OT: Connecticut golf courses

[UMass]

Hampden CC is going to be extremely high end. The projected opening is Memorial Day weekend. Jerry Antonacci is the owner and his son Guy is Director of golf operations. Billy Downes is still there as the pro and he is a great guy as well as superb golfer. It's owned by the same family that owns USA Hauling as well as almost every horse farm in northern Connecticut.
The word is that there will be a $10,000.00 initiation charge with dues going at around $4,600.00 per year. That is along with a pretty healthy dining assessment. He is only interested in getting around 100 members. I even heard after he hits 100 he is going to up the initiation to $15,000.00.
There is a helipad there and I would imagine they will cater to the MGM big wigs when the casino opens in Springfield.

 

[JLock819]

They just renamed Hampden CC, it's now called Greathorse CC. Based on the pictures I've seen it is a completely different course, in an extremely good way.

 

[Excalibur]

Hampden CC is going to be extremely high end. The projected opening is Memorial Day weekend. Jerry Antonacci is the owner and his son Guy is Director of golf operations. Billy Downes is still there as the pro and he is a great guy as well as superb golfer. It's owned by the same family that owns USA Hauling as well as almost every horse farm in northern Connecticut.
The word is that there will be a $10,000.00 initiation charge with dues going at around $4,600.00 per year. That is along with a pretty healthy dining assessment. He is only interested in getting around 100 members. I even heard after he hits 100 he is going to up the initiation to $15,000.00.
There is a helipad there and I would imagine they will cater to the MGM big wigs when the casino opens in Springfield.

You can't support a 100 member club with those fees unless you make it a free-for-all with corporate outings. That's probably the plan . . .

 

[mauconnfan]

Played Fairview Farms yesterday. It's struggling to have solid grass in many fairways, not exactly down to dirt only but paper thin in the grass department. I mean it's still a decent course but for 60 bucks right now not worth it. Will make a comeback in a month or so but I would wait f I were any of you.

 

[Hoophound]

Hampden CC is going to be extremely high end. The projected opening is Memorial Day weekend. Jerry Antonacci is the owner and his son Guy is Director of golf operations. Billy Downes is still there as the pro and he is a great guy as well as superb golfer. It's owned by the same family that owns USA Hauling as well as almost every horse farm in northern Connecticut. The word is that there will be a $10,000.00 initiation charge with dues going at around $4,600.00 per year. That is along with a pretty healthy dining assessment. He is only interested in getting around 100 members. I even heard after he hits 100 he is going to up the initiation to $15,000.00. There is a helipad there and I would imagine they will cater to the MGM big wigs when the casino opens in Springfield.

That isn't much money . In South Florida, that's a bargain club. I think they need at least 300-400 members to make it work well.

 

[uconnric]

Timberlin in Berlin is a great public course in Central Connecticut. Shuttle Meadow CC in Berlin is also a beautiful course, highly rated by Golf Magazine, but you'd have to be invited.

 

[mauconnfan]

Timberlin in Berlin is a great public course in Central Connecticut. Shuttle Meadow CC in Berlin is also a beautiful course, highly rated by Golf Magazine, but you'd have to be invited.

Timberlin and "great"? Not bad ric but not close to great. Consistent public course in the Portland, Manchester, Blackledge manner but a little short of great. Shuttle Meadow is very nice though.

 

[whaler11]

Played the white course at Tunxis the other day. Was ok, but winter did a number on some fairways and a few greens.

 

[ScottBonz]

Play Stanley in my Thursday night work league. The construction of COSTCO along with them putting a new irrigation system in (long bumps in the fairway) definitely takes it down a notch this season.

 

[UMass]

That isn't much money . In South Florida, that's a bargain club. I think they need at least 300-400 members to make it work well.

I agree that 100 members will not make the club a lot of money, but the owners are not your average guys. Jerry just turned down a 2 billion dollar offer from Waste Management to purchase USA Hauling. This is looking more like a hobby for him and his son.
Heard last night that the Dot Com tour is assessing his course for possibly putting a tour event there.

 

[UConnFranklin]

I just played Portland Gold Club yesterday. Finished 18 in less than 4 hours. Greens and fairways were in great shape. Very lush. I will be going back soon. Interesting and fun course to play.

 

[mauconnfan]

I just played Portland Gold Club yesterday. Finished 18 in less than 4 hours. Greens and fairways were in great shape. Very lush. I will be going back soon. Interesting and fun course to play.

Always in nice shape. The layout is a bit whacked but "interesting" is a good call. Even though it's more of a target course per se, I prefer to drive up the road 400 feet to Quarry Ridge, but it's nice to have 2 solid courses in the area like that.

 

[whaler11]

I play better at Quarry Ridge and the bar/restaurant is a bit better.

Portland is pretty good though.

 

[whaler11]

The private clubs are hurting in Central CT. Wethersfield is pretty much giving memberships away. Avon offered a friend and I a 2 for 1 deal with no initiation.

I'd join Indian Hill or Glastonbury if I had more time to play.

 

[Excalibur]

The private clubs are hurting in Central CT. Wethersfield is pretty much giving memberships away. Avon offered a friend and I a 2 for 1 deal with no initiation.

I'd join Indian Hill or Glastonbury if I had more time to play.

I used to work at Glastonbury Hills when I was in college, and moved to Manchester after they fired the pro and told the new guy to hire all new staff. I never loved the golf course.

I'll join somewhere when the kids are older, but for now there is just no time. New Haven is begging for members -- they've heavily discounted fees and slashed the initiation fee in half. Plus it's one of my favorite courses around . . .

 

[whaler11]

I used to work at Glastonbury Hills when I was in college, and moved to Manchester after they fired the pro and told the new guy to hire all new staff. I never loved the golf course.

I'll join somewhere when the kids are older, but for now there is just no time. New Haven is begging for members -- they've heavily discounted fees and slashed the initiation fee in half. Plus it's one of my favorite courses around . . .

Yeah I don't love the course either but they have a pool.

 

[uconnfan68]

Played Fairview Farms yesterday. It's struggling to have solid grass in many fairways, not exactly down to dirt only but paper thin in the grass department. I mean it's still a decent course but for 60 bucks right now not worth it. Will make a comeback in a month or so but I would wait f I were any of you.

Was really fast, hard, and playing very short last September. I was quite surprised.

 

[Hoophound]

Was really fast, hard, and playing very short last September. I was quite surprised.

Hehe.

 

[uconnfan68]

Hehe.

It took me a few seconds to get the Beavis and Butthead routine. Good one.

 

[Deepster]

Update on Gillette Ridge.

The course is in bankruptcy and all the carts have been repo'd. The clubhouse and bar/restaurant aren't open for business and they're "charging" $20.00 to walk 18 right now. My desk overlooks the first tee and I haven't seen a single golfer tee off all week. I heard people are parking at Ruby Tuesday off Cottage Grove Rd and walking the holes tucked back there for free. There's no grounds crew anywhere to be seen. The practice green is filled with weeds. The parking lot is overrun with weeds and dandelions. It's in pretty sad shape.

 

[bear]

Update on Gillette Ridge.

The course is in bankruptcy and all the carts have been repo'd. The clubhouse and bar/restaurant aren't open for business and they're "charging" $20.00 to walk 18 right now. My desk overlooks the first tee and I haven't seen a single golfer tee off all week. I heard people are parking at Ruby Tuesday off Cottage Grove Rd and walking the holes tucked back there for free. There's no grounds crew anywhere to be seen. The practice green is filled with weeds. The parking lot is overrun with weeds and dandelions. It's in pretty sad shape.

Wow MDM has really gone off the rails. Gillette is in a weird spot but I actually really liked the track when it used to be in good shape.

 

[whaler11]

I played the AG course at Blackledge on Saturday was in decent shape.

When I left at 1:00 I was amazed the course was empty and there were like 15 cars in the parking lot and 3 people left in the restaurant.

 

[LIUCHusky]

The private clubs are hurting in Central CT. Wethersfield is pretty much giving memberships away. Avon offered a friend and I a 2 for 1 deal with no initiation.

I'd join Indian Hill or Glastonbury if I had more time to play.

Indian Hill in Newington is a gem of a course. Consistently have the best greens in Central Connecticut. It is amazing what the greens super. is able to do with a relatively low budget.

 

[whaler11]

Indian Hill in Newington is a gem of a course. Consistently have the best greens in Central Connecticut. It is amazing what the greens super. is able to do with a relatively low budget.

Agreed it's a little short but in great shape and on weekend afternoons there is zero traffic. You can play in 2 and a half hours easy.

 

[John]

Safari Golf. Can practically walk to Centerfolds after playing 18.