Olde Scotland Links (Bridgewater, MA)

Growing up in Bridgewater, MA I've had the opportunity to play Olde Scotland a number of times.  Olde Scotland is a well cared for municipal course where you can typically count on soft fairways, tricky pin placements, large undulating greens and lots of wind.

Unless you can hit your driver consistently down the middle, don’t be fooled from the tee box,  this course can be a lot harder than it looks.  If playing from tees other than the blacks the course will play relatively short, but missing the fairway will certainly cost you strokes.  As with other links style courses there are plenty of fairway bunkers and fescue grass to contend with.

The first six holes will provide you a nice intro to the course and wind conditions that you expect to have for the day.  Holes seven through nine can put added strokes on the scorecard if not played carefully.  The seventh hole has an environmental area that you’ll need to carry, as well as fescue and traps on the right.  If you’re a long hitter you can carry the traps on the right and have a chip shot into the green.  The safe play though is to hit a shot 175 anywhere down the left side and you’ll have 150 to the two tiered undulating green.  The 8^th hole is a pretty short par 3 from the white’s but becomes a much tougher hole from the blues and blacks.  From the blues it will play around 200 and can often times be into the wind. The 9^th hole is a pure risk/reward hole.  Hit driver down the middle and you’re looking at anywhere from 225 to 150/160 into the green for a potential eagle.  Hit it anywhere left or right and you’ll be hitting three from the drop area.  The safe play is an iron off the tee and try to get home in three. 

The par 4 10^th hole is possibly the toughest on the course due to it’s length and the fact that you’re almost always into the wind.  You’ll need two long accurate shots to get home in two. 

Once you cross the street for the last six holes you’ll find a fun par 5, a long par 3, and a short par 4 before coming to a potential round breaking par 4 15^th.  You can opt to hit driver and carry the pond to the left and have 130 yards to the green.  If you mishit it or go right you’re in the water and looking at your third shot.  The safe play is to lay up in front of the pond and have 150 over water to an undulating green.  This whole will either be one of your favorites or one that you will lose sleep over at night. 

The 18^th hole provides you with an uphill par 5 finishing hole.  A long drive will give you an option of getting home in two, but a large extremely undulating green awaits.  If you’re home in two don’t put that automatic birdie on the card just yet.  The green can cause you some heartache if you’re not rolling the ball well.

All in all a fun and somewhat challenging course to play.  The lack of a clubhouse really hurts the 19^th hole atmosphere but rumor has it the town will be breaking ground on a new clubhouse in the coming months (heard that back in 96 too).   If you’re looking for a reasonably priced ($49 non resident, $41 resident on weekends) and enjoyable course on the South Shore, give it a shot.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.