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New England Golf' s Best 25 Public Access Golf Courses

Compiling a list of the best golf courses in our area is a very subjective process and one that will surely be debated by my fellow golfers and writers. During a lull in the action at this years Deutsche Bank Championship I brought up the subject with veteran golf writers asking their opinions about the best public courses in the area.  We all agreed there are three factors to keep in mind when making recommendations to our readers. The condition of the course, quality of the staff and ability of the average golfer to enjoy the golfing experience. So here we go.

25. Bass River, Yarmouth, MA.  It is a well conditioned Donald Ross course with     small undulating greens that will put your putting skills to the test. The river surrounds the course and adds to the beauty of the course that was opened as a nine holer in 1900. In 1914 Donald Ross did a little makeover and left us with another masterpiece. Phone: (508) 398-9079.

24. Cranberry Valley Golf Course, Harwich, Mass.  This Geoffrey Cornish design was opened in 1974. The course has rolling hills and its 53 sand traps demands accurate tee shots. Phone: (508) 430-5234.

23. Butternut Farms, Stowe, Mass.  This course is only 6302 yards from the tips, but you must keep it in the fairways to score. Covered bridges and tall pine trees make you feel like you are in Vermont.  Phone: (978)897-3400.

22. Stow Acres is just down the street from Butternut Farms, and offers two courses. The north is the newer of the two and is relatively flat. The south course has more character with more elevation changes than a roller coaster. Phone (978) 568-1100.

21. Acushnet River Valley Golf Course, Acushnet Mass. This course was designed by Brian Silva who has partnered with Cornish on a number of courses in New England. The unique feature here is that the front nine is heavily wooded, but the back nine is a true links style.  Phone (508) 540-4005.

20. Poquoy Brook, Lakeville, Mass. Poquoy has been a favorite of area golfers since it opened for play in 1962. The course has always been in great condition and has a wonderful practice facility. The clubhouse rests on top of a hill where you can watch golfers play one of the most demanding finishing holes. Phone (508) 947-5261.

19. Montaup, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.   Very popular course due to its challenging design and top condition.   One of the toughest opening holes you will find in the state. Phone (401) 683-0955

18. Old Scotland Links, Bridgewater, Mass.  The name says it all. The generous fairways allow the big hitter to go for it. The staff works very hard to make sure everybody feels welcome. The ultimate in links style golf. Phone 9508) 279-3344.

17. Wachusett Country Club, West Boylston, MA.  A Donald Ross course at the top of a hill that overlooks a reservoir.  The easy swinger Julius Boros was a past club champion. Phone (508) 835-2264

16. North Kingstown Municipal, North Kingstown, R.I.  The course overlooks Narragansett Bay and an active military runway.  The front nine is flat and the back nine provides great views of the bay. Phone (401) 294-0684

15. Blackstone National, Sutton, Mass.   Blackstone plays 6909 from the tips, and is a difficult course. The clubhouse, practice area and course are all top of the line, but the course may prove too much to handle for high handicappers.  The course is carved out of the woods and presents a very pastoral center and the staff keeps it in prime condition. Phone (508) 865-2111

14. Norton Country Club, Norton, Mass.  This was originally a 9 hole course that   has evolved into a true 18 holes championship of golf. Most of the fairways are guarded by tall pine trees, so you may want to keep the big dog in the bag on many of the holes. The course is always in great condition and  the 173 yard third hole is one of the prettiest par 3’s you will ever see. Phone 508 285-2400

13. Exeter Country Club. Exeter, R.I.    Exeter is another course with rolling terrain and wide fairways surrounded by carefully crafted stone walls.  It’s close to 7,000 yards from the back tees but the generous fairways beg you to let it rip with the driver.  Ponds and covered bridges make you feel like your strolling through the Green Mountains. Phone (401) 295-8212.

12. Triggs Golf Course, Providence R.I. Built by the “Donald” in 1933. Like many Donald Ross courses it looks easy, but if you don’t plan your shots well you can easily fall into a trap. This an inner-city course like Franklin Park and Pakachoag. This design is a testament to the genius of Ross.  Shoot a good score here and you will walk away with a real sense of accomplishment. Phone (401) 521-8460.

11. Crystal Lake Golf Course, Harrisville, RI. Crystal Lake was there so they decided to build a course around the perimeter.   The views make you pause and reflect on the beauty of the area. Hit a middle iron to a green 30 feet below you but the next tee shot is straight up a hill. The course is in superior condition and the clubhouse and lounge are one of the best in the state. Phone (401)567-4500

10. Waverly Oaks, Plymouth, MA. You have one more year to play this course. The management has signed a contract and these beautiful fairways will be torn up and a movie studio will be constructed on the grounds.  Say it ain’t so. The championship course is a pleasure to play and the 9 hole executive is fun for golfers of all skill levels. Phone (508) 224-6016

9. Shaker Hills, Harvard, Mass. Brian Silva had a great piece of real estate to work with when he created Shaker Hills. Towering pine trees frame the hills and valleys of this course. Very pretty but very demanding. Condition is superior and staff work hard at their jobs. 9978) 772-2227

8. River Bend. West Bridgewater, Mass.  This track is known as a “course with a spilt personality” The front nine are a traditional links style with wide fairways. I loved the back nine where every fairway was surrounded with tall pine trees and the river was always close by. I must have told my playing partners a dozen times “I feel like I’m playing a course in North Carolina.”  The staff was very cordial and went the extra mile to be sure you enjoy the experience. Phone (508) 580-3673

7. Cyprian Keys, Boylston, Mass.  It is an over used cliché but Cyprian Keyes does offer the public golfer a chance to experience what it is like to play a private course. Outstanding clubhouse and pro shop plus two wonderful courses. The par 3 has a good variety of holes that demand precision shots with your irons. The championship course is almost 6900 yards from the back tees.  It is classic target golf here. Phone (508) 869-9900

6. Crumpin-Fox, Bernardston Mass.   Some life long residents of Massachusetts don’t know where Bernardston is, but golf fanatics know about this gem in the wilderness. Crumpin-Fox is one tough track. If you have a single digit handicap try the championship tees that plays over 7,000 yards. A bit of a drive but well worth it.(413)648-9101.

5. Granite Links Golf Club, Quincy Mass.  The Big Dig was one pain in the wallet to the taxpayers of Massachusetts, but this cloud has a silver lining: The creation of Granite Links Country Club. 900,000 truckloads of dirt were delivered to the hills of Quincy and that soil was used to create Granite Links. 27 holes of championship golf less than 10 miles from the center of Boston. The winds are always blowing and are a major factor in club selection. The views and the course are spectacular. Don’t forget to visit their lounge and reflect on the day as the sun sets over the Boston skyline. Phone (617) 689-1900

4. Old Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course. Marstons Mills, Ma. Another Cape Cod course designed by Cornish and Silva. This is a links style course that consists of rolling hills and large areas in front of the greens where you can employ your chipping skills. Open year round. It has hosted both Mass. and U.S. amateur events. Phone (508) 420-1141
 

Now we come to the top three.

3. Newport National, Middletown, R.I.  GolfWeek called it one of the top 20 courses in America that is open to the public. Picture walking through the rolling hills of a New England apple orchard. Stand on a hill and look at the ocean views and admire the stone walls that accentuate the fescue grass that billows in the ocean winds. Now insert a links style course that would blend in at St Andrews. That’s Newport National. The condition is superior. If this were not a golf course, it would be my favorite spot to go for a picnic. The course itself is fair for all levels of golfers. The low handicapper can try playing from the back tees which run over 7,200 yards, and try breaking the course record set by Bret Quigley. He shot a 67. The 5th hole is a 296 yard par 4 that begs you to try to cut the corner and land on the green in one. Play a little draw and the ball will run up between two traps.  Play this course once and you will keep coming back again and again. Phone (401) 848-9690.

2. Farm Neck, Oak Bluffs, Ma.  It’s a Cornish designed course in the middle of Martha’s Vineyard. What more can you say. Ocean views, tree-lined fairway with a classic design. Stand on a tee and watch the boats sail by. I have had conversations with Island residents and they tell me that the management is always making minor modifications in the course to keep its status as one of the best in the country.
A favorite of the millionaire summer residents who fly into the Vineyard on their private jets, but you can get a tee time just as easy as they can. If you love golf you will love Farm Neck. (508) 693-3057

1. Pine Hills Plymouth Mass.  Some golfers may select Jones as one of the best golf course designers and others may go with Nicklaus. Well Pine Hills has both.  The facility has a large range where you can groove your swing and then move on to the chipping and putting greens to fine tune your game. I played the Rees Jones course and enjoyed every moment. The course was not easy but was fair.
The 397 par 4 eighth hole is from a slightly elevated tee into a fairway that turns left to a green surrounded by large bunkers. It seems a bit daunting from the tee, but hit an easy fade and you will be in prime position for a birdie. The 420 yard par 4 12th is another shot from an elevated tee straight into a valley. The green is carved out of a hill, but is receptive to a good shot. On almost every hole there is a bailout area near the green in case you hit a poor tee shot. The condition of the course is outstanding and the greens are slick and true. The lounge is one of the best I have ever seen. I can’t wait to go back and play the Nicklaus course. Phone (508)209-3000.

 

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