Berkshires' Highs

You'd expect golf courses in a predominantly mountainous region would be rugged with dramatic elevations. Not so inthe Berkshires. Here most of the courses run along the valleys, hunkered below the aged gently, worn mountains. Still these courses  draw on the terrain to supply features likes streams, wetlands and thick stands of pines.

Berkshire courses are for the most part easy to get on primarily because they are relatively unknown to anyone outside the region. Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, owned by Williams College, is an exception.   Taconic’s tee times are mostly snapped up by its members. A few slots, however, are open for non-members in the off season who shell out $145 in greens fees.

Dating  back to 1896 when it was first laid out as a 7-hole course, one of the original holes, #17, a 221 yard par 3 (159 yards from the forward tees) is arguably one of the oldest holes in the country. In 1956 hole #14, a 173 yard par 3, was the site of a hole-in-one by Jack Nicklaus who, 16 years old at the time , was practicing for the USGA Junior Amateur Championship.

Waubeeka Golf Course, lives modestly with  a rather unimposing entrance, a gravel parking lot, a weary large brown sign and your basic pro shop/restaurant area. The course itself, is another matter.  Set beneath the shadow of Mount Greylock, the fairways and greens are well groomed meandering through a valley characterized by reeds, cattails, mature maples and pines, streams and wetlands. An astonishing number of flower gardens filled with perennials splash color on almost every hole.
 
 It’s a fun course to play without the fuss except for a handful of holes. Hole #7, a 179 yard par 3, 179 requires a carry over a brook; Hole #13, a 308 yard par 4,  features a sharp uphill climb to a plateau while the last three holes are more of a glide into home plate.
 
  Skyline Country Club just north of Pittsfield, is a fairly short course without a whole lot of drama, good for average players who want to get out and enjoy their golf along with the scenery especially on hole #17 where you get great views of the mountains.

Pontoosuc Lake Country Club has a simple clubhouse with an open deck, a tight somewhat hilly course with two tee boxes and a devoted group of locals who are quite happy with their course which has been going strong since the 1920s. There are not a whole lot of surprises here — few bunkers, few water hazards, and few carries but when the green fees are less than the cart rental, you’ve got to believe you’ve got one of the best deals around.

 Dalton about 20 minutes east of Pittsfield is home to Wahconah Country Club. It’s strong pedigree shows in the details: the well-groomed fairways and greens, spacious modern clubhouse and pro shop and the mint-condition golf carts. Wahconah has some challenging elevation changes and beautifully cut large bunkers. Weston Brook runs amok throughout the landscape, so expect possible mischief with water.

In Lenox, the elegant, refined bastion of the Gilded Age, Cranwell Resort’s course designed in 1926 by Wayne Styles and John Van Kleek,  received a major $1 million renovation in 1993 vastly improving the condition and layout.

Nearby in Lee, don’t overlook Greenoch Country Club, an exceptional Donald Ross-designed golf course. Sure it’s just nine holes, but it’s a  beauty; you won’t mind playing it twice.
 
  Egremont Country Club course in the southern part of the Berkshires is not long but with small run-up greens, wetlands, tight fairways and a couple of funky elevations, it holds your interest. A brook divides the two nines coming into play along hole #4 where it runs along the right side.

I was standing at the bar ordering an iced tea about ready to tee off at the Waubeeka golf course just south of Williamstown.  A lady walked up and ordered a coffee. When she overheard me say I was writing about golf in the Berkshires,  she said,  “Oh. Please, please don’t tell anyone about us. We love it just the way it is.”