Diamonds in the Rough: Seven Golf Courses in Seven Days

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH

GOLF GEMS AROUND CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS

BY BILL HIGGINS

The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce promotes all that is good about the region, and so when it comes to playing golf, why not herald itself as The Golf Coast? Indeed, the Cape and islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket have nearly three dozen public courses, with challenges to suit everyone’s game. Beyond the high-profile venues, there are also many other layouts worthy of exploring. We’ve researched a week’s worth to sample, with this thought as we stock our bag with extra balls and tees: Golf spelled backwards is flog. Have fun!

This is a throwback course tucked on a bluff overlooking Cape Cod Bay and dates to 1929. It’s nine holes, but if you want to make it an 18-hole round, there are multiple sets of tees for a variety of looks. Chequessett is a comfortable, fun place to play. You need not be long off the tee—there are three par 4s under 315 yards— but small, bunkered greens, buffeted by wind, will test you. No. 4, a 435-yard, par 5, is a wonderful risk/reward hole with the tee box at the highest point on the course overlooking Wellfleet Bay.

This Highlands is one of two town courses in Dennis and an excellent complement to the more-established Pines. The Highlands plays will tempt you off the tee with room to rip it and strategy around and on the greens will be rewarded. The sixth hole is a meaty par 4, 416 yards from the tips. If you spray your tee shot, it’s likely to roll into valleys left or right. A good drive will leave you with a demanding uphill approach to a sloping green. You don’t want to be above the flag putting downhill.

Designed by the legendary Donald Ross (think Pinehurst in North Carolina and Seminole in Florida), this is one of two Yarmouth courses, along with Bayberry Hills. It’s also one of the Cape’s oldest layouts (1900) and most enjoyable to play. The greens are small and undulating and there’s a premium on course management. Water is in play often, including on No. 9, a 169-yard par 3 over marshy grasslands. A greenside bunker will catch shots headed for a watery grave.

Chequessett Yacht & Country Club in Wellfleet

680 Chequessett Neck Road, Wellfleet, 508-349-3704; Chequessettclub.com

Dennis Highlands in Dennis

825 Old Bass River Road, Dennis, 508-385-8347; dennisgolf.com

Bass River in South Yarmouth

62 Highbank Road, South Yarmouth, 508-398-9079; yarmouth.golf

Kings Way in Yarmouth Port

81 Kings Circuit, Yarmouth Port, 508-362-8870; kingswaycapecod.net Located off the scenic Old King’s Highway (Route 6A), this well-manicured hybrid is a 4,000-yard, par 60 — not your classic par 54 18-hole par 3 layout, nor your par 72 regulation course. With a nice mix of par 3s, 4s and one par 5, you’ll hit every club in the bag and accurate shot making yields birdie opportunities. The signature 14th hole, framed by a salt marsh and Cape Cod Bay in the distance, is memorable. It’s 145 yards from an elevated tee to a green about 50 feet below and the vagaries of the wind make club selection critical.

Holly Ridge in Sandwich

121 Country Club Rd, Sandwich, 508-419-7289; hollyridgegolf.com This is your classic 3,000-yard par 54 course, with 18 interesting par 3 holes. Holly Ridge delivers on its promise to appeal to players of all levels. No. 7 is the signature hole, playing 127 yards from the front tee to 196 from the back markers. The tee shot requires a carry over the pond to a tiered green. No. 10 is another favorite. It’s one of the shorter holes, only 92 to 124 yards, but not an automatic par. The narrow green is bunkered left and right and protected by mounds, so an errant tee shot will add strokes to your round.

Mink Meadows, Martha’s Vineyard

320 Golf Club Road, Vineyard Haven 508-693-0600; minkmeadowsgc.com This seaside layout is in the West Chop area of Tisbury and nearly 100 years ago. It’s a nine-hole tract with optional tee boxes, so a second loop will present different challenges. No. 4, 424 yards, is a stern test and plays out of a chute from the back tee with fairway bunkers in play. “The Mink” is straightforward with generous fairways and fine greens. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, both avid golfers, made this course a must-play during their summer vacations on the island.

Siasconset Golf, Nantucket

260 Milestone Rd, Nantucket, 508-257-6596; miacometgolf.com/sconset-golf Old Sconset, or “Skinners” to the locals, on the east end of the “Grey Lady,” dates to the turn of the 20th century and it’s raw and natural, a step back in time. This is another charming nine-holer and perfect for players of all ages. It’s only about 2,500 yards and an enjoyable walk. Expect some quirky bounces, funky lies and most likely ocean breezes, but that’s the game the way it was meant to be played. Sconset’s not modern and doesn’t pretend to be.