Heading to Boston this summer looking for good public courses

[youngun87]

I will be in Boston this summer for 2 weeks visiting an old college friend before I start my new job in September. I am looking for the best public courses within 1 hour drive to play while I am there. Also any good grass driving ranges I can go hit some balls around there? My friend lives in Brookline so I will be based there.

[youngun87]

Also want to add that price isn't really an issue. I do not frequent the Boston area often and I want to play the best courses possible. Thanks guys

[Sean2]

South Shore:

South Shore Country Club (Hingham). Great municipal course.
Pinehills (Plymouth). Pricey, but two very nice course, and a very nice range, bunker, green practice areas.
Crosswinds (Plymouth). Three very good nine hole courses. Not very expensive, but the range is meh.
Southers Marsh (Plymouth). Really very nice par three, and a few par 4 hole course. Good mix of holes/yardages. It's also a very nice walk. :-)

Just a few suggestions.

[Chris_NH]

Adding to Sean's list:
West of Boston - Red Tail, The International-Oaks Course
North of Boston - Portsmouth (NH) CC, The Ledges (York, ME) - these two might be pushing it more like 1 1/4 hours (particularly The Ledges)

[BTP]

In Hyde Park, MA there is a Donald Ross design course if youre up to a challenge and like elevated greens, blind tee shots...a real course management golf course

[4Par]

My favorite over there is Stow Acres North.... Wish it was $20 like when I first started playing there.

[doctorphil]

Stow is fun but Red tail is highly recommended! I love the Ledges but it's a decent drive up to Maine. It really depends what part of town you are going to be staying in. Plymouth might be the best way to go. The cape also has a number of really good tracks

[4Par]

Whatever happened to Shaker Hills? That was the high end public 20 years ago....

[Bandy1080]

I think the biggest thing is if you have a car. And what your price range is.

If you have a car and are willing to drive within an hour you have the following -

Pinehills - Spend the day there and play both courses, decent replay rate
Crosswinds - hidden gem in plymouth. Barely anyone there during the week
Waverly - good course, good conditions and decent rates
Granite Links - tough course, really expensive but right outside of boston
Peabody Meadows - north of boston, fun course and decent rates
Red Tail - Way out there but a fun course (not sure of the conditions this year)
Highfields - probably right around an hour but definitely a hidden gem and great midweek rates
Widow's Walk - about 30 minutes away. Great deal but bring extra balls, it is incredibly tough
Riverbend - my go to for low cost round. Fun course, can be a bit wet but great deals midweek.

Now that I am making this list, there really are a boatload of courses within an hour of boston.

[Chris_NH]

[quote name='4Par' timestamp='1400721965' post='9343605']
Whatever happened to Shaker Hills? That was the high end public 20 years ago....
[/quote]

I have to admit to never having been a particular fan of Shaker. I always kind of liked it but, when price factored into it, it just didn't pass through my "value filter". Now that they redid #18 and made it (in my opinion) a terrible par 5 - well, I just don't really like the course.

Another kind of in that area is Butter Brook - I like that course.

[Imp]

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/784369-mass-best-in-state-golf-digest-rankings-2013/

[sodak77]

[quote name='Bandy1080' timestamp='1400722361' post='9343685']
I think the biggest thing is if you have a car. And what your price range is.

If you have a car and are willing to drive within an hour you have the following -

Pinehills - Spend the day there and play both courses, decent replay rate
Crosswinds - hidden gem in plymouth. Barely anyone there during the week
Waverly - good course, good conditions and decent rates
Granite Links - tough course, really expensive but right outside of boston
Peabody Meadows - north of boston, fun course and decent rates
Red Tail - Way out there but a fun course (not sure of the conditions this year)
Highfields - probably right around an hour but definitely a hidden gem and great midweek rates
Widow's Walk - about 30 minutes away. Great deal but bring extra balls, it is incredibly tough
Riverbend - my go to for low cost round. Fun course, can be a bit wet but great deals midweek.

Now that I am making this list, there really are a boatload of courses within an hour of boston.
[/quote]

This is a pretty good list. Pinehills, The International - Oaks and Red Tail are the stand outs. Playing Red Tail Sunday and hopefully the conditions will be back to being good again. I would also add Butter Brook and Foxborough CC to the list.

[Bandy1080]

Good call, forgot International. Though probably one of the highest cost courses of the group it is worth it. The course is a beast from the tips.

[studatnu]

I'll put butterbrook out on the table....

[TPG1971]

+1 for Granite Links!

[rsj1360]

I think I'm the only person around that'd say skip Butterbrook and Red Tail. If you don't mind a bit of a longer drive then Newport National is a great course.

[jdl]

[quote name='Sean2' timestamp='1400713128' post='9342481']
South Shore:

South Shore Country Club (Hingham). Great municipal course.
Pinehills (Plymouth). Pricey, but two very nice course, and a very nice range, bunker, green practice areas.
Crosswinds (Plymouth). Three very good nine hole courses. Not very expensive, but the range is meh.
Southers Marsh (Plymouth). Really very nice par three, and a few par 4 hole course. Good mix of holes/yardages. It's also a very nice walk. :-)

Just a few suggestions.
[/quote]

I'd add Waverly Oaks, Poquoy Brook, Atlantic CC and Acushnet River Valley as good courses in that area.

[Imp]

[quote name='rsj1360' timestamp='1400763645' post='9345973']
I think I'm the only person around that'd say skip Butterbrook and Red Tail. If you don't mind a bit of a longer drive then Newport National is a great course.
[/quote]Was going to say that, and it's "An Hour", so right on the edge of travelling distance (along with Meadow Brook).

--kC

[youngun87]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Will definitely keep me busy during the weekdays. Any suggestions for driving ranges with a decent range and short game area?

[sodak77]

The best range nearest to you will be at Granite Links.

[gripz]

The nearest range to you in Brookline will be McGolf in Dedham. It's good but very busy. It does not have grass tees. It does have a short game area but it's limited to range members. Nor can you use the grass range at Granite Links (members only).

I can't think of any ranges in the immediate area that have short game or grass for public.

[Bandy1080]

Granite links has lights and is open at night as well.

[crcraig]

[quote name='gripz' timestamp='1400816681' post='9351891']
The nearest range to you in Brookline will be McGolf in Dedham. It's good but very busy. It does not have grass tees. It does have a short game area but it's limited to range members. Nor can you use the grass range at Granite Links (members only).

I can't think of any ranges in the immediate area that have short game or grass for public.
[/quote]

Stone Meadow in Lexington (about half an hour from Brookline) has grass. I haven't been there in a few years, but according to their web site the grass is only open Mon-Thu though. They also have a practice green and a 9-hole par 3 course.

[youngun87]

Thanks guys!

[rcain1us]

Just for convenience if you are staying in Brookline there is the Robert Lynch Muni in Brookline.

http://www.brooklinegolf.com/

I have not played it myself yet, but you can't get much closer than that.

[rcain1us]

Well, out of curiosity I played it this morning before work.

Pros:

I had a 6:00 tee time and was in my car and on the way to work by 9:00

Cons:

Despite my tee time no one was in the pro shop until 6:10
Fairways and rough were lush and green but a lot of holes in the fairways and I lost a ball in the middle of the fairway which is maddening
Greens were bumpy and full of bald spots.
The only bunker I saw that actually had any sand in it was 18
The trash bins on every tee were full of empty beer cans from the weekend

All in all it seemed like your typical $30 muni, except that because it is Brookline it it cost me $49 with a cart.

The whole time I was thinking "i could have played Riverbend for $35"

[BTP]

^ Second this. Played it one Sunday a few weeks back -- greens were awful: Sandy, holely, soft, you name it. I paid $30 to walk twilight rate. One of our playing partners made a comment that these are not "greens" they are "browns" referring as to how discolored a lot of them are.

I did enjoy the front 9 though. I found it was a better lay-out and more challenging. The conditions were better overall as well, excluding #1. I'd only recommend it if you're in the area and need to scratch an itch quickly like I needed to do.

[arydolphin]

[quote name='rcain1us' timestamp='1401207016' post='9374351']
Well, out of curiosity I played it this morning before work.

Pros:

I had a 6:00 tee time and was in my car and on the way to work by 9:00

Cons:

Despite my tee time no one was in the pro shop until 6:10
Fairways and rough were lush and green but a lot of holes in the fairways and I lost a ball in the middle of the fairway which is maddening
Greens were bumpy and full of bald spots.
The only bunker I saw that actually had any sand in it was 18
The trash bins on every tee were full of empty beer cans from the weekend

All in all it seemed like your typical $30 muni, except that because it is Brookline it it cost me $49 with a cart.

The whole time I was thinking "i could have played Riverbend for $35"
[/quote]
[quote name='BTP' timestamp='1401277241' post='9380481']
^ Second this. Played it one Sunday a few weeks back -- greens were awful: Sandy, holely, soft, you name it. I paid $30 to walk twilight rate. One of our playing partners made a comment that these are not "greens" they are "browns" referring as to how discolored a lot of them are.

I did enjoy the front 9 though. I found it was a better lay-out and more challenging. The conditions were better overall as well, excluding #1. I'd only recommend it if you're in the area and need to scratch an itch quickly like I needed to do.
[/quote]

I live about 10 minutes away from the Brookline Muni and choose to drive past it just about every time I go to George Wright. While George Wright is a little more expensive, the conditions at GW are far and away better than Brookline.

[studatnu]

I personally don't think Granite Links is worth the money. I played Merrimack Valley this past monday, $40 to walk 18 holes, classic donald ross course and much better than granite links.

[rsj1360]

[quote name='arydolphin' timestamp='1401298790' post='9382889']
[quote name='rcain1us' timestamp='1401207016' post='9374351']
Well, out of curiosity I played it this morning before work.

Pros:

I had a 6:00 tee time and was in my car and on the way to work by 9:00

Cons:

Despite my tee time no one was in the pro shop until 6:10
Fairways and rough were lush and green but a lot of holes in the fairways and I lost a ball in the middle of the fairway which is maddening
Greens were bumpy and full of bald spots.
The only bunker I saw that actually had any sand in it was 18
The trash bins on every tee were full of empty beer cans from the weekend

All in all it seemed like your typical $30 muni, except that because it is Brookline it it cost me $49 with a cart.

The whole time I was thinking "i could have played Riverbend for $35"
[/quote]
[quote name='BTP' timestamp='1401277241' post='9380481']
^ Second this. Played it one Sunday a few weeks back -- greens were awful: Sandy, holely, soft, you name it. I paid $30 to walk twilight rate. One of our playing partners made a comment that these are not "greens" they are "browns" referring as to how discolored a lot of them are.

I did enjoy the front 9 though. I found it was a better lay-out and more challenging. The conditions were better overall as well, excluding #1. I'd only recommend it if you're in the area and need to scratch an itch quickly like I needed to do.
[/quote]

I live about 10 minutes away from the Brookline Muni and choose to drive past it just about every time I go to George Wright. While George Wright is a little more expensive, the conditions at GW are far and away better than Brookline.
[/quote]
In H.S. I lived down Hammond Street from, then Putterham Meadows. I used to play there all the time.

Makes me wonder why such an affluent town can't have a nicer golf course.