[Tim Gavrich]

Damian Pascuzzo designed The Ranch, which opened in 2004 to rave reviews, which haven't really stopped since then.  In 2007, Golf Digest rated it the best public course in Massachusetts.  Connecticut residents and American geography buffs know that the northern edge of CT is not pristine in that it isn't a straight edge; there is a little notch--the Granby Notch, aka the Southwick Jog seemingly cut out of the state.  That notch is part of the area of the town of Southwick. 

I've played The Ranch thrice--most recently, a few weeks ago.  I quite like it, and believe it is certainly worthy of a play or two if you're anywhere nearby (I live 45 minutes away, but would not mind driving twice as far to play it occasionally).  It's not terribly cheap--$110 on a summer morning--but the high-season twilight rate ($70 after 2 PM) is more than fair.

I'll let the pictures tell the tale; fire away with questions, should you have any.

Tough to miss the par 5 first fairway, unless you're daring right away and go to the little left fairway, which leaves a pretty short second.


From the right half of the fairway, about 220 out.


Getting closer...


Tee shot on 2 (par 4)


And the approach.


The third (par 4) tee shot is much easier than it appears--lots of room right.


And the approach, uphill to a narrow green.


4th (par 4) tee shot.  Followed by another uphill approach to another narrow green.  But, the 3rd and 4th are still different enough that it doesn't feel tedious.


5th (par 3) tee shot.


6th (short 4) tee shot.  Bash it over the bunker in order to try to put it on or next to the small green.  Not an impossible walk, but carts are recommended.


Approach to the 6th.


Tee shot on the 7th (par 4).  The only bland hole on the golf course.  A breather, I guess.


And the approach...


8th (par 3)


9th (par 5) tee shot.  Mostly blind and sharply downhill.  Chance to break your long-drive record and reach in two...


...but not after challenging the wetlands in front of the green.



The sweeping 10th (par 4).  I started on this hole and left my second shot within 8 inches of an opening deuce by landing my ball well short and right, and letting the land guide it towards the hole.  Great, great fun.



The tee shot on the uphill 11th (par 4).


#11 fairway bunker, typical of the others at The Ranch.  Rugged, not "cut."


Approach:


Looking back from the 11th green.  Lots of elevation change at The Ranch.


12th (par 3).  Would be better of the front of the green were raised and it were more of a Redan hole.  Not bad anyway, though.


From the 13th (long, three-shot par 5) tee.  More room than there appears to be.


Approach from about 125.


Semi-blind tee shot on 14 (par 4).  Sling one right-to-left if you can.


...and the approach.  Don't mess with left and/or short of the green.


Another semi-blind tee shot awaits on 15 (par 4).  The more you challenge the left fairway bunkers, the better the potential angle to a narrow green.


The approach:


The 16th is one of the most fun holes I know of.  It's called "Ski Hill"--the tee is about 150 feet above the green.  If you had your career long drive on #9, you'll probably break it on 16.  I hit a 425-yarder that just rolled and rolled...I had 6-iron into the green.  Quite a lot of fun.  Tee shot:


From the beginning of the serious slope, about 410 yards from the green:


Looking back from the green:


#17 (par 3) requires a gutsy shot over water.  There are backboard-type slopes behind the green.



The closing hole (par 4) calls for a right-to-left tee shot:


Downhill approach.  Bounce it on from short-right if you wish:


The Ranch is a great blend of fun and challenge.  I know Pascuzzo does most of his work out in California (he did one other course in MA, one I am not familiar with).  Wish he'd come out East more often, based on this!

Cheers.

--Tim

[Mike Sweeney]

Tim,

Thanks. How walkable is the course?

[Brad Klein]

Not very walkable. It's 14 miles from my house, just down the road from our vet and I've been there 4-5 times. The open field holes and the downhill par-5s are a hoot but the uphill holes are a slog and it's very wet given the soil and the tree coverage. It's an odd and intriguing mix of holes. Plays at times much tougher and much narrower than the images convey, but the real problem is simply a tough market for golf and real estate that has slowed things down there. They do get bonus points for the native rough look and the clubhouse/pro shop barns.

[John Foley]

Tim,

Thanks - Great Pics.

I have heard good thinga about the Ranch, but have not been yet.

I hope to get there this fall.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Very nice course. Thanks for sharing the pix.

[Dan_Callahan]

Thanks for the pictures.

I've walked the Ranch many times. It really isn't that bad, unless you lose a ball on the downhill 16th and your partner makes you go back to the tee to hit another.  During tournaments, they post forecaddies on 9 and 16 for just that reason. With so many humps and bumps in the fairway, your ball can kick anywhere.

Too bad they dropped that house right behind the first green. When the course first opened, it felt really remote and tranquil. They've done a decent job keeping the houses out of play (although there is one on the inside of the dogleg on 14 that must get drilled frequently by an over-hooked tee shot) but there's no way a few houses aren't going to negatively impact the ambience..

Tim, what is the fence above the fairway on 18? That is definitely new. Used to be you could play it up on the hill with a draw and it would run down to the fairway. Unfortunately on 18, what would seem to be a perfect line down the middle with a draw runs out of real estate and ends up in some incredibly deep, thick grass.

[Jay Flemma]

I'm not a huge fan for two reasons.  First, back when I played it in 2004, it was $100.  It's probably more now.  Next, uphill-downhill-uphill-downhill, then 90-degree dog leg and tons of water.  It didn't seem all that natural and had a lot of penal hazards.

but the conditioning is nice...

How much did you pay Tim?

[Cliff Hamm]

Photos look great - better than I expected.  But $100 or so is too rich for my blood.  Have played most of the quality NE publics, but not the Ranch.  They need to lower their greens fees.  Especially spring/fall.  Went on their site and prime rates are May 1 thru October 19.  Ridiculous.  They need shoulder seson rates.  NE prime golf is no more than Memorial Day thru Columbus Day.  When we see golf having a hard time maybe it's a simple matter of price.

[Dan_Callahan]

The only good thing about the Ranch fee structure is the membership. Because the course doesn't offer a 9-hole rate, if you have a membership, you can tee off on #1 at about 4:00 and be pretty confident that you won't have anyone in front of you. No one is going to pay $70+ for the 18 hole twilight rate if they know they can't possible finish before dark. That means that in the late afternoon the front 9 is deserted. A friend of mine was a member a few years ago and loved it. He would hit balls at the range for an hour and then have the opening holes all to himself.

Jay, there isn't really all that much water on the course. I've never seen someone hit into the water on 1. No water to speak of on 2-8. Just wetlands on 9 (but rarely wet). Again, wetlands but no water on 10 (and wetlands only in play if you get super-aggressive off the tee). No water on 11-15. Pond fronting green on 16 and pond in front of 17 are the only two times water is really in play.

Also, while there is a lot of elevation change, it doesn't feel the way you describe it (at least to me). One and two are flat. Three is uphill only at the green. Four is a steady climb (and the hardest hole on the course). Five is a slightly uphill par three. Six is flat and then downhill at the green. Seven is flat. Eight is flat to a pushed up green. Nine is way downhill. That pattern kind of holds on the back. I found it to have a very nice variety of terrain.

[Tim Gavrich]

I'm not a huge fan for two reasons.  First, back when I played it in 2004, it was $100.  It's probably more now.  Next, uphill-downhill-uphill-downhill, then 90-degree dog leg and tons of water.  It didn't seem all that natural and had a lot of penal hazards.

but the conditioning is nice...

How much did you pay Tim?

It was $70, because I played after 2 PM.  I think that's a pretty good deal, personally.  But $110 before 2 PM is pretty steep, and it would be nice to have them lower the rates a little for the "shoulder" season.

Dan Callahan:

That fence separates the 18th fairway from the main road up to the houses.  The hole feels a lot less secluded than it used to be, but it still plays pretty much the same I thought.  The line off the tee is up the right side of the fairway; the ball will kick left.  It's a pretty nice hole, I think.

[Jay Flemma]

The only good thing about the Ranch fee structure is the membership. Because the course doesn't offer a 9-hole rate, if you have a membership, you can tee off on #1 at about 4:00 and be pretty confident that you won't have anyone in front of you. No one is going to pay $70+ for the 18 hole twilight rate if they know they can't possible finish before dark. That means that in the late afternoon the front 9 is deserted. A friend of mine was a member a few years ago and loved it. He would hit balls at the range for an hour and then have the opening holes all to himself.

Jay, there isn't really all that much water on the course. I've never seen someone hit into the water on 1. No water to speak of on 2-8. Just wetlands on 9 (but rarely wet). Again, wetlands but no water on 10 (and wetlands only in play if you get super-aggressive off the tee). No water on 11-15. Pond fronting green on 16 and pond in front of 17 are the only two times water is really in play.

Also, while there is a lot of elevation change, it doesn't feel the way you describe it (at least to me). One and two are flat. Three is uphill only at the green. Four is a steady climb (and the hardest hole on the course). Five is a slightly uphill par three. Six is flat and then downhill at the green. Seven is flat. Eight is flat to a pushed up green. Nine is way downhill. That pattern kind of holds on the back. I found it to have a very nice variety of terrain.

There's water n two...that's the wetlands hole that is the 90-degree dogleg right...hit a five wood to a point, turn right, hit a mid iron to the green.  Aren't the two par-3s on the front opretty similar too?

It was pretty and different, so it has that going for it though:)

[Tim Gavrich]

Jay--

While certainly not night-and-day different, I'd say #s 5 and 8 are sufficiently different as to not make it an architectural hindrance, as least in my eyes.  Granted, they are somewhat similar in length  #5 is pretty interesting in that the bunkers--which look like they are hard by the edge of the green--are set back a good 5-10 yards from the edge of the fringe.  A left-to-right shot is best.  #8 is a bit longer and calls for a right-to-left shot, ideally.

Cheers.

[Sean_A]

The course looks like it is worth a go.  There is a lot of cool stuff going on like some angled greens, but it looks to be a bit too hilly to be a really good course. 

Thanks for posting Tim.

Ciao

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