Round 12: Concord Country Club is a Beautifully Fair Challenge

Had an amazing two days competing in the Dawson Cup at Concord Country Club with Eliot. When Concord is all dressed up for a competition it’s just an absolute delight. However, because we were competing, I kept my phone away during the round and couldn't go out after to take pictures. Snapped a few from around the clubhouse and had one looking down 17 from last fall. I’ll be back soon I hope and can take some more pictures. CCC is the 12th course in my quest to play every course in the state.

Concord CC is a place I've played countless times growing up. I had some friends that were members, and I was lucky enough to have three years of high school golf there, too.⠀

The course is fabulous. It's difficult and fair from tee to cup, the tee shots are varied, the holes are all interesting with rolling hills, and Donald Ross' greens will make you think, no matter how long your putt (I four putted the 13th this weekend...).

My friend Matt believes the stretch of holes 2-6 is the toughest in the state (my friend Paul would add the 7th t that stretch). The four par fours punctuated by the downhill par 3 sixth are exceptional. 2, 3, and 4 are incredibly difficult but offer opportunities to make pars and (maaaaybe) a birdie. But bogeys and doubles lurk in the woods and rough. The approach shots into number 2 and 4 are two of the toughest around.⠀

On the back 9 the 13th green will take you for a ride if you hit the ball in the wrong spot, 14, 15, and 16 are so good and so tough. The 16th hole is a challenging dog leg left with a tree and water hazard protecting the corner. The walk down 17 and 18, a straight shot home, is a beautiful image made better by the removal of trees over the years.

I’ll always look forward to playing Concord and can’t wait to get back there again soon.

THE FACTS

Date: August 7 and 8

Tee TIme: 11:00am and 8:50am

Playing Partner: Eliot, Kurt, Amir and then Eliot, Frank, and Tom

Tees: Black Tees (6,679 yards)

Game: Two man best ball tournament and Skins…

Score: 78 and 78

Birdie Count: 1 each round (16 total)

Round 11: Granite Links. Come for the Views but Stay for the Golf

Follow me on Instagram or Twitter.

I went down to Quincy on Friday afternoon to ring in the weekend at Granite Links. My 11th course in my quest to play them all. Granite Links has three nine hole courses. I played the Milton and Granite nines on my visit. I have played here quite a bit over the last five years or so. The wind is nearly always blowing, the fescue is hungry, and the big numbers are always just around the corner.

We played the blue tees, which takes driver out of your hand a bit. However, accuracy off the tee is paramount. Big bunkers and thick fescue lurk on the edges of every fairway. First timers can easily end up in strange spots due to the blind shots.

The Milton 9 starts tough, with a challenging first hole. A tight landing area and well defending green offer a glimpse into what the next couple hours are going to be like. The third hole is a great challenge, with the second shot over water that attracts a lot of balls short and right. The highlight of the round is the fifth hole, a par four that offers a great view of the city. On a clear day isn't striking. The par 5 ninth feels like it's always into the wind, up a hill. The urge to impress people hanging out at Crossing Nines, the outdoor spot, adds to the pressure as you approach the elevated green.

The Granite course's second hole, a par 4 is framed by big bunkers and offers a peek at a lot of the property the 9 holes sits on. The two best holes on Granite are the drivable par 4 6th and the picturesque par 3 7th. The 7th is a forced carry to a long skinny green that slopes back to front. It also offers a great reminder of the climb you'll be making back up to the clubhouse on the final two holes.

GL usually eats my lunch. It asks some good questions and there are a handful of awkward, tricky shots. The place was in good shape, surprisingly soft for the heat we've had, which made the round a bit more manageable, as the greens weren't running too fast.

THE FACTS

Date: July 31, 2020

Tee TIme: 12:30pm

Playing Partner: Roberto, Josh, and Matt

Tees: Blue Tees (6300)

Game: $20 Close-out (18 hole match-play. When the match is done, if there’s more holes to play, you start a new match for half the original bet).

Score: 77

Birdie Count: 2 (15 total)

Round 4: Ponkapoag Course 2 has been forgotten.

Went out to play Ponkapoag Course 2 on Thursday in the scorching weather. In this quest to play every course, I’m going to have to play every course. The great, good, bad, and ugly.

The course opened for the 2020 season on June 25. It was obviously ignored completely. The greens were shaggy or burnt out, the tee boxes were overgrown, and there was not much fairway to be found (that's not a judgement on my driving accuracy...).⠀
However, I did see bright spots.

The green complexes and approaches into the greens were interesting. A lot of Donald Ross features with slopes from back to front and the infinity type visual like the green just falls off at the back. I was in spots that would have been tough if the greens were any bit fast. ⠀

Another thing I liked about the course were the reveals. A lot of blind tee shots turned the walk to my drive into a little treat as I turned a corner to see a drop off with the green tucked around a corner. ⠀

I'd be interested to return to Ponky Course 2 without any woods in the bag and try to get around. The course has a bunch of trees in spots that attempt to add length, but don't quite do the trick. ⠀

You can hit driver a bunch, but if you just brought your set of irons, it could be fun challenge.⠀

Best part was getting around in 3 hours.

THE FACTS

Date: July 10, 2020

Tee TIme: 7:48AM

Playing Partner: Eliot

Tees: Gold Tee (6,900 yards)

Game: Nassau ($15 total)

Score: 80

Birdie Count: 2(8 total)

Follow me on Instagram or Twitter.