OT: 3 favorite public CT golf courses

[UConnJim]

Does anyone have any recommendations for courses around Boston? I'm playing at the Newton public course today and I've been to Brookline's public course. Not sure if there are any hidden gems I should check out though

Some of my favorite affordable publics in Boston area (Granite Links is best public)

George Wright (Hyde Park) Donald Ross design.
William J. Devine in Franklin Park Boston. One of the oldest munis in the country Donald Ross design, but renovated later (It‘s nicer than many think.)
Widow’s Walk in Scituate. Very tough course, 71.9/144 from blues even though only 6400 yards.
Braintree Municipal. Good track with lots of water. Blind drive on first hole.
Brookmeadow in Canton.
South Shore CC in Hingham.

 

[BattersonBoyz]

1. Wintonbury
2. Lyman Orchards-Players
3. Quarry Ridge

Love Wintonbury but I think you're the first person I've ever heard of who prefers the Lyman-Player over Jones. Player is all blind shots and hills.

I also suck so that may detract from the enjoyment

 

[aburks41]

IMO, Braintree is your best bang for the buck on munis in the South Shore. Played it many times when I lived in Quincy. It's been 20 years since I left and there was a lot of new course construction being completed then, Granite Links wasn't finished yet. While the daily fee courses down the shore looked nice, the few I played weren't anything memorable, or even worth the price.

If you're comfortable with target golf, Widow's Walk in Scituate is a good course. Narrow fairways, lots of water and marsh, but it plays fair if you can keep to the short grass.

If you ever feel the need to get a quick nine in after work, the slag heap that doubles as President's in Quincy will do the trick. It sucks, there are no flat lies, but you'll get a fix for your jones and you'll usually end up with some interesting partners if no solos are available. You have to do Ponky in Canton once, just to see how a classic Donald Ross layout can be ruined by decades of neglect.

The Newton elevation was insane. I had maybe 1 flat lie the entire round. The ball was constantly above or below my feet. I’m not a good enough golfer to deal with that type of shot lol. I’ll check out Granite Links and widows walk though. Thanks for the rec’s

 

[UConnJim]

Just got back from playing a twilight round. That was the hardest course I’ve ever played. It’s fairly short but holy crap those greens are absurd. Their pin placements today were borderline evil lol. Pretty demoralizing first round of the season. Finished with 3 bogeys though which I’m happy with.

Newton Commonwealth is a very quirky course with odd lies and you have to play it a few times to figure it out. You really don’t have to use your driver. I’ve never been a fan.

 

[BattersonBoyz]

Just wrapped up a round at Crestbrook, great course for the first time playing.

1) Lyman-Jones
2) Wintonbury
3) Raceway

Honorable Mention:

Cedar Knob, Hunter Memorial, Hawk's Landing, Keney Park and East Hartford

Also, Grassmere in Enfield is a hidden gem. A little 9 hole course with some of the best conditions and pretty cheap for what it is.

 

[BPT2Storrs]

First time ever hearing of CT National. For anyone who has played what can it be compared to in western CT? From the pictures it looks like a really nice course.

 

[EROCK CONN]

i am absolutely astonished that no one has mentioned Timberlin.

Public tracks in CT:

Wintonbury
Timberlin
Tallwood

 

[uconnfan68]

Amy bought Stonybrook?

I thought Tia was running Fairview now.

 

[coachn]

Simsbury Farms is my course. Senior membership weekdays town resident. Play 35 times and the rest is free. Great condition moderate difficulty.

 

[Deepster]

Simsbury Farms is my course. Senior membership weekdays town resident. Play 35 times and the rest is free. Great condition moderate difficulty.

Hidden gem. Not a lot of trap/water hazards. Not that tight a course. But the greens are surprisingly challenging. Not many straight putts and always in good condition. Part of the condition is that it is not a big tourney/scramble venue. The dining and drinking options are horrible so it's basically just a local, well maintained hidden track. I'd say almost like a less busy Rockledge?

 

[Spaceman213J]

I'm hoping to get my shoulder fixed and return 'home' and play a few courses in CT next summer. I live in Virginia now. I used to play Crestbrook and Stonybrook all the time. I didn't play a lot of courses, but I was impressed with Lyman Orchards. I think I played Fairview shortly after it opened.
Still Stonybrook will always hold a place in my heart. It was 10 minutes from where I grew up and my dad loved the course. In the fall particularly, the view is amazing from the top of the hills.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Love Wintonbury but I think you're the first person I've ever heard of who prefers the Lyman-Player over Jones. Player is all blind shots and hills.

I also suck so that may detract from the enjoyment

I’ve never played a Gary Player course that I wanted to play a second time.

 

[uconnfan68]

I’ve never played a Gary Player course that I wanted to play a second time.

Too many forced carries. Some require too much distance, with no outlet.

 

[uconnfan68]

I'm hoping to get my shoulder fixed and return 'home' and play a few courses in CT next summer. I live in Virginia now. I used to play Crestbrook and Stonybrook all the time. I didn't play a lot of courses, but I was impressed with Lyman Orchards. I think I played Fairview shortly after it opened.
Still Stonybrook will always hold a place in my heart. It was 10 minutes from where I grew up and my dad loved the course. In the fall particularly, the view is amazing from the top of the hills.

Did you play the original layout? Interesting greens. Not a big fan of all the changes, but he had to make it play longer.

 

[MDHuskFan]

I moved to Florida 4 years ago so haven't played it in a while but you should try Oxford Greens, my favorite CT course and had great summer twilight deals

Played there a few weeks ago when visiting (also a Fl resident now) conditions were crap, but course seemed to be very nice

 

[Verne]

I think the Lyman courses kind of stink. I've never had a good experience there. The place is a golf factory. They absolutely load those courses up and it's a slog. The actual golf courses are obviously in great shape, but the design is not at all my cup of tea. Tons of target golf. Lots of forced carries.

Not a fan of the courses or the vibe there at all especially given the price point and it's reputation.

 

[aburks41]

Newton Commonwealth is a very quirky course with odd lies and you have to play it a few times to figure it out. You really don’t have to use your driver. I’ve never been a fan.

I'm not sure how much I'll want to go back there. I play golf to try to have fun, not to try to whack balls that are laying 2ft above or below my feet on every single shot. It was literally like playing on a mountain side. The only good thing is that it's pretty cheap compared to some other courses nearby

 

[MJKI]

The Newton elevation was insane. I had maybe 1 flat lie the entire round. The ball was constantly above or below my feet. I’m not a good enough golfer to deal with that type of shot lol. I’ll check out Granite Links and widows walk though. Thanks for the rec’s

A much easier design but still fun with tons of different shots is Gannon Municipal too; its in Lynn, in the Lynn Woods Reservation. Don't have to be long, or really straight, to play there. Quirky greens but not like NCC

 

[Tuna]

I’ve never played a Gary Player course that I wanted to play a second time.

I'd play Cougar Point in Kiawah anytime. Have never played GlenArbor but heard it's good.

 

[aburks41]

A much easier design but still fun with tons of different shots is Gannon Municipal too; its in Lynn, in the Lynn Woods Reservation. Don't have to be long, or really straight, to play there. Quirky greens but not like NCC

That sounds like a course much more fitted for my game haha. I'll add it to my list of places to go

 

[MJKI]

That sounds like a course much more fitted for my game haha. I'll add it to my list of places to go

Some of the greens, like 1 and 3 (i think it's 3) are deceptively big. I think I hit driver on 3/14 par 4/5 last time I was out there. If you have a 180 club that goes straight you're gonna have a shot at a GIR on every hole of that course

 

[QDOG5]

I don't get back home much but when I do we always play Fairview farms. I think it is a good track. A bunch of my buddies have been playing in a Thursday afternoon league there for years. When we were young we'd usually play 9 holes at Eastwood or Stonybrook(Rich Bredice is a gem of a guy). Mostly we played Green Woods in Winstead. My dad was tight with the Stazowski brothers and was a regular there for 40 years. We used to watch Bobby Gage play there. He was a really good golfer from a young age.

 

[aburks41]

Some of the greens, like 1 and 3 (i think it's 3) are deceptively big. I think I hit driver on 3/14 par 4/5 last time I was out there. If you have a 180 club that goes straight you're gonna have a shot at a GIR on every hole of that course

I am a very short distance player anyways so that sounds like a dream. I could probably use my driver on most holes then

 

[QDOG5]

I spelled Winsted wrong in my first post. Oops, my apologies to the Gilbert and Regional 7 grads

 

[mauconnfan]

I think the Lyman courses kind of stink. I've never had a good experience there. The place is a golf factory. They absolutely load those courses up and it's a slog. The actual golf courses are obviously in great shape, but the design is not at all my cup of tea. Tons of target golf. Lots of forced carries.

Not a fan of the courses or the vibe there at all especially given the price point and it's reputation.

Lyman Jones is a good track no target golf at all. Player is target and not a fan. But grew up on Jones and until they built Player that was one of the best public courses in CT no doubt. It’s not as nice as it was in the 80s though as they have paid less attention to it.