4 dogleg left, but it will try to trick you into cutting the corner to the inside of a lone tree, which appears to mark the corner. Totally fool’s gold. The point of the dogleg actually begins 20 yards beyond, where another tree’s branches will interfere with your shot to an extremely elevated green. Wherever you end up – smart or sucker position – you’ll only be able to go by the color of the flag to locate the pin.
TWIN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Coventry, Ct., Hole #5 – Terrifically fun par 5 where after two good pokes you might still not see the green.
TWIN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Coventry, Ct., Hole #7 – If No.3 is Twin Hills’ signature hole, No. 7 most surely is its nasty hole. Your drive leaves a chute with trees on each side, demanding the ball come off the club without any shape to it. But not just straight. Long, too. This par 4 is 446 yards from the whites and bends at 90 degrees to the right 200 yards from the tee.
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (GREEN), Farmington, Ct. Great, barely-blemished greens – even at the high point of the season
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (GREEN), Farmington, Ct. The tee shot on No. 5 is scarier than half the Halloween flicks
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (GREEN), Farmington, Ct. Layout grows not so much teeth as fangs down the back stretch
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (WHITE), Farmington, Ct. Nice ratio of wide-open holes to those requiring precision
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (WHITE), Farmington, Ct., Hole #11 – Ultra-narrow and consequently quite long par 5 that plays between the Farmington River – once proud and full of passion, but listless here – and a lake to the left, which borders the middle section of the hole. If you putt out with the ball you hit on the tee, advance directly to Go and collect your $200.
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (WHITE), Farmington, Ct., Hole #12 Last leg of a Devil’s Triangle of water holes to begin the back 9. Must be long off the tee and then throw a dart to hit the narrow, slightly elevated peninsula green.
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (WHITE), Farmington, Ct., Hole #10 Fun, Florida-style hole where multiple water hazards eventually converge, leaving you with two choices on your downwind approach: Green or Dead. Better green than dead.
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (WHITE) , Farmington, Ct. Greens are excellent and water can be a nemesis
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (WHITE) , Farmington, Ct. Two long openers allow you to stretch out your driver with relative impunity
TUNXIS PLANTATION COUNTRY CLUB (WHITE) , Farmington, Ct., Hole #4 Like a film noir spitfire, this par 3 is gorgeous, short and dangerous.
TOWER RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB, Simsbury, Ct., Hole #4 Looks like a Par 4 with a narrow chute from the tee, but surprisingly opens up at the 150 marker. With a pond midway between the marker and the elevated green, this gorgeous hole becomes the fourth hole in a row requiring a play over water.
TOWER RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB , Simsbury, Ct. Make a Day of It: Talcott Mountain State Park (2.9 miles, or . . . directly above you)
TOWER RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB, Simsbury, Ct., Hole #5 – Valley in front of elevated green pushes all but the most sharply hit approach shots down into a neverland of high grass. The severity of the risk / reward on the long iron required to reach the putting surface earns this hole the no. 1 handicap.
TOWER RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB, Simsbury, Ct. Play this course twice in a row and you might not see the same shot twice in a row
TOPSTONE GOLF COURSE, South Windsor, Ct. Make a Day of It: Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art, Hartford (11.4 miles)
TOPSTONE GOLF COURSE, South Windsor, Ct. Splash! Scantic River – Scantic River State Park, Enfield (9.7 miles)
TOPSTONE GOLF COURSE, South Windsor, Ct. 285-yard par 4 9th requires a long tee shot despite its length
TOPSTONE GOLF COURSE, South Windsor, Ct. Native: Chris Clark, One-time 30-goal scorer with the Washington Capitals
TOPSTONE GOLF COURSE, South Windsor, Ct. If you’re walking, keep your head up — routing can be funky at times
TOPSTONE GOLF COURSE, South Windsor, Ct. 3rd hole along railroad tracks is tighter than a one-act play
TIMBERLIN GOLF CLUB, Berlin, Ct. Scenic course, with lovely views of the farmland which surrounds it
TIMBERLIN GOLF CLUB, Berlin, Ct. At the foot of a mountain with a lot of terrain sprinkled about the layout
TIMBERLIN GOLF CLUB, Berlin, Ct. The beginner will not be terrified; the advanced golfer will love the decision-making
THE RANCH, Southwick, Ma. The ups are steady and the downs precipitous on the eastern edge of the Berkshires
THE GOLF CLUB AT WINDHAM, North Windham, Ct. You’ll get a look at the green en route to the par 3 10th. Memorize it, trap-for-trap.
THE GOLF CLUB AT WINDHAM, North Windham, Ct. Hercules’ over/under to reach the green at the par 5 17th is 2.9. Take the over.
THE GOLF CLUB AT WINDHAM, North Windham, Ct. Tree-lined fairways give the course a little more length than is indicated on the scorecard
THE GOLF CLUB AT WINDHAM, North Windham, Ct. Playable for all levels, but doesn’t surrender easily to low handicappers
THE COUNTRY CLUB OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, North Sutton, N.H. The scenic drama of the 10th hole unfolds like a tracking shot in a 50s Panavision spectacular
TEKOA COUNTRY CLUB, Westfield, Ma. Par 3 3rd over the pond requires a precisely played iron early in the day
TALLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, Hebron, Ct. Water on the back 9 crosses fairways and protects greens, requiring attentive club selection
SUGARLOAF GOLF CLUB, Carrabassett Valley, Me. Carved not only out of a forest, but from a mountain, this spectacular course will take your breath away – along with your scoring average
SUGARLOAF GOLF CLUB, Carrabassett Valley, Me. For memorability, nothing in your experience is likely to compare with the opening two holes on the back nine at Sugarloaf. The sheer drama of these two holes is matched only by the sheer cliffs you must hit off to put your tee shots in play.
STOW ACRES COUNTRY CLUB (SOUTH), Stow, Ma. Some quirky, love-‘em or hate-‘em holes with dramatic twists and frantic elevation changes
STOW ACRES COUNTRY CLUB (SOUTH), Stow, Ma. Not as renowned as its sibling, but good enough to create a rivalry
STANLEY GOLF COURSE, New Britain, Ct. Native: Carl Pavano, Well-traveled Major League Baseball Pitcher
STANLEY GOLF COURSE, New Britain, Ct. Blue course features two of the sharpest doglegs you’ll ever play
STANLEY GOLF COURSE (RED/BLUE), New Britain, Ct. Make a Day of It: New Britain Museum of Art (3.9 miles)
STANLEY GOLF COURSE (RED/BLUE), New Britain, Ct. Picturesque course which is a good introduction to full-length layouts
ST. ANNE COUNTRY CLUB, Feeding Hills, Ma. Holes are tree-lined and lovely . . . unless you play from them all day
SOUTHINGTON COUNTRY CLUB, Plantsville, Ct. Nestled picturesquely among the verdant Meriden and Waterbury ranges
SOUTHINGTON COUNTRY CLUB, Plantsville, Ct. Splash! Hanover Pond — Dossin Park Beach, Meriden (4.8 miles)
SOUTHINGTON COUNTRY CLUB, Plantsville, Ct. Chipping from behind greens can be as challenging as accessing a butte with a wedge and a golf ball
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma., Hole #11 Sisyphean par 5, where everything you hit in the fairway is going to knock back down to the left on your second and third shots, unless you get on in regulation. The elevated green behaves in much the same way.
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma. PROS: Easy to get out, Fresh sandwiches at turn, Astoundingly inexpensive to walk
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma., Hole #18 Sporty closing par 4, with drive over a small scree and on to a fairway banked like a NASCAR track. Second shot must zig-zag its way over an incursion of vegetation and sometimes under a maple to get near the pin.
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma., Hole #9 Big drive required over deep ravine and then up a toboggan-course hill on the other side.
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma., Hole #6 A short, flat and and almost perfectly straight par 5, which nonetheless has its defenses. A 60-foot wide pond fronts the green, so carrying it on your 2nd shot will require 200 yards of flight. More likely, you’ll lay up and if you do be wary of the rough, which is both deeper and stronger than it looks
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma., Hole #2 Aesthetically great and equally challenging par 3 that is 200 yards from the tips and plays straight downhill over a stream fronting the green, which is steeply banked in front – so your ball is not necessarily safe even if you’ve carried the brook.
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma. Eleven of the 18 holes require you to deal directly with water
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma., Hole #4 Knee-knocking drive from the back tees, can be pitch’n’putt from the whites if they’re up.
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTRY CLUB, Southampton, Ma. Has always been far more difficult than its slope rating allowed for, but recently the MGA revised it significantly upward
SIMSBURY FARMS GOLF CLUB, West Simsbury, Ct. Nice to see so many walkers on a course for a change – and it’s pretty hilly
SIMSBURY FARMS GOLF CLUB, West Simsbury, Ct. Numerous holes are characterized by a valley configuration between tee and green
SIMSBURY FARMS GOLF CLUB, West Simsbury, Ct. The double green of holes No. 13 and 17 is large enough to fit a helipad on – and just about as windy, too.
ROCKLEDGE GOLF CLUB, West Hartford, Ct., Hole #9 There are three separate perils in which to dunk your ball en route to the raised, sharply sloping, back-to-front green.
ROCKLEDGE GOLF CLUB, West Hartford, Ct., Hole #14 Superb par 5, with water guarding the green, but hidden by the contours of the fairway. The hazard is part of the same stream which crosses many holes, but widens here to the size of a pond, calling for an approach shot of some distance which is complicated by the elevated green and the steep, slick slope fronting it.
ROCKLEDGE GOLF CLUB, West Hartford, Ct. Need to frequently strategize around presence of stream which bisects many holes
ROCKLEDGE GOLF CLUB, West Hartford, Ct., Hole #4 — The redan-style green puts a premium on staying below the hole.
ROCKLEDGE GOLF CLUB, West Hartford, Ct. Native: Noah Webster, Founding Father, who also bequeathed a dictionary
ROCKLEDGE GOLF CLUB, West Hartford, Ct., Hole #7 The skullduggery continues behind the green, where a capture bunker is hidden, but actually your ally since the hole drops off very sharply from there to a pond.
RIVER BEND COUNTRY CLUB, West Bridgewater, Ma. Forced carries over wetlands produce difficult challenges
RICHTER PARK GOLF COURSE, Danbury, Ct. Along with Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines, one of the crown jewels of the state park systems.
RICHTER PARK GOLF COURSE, Danbury, Ct. Only the greens and their public-course pace give any indication that this is, indeed, anything other than a course designed for golf elitists.
RICHTER PARK GOLF COURSE, Danbury, Ct. Incredible variety of holes, with elevated tees, lakes, crooked hills, and, if that’s not enough geological diversity, quicksand.
RACEWAY GOLF CLUB, Thompson, Ct. Boomerang par 5 6th is one of the great mad-scientist holes in the game of golf
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. It’s not the greens that have sideboards on the 11th and 12th holes, but the fairways
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. One slip, and you’re dead as you try to navigate the monorail fairway of the 17th hole without fading away to oblivion on either side
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. 6th fairway runs at an oblique angle to the tee and sports a landing area about as wide as a Machu Picchu runway
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. The embankment separating pond from green on the short par 3 14th is slicker than a freshly shorn poodle
QUARRY RIDGE, Portland, Ct. Uphill, downhill, and sidehill are lies you’ll get used to by the end of your round
QUAIL HOLLOW GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB, Oakham, Ma. 18th hole is as good a short, straight par 4 finisher as you’ll find, but I’ll say no more – seeing is believing
QUAIL HOLLOW GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB, Oakham, Ma. Par 5 16th is teeming with hidden aspirants for your ball
QUAIL HOLLOW GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB, Oakham, Ma. It’s tight and if you are too, you might be hitting from some funny places
QUAIL HOLLOW GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB, Oakham, Ma. Valley holes reward you greatly if you can play a nice draw off the tee
QUAIL HOLLOW GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB, Oakham, Ma. If you walk, it might be the best 18 bucks you’ve spent since your 1975 cable bill
PORTLAND GOLF COURSE, Portland, Ct. Nice routing, up and down through the woods, with very few sightings of grandmother’s house
PORTLAND GOLF COURSE, Portland, Ct. Be careful not to try to outsmart the course; its doglegs will turn such strategy to folly
PORTLAND GOLF COURSE, Portland, Ct. Opening holes in general can be bland until you get away from the clubhouse and parking lot – but not this beauty.
POQUOY BROOK GOLF CLUB, Lakeville, Ma., Hole #2 Long and tight par 4 with a very sharp dogleg to the right and a fairway Gloria Vanderbilt would have trouble fitting into.
POQUOY BROOK GOLF CLUB, Lakeville, Ma., Hole #18 A tour de force par 5 finale, crossing water twice at two completely different angles and climbing a mini-mountain before rewarding you with a flat putting surface.
PEQUABUCK GOLF CLUB, Terryville, Ct., Hole #17 The drive must be straight or hope that the trees’ bark is much worse than their bite.
PEQUABUCK GOLF CLUB, Terryville, Ct., Hole #4 – Downhill par 3 with a raised green preventing you from seeing the bunker shaped like a Cheshire cat’s smile fronting the left side. More often than not if you miss the green, you’ll be in there – particularly if you’re unaware of its presence.
PEQUABUCK GOLF CLUB, Terryville, Ct. PROS: Beautiful setting, Icy water in coolers, Excellent yardage marking, Elevations bring in nice breezes
PEQUABUCK GOLF CLUB, Terryville, Ct., Hole #16 Now that you’ve already hit over a reservoir today and a road and between the legs of geese, the 16th hole requires you to launch your tee shot over a freight train – or, at the very least, the tracks it runs on.
PEQUABUCK GOLF CLUB, Terryville, Ct. PROS: Beautiful setting, Icy water in coolers, Excellent yardage marking, Elevations bring in nice breezes
PEQUABUCK GOLF CLUB, Terryville, Ct., Hole #10 Picture-perfect par 3 from elevated tee first crosses an inlet of a reservoir and then must contend on each side of the green with water. One of the most thrilling tee shots you’ll hit in the C.R.V.
PEQUABUCK GOLF CLUB, Hole #9 , Terryville, Ct. Links-like fairway with three separate high points and corresponding swales favoring placement rather than distance
PENOBSCOT VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB, Orono, Me. Full restoration of course to Ross’ designs in 2008 was undertaken using the master’s blueprints for the course
ORANGE HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, Orange, Ct. Native: William Atherton, Actor and target of Venkman ridicule (Ghostbusters)
OLDE SCOTLAND LINKS AT BRIDGEWATER, Bridgewater, Ma. Native: Mickey Cochrane, All-time great baseball Catcher
OLDE SCOTLAND LINKS AT BRIDGEWATER, Bridgewater, Ma. After a couple of visits to the rough and fescue, you might want to warm your 3-wood up in the bullpen
OAK RIDGE GOLF CLUB, Feeding Hills, Ma., Hole #10 Bunkers haven’t been too much of a concern all day. Nor for that matter have flying saucers. But as you fix your gaze outward from the tee box, you recognize the likelihood of a close encounter with one or the other. There are four of them out there lying in wait. Do they want the end of the earth or just its golf balls?
NORWICH GOLF CLUB, Norwich, Ct. Native: Arielle Dombasle, French Actress and wife of author Bernard-Henri Levy
NEW ENGLAND COUNTRY CLUB, Bellingham, Ma. The course can be tight – at times suffocatingly so – but there are a fair number of open holes as well
NATANIS GOLF COURSE (ARROWHEAD), Vassalboro, Me. Designs of greens draw their inspiration from the shapes of 9 Maine counties
MAPLEGATE COUNTRY CLUB, Bellingham, Ma. Plenty of blind tee shots; your score will come down with course knowledge
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (JONES), Middletown, Ct. Front 9 can lull you to sleep, back 9 can break your confidence
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (JONES), Middletown, Ct. Greens are undulative and borderline hilly at times
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (PLAYER), Middletown, Ct. Any momentum you might have gathered can come to a screeching halt on No. 8
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (PLAYER), Middletown, Ct. Mayhem-causing creek that used to cross No. 10 is now dry
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (PLAYER), Middletown, Ct. Remarkably inexpensive for the quality of the golf
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (PLAYER), Middletown, Ct. The third hole makes you play over junk first, and then water, with both shots requiring great skill
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (PLAYER), Middletown, Ct. Fantastic collection of holes; feels like you played two golf courses on the same day
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (PLAYER), Middletown, Ct. Take a deep gulp before firing away at the third fairway
LYMAN ORCHARDS GOLF CLUB (PLAYER), Middletown, Ct. Back nine features two tee boxes which come with glorious vistas of the Connecticut River Valley
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma. Make a Day of It: Mt. Tom State Reservation, Holyoke (7.7 miles)
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma., Hole #11 Intimidating tee shot over native vegetation with woods pinching in from both sides.
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma. PROS: Greens well-guarded by deep bunkers, Beautiful piece of land (particularly the front 9), Pace of play, Conditioning, Great menu at turn, Coolers well-spaced and water cold.
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma. Not a course where you’ll kick yourself for using too little club on your approach shots.
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma., Hole #10 Back and right of the hole are deadly so you’ll want to underclub on your approach shot and use the hill to carry you on to the green.
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma., Hole #18 Four greenside bunkers on the left give the illusion of oncoming waves.
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma., Hole #15 – Exceedingly short par 4, but plays into prevailing westerly winds and sunsets with wrist-spraining rough and a small shallow green.
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma., Hole #2 424 yards with a toothpick of a fairway from tee to green, which, like the hole, is long and narrow
LEDGES GOLF CLUB, South Hadley, Ma. Routing deceptive on front nine, where the course fools you several times into thinking you’re right on its lower edge, only to slip down the hillside another level.
LAKE OF ISLES (NORTH COURSE), North Stonington, Ct. Unless you carry a low handicap or play from the forward tees, expect to be humbled early and often
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct. PROS: Breezes on the apex holes, Plentiful cold drinking water, Par 3s all very diverse and challenging without having to brush up against 200 yards
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct., Hole #5 Par 5 that plays like a tarantella – unthreatening at the beginning, feels like it will strangle you by the end as it slowly ascends, gets steeper by the green and ensnares you with the traps it lays out just as you feel like you’ll safely escape it.
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct., Hole #15 You might hit a 5-iron. You might hit a 3-wood. You might end up asking yourself, “My God! How did I get here?” Truth is, you’re fated to a downhill or sidehill lie on this par 4 where water crosses near the green. Your only consolation is not getting both.
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct., Hole #14 Not a long par 4 but as is so very often the case at Hunter, the fairways, with their contours and elevation changes will deflect your ball from settling on them, regardless of how good you might look off the club.
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct., Hole #11 Short left, long right, long left, short right. Four distinct water hazards surround this par 3, and you get a prize for hitting none of them.
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct., Hole #10 The gateway to the back 9 beautifully meanders over and alongside wetlands, brushes against the side of a hill, and conceals the green even from in close. A classic par 5 odyssey.
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct. You could hit four fairways in a row and have no flat lies to show for it
HUNTER GOLF CLUB, Meriden, Ct. This gently hilly course is as close as any to I-91, but you’d never know it from its tranquil country setting
HIGHFIELDS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, Grafton, Ma. Scrumptious sandwiches at the turn put on a mayo clinic – but indulge too regularly and they might land you there as well
HIGHFIELDS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, Grafton, Ma. The par 4 uphill 16th just might be the cruelest hole on the planet
HICKORY HILL GOLF COURSE, Methuen, Ma. Native: Steve Bedrosian, National League 1987 Cy Young Award Winner
HICKORY HILL GOLF COURSE, Methuen, Ma. Comfortable, open, and flat on the front; hilly, wooded, and at times, claustrophobic on the back
HERITAGE COUNTRY CLUB, Charlton, Ma. Make a Day of It: Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge (5.3 miles)
H. SMITH RICHARDSON GOLF COURSE, Fairfield, Ct. Worth a Detour: The Barnum Museum, Bridgeport (6.9 miles)
GREAT RIVER GOLF CLUB, Milford, Ct. Beautiful views from high atop the Housatonic, but you’ll need to concentrate on the golf
GREAT RIVER GOLF CLUB, Milford, Ct. Native: Jonathan Quick, Two-time Stanley Cup winning Goaltender, Los Angeles Kings
FOXBOROUGH COUNTRY CLUB, Foxborough, Ma. Very playable, with large greens, unless you tackle it from the tips where it can be a bear
FARM NECK GOLF CLUB, Oak Bluffs, Ma. A course with cachet beyond its Martha’s Vineyard location; U.S. presidents play here
ELLINWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, Athol, Ma. First 14 holes are short and tricky, last 4 are long and punishing
ELLINWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, Athol, Ma. Full-length golf on a historic course for a fraction of what it would cost you elsewhere
CYPRIAN KEYES GOLF CLUB, Boylston, Ma. All your favorite nemeses are here: Elevation changes, environmental hazards, sharp doglegs
CRYSTAL LAKE GOLF CLUB, Haverhill, Ma. An exciting layout, but some holes have an unfinished appearance
CRUMPIN-FOX CLUB, Bernardston, Ma. Holes are very secluded from one another, but link together nicely for the walker
CRUMPIN-FOX CLUB, Bernardston, Ma. If you’re aquaphobic – or afraid of snowmen – skip 8 after the 7th hole and go directly to 9
CRUMPIN-FOX CLUB, Bernardston, Ma. Pace of play good, in spite of the woods: when it’s gone, it’s gone
CRUMPIN-FOX CLUB, Bernardston, Ma. No exaggeration to say this difficult course was carved out of a hillside forest
CRESTVIEW COUNTRY CLUB, Agawam, Ma. Good length from all tee stations, but also room for your driver to breathe
CRESTVIEW COUNTRY CLUB, Agawam, Ma. Pay attention to the routing or you might be off to Palookaville
CRESTVIEW COUNTRY CLUB, Agawam, Ma. Recently a private club, attested to by the cushy fairways and silky greens
CRESTVIEW COUNTRY CLUB, Agawam, Ma. Nothing too diabolical until No. 12 and 13 where you need to dust off your target golf
CRANWELL RESORT & GOLF CLUB, Lenox, Ma. Fine Dining: Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar Italian, Wine Bar (1.5 miles)
COUNTRY CLUB OF GREENFIELD, Greenfield, Ma. 570-yard Par 5 14th hole colossus ends on a postage-stamp green
COUNTRY CLUB OF GREENFIELD, Greenfield, Ma. Starts off a little hardscrabble, but the layout quickly gets nice as it heads out into the country
COUNTRY CLUB OF GREENFIELD, Greenfield, Ma. Both nines open with a pair of comfy holes before the treachery begins
COLD SPRING COUNTRY CLUB, Belchertown, Ma. Panoramic vista from the downhill par 3 tee box overlooks Western Mass. countryside
CHICOPEE COUNTRY CLUB, Chicopee, Ma. The no. 5-6-7 trifecta will test your strength, finesse and thinking cap
CHICOPEE COUNTRY CLUB, Chicopee, Ma. Bring a compass to the par 5 7th, a brute, with blind shots, water and hills.
CEDAR KNOB GOLF COURSE, Somers, Ct. Long dogleg left, eventually over water to an extremely elevated green is a magnificent closing hole.
CAPTAINS GOLF COURSE (STARBOARD), Brewster, Ma., Hole #15 – It starts out with shoulders as broad as Roseanne Barr’s, but by the time you’re nearing the green, you’re looking at Kate Moss’ waist.
CAPTAINS GOLF COURSE (STARBOARD), Brewster, Ma., Hole #5 If you never make it to Mauna Kea, this par 3 might require the most difficult tee shot ever expected of you if you’re playing the back tees.
CAMPBELL’S SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS GOLF COURSE, Salem, N.H. A great piece of property put to imaginative use
BRADFORD COUNTRY CLUB, Haverhill, Ma. Placement is paramount throughout the 12th hole, where a monster pond separates the end of the fairway from the green and the route just to get that far is tortuous.
BLUE FOX RUN (RED), Avon, Ct., Hole #5 105 yards. Nothing to it, right? Well, if you’re aquaphobic there is, as 90% of those yards are over a pond with reeds camouflaging its boundaries and the fact that a two-tiered green awaits you.
BLUE FOX RUN (RED), Avon, Ct., Hole #1 Welcoming par 4 from a mildly elevated tee with the Farmington River in one of its more docile moods running alongside.
BLUE FOX RUN (WHITE), Avon, Ct., Hole #1 From the tee, everywhere you look is as wide open as a dentist’s schedule on Halloween. No bunkers, water, or even a single tree to distract you from your task. Just hit the ball twice as far as you can.
BLUE FOX RUN (WHITE), Avon, Ct., Hole #7 Classic par 4 lake hole, which punishes Machismo and rewards Prudence – primarily because she gets to play from the red tees.
BLUE FOX RUN (BLUE), Avon, Ct., Hole #6 Very imaginative par 3, which, at 136 yards from the whites to a plateau green that’s all carry, will leave many players between clubs. The elevated green sits alongside the Farmington River and is fronted by five grubby little fingers screaming, “Feed me! Feed me!”
BLUE FOX RUN (BLUE), Avon, Ct., Hole #7 Could easily turn out to be the most intimidating drive you’ll face all year. Never mind that the fairway is waif-thin and invisible from the tee box. First you must clear a Hoffa-esque resting place partially filled with water where the back edge is higher than the teeing ground.
BLISSFUL MEADOWS GOLF CLUB, Uxbridge, Ma. If your tee shot comes up short on No. 13, you could end up in Morocco or Spain
BLISSFUL MEADOWS GOLF CLUB, Uxbridge, Ma. When you’re finished gawking at the 12th hole, please swing the club
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB, Hebron, Ct. Survive the dangerous par 5 3rd hole and you should be on your way to a good score
BLACKLEDGE COUNTRY CLUB (Gilead Highlands), Hebron, Ct. Every aspect of the course in excellent playing shape
BAYBERRY HILLS (RED), West Yarmouth, Ma., Hole #4 Thin, slanting, long, semi-blind . . . this is essentially the Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet of par 4s.
BAYBERRY HILLS (WHITE), West Yarmouth, Ma., Hole #4 Par 5 with trees hugging the left side. Second shot must contend with what looks like either a desert mirage or a UNESCO World Heritage site. After nothing remotely close to this all day, in the distance you’ll be able to make out a large sandy waste area with boulders and pines.
BAYBERRY HILLS (RED / WHITE), West Yarmouth, Ma., PROS: Ultra-good upkeep, Stellar sandwiches at the turn, Deep traps with good bounce to them
BAYBERRY HILLS (RED / WHITE), West Yarmouth, Ma., Hole #7 The greenside trap is as mean as a summer squall on Nantucket Sound.
BAYBERRY HILLS (RED / WHITE), West Yarmouth, Ma. Very playable for vacationers while maintaining a good challenge for the seasoned golfer
BAYBERRY HILLS (RED / WHITE), West Yarmouth, Ma. Excellent municipal course, with conditions typical of a semi-private or better
ATKINSON RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER, Atkinson, N.H. You’ll need to wear your green-reading glasses to detect the subtle breaks that casually turn 2-putts into 3-putts
ATKINSON RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER, Atkinson, N.H. Sweeping par 5 16th reveals its mysteries one layer of the onion at a time
ATKINSON RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER, Atkinson, N.H. Country-club caliber attention from all layers of staff
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The Culture Corner
Golf In Cinema
What are your favorite movie moments set on a golf course?
Golf In Literature
Who are your favorite writers on Golf? What’s your favorite book about the game?
Golf In Music
Artwork by Peter Cross. Reproduced by permission.
Is this the greatest song ever written about golf?