Brand New to Boston.. Need somewhere to play!

[WRXJIM]

PLease help a golf withdrawled Kiwi... :)

Hey all, I have just moved to Boston (East) and I am looking for a decent course to play... I have no problem paying as high as $65 for a round (as that is what I was paying inc taxi in New York!)

Any help would be appreciated. I have looked at Presidents, and think I will go play it sometime this week or next. It looks ok.

If anyone is heading out for a round and need an extra feel free to give me a PM... Im from New Zealand, but I promise I dont have hairy feet, and I definitely wont break out into random melodies.

Play to an "honest" 12.

I would just really like to know of a decent course (par 70-72, not so keen on Par 3 (short) courses) that I can just drive up to and walk on as a single and have a decent round... (nicely maintained, and decent greens) if you know what I mean...

Thanks in advance

[Sean2]

Welcome to the area! You are a bit of a ways from home.

 

I can only address the courses on the South Shore. Presidents isn't bad. For the money you are talking there is, in no particular order:

 

Braintree Municipal

South Shore Country Club (Hingham)

Ridder Farm & Golf Club

Widows Walk (Scituate)

Crosswinds (Plymouth) very nice

Atlantic CC (Plymouth) very nice

 

All these courses have websites. Just google them.

 

Monday thru Thursday green fees are less.

 

Secondly, there is a book you can pick up called the New England Golf Guide 2008. It breaks down all the courses by price, rating, etc. Good resource.

 

I'd be happy to join you in a round. Please let me know your availability.

 

cheers, and welcome to Boston!

[WRXJIM]

Hey there, thanks for the advise :friends: and yeh a looooong way from home... get back there often though so not too bad.

 

Im free alot, I have a great job ;) So anyday/anytime can be arranged.

 

Im going to have a hunt for the guide too.

 

Might play Presidents on Monday or tuesday if you are keen. Or any other that you may like or if I find a better option after my googling.

 

See how it goes

 

Jamie

[jrm6458]

Hey welcome to the area! I live out in Somerville and play a lot of courses in metro-west. My usual track and home course is Stow Acres North course. Great play for the money..nice and long and a steal at $29 after 2:30pm on the weekdays! Shaker Hills is an awesome course in Harvard, MA...U.S. Open qualifying course but a little pricey! If you can find someone to get you on, Nashawtuc Country in Concord is a lot of fun (Champions Tour, Bank of America stop). I am heading up to The Meadow in Peabody tomorrow for a round. For a quick round in town, Fresh Pond is great at about 6:30am before work. Then , down in Hyde Park (south of Boston) George Wright and Franklin Park are OK to beat the ball around. Franklin Park was actually Bobby Jones' practice course when he went to Harvard! And, George Wright is the Boston qualifying site for the US Public Links. I haven't played a lot of course down south except for a number of course on Cape Cod (Hyannis Golf Club, Bass River, and a couple of others).

 

I have been wanting to get out to Widow's walk and the President's but haven't as of yet, but I have heard they are both good tracks. I have also heard at the Olde Scotland Links is worth a visit. Maplegate out in Bellingham is not too bad but it is about an hour away. If I think of some more courses, I'll let you know. Also, there are a lot of nice courses up in New Hampshire if you ever get the chance.

 

I am always up for playing so let me know.

 

Jonathan

[Sean2]

Olde Scotland Links is very nice as well, as Jonathan suggested.

 

Would be happy to join you this Tuesday at President's, or any other course you'd like to try. Doesn't matter to me. :-)

 

Maybe Jonathan could join us?

 

I could be wherever around 8:30 am (depends on traffic).

 

Let me know what suits you, Jamie.

 

cheers --Sean

[WRXJIM]

Sounds good, the morning is better for me too :friends: Im back in town late Sunday night so will give you guys a PM on Monday and we can either meet there, or somwhere on the way.

 

Offer is open to anyone else that may have fallen accross this thread. ;)

[Sean2]

Look forward to it Jamie. :-)

[sodak77]

Welcome to the area WRXJIM! Some pretty good suggestions given by others and I have a few of my own. South and West of Boston are your better options for good golf courses. I live 20 minutes north of Boston and there is not too much good public golf up here. I haven't played Presidents but here it is a decent course especially for the money. While not exactly cheap Plymouth (Pinehills, Waverly, Crosswinds) is arguably the best area for quality golf in Massachusetts. My 2 favorites south of Boston which can be very reasonable are Riverbend and Old Scotland Links, which are close by each other. Maplegate has a nice layout but the course conditions are not great especially the greens. I played there early May for the State 4-ball and it was in the best shape I have played it but that is not saying much.

 

The better courses west of Boston are about a good 45-60 minute drive for you. I used to play a lot out of Stow Acres which has 2 good courses that are pretty different from each other, but since last summer the up keep has been pretty poor in my opinion and I haven't played there much since. A couple worth checking out are Glen Ellen (in good shape, played it today), Highfields (tough) and my favorite Wachusetts. Another good option is Butter Brook in Westford (a little over priced but nice).

 

Not much up north of Boston for good public golf except Atkinson just across the border in New Hampshire. I have heard the Meadows in Peabody is nice, but have not yet played there. Hope this helps.

[jrm6458]

Olde Scotland Links is very nice as well, as Jonathan suggested.

 

Would be happy to join you this Tuesday at President's, or any other course you'd like to try. Doesn't matter to me. :-)

 

Maybe Jonathan could join us?

 

I could be wherever around 8:30 am (depends on traffic).

 

Let me know what suits you, Jamie.

 

cheers --Sean

 

 

Man, I wish I could. Unfortunately, I am leaving town on wednesday for a week to visit my parents, so I have a ton of work to get done before I head out. In other words, can't make it this week. I would definitely be interested in making it out some other time, though. Just shoot me a PM next time you're thinking about heading out. I'd love to join.

 

~Jonathan

[maskedman]

Whenever I'm in the area (1 or 2x/yr), I head for the trackds in Plymouth. Pinehills has 2 great courses--it would make a nice day of 36.

[Sean2]

Olde Scotland Links is very nice as well, as Jonathan suggested.

 

Would be happy to join you this Tuesday at President's, or any other course you'd like to try. Doesn't matter to me. :-)

 

Maybe Jonathan could join us?

 

I could be wherever around 8:30 am (depends on traffic).

 

Let me know what suits you, Jamie.

 

cheers --Sean

 

 

Man, I wish I could. Unfortunately, I am leaving town on wednesday for a week to visit my parents, so I have a ton of work to get done before I head out. In other words, can't make it this week. I would definitely be interested in making it out some other time, though. Just shoot me a PM next time you're thinking about heading out. I'd love to join.

 

~Jonathan

Sounds good. Have a nice trip!

 

 

Whenever I'm in the area (1 or 2x/yr), I head for the trackds in Plymouth. Pinehills has 2 great courses--it would make a nice day of 36.

Yes, Pinehills is great, though a bit beyond the $65 Jamie was talking about. I only played it once and thought it was terrific. Would like to play it more often but the greens fees are a tad high. :-)

 

The New England Golf Guide rates it the best course(s) in New England. I'm hoping to take my son there later this summer. He's 14 and would like to play a "professional" course.

[WRXJIM]

Played Braintree with Sean (Avatar) yesterday. Great fun, and was nice to get out and swing again.

 

GREAT course and GREAT value!! Recommend it to anyone! $36 for a course that

is in GREAT condition. Excellent.

 

Thanks again Sean, and I look forward to the next time.

[MacMia]

no love for Winthrop GOlf Club? Nice greens, way too many interior out of bounds, and some bumpy fairways.. Hop skip and a jump from East Boston and the price is right..

[Dbogey]

Welcome to Boston!

 

I'll chime in with a few more closer to Boston. I used to play George Wright a lot huge fan of the lay out, I can't really comment on the conditions but they had it turned around a while ago. It's close and in your price range.

 

Has anyone played Presidents lately? I have to get there for a practice round for the Am. qualifyer.

[dwboston]

I second the suggestion of Olde Scotland - I think it's the best bargain in the state. Always in pretty good condition and the greens are great. Riverbend is also a fun course.

 

Courses I like to play:

Pinehills - great facilities and both courses are fun - pricey on the weekend

Shaker Hills - great layout - played it this past weekend and fairways were so-so while the greens were perfect

Blackstone National - tough course, a bit overpriced, nice layout

Red Tail - got even more expensive after they got the 2009 USGA Women's Publinx, carts are a joke for the $, awesome layout, especially the last 4-5 holes.

The Ledges in York, Maine - Great course. Don't try to walk it. Not that far from Boston really.

 

Juniper Hill in Northboro isn't bad - 2 courses - Riverside is an old style course and a lot of fun. Lakeside is tighter and tougher and a bit of a quirky layout.

 

Shoot me a PM if anyone is looking to fill out a foursome on the weekend. I live about a half hour west of Boston. My index is currently 8.1.

 

Dan

[Sean2]

Played Braintree with Sean (Avatar) yesterday. Great fun, and was nice to get out and swing again.

 

GREAT course and GREAT value!! Recommend it to anyone! $36 for a course that

is in GREAT condition. Excellent.

 

Thanks again Sean, and I look forward to the next time.

Thank you, Jamie. Yes, it was a lot of fun and I too look forward to our next round. Have fun in Seattle!

[arydolphin]

So I'm going to jump onto this thread as well. I just moved to the Boston area (Brookline, to be exact) 2 weeks ago from South Carolina, and I'm definitely looking to meet some new people and get out to see some of the courses in the area. I'm planning on checking out Braintree soon based on the good things I've heard on here and elsewhere, but would also be open to meeting others on here at other courses. As for my ability, or lack thereof, I'm a 13 at the moment but probably playing a little worse than that because of rust. However, I'm looking to play a lot more now that I'm done with my residency! Anyways, hope I can meet some of you in the future, and PM me if you want to get my contact info.

[WRXJIM]

For sure, next time im heading out I will let you know...

 

Avatar and I are planning on playing Pinehills early August, we have a 3 unless Sean has a 4th? so once we have it finalised I will drop you a PM and we can go from there.

 

August onwards (after work quietens down) I plan on playing at least twice a week.

[tigurol]

It looks like this is a great site for newcomers. I've been in Boston for less than a year getting an MBA. I started golfing again this summer and done some research on golf courses and I have to agree on most of the reviews I've read. Some comments:

 

- Pinehills (Nicklaus): by far the best layout I've played so far, very well kept. It is way above my budget, but sometimes you can find some nice promotions online.

 

- Red Tail: Incredible design, expensive though.

 

- New England Golf Course: Completely loved it. Not as long as PH, but a lot of strategy and shot making is needed. Greens were just as good as you will find. If you can golf on weekdays after 4 the rate is $39 (including cart and GPS). Would love to join you if you are up for it.

 

- George Wright and Franklin Park: Nice and convenient. However don't expect the greens to be that good. Great for a quick round of 9 (for $17)

 

I have been reading really good reviews about Braintree, and they have a great rate after 2pm(??). So I will definitely check it out.

 

I am about a 3 index, so let me know when someone is looking for a partner, I may be available.

 

An interesting tip I found is to subscribe for all the clubs' newsletters online. They keep sending nice promotions, which sometimes get to be a great deal to play the nice courses. Also try lastminutegolfer.com, you'll find good deals on some courses as well.

 

Good luck.

 

Juan

[gojacketz]

Are any of these courses near downtown (Copley Square)? Have a group of guys coming up in September for a football game and may try to squeeze a round in. Either that or we will just drink all day Thursday and Friday.

 

FF

[tigurol]

George Wright and Franklin Park are about 15 minutes away.

Braintree is about 25 minutes on 93.

[mjc694]

Also a bostonian here, and i would suggest looking into a group called the Tour of Greater Boston. www.golfthetour.com

 

They play all over the eastern new england area, and some really great courses. In fact most of the courses represented in this thread are on the schedule.

 

Worth checking out, and a great way to meet other nutjob golfers like us, in the area.

[shook23]

http://www.mgalinks.org/member_clubs/

 

No love (or mention) for Granite Links in Quincy/Milton? Yea it's $$$, but it's a nice track, with awesome views. I was always a fan of the courses out in Stow (that includes Butternut), or everything in Plymouth. I also thought I heard that Waverly Oaks was possibly closing for a condo development ???

[mjc694]

waverly is actually being turned into a movie studio....if you can believe that.

 

i have played granite, and liked it just fine. Lots of blind shots, I played from the tips in a 25 mile an hour wind, and was shocked at how difficult this course could play.

[cubiclegolfer]

Yup, they are demolishing Waverly to make room for Hollywood East. My family lives in Duxbury and I play all over the South Shore. Atlantic is a great deal, and if you get there early on the weekend you can go off the back for a nice quick round.

[Dbogey]

too bad about Waverly, I liked that course. Has anyone played Crosswinds lately? Maybe they'll pick up some business.

[pmveilleux]

We ( my golf buddies & I) played Waverly on Monday September 22. We do a bi-annual fall /spring to the Cape from Connecticut. We actually loved the course, so much so we did the re-play in the afternoon. Its a crime what is going to happen to that course, the staff was really great and we feel sorry for them losing their jobs as everyone we met was dedicated to the course.

 

I was worried that the course would have been let go by now. but it actually was in fabulous shape. I hope the deal falls through as these things often do. As an Architect I can't believe what they are going to do with that land.

[mother11]

no love for Winthrop GOlf Club? Nice greens, way too many interior out of bounds, and some bumpy fairways.. Hop skip and a jump from East Boston and the price is right..

 

I was a member at Winthrop years ago and at least at that time the course was open to the public only on mondays and then only to residents of Winthrop. One of the few courses out there where you can stripe your tee shot and not find the ball. The greens are slower than forrest gump and after a rain storm the course is soggy for weeks. Having said that the club holds great sentimental value for me and a finer group of members does not exist.

[will1994]

I don't live in the Boston area anymore, But I'm working on the cape in the summer.

From my time living in Boston I can reccomend these courses:

1. Brae Burn CC - top 10 in Mass if you can get on


2. Pinehills - Nicklaus design in Plymouth, can be pricey but a great layout

3. Waverly Oaks Golf Club - Great course, would be a fantastic course for a pga tour event.

On the cheaper side....

Newton Commonwealth Golf Course - I started playing when I was 11 and lived in Newton Corner. Contrary to it being a very short course, and very tightly packed, it has some interesting holes and nice views. Its a donald ross design, and if you want
something a little cheaper head here after 5 and play a quick 9, its fun.

[bubbagump12]

Hope you stopped by South Shore country club, the course is really coming around and for the money its worth it. The grounds are great greens are mint but I work grounds up there so i cant bad mouth it. Plus its a skip away from boston.