Top 10 Public Golf Courses in MA

Ten Best Public Golf Courses in MA

With one month left in the golf season, two if we’re lucky, three if we’re crazy, Barstool Sports has put together a list of the top 10 public courses in MA for our readers. As the editor of Barstool Sports, I must pre warn everybody, that the guy who wrote this is a good golfer. (To me, a good golfer qualifies as somebody who can break 90 regularly) However, I have been assured that if you can spit at 100, than you can hack your way through these courses just as easily as your local dog track.

1) Taconic. Williamstown, MA. 413-458-3997. The bad news is that it’s almost a three-hour drive from Boston and it’s not exactly light on the wallet. The good news is that it’s all worth it. Quite simply, Taconic is one of the best courses in the state, and one of the best public golf courses anywhere. This classic New England layout, cut through the scenic Berkshire mountain range, is playable for everyone. It’s not overly long or tight but it demands accuracy into small, well-protected greens. And it’s there, in the greens, where Taconic really shines. Lightening quick and true, you just aren’t going to find a better test for the short game and flat stick. Hit it above the flag on holes like 3, 4, 6, 10, 16, and 17 and you’ll see what we mean.

2) The Ranch. Southwick, MA. 413-569-9333. Another course that demands a little extra effort on your part. It’s another fairly long drive from Boston and another greens fee in the triple digits. But again, you get a lot for your money. Lots of new public courses are selling the whole “private club for a day” angle, but The Ranch does it best. The service, which includes everything from an employee cleaning your clubs as you hit balls on the range to a hot towel delivered to your cart on the course, is top notch. The course is only two years old but you’d never know it as it’s in such fine shape. It’s a great mix of links-style and tree-lined holes that makes for an interesting and challenging round. The 9th, 16th (severe downhill par-5s laid over old ski slopes where you can bust a huge tee shot), and 17th holes (pretty little par-3 with a small green protected by a pond in front) are particularly fun.

3) Farm Neck. Oak Bluffs, MA. 508-693-3057. Made famous by President Clintons during his frequent visits to Martha’s Vineyard, Farm Neck offers some of the best views of any course in New England. Its tree-lined and tight in spots, with several holes providing spectacular ocean backdrops and others weaving through scenic marshland. The course is well maintained and rangers keep the play moving along nicely. One negative is that tee times can be pretty tough to come by during the summer. It’s much easier to get out in the off-season, however, and well worth the trip.

4) Pinehills. Plymouth, MA. 508-209-3000. 36-hole operation in Plymouth (the Jones course and the Nicklaus course) but I’ll cop out and just list it here once. Has all the amenities you want in an upscale public course, including a nice practice facility and terrific service. Both courses are well conditioned and, with multiple tees, challenging for players of any ability. Each has an interesting mix of holes that makes use of the large, undulating property. Pinehills is just a solid, all-around bet.

5) Crumpin-Fox. Bernardston, MA. 413-648-9101. Yet another course that’s a little out of the way unless, of course, you hit up Bernardston on a regular basis. Maybe the toughest tee-to-green test of all the publics in Massachusetts. It’s tree-lined, long and very demanding, as the 141 slope can attest. The signature par-5 8th is a perfect example of the penal nature of the course. It plays about 590, has water running up the entire left
side of the fairway, deep woods running up the right, and rewards nothing but straight hits. That, my friends, is the nature of the Fox.

6) Shaker Hills. Harvard, MA. 978-772-2227. One of the first public courses in the state to provide the “country club for a day” experience, Shaker Hills does it well. Everything from the service to the practice areas is in good order. And the course is a fun test for anyone that’s kept in terrific shape. The stretch from holes three through five is one of the best around. The signature 3rd hole is a great downhill par-3 to a green protected by a pond in front and bunkers in back. One more bonus with Shaker Hills is that it’s a little bit easier on the budget too.

7) New Seabury (Ocean Course). Mashpee, MA. 508-539-8322. The front side of the Ocean Course is laid out in true links-style, with beautiful views, and might be the best nine holes in the state. The wind is obviously a huge factor and when it’s up those holes can play extremely tough. The greens are large but can be very difficult to hit. The back side, by contrast, plays almost like a totally different golf course, and the switch to rolling holes cut through the woods gives the round a bit of a disorienting feel. The other negating factor is that New Seabury is not the most accommodating club when it comes to guests who aren’t staying at the resort. It can be tough to get a time, especially during the summer, and the prices are steep.

8) Blackstone National. Sutton, MA. 508-865-2111. Top to bottom, Blackstone is one of the more generous courses in the top ten. Multiple tees and ample fairways make it playable for everyone. It’s a newer course but the condition of the fairways and greens is rounding into shape very nicely. It’s another course that uses quite a bit of land and lots of elevation changes in the routing. That seems to be the norm amongst upscale public courses in the last 5-10 years. It might not do it to the same effect as a course like The Ranch, Pinehills or Shaker Hills but it’s cheaper than those places and still a solid track.

9) Red Tail. Devens, MA. 978-772-3273. Just starting to mature, this course built on the grounds of a former army base, is winning a lot of acclaim as one of the better new publics in Massachusetts. Golf Digest named it as one of the Best New Public Courses in the country for 2002. The layout offers some very unique holes like the par-4 17th, which plays downhill off the tee to a fairway surrounded by natural waste areas on both sides. The hole looks like something out of Arizona, not New England, and yet it works well. Red Tail should continue to improve as it grows in and certainly may move up the rankings in the years to come.

10) Waverly Oaks. Plymouth, MA. 508-224-6016. Located just off the highway in Plymouth, Waverly, like it’s neighbor Pinehills, is another very good upscale public track that makes use of a big piece of land and big, sweeping elevation changes. The wide fairways make it play more forgiving but it’s still a solid challenge for anyone.