OT: 3 favorite public CT golf courses

[JustbrewitMan]

Of the ones that I have played-

Simsbury Farms
Wintonbury
Cedar Knob

 

[Huskyhoops25]

Yeah I don't know what the status with stonybrook is now but it was for sale for a longgg time and was being advertised as land for condos or homes... Covid may have saved it from that fate.

Hotchkiss is an incredibly quirky and wonderful course that has the bones of a classic. I will say the first 8 holes are awesome and the 9th is one of the certifiably worst golf holes ever.

I grew up playing Stonybrook, fairview and Canaan (when I was really young and yes definitely a dog track). I'm a member at Torrington now.

I usually play a couple of tournaments a year at Torrington. I took a membership at Canaan with their Special rate and the new owner is already doing a lot of work. Put in a couple of collection ponds. Cut A drainage brook through the seventh fairway an they are making a double green on 2. A lot of ground under repair but it will be worth it in the end.
Ferrarotti’s daughter bought Stonybrook. They are gutting the clubhouse to make a restaurant and new pro shop.

 

[UCONNJACK]

Ridgefield is beautiful and you can pretty much smash driver on every non-par 3 without much risk.

My home course for many years. Could walk there from my house.

 

[Chasm64]

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

Some great holes at Oxford

 

[Chasm64]

You live in Salisbury and chose Stonybrook as your favorite 9 holer? Hotchkiss is probably one of the best 9 holers in the state. Stonybrook is a dog track (I may or may not have learned how to play there and live just up the road...)

They've done a really nice job with Fairview but it's an impossible play on the weekends. 5.5 to 6 hour rounds and they don't let people walk (whispers... walking isn't the reason the course plays slow.)

Keney Park is unbelievable now. Just a brilliant restoration but another course where your playing 5+ hours on the weekends. But for my thoughts it's the nicest public course in the state now.

Shenny is a very cool course and great value.

Fox Hopyard is very nice. The closing stretch is as nice as you'll find from a public course.

The hopyard is not public anymore

 

[Beowulf]

Nobody picking Minnechaug?

 

[mauconnfan]

I usually play a couple of tournaments a year at Torrington. I took a membership at Canaan with their Special rate and the new owner is already doing a lot of work. Put in a couple of collection ponds. Cut A drainage brook through the seventh fairway an they are making a double green on 2. A lot of ground under repair but it will be worth it in the end.
Ferrarotti’s daughter bought Stonybrook. They are gutting the clubhouse to make a restaurant and new pro shop.

That’s the Fairview owner right? I mean you look at the grounds at Harwinton and he made sure it was beautiful in many ways. If he’s putting his print on Canaan I expect it will eventually be as nice as he can make it!

 

[8893]

I am almost certain Mill River and Ellington Ridge are not public courses

Mill River definitely isn't. I was a greenskeeper there for two summers.

 

[AD DB Burner]

The hopyard is not public anymore

This must be the first year because I have played there about a half dozen times over the last few summers with tee times booked through secondary apps.

 

[aburks41]

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

 

[mrl2016]

Great River
Lake of Isles
Richter Park

 

[MJKI]

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

Newton Commonwealth is a great track. Short, eminently gettable if your approach is on. Tough greens, a classic Ross design

 

[Umami Zen]

Keney Park
Quarry Ridge
Simsbury Farms

 

[storrsroars]

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

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.

 

[uconn1999]

For 20 years, Manchester CC was my home course. Still a fave along with the Knob.

 

[Hoophound]

Of the ones that I have played-

Simsbury Farms
Wintonbury
Cedar Knob

For 20 years, Manchester CC was my home course. Still a fave along with the Knob.

Cedar Knob is an awesome place. It’s a little off the beaten path from the busiest parts of CT, but it is well worth the drive to Somers for. My favorite public course.

 

[Umami Zen]

Cedar Knob is an awesome place. It’s a little off the beaten path from the busiest parts of CT, but it is well worth the drive to Somers for. My favorite public course.

Play in a League out there.. Great burgers on the 19th hole

 

[J187Money]

This must be the first year because I have played there about a half dozen times over the last few summers with tee times booked through secondary apps.

They went private this year - got like 100 emails to join.

 

[Pawsox]

Broke it down into 2 categories.
Expensive -
Great River - very good track, but at $155 on the weekend?
Lake of Isles - love the layout. Like the feeling that you and your foursome are the only ones on a hole a lot of the time. Great combination of tough holes and scoreable holes.
Mohegan Sun Golf - don't like it as much as the two above. As the pro at my home course said, "these are the greens where they buried all of the dead elephants." Decent layout, but not worth the money.
Normal Rates -
Connecticut National - good track. Kind of unknown to a lot of golfers in the western part of Ct. Was in great shape when I played there and it didn't take 5 hours to play.
Rockledge - haven't played there this year due to surgery, but was in great shape last year. We play during the week, so rounds are usually in the 4 hour range. Weekends there are another matter. Can be slow.
Topstone - like the layout. Greens were very good last year. Good mix of holes. Large men's club, so getting out on the weekend can be a challenge.

 

[superjohn]

I usually play a couple of tournaments a year at Torrington. I took a membership at Canaan with their Special rate and the new owner is already doing a lot of work. Put in a couple of collection ponds. Cut A drainage brook through the seventh fairway an they are making a double green on 2. A lot of ground under repair but it will be worth it in the end.
Ferrarotti’s daughter bought Stonybrook. They are gutting the clubhouse to make a restaurant and new pro shop.

Amy bought Stonybrook?

 

[uconnfan68]

Mill River
Lake of Isles
Ellington Ridge

Key word was public. I thought Ellington and Mill River were both private. Lake of Isles is a resort course (semi-private).

1. Lake of Isles North
2. Lyman Orchards Jones (? If condition is ok)
3. Simsbury Farms

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I live in Salisbury, so I really haven’t played many in Fairfield County or in eastern CT.
1. Fairview Farms, Harwinton
2. Gillette Ridge, Bloomfield
3. Richter Park, Danbury

Favorite 9 hole course: Stonybrook, Litchfield

The South Pine Creek Par three course down by the beach in Fairfield.

 

[uconnfan68]

I usually play a couple of tournaments a year at Torrington. I took a membership at Canaan with their Special rate and the new owner is already doing a lot of work. Put in a couple of collection ponds. Cut A drainage brook through the seventh fairway an they are making a double green on 2. A lot of ground under repair but it will be worth it in the end.
Ferrarotti’s daughter bought Stonybrook. They are gutting the clubhouse to make a restaurant and new pro shop.

Used play a work league at Stonybrook. The clubhouse was built over the existing chicken coop in mid-late 80s. Watched the tornado drop down over the hill in Bantam center. Hail as big as golf balls embedded in the practice green. While everyone watched through the 20’ glass, I went down to the basement.

 

[Chasm64]

Mill River definitely isn't. I was a greenskeeper there for two summers.

This must be the first year because I have played there about a half dozen times over the last few summers with tee times booked through secondary apps.

First year it’s private

 

[aburks41]

Newton Commonwealth is a great track. Short, eminently gettable if your approach is on. Tough greens, a classic Ross design

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.