My 2020 Massachusetts Golf Rankings: Courses 14-11
If you’d like to read about courses 34-25, click here…
This past June I decided, maybe in some quarantine haze, that I wanted to try to play every single course in Massachusetts. Public, Private, 9-hole, 18-hole, executive/par 3. If it has a tee and a hole with a flag in it, I want to play it. There are roughly 365 courses in the state, so this is going to take some time to complete.
I managed to get to 35 different courses from June-December and now that 2020 is over, I thought I’d rank the courses I’ve played thus far to mark the year.
Every time I play, I snap some pictures on my phone and do a little write-up in Instagram. I tried to make this list feel a bit different, so I have a couple categories to keep me on topic (kind of). I also tried very hard to not allow score to ruin or sweeten my view of a course and experience.
Now, some of these 35 courses I had played before, but starting June 16 when I played Thorny Lea my ticker sat at “zero.” I wanted to document each round. So some of these courses I have played before, some I didn’t know existed until I poked around on the internet.
Finally, the count starts at 34 because I am lumping in Crosswinds, which has 27 holes, as one golf course. I played all 27 in one day (it’s great, go play them all) and depending on the day, they’ll send you out to two different nines.
Anyway, below are courses 14-11.
Top 10 courses coming this week!
#14 Sandy Burr CC
Wayland, MA
Context: An early morning round in an effort to play 36 holes on a July day in November. Some of the greens were punched and sandy, some weren’t. Played with my friend Phil and two other guys named Brendan and Neil.
How many previous rounds here? A handful of times over many years.
Why you should play here: Sandy Burr is incredibly fair and scorable. The design is solid with varied holes. It has no range, but the first two holes are par fives and then the third is a short par 3. A very gentle Donald Ross hand shake before a long par 4 fourth with a well guarded green and a 220 yard par 3 fourth. The back nine is the better of the sides, mainly because holes 6-8 are not great and squeezed into a tough but of marshy land. The course is a wonderful balance between a spot golf nerds can appreciate but newbies to the game can play and enjoy, too.
How far I would drive to play here: 30 minutes. The drive from Boston to Wayland is about 30 minutes. Sandy Burr is worth the drive.
#13 Butterbrook CC
Westford, MA
Context: Chased the sun with golf staples Eliot and Phil. A great fall weekend day on the course.
How many previous rounds here? Countless times. A de facto home course for the last 8 years or so.
Why you should play here: The reveal on the 12th tee never gets old. The first 11 holes weave through tree lined fairways with holes where the green isn’t visible from the tee. Then after a long walk through the woods you arrive to the par five 12th and the trees disappear and in their place are waste bunkers, wind, and water. The course has a little of everything: short par 3s (maybe one too many…), a long par 3, drivable parr fours, tough par 4s, reachable par 5s, and one massive par 5. The driving range is great, too. There’s also great variety in the tee choices, the blacks are very challenging, but the blues and whites offer their own challenge. Both 9s are solid and usually the downside to playing here is the length of round because the secret is out.
How far I would drive to play here: 45 minutes. I’ve made this drive from Boston a ton of times. On your way home, make sure to swing by Colonial Spirits for some great beer selections.
#12 Granite Links
(Milton and Granite 9s)
Quincy, MA
Context: Played the two public 9s at Granite Links with my friend Roberto. It was a banner day, with quiet winds (a rarity) and trimmed fescue (a blessing).
How many previous rounds here? Probably 20 times.
Why you should play here: Granite Links is all about a good time: drink carts with Bloody Marys on tap, a killer Clubhouse hang pre and post-round, a driving range/outdoor lounge. The skyline of Boston on the Milton’s 6th hole (pictured above) is another reason to come play Granite. Now let’s talk about the course… it’s good. I’ve played here enough to understand the quirks and annoyances, the disappearing golf balls in the fescue after a blind tee shot, the good looking, bad bunkers, and strange holes squeezed into small spots. So why #12? The course is hard and the greens are excellent. I’ve never seen them in bad shape, and they’re tricky and fun to putt. When the fescue is down, it’s remarkably more fair than when it’s long and hungry.
How far I would drive to play here: 30 minutes. This is not a spot I would play all that often if I didn’t have a friend who is a member. It’s rather pricey for a public round.
#11 Kettle Brook GC
Paxton, MA
Context: This is probably my diehard round of the fall. A frigid fall day that ended in the dark. I didn’t enjoy a lot of the experience because I wasn’t ready for the cold, so I was basically just moving the ball forward one half-swing at a time. Played with Dan (who brought a headlamp so we could play the last two holes in complete darkness with coyotes howling in the woods), Steve, and Joey.
How many previous rounds here? One.
Why you should play here: Kettle Brook is an adventure through trees and hills and around and over water. Like a lot of Brian Silva courses in New England, there’s always a section of the course that’s very distinct from the other parts of the property. Kettle Brook is no different. The walk to the 13th hole across the parking lot signals a new set of holes. 13-18 are a fun set of holes. The front 9 has a lot of elevation changes and doglegs. The 7th and 10th holes are the two holes I’d gladly skip, both have trees blocking access to the green, even if you’re in the fairway, which we all found rather foolish. But the other 16 holes I’d love to play in warmer weather. The bunkering and green complexes are great, and overall the design is very good.
How far I would drive to play here: 35 minutes. I could see this place offering a whole lot challenge on a summer day when it’s running fast and the greens are smooth.