Golfing Fun in Connecticut This Summer

By Mark William Paul

The International Club

Set in the rolling hills of central Massachusetts in the quaint small town of Bolton is the newly redesigned Oaks Golf Course at The International Club. Considered Greater Boston’s premier private club, the vision is to provide a unique and welcoming environment for its members and guests from around the globe.

Purchased by Escalante Golf in February 2021, the Oaks has undergone extensive renovations with the main goal being to recapture the original beauty of the course. Former University of Oklahoma star Tripp Davis, now a renowned course architect of 20 years, is overseeing the renovation of the Tom Fazio design.

Founded in 1901, the private, golf orientated club is a 36-hole facility, encompassing approximately 680 acres. Striving to offer excellent service and attention to minute details will be the core goal of the seasoned staff’s commitment to the club’s members and their guests.

The Oaks course has been lengthened with additional tee boxes added. There are four sets of tee boxes to accommodate players of all levels. One of the main goals of the renovation was to improve the bunkers and waste areas. All bunkers have been redesigned and filled with crushed limestone, which has been mined locally. The new scalloped bunkering frames all of the holes, giving the player a perfect mental image of the holes routing. Players will find the greens to be fast and firm and random pin positions will give the opportunity for a different experience each day. Both the Clubhouse, which houses the restaurant, pro shop and offices, and Fireside Room have been completed renovated. The Lodge now offers 15 over-

Oaks Course Hole 3

2021 Champion Harris English holes winning putt on 18th green in 8th playoff hole.

night rooms for use by members and their guests. A new state of the art clubhouse is on the drawing board to be built in the near future.

In addition to the Oaks Course, members will find the Geoffrey Cornish designed Pines Course equally challenging. The Pines opened in 1955 and is currently the longest golf course in the world at 8,325 yards. Slated to close at the end of the 2022 season, the Pines will be renovated by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. The course is expected to reopen in Spring of 2024.

The International also features a large recently renovated practice facility. The area features level tee decks on both sides of the range, added targets for improved distance control practice and enhanced short game practice areas, including bunkers.

One of Greg Norman’s LIV Golf Invitational Series tournaments will be played at The International from September 2-4. There will be 8 tournaments in total, which will include 4 US cities.

For more information on joining this elite gem, go to https://www.theinternational.com, call 978-779-6911 or email John Conroy at Oaks Course Hole 12 john.conroy@theinternational.com. Runner-Up Kramer Hickok tees of 18th hole in 2021 playoff Oaks Course Hole 5

Golfing Fun in Connecticut

By TOM LANDERS

Golfing Magazine’s “Free Golf” program you get a complimentary round of golf on a number of courses in Connecticut when you sign up. Call 860-563-1633, or visit www.FreeGolf.net to get aboard and take a road trip through the Nutmeg State.

Here are the layouts, some of which are private, that you can play for a cart or a small service fee by partnering with us.

PRIVATE COURSES

The Golf Club at River Oaks

(www.ClubRiverOaks.com) is located on the Sherman/New Milford town line in western Connecticut. The courses has a number of holes on its back nine that hug the Housatonic River, which is visible through the trees in late autumn or early spring. The look from the tee box on the par-four dogleg left ninth hole reminds one of playing golf in northern New England rather than Connecticut. Many consider this to be one of the top two or three courses in the state. Robert McNeil designed the course that opened in 2003, and he built into it challenge and fairness.

Farmington Woods Country Club

(www.FarmingtonWoods.com) in Avon was designed by American designer Desmond Muirhead, who also crafted the famed Jack Nicklaus Muirfield Village course in Ohio. The layout is unique to the Farmington River Valley area in that there are dramatic elevation changes in what is usually a rather flat section of Connecticut. The course features woods that line many of the fairways, as well as wetlands.

Tumble Brook Country Club

(www.TumbleBrookCC.com) was incorporated and organized in 1922 and features 27 holes. Willie Park, one of the foremost golf course architects of the time, was commissioned to design the first nine. A second nine, designed by Orrin E. Smith, was opened to play in the spring of 1949. The third nine, designed by George Fazio, opened for limited play in the fall of 1970, and was eventually integrated with the rest of the golf course in 1971.The seventh hole on the “Green Course,” a combination of two of the three nines, is a 440-yard beast where par is an accomplishment for any level of player.

Suffield Country Club

(www.SuffieldCC.com) is an historic track crafted by Ian Smyth in a classic, traditional New England-style. The course ambles over the rolling land, and plays around 3,000 yards for nine holes. The short distance of the course is offset by tight fairways and small, fast undulating greens. Out-of-bounds borders holes three through six, and heavy rough and tall oak trees lurk off the fairways. Only two holes, three and seven, have fairway bunkers.

THE GREATER HARTFORD AREA

Simsbury Farms Golf Course

(www.SimsburyFarms.com), which measures 6,509 yards in length from the championship markers, was designed by Geoffrey Cornish and opened for play in 1972. Recognized as one of the top 100 courses in New England by one New England publication, the course provides an excellent test of golf and a visually pleasing round. A driving range and large practice green, as well as a newly constructed clubhouse compliment the golfing complex.

Blue Fox Run Golf Course

(www.BlueFoxEnt.com) in Avon has 27 holes of golf. A new nine was added several years ago and these holes are a pleasing mix of those that are open in nature and several that are lined by trees. There is ample bunkering in the fairways and around the modest-sized greens. One of the best new holes is the 512yard par-five fourth on the White Course. If you can steer clear of fairway bunkers to the left of the fairway and high grass on the right, you may be left with an opportunity to go for a large, oblong green in two.

The Kemp family of purchased the Airways Golf Course (www. AirwaysGolfCourse.com) in West Suffield in 1996 with the intent of providing good, affordable and friendly golf to the town and surrounding communities. Their course is

on the short side, 5,845 yards from the tips, and you can score here as long as you drive the ball well. Included in the final five holes of the front side are four par-fours measuring around 300 yards, including the ninth at 273 yards. The 16th is a strong par-five playing 481 yards from the tips. The hole doglegs to the right and there is water to worry about off the tee and on the second shot.

Keney Park Golf Course

(www.KeneyParkGolfCourse. com) in Hartford underwent renovations and upgrades that turned the par-70 track in the 700-acre Keney Park into a beauty. The first nine holes of the course were finished in 1927, and the remaining nine were completed in 1930. Keney was designed by notable early 20th century American architect Devereux Emmet, who has several illustrious courses to his credit, including Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., the site of several U.S. Opens.

Goodwin Park Golf Course

(www.GoodwinParkGolfCourse.com) in Hartford offers 27 holes, with the shortish North Course (2,544 yards) a great place for beginners and senior players to hone their skills and enjoy a leisurely round. The more demanding 18-hole course plays around 6,000 yards from the back markers and features a number of par-fours that are drivable, or approachable, off the tee for long hitters. The 381-yard ninth hole may be the toughest par-four on the track.

Gillette Ridge Golf Club (www. GilletteRidgeGolf.com) in Bloomfield is an Arnold Palmer Signature course and a layout that fits nicely into the existing natural landscape. Great care was taken to preserve the numerous trees that serve to frame fairways and greens, as well as the ample wetlands on

the property. The architects built a number of peninsula or island greens, using granite from the site to construct walls near several greens and tee boxes. There are some forced carries at Gillette Ridge, both off the tee and on approach shots to the medium size, undulating putting surfaces, but nothing so daunting to scare away the average player. Bunkers, ponds or wetlands come into play on almost half the holes. The fairway landing areas are ample.

East Hartford Golf Club

(www.EastHartfordGC.com) was designed by Al Zikorus, plays around 6,200 yards from the tips, and has a nice mix of short par-fours that can be attacked with driver, reachablein-two par-fives and solid parthrees. There are a number of tee settings to cater to all abilities. This classical design is great for newcomers to the game, but tree-lined fairways and small greens present a challenge to even the most skilled golfer.

Hunter Golf Club

(www.HunterGolfClub.com) in Meriden offers great views of surrounding trap rock ridges and Castle Craig in Meriden’s 10th Hole at Sugarloaf Golf Course Hubbard Park, which can be seen while playing the fifth hole. The layout has one of the most challenging and perplexing opening holes you will find anywhere. It’s only 368 yards from the back tees, but a stream dissects the fairway a little over halfway to the green, so the dilemma is to take driver and risk hitting it short or right and into the water, or lay up and be left with a long approach to an elevated green. The 10th hole is a demanding 587-yard par-five that bends to the left and has water hazards on the left side of the fairway and near the green, which makes the second shot and approach tricky. The 27-hole Stanley Golf Course (www.StanleyGolf.com) in New Britain has long been considered one of the premier daily fee facilities in the state. With three distinct nines to select from and some of the best conditions in the Greater Hartford area, Stanley has a dedicated following among the state’s golfers. Some modifications were made a few years back

Keney Park Golf Course

to the course, with several new or reshaped holes created and some shifting of the nines, which made the course even more interesting and more challenging.

Manchester Country Club

(www.ManchesterCountryClub.com) opened in 1917 and was designed by two early 20th century course architects, Tom Bendelow and Devereaux Emmett, the latter creating famed Congressional Country Club in Washington, D.C., and Keney Park’s golf course. Manchester has bunkers placed strategically around fairway landing areas and putting surfaces, which puts a premium on accuracy both off the tee and on approaches to medium-sized greens. The course plays 6,339 yards from the tips and has a par of 72. There are some elevation changes and water comes into play on several holes.

In Glastonbury, you will find the nine-hole Minnechaug Golf Course (www.MinnechaugGolf.com). The wellmanicured layout is only 2,668 yards from the back markers and plays to a par of 35. But the fairways are narrow and the parthrees demanding. The course features a true island green, a 125-yarder that plays from an elevated tee box.

One of the best-conditioned, playerfriendly tracks in Connecticut is Rockledge Country Club (www.GolfRockledge.com) in West Hartford. The relatively flat layout has a parkland setting and offers a pleasing mix of holes. Rockledge has a mix of holes, ranging from short par-fours, like the 290-yard second and 317-yard 11th, where birdies await, to classic risk/reward par-fives.

Timberlin Golf Club

(www.TimberlinGolf.com) in Berlin also has a park-like routing, and was given a facelift a few years back in the form of new bunker complexes, fairway and green complex work, an effort led by noted golf course architects Stephen Kay and Doug Smith. The track is kept in immaculate condition and the renovations added more teeth to this scenic track, originally designed by Al Zikorus.

THE GREATER WATERBURY AREA

Originally a nine-hole private golf club, purchased by the town of Watertown in 1975, a second nine holes were added in 1980 to make Crestbrook Park Golf Course (www.CrestbrookPark.com) one of the best daily fee tracts in the area. Crestbrook features fast, sloping greens and has four sets of tees for all levels of play. The course, which plays almost 7,000 yards from the tips and features a number of elevation changes, has par-fives that demand thoughtful tee and approach shots and beefy par-threes, like the 228-yard seventh where the tee shot must clear a pond to reach the putting surface.

Southington Country Club

(www.SouthingtonCountryClub.com) is fairly wide open with a few delightfully quirky holes, such as the deceptively short 306-yard par-four second and the 120yard par-three 12th. The course is well maintained and the new ownership has made improvements to the layout and the facilities. It’s a track that is approachable for golfers of all levels.

Hawk’s Landing Country Club

(www.HawksLandingCC.com) in Southington is not long, 5,825 yards from the tips, but the course has great par-threes and some interesting par-fours. The seventh and ninth holes both play around 230 yards, while the 18th is 190 yards from the back markers with the tee shot having to carry a pond. The 360-yard par-four fifth is a good test. It doglegs to the right and the drive and approach must steer clear of water.

Whitney Farms Golf Club

(www.WhitneyFarmsGC.com) in Monroe was designed by Hal Purdy and yardages range from 5,480 yards to 6,714 yards, with slope levels of 127 to 134. The layout starts in stern fashion, with three holes that will test you immediately. The first is a 426 yard par-four, the second another par-four measuring over 400 yards, and the third a 526 yard par-five. After letting up a bit, the front nine again rears its head with four difficult holes to end the outward journey. There are two par-fives that play over or around 500 yards and a pair of par-threes that are 200 yards or longer. The back nine is a bit less severe with shorter par-fours where birdie awaits. But you’ll also encounter two parfives that play over 560 yards from the tips,

and the final hole is a brutal, 442-yard par-four that can make or break a round.

Laurel View Country Club

(www.LaurelView.com) in Hamden is a classic Geoffrey Cornish track, and a stern test of playing ability. The course can be stretched beyond 7,000 yards and features some of the toughest parfours in the state, like the 479-yard fifth. There’s a pond guarding the right side of the green, which often must be attacked with a long iron or fairway wood. Number nine is 450 yards from the back markers, and climbs up a hill to the putting surface, making the hole play 20 to 30 yards longer than its listed yardage.

The seventh hole is a monstrous parthree, measuring around 250 yards from the tips, leaving even the best players with a fairway wood in their hands on the tee box. Tallwood Country Club

HEADING EAST

Coventry’s Twin Hills Country Club

(www.TwinHillsCountryClub.com) was built on a former farm and offers golf in a rural setting yet convenient to Hartford and other cities off Rt. 84. Twin Hills has the country charm of stone walls, a covered bridge and its signature stone bridge located on hole number three (a massive 600yard par-five) that makes one think of the famous bridge crossing to the 12th green at Augusta National Golf Club. Nestled into the rolling hills of the tiny town of Hebron is Blackledge Country Club (www.BlackledgeCC.net) that boasts two 18-hole courses. The club’s owners added nine holes in 1995 and another nine in 2000, creating what is called the Gilead Highlands course. The newest nine on Gilead Highlands is a bit reminiscent of Carolina courses, with wide fairways, bunkering, and tall pines and oaks framing many of the landing areas and large greens. Anderson’s Glen has the club’s original 18 holes and is another very solid test. The fairways are tree lined and the greens undulating.

Tallwood Country Club

(www.TallwoodCountryClub.com) in Hebron is known for its classic New England landscape. Situated on over 200 acres of rolling country farmland, it’s another perfect place for a quiet golf getaway. The course offers a pleasingly eclectic mix of strong par-threes, long and demanding and then shorter and tricky par-fours, as well as par-fives that sometimes are reachable in two for long hitters and other times, not so much.

Quarry Ridge Golf Club

(www.QuarryRidge.com), located on the slopes of the Connecticut River valley in Portland, offers some of the best views in Connecticut. This is a true shot-maker’s delight, with dramatic elevation changes, a mix of long and short holes, and tricky greens. The course is regularly listed among the best in Connecticut. The course plays 6,369 yards from the back tees, but it’s all about proper club selection and accuracy at Quarry Ridge.

Portland Golf Course

(www.PortlandGolfCourse.com), which measures just over 6,200 yards from the tips and plays to a par of 71, is also set in the rolling hills of the Connecticut River Valley. Its tree-lined fairways, various elevation changes, and doglegs make the track challenging and enjoyable for all players. The 405-yard par-four first hole is a strong way to begin a round. The tee shot is relatively easy, but the second shot is down a 60-foot drop to the green, making club selection difficult.