I played Wintonbury last week (day before Thanksgiving). Despite the bitter cold (our shots to the green on the first hole bounced like they had hit asphalt—there was still a layer of ice beneath the surface), I loved the course. I only had two complaints: First, the power lines running through the center of the layout are an eyesore, but I guess there isn't much they could do about it. They really are a blemish on the long par 3 seventh hole, which is otherwise spectacular. Also, the 18th hole was as boring as any finishing hole I've played—really a surprise after the terrific routing that precedes it. As a municipal, the design cleary has heavy traffic and high-handicap golfers in mind. The fairways are extremely generous with massive banks that tend to throw errant tee shots back into play. The greens are the real treat here. Some are massive, with wild undulations. Although I played on a cold, wet day, it was clear that there were places you simply couldn't go on the green and expect to two putt. Very, very enjoyable. (By the way, the sand in the bunkers is the best I've ever seen at a municipal—probably because the course is so new. Let's hope it stays that way.)
I also heard an interesting story while I was there: Initially, there was a different site for the course. One Bloomfield resident threw up all kinds of environmental roadblocks that delayed construction for a period of years. The new site, although dramatic, cost the town $4-5 million dollars extra to develop because it was so much rockier than the original site. Guess the taxpayers really wanted this course.