18 Great Holes in New England

[Dan_Callahan]

Here's a neat little slideshow from Boston.com that goes through 18 "great" golf holes in New England. Some are greater than others.

http://tinyurl.com/yv4dyq

Starts off well and then kind of fizzles out. Wouldn't have predicted the Ridge Club would get two mentions.

On a related note, I drove out to Butter Brook (Mark Mungeam's new course in Westford). It looks like a solid, reasonably priced public course. I could only see a few holes, but vidually it reminded me of Captains in Brewster. I'm going to try to find some time to play it in the next few weeks.

[Steve Curry]

Dan,

Desperately incomplete!  Some of the best golf courses in the greater Boston area, Old Sandwich, Boston Golf Club and TCC excluded as well as anything West of 495?  No Eastward Ho!?
 

Steve

[Dan_Callahan]

I agree, some odd choices. No Myopia?

There is a link at the bottom of the page (http://tinyurl.com/3xdzes) to a slideshow with some other great courses. Great aerial of Kittansett.

[Andy Ryall]

Of course, I am sure that the Globe's liberal leanings probably made any photographers or journalists unwelcome at a number of the more exclusive clubs such as Nantucket, etc. in addition to those that wanted zero publicity in the 1st place.

[Brad Tufts]

I've been meaning to put together an eclectic 18 from Boston-area layouts I've played.

Out of the holes profiled, and that I have played,

13 at Salem is a slam dunk
18 at Essex is a great candidate among many other great #18s
9 at Whitinsville is a great hole (a Crenshaw favorite) among many other great #9s
7 at Concord CC is not the best out there (#2, #4, #10, #16?) but a good hole nonetheless
3 at Kittansett could be a slam dunk, a great hole.

I haven't played many of the others, like RICC, Wellesley, Bellevue (sleepy 9-holer), The Ridge Club (two holes in this gallery??, weird), Pine Brook, Marshfield, Marlborough...

And my fellow club member Cy Kilgore recommended the 15th at President's, a polarizing hole if there ever was one.  It probably isn't the best hole at PGC, but there is certainly never a dull moment when one reaches that hole, and it witnessed a double eagle by a member last year in the Norfolk Co. 2-ball.  My partner in this event last year shot a 64 on his own ball (5700, par 70), and we had 61 as a team, finishing T-4th with 68-61-129.

Dan, I was also perusing the Butter Brook website today, as the wavy-edged bunkers are certainly a unique thing for MA public golf, if not in other places....I will have to get out there sometime soon as well.

[wsmorrison]

I have a very limited experience with New England golf, yet it is clear to me that overall it is a pretty mediocre list with some excellence.  If that is someone's idea of a list of great holes, the editor needs a better eye for architecture and needs to travel a bit....maybe to Philadelphia  

Better photographs may have helped some.  Those photos were not very convincing.  As great as the 3rd at Kittansett is, you wouldn't know it by that photograph.

[Brad Tufts]

I would counter that the holes are there, but this was just a piece aimed at getting the opinions or favorite holes of several prominent men's and women's amateurs, pros, and officials...

[Dave_Miller]

Here's a neat little slideshow from Boston.com that goes through 18 "great" golf holes in New England. Some are greater than others.

http://tinyurl.com/yv4dyq

Starts off well and then kind of fizzles out. Wouldn't have predicted the Ridge Club would get two mentions.

On a related note, I drove out to Butter Brook (Mark Mungeam's new course in Westford). It looks like a solid, reasonably priced public course. I could only see a few holes, but vidually it reminded me of Captains in Brewster. I'm going to try to find some time to play it in the next few weeks.

Very Interesting but very incomplete.  The third hole at Charles River is a good hole but nowhere near the best hole on the course.  
I think Jim just asked a bunch of golfers what their favorite holes were.
Some good choices, some very bad choices (Ridge Club???) yet no Winchester or Myopia etc.
Best
Dave