New England Course Conditions

[dartboss04]

The folks around Atlanta put together an ongoing thread about current course condition and it seemed like a good idea to start one for New England. I don't know that we need conditions of the courses for every round we play as this would fill up quickly, but I thought this would be a good place to post a heads up on aeration, good courses gone bad, or even a pleasant surprise or diamond in the rough. This will probably be most helpful in the spring as courses are starting to open, and fall during maintenance.

[dartboss04]

I'll kick things off...

Timberlin (Berlin, CT) - Greens are completely healed from the aeration about a month ago and are rolling really well. Overall the course is in excellent shape. Only gripe was a couple spots with significant seasonal debris. I'm sure it must be hard as a course to keep up with the removal. It is fall so I know what to expect, but still frustrating.

[Imp]

How timely. I'm playing Timberlin next Friday for a tourney.

Can't really report anything as I haven't played in a couple weeks and I know places around here aerate around this time.

[DCSerafin]

The ledges in Maine is in great condition with no fall aeration (except for the putting green which should be healed by now)
Blissful Meadows in Uxbridge, MA in nice shape as well, again no aeration until November.
Blackstone aerated well over a month ago and I can't recall their greens being any better. Tees, fairways are perfect and the rough is brutally thick.

[qwertyb22]

Oxford Greens (Oxford CT) is in shambles, worst I've ever seen it. The bunkers look like they hadn't been raked in years, and the greens and fringe areas around them were frequently bare and dead, it looked like from standing water and poor draining. I was very surprised, for a newer course that has always been in good shape when I've played it.

[Imp]

We've had a LOT of rain this summer here in (southern) New England, for days on end at times. Just this week there was what, 3-4 days of rain? WHen that happens the bunkers get depleted and 'hard'. Played CT National yesterday and Blackstone National last week. Both of them had hard bunkers, but it's to be expected when you get continuous rain for 2-3 days before (and during) playing them. I don't know their aeration schedule, but CT National greens seemed to have been done already. Some portions of fairways were plugged though.

--kC

[prorobo]

[quote name='qwertyb22' timestamp='1348920518' post='5716221']
Oxford Greens (Oxford CT) is in shambles, worst I've ever seen it. The bunkers look like they hadn't been raked in years, and the greens and fringe areas around them were frequently bare and dead, it looked like from standing water and poor draining. I was very surprised, for a newer course that has always been in good shape when I've played it.
[/quote]

Couldn't agree more with you! Played Oxford for the first time last year and was impressed. This year is a polar opposite. Have they finished the "work" on the par 5 #3? Cart path only is a pretty big inconvenience on that hole. Also, their fairways are a mess and doesn't look like they've seen a grain of seed all season. Had I not been getting "deals" there on Ezlinks, I'd be pretty upset!

Okay here's my good/bad.

The bad:

Woodbridge Country Club is also in shambles. I understand that they're under new management after going bankrupt last year (private), then re-opening in late fall. But the conditions were considerably better in late fall than they are this season. Many holes there's less grass than hard pan in the fairways. Hopefully Billy Casper Golf turns things around for next year.

Laurel View Country Club in Hamden is also in disrepair. Played in a men's league there over the summer. An enjoyable layout brought down by terrible conditions. Also, the absolute worst collection of gas-powered carts I've ever seen. It's literally a crapshoot whether or not they'll run.

Fairchild Wheeler has gone from a mediocre muni to complete waste of time also. Played there once this year and that was more than enough. The tee boxes were full on crab grass! Wish I had taken pictures. An 18 with cart there should be $15 max.

The good:

Tradition (both Wallingford and Oak Lane). Haven't been to Oak Lane since the spring but the Wallingford track is in good shape. And hands down still the best burger that I have ever had anywhere. So good in fact that during the summer, our group got rained out at an adjacent course, we picked up our rain checks and headed to Tradition for burgers. Were able to walk 15 holes afterward too!

Orange Hills, pretty good shape. I have yet to see them waver in either direction of fantastic or bad for conditions. Complete luck of the draw for pace though.

Grassy Hill, pretty good shape also. They just put new sand in all their bunkers and it's fantastic. I've never been so happy to hit into the sand before.

[dartboss04]

[b]Quarry Ridge (Portland, CT, 9/29/2012)[/b] - Course was really nice especially after all the rain we had the prior day. I was impressed by the greens in particular. I thought they were in awesome shape, rolling true. I think I'm going to try to play over there again during peak foliage. They have really good deals on golf now and even their own specials. You can get out at certain times for around $40 and it is well worth it.

[b]Lake of Isles North (Ledyard, CT, 10/1/2012)[/b] - We were lucky and got a terrific weather day. I should say my opinion of LOI is slightly biased as I love playing there just to feel that escape. The holes around the lake are awesome. 17 was playing from the second set of silver tees into the wind. I wish I could of sat at that hole all day watching people try to clear the water. Haha. Condition wise, LOI is usually very consistent, and should be at their price point. The greens were rolling very fast and in good condition. They seemed a little worn from play, but I thought they rolled well. The fairways were in excellent shape as usual. My only gripe as usual is rocks in the bunker. I don't understand why they don't get someone in there to sift out the bigger rocks. I would not play LOI for their peak price, but they usually have great specials in the spring and fall, and it is surely worth the $60-$75 I've paid per round to play there this year.

[dartboss04]

I know cost shouldn't matter when rating condition, but as I've posted in other threads, I think condition and cost go hand in hand, and my happiness is relative. I've played early in the year at some courses that seemed like dumps, but with an online deal was able to play 18 for less than $30 with a cart. At that price point, I start to see the positives in the course versus the negative. In my listings, I'll probably reference cost as I find it an important factor.

[prorobo]

I agree with the cost factor. I have no problem shelling out $100+ for a Great River, Lake of Isles, etc type of course since their conditions will reflect that price. I do have a problem paying full price for glorified dog tracks though. It's not about cost, it's about value. I enjoyed Quarry back in the spring when I played it. Will have to make another trip before the season's over.

[Smithj36]

Agree with above post about Woodbridge and Laurel View- both courses a complete mess. They both should be shut down for a year and shouldn't open until they are least playable. Laurel view had huge boulders in the sand traps the last time I played there. Wodbridge had more brown color on fairways than green.

Do yourself a favor and play Wintonbury Hills. Course has a great layout, is always in great condition and the pace of play is excellent.

[Mulligan26]

[quote name='DCSerafin' timestamp='1348916762' post='5716129']
The ledges in Maine is in great condition with no fall aeration (except for the putting green which should be healed by now)
Blissful Meadows in Uxbridge, MA in nice shape as well, again no aeration until November.
Blackstone aerated well over a month ago and I can't recall their greens being any better. Tees, fairways are perfect and the rough is brutally thick.
[/quote]

Going to disagree with you about the ledges man, I live roughly 5 miles from the course and the last time I played it, there were bare spots EVERYWHERE on almost every fairway. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the ledges, in fact I'll be working there next year. However, I have worked on golf course maintence crews for years and my standard for course conditions is very high so that may skew my opinion.

[DCSerafin]

You can disagree, but when did you "last play there"?
When speaking of the conditions, I was mostly referring to the greens which I would put up against most (including private courses) for difficulty, speed and consistency.
And to be honest, I don't really look for perfectly manicured fairways (AKA private course conditions). When I play a public course, I look for good tees, consistent greens and rough and layout.

My one complaint would be the ball marks (a result of public play hackers who don't repair their marks or worse, don't know how to). While they never affected one of my putts, they do look pretty ugly. Good luck next year, maybe I'll see you up there.

[Mulligan26]

I played there a month ago

[Chris_NH]

[quote name='Mulligan26' timestamp='1349311414' post='5747235']
I played there a month ago
[/quote]

I did too. I disagree with your assessment. I thought it was in great shape. My only complaint was that some of the low-lying areas were overly wet from too much watering, and that despite the fact that it hadn't rained for a week. But aside from that minor quibble, the course was in fantastic condition.

[qwertyb22]

Played Brooklawn Country Club today, and it was in great shape. No surprise there... Fairways were in great shape. Bunkers were some of the best I've seen... and unfortunately I saw a lot of them. Greens were recently aerated, but rolled nicely and were meticulously maintained. Very nice track.

[dartboss04]

[b]Lyman Orchards Jones (Middlefield, CT, 10/6/2012)[/b] - The course was extremely wet and I don't think they recovered from the storms we had the week prior. I was concerned about losing my footing particularly on the tee boxes. Also, there was a good amount of damage on the greens, especially the back 9. I don't know if they were diseased or possibly under water, but there was significant spotting, which was disappointing. I paid full price as I was desperate to get out there ($72 w/ cart), but I would not again in the current condition. They have deals through golf now and ezlinks, and I could probably stomach $40-$50 for those greens, but even that was pushing it as there are so many good deals out there this time of year.

[Imp]

Newport National. 10/8/12

$55 w/cart. Cheap due to punched greens and fairways. That said, worth it. Even with the greens being punched, they rolled fast and true. Couldnt believe how well they rolled. Seriously, ignore theyre plugged and go for it without a thought of it going off line. Club grabber rough. you do NOT want to be missing the fairway. Seriously.

--kC

[prorobo]

Lyman is quite possibly the most overpriced course in the area. The Jones is slightly more expensive of the two and is more of a traditional layout. I feel the Player actually covers more ground since it's a wider loop so technically should cost more to cover the gas for carts.

Either way, $72 is astronomical for that place and even the "deals" to be had on Golfnow and Ez for $50 aren't anything special. And if you finished your round in under 5.5 hours, consider yourself lucky. We were kept waiting on the tee box for 40 minutes over the summer because they were backed up so much. I just hope they don't turn Woodbridge into the overpriced, constant traffic jam that is Lyman.

[dartboss04]

[quote name='prorobo' timestamp='1349742214' post='5767919']
Lyman is quite possibly the most overpriced course in the area. The Jones is slightly more expensive of the two and is more of a traditional layout. I feel the Player actually covers more ground since it's a wider loop so technically should cost more to cover the gas for carts.

Either way, $72 is astronomical for that place and even the "deals" to be had on Golfnow and Ez for $50 aren't anything special. And if you finished your round in under 5.5 hours, consider yourself lucky. We were kept waiting on the tee box for 40 minutes over the summer because they were backed up so much. I just hope they don't turn Woodbridge into the overpriced, constant traffic jam that is Lyman.
[/quote]

I agree. I've rarely played there and loved the condition. There are deals under $40 for 18 on the player and I do think that's worth it.

I had a 9:10 Saturday and was out of there by 1:20. The pace felt pretty good. Only thing slowing us down was the normal fall debris and sun glare, so probably tacked on an extra 10-15 minutes or so to the round for ball searching.

[dartboss04]

[quote name='Imp' timestamp='1349737350' post='5767503']
Newport National. 10/8/12

$55 w/cart. Cheap due to punched greens and fairways. That said, worth it. Even with the greens being punched, they rolled fast and true. Couldnt believe how well they rolled. Seriously, ignore theyre plugged and go for it without a thought of it going off line. Club grabber rough. you do NOT want to be missing the fairway. Seriously.

--kC
[/quote]

I wish I could get down there. I got a promotional email from them an its 55 tomorrow and 50 Wednesday.

I'm playing the TPC River Highlands otherwise I would certainly take advantage.

[prorobo]

That is lightning quick for Lyman! Maybe chalk it up to the cooler weather now. I might get suckered in once more this year if the planets align.

[geoangus]

[quote name='dartboss04' timestamp='1349742516' post='5767947']
[quote name='prorobo' timestamp='1349742214' post='5767919']
Lyman is quite possibly the most overpriced course in the area. The Jones is slightly more expensive of the two and is more of a traditional layout. I feel the Player actually covers more ground since it's a wider loop so technically should cost more to cover the gas for carts.

Either way, $72 is astronomical for that place and even the "deals" to be had on Golfnow and Ez for $50 aren't anything special. And if you finished your round in under 5.5 hours, consider yourself lucky. We were kept waiting on the tee box for 40 minutes over the summer because they were backed up so much. I just hope they don't turn Woodbridge into the overpriced, constant traffic jam that is Lyman.
[/quote]

I agree. I've rarely played there and loved the condition. There are deals under $40 for 18 on the player and I do think that's worth it.

I had a 9:10 Saturday and was out of there by 1:20. The pace felt pretty good. Only thing slowing us down was the normal fall debris and sun glare, so probably tacked on an extra 10-15 minutes or so to the round for ball searching.
[/quote]
[quote name='prorobo' timestamp='1349743158' post='5768017']
That is lightning quick for Lyman! Maybe chalk it up to the cooler weather now. I might get suckered in once more this year if the planets align.
[/quote]

I have to agree with everything prorobo said about Lyman. It doesn't seem to matter what time of year I play there, pace of play is slow and the greens are pretty nicked up. Too bad, it used to be one of my favorite courses.

[twtolley]

Played the Nicklaus course at Pine Hills this past Saturday (10/6):

The course was playing well, but I've seen the greens in much better shape. They were fairly bumpy and not rolling as true as I've grown to expect from PHills.

On a sidenote, the starter was a total jerk. Totally took me by surprise since every other experience I've had at Pine Hills has been extremely positive from a customer service perspective. Our starter held us at the first tee, to allow a foursome to jump in front.. which would've been less frustrating if all members of the group were on the tee! We had to wait a good 15 minutes until the second half of the group meandered up to the tee box, then were told he'd "let us slide out" like he was doing us a favor. He never asked if we needed scorecards, tees, or if we wanted course info.. then turned down a request for an extra bottle of water (late in the day/the cooler was STOCKED).

"Ed" certainly didn't encompass the friendliness that makes Pine Hills what it is.

[Bandy1080]

The greens are in rough shape. Last saturday they sent a total of 440 players through both courses. Apparently everyone is trying to use up their groupons before the end of the year.

[Bandy1080]

And they are aerating both courses next week.

[Imp]

Awww shoot. I still have mine. I'll wait a few weeks then.

[Sawgrass]

[quote name='qwertyb22' timestamp='1348920518' post='5716221']
Oxford Greens (Oxford CT) is in shambles, worst I've ever seen it. The bunkers look like they hadn't been raked in years, and the greens and fringe areas around them were frequently bare and dead, it looked like from standing water and poor draining. I was very surprised, for a newer course that has always been in good shape when I've played it.
[/quote]

I'm going to "pile on" regarding Oxford Greens. I don't think they do a very good job of leaf control, and worse than that seasonal problem, I hate the fact that they're in the process of chewing up the woods on more holes to make even more room for housing. The fifth, sixth and seventh holes used to be isolated by fairly deep woods, and now their character is gone. (Actually kind of surprising given the general housing issue.)

[dartboss04]

[b]TPC River Highlands (Cromwell, CT, 10/9/2012) [/b]- The course was in great shape. There were a couple wet spots in low lying areas, but the fairways and greens in particular were terrific. They also do a good job clearing the debris. We were able to play in about 4:20 which was a good pace. It usually slows down around the 15th with the driveable par 4 and then two more subsequent water holes. 15-17 are cartpath only which can mess with the speed as well.

[dartboss04]

[quote name='Sawgrass' timestamp='1349810416' post='5771839']
[quote name='qwertyb22' timestamp='1348920518' post='5716221']
Oxford Greens (Oxford CT) is in shambles, worst I've ever seen it. The bunkers look like they hadn't been raked in years, and the greens and fringe areas around them were frequently bare and dead, it looked like from standing water and poor draining. I was very surprised, for a newer course that has always been in good shape when I've played it.
[/quote]

I'm going to "pile on" regarding Oxford Greens. I don't think they do a very good job of leaf control, and worse than that seasonal problem, I hate the fact that they're in the process of chewing up the woods on more holes to make even more room for housing. The fifth, sixth and seventh holes used to be isolated by fairly deep woods, and now their character is gone. (Actually kind of surprising given the general housing issue.)
[/quote]

Yeah, that caught me off guard coming out of the woods from the 4th green. For me it really does take something away, especially on the 6th hole for some reason. I've always thought the houses on the back 9 in particular remind of a nuclear bomb test site. I never see people, and it's eery.