WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS MUST PLAYS
Great Golf Aplenty to be Found in Western Massachusetts By JOHN TORSIELLO
W
estern Massachusetts, which includes the tourist-friendly Berkshires and the scenic Pioneer Valley area, is a superb area to spend a day playing nine or 18 holes. The area’s courses are routed over open land and gently rising hills. After or before golf you can spend a few hours visiting the villages and towns of this area, where can discover fine restaurants, cool pubs, boutiques, museums, historic landmarks and hiking trails. You can even build a vacation out of your visit to the area, play as many courses as you can, and enjoy this special part of New England. And, thanks to Golfing Magazine’s comprehensive Course Play Stimulus Program, you can try out a multitude of courses in this portion of Massachusetts. Check out the details of this can’t miss offer in this issue. Call 860-563-1633, or visit www.FreeGolf.net to sign up. Chicopee Country Club (www. ChicopeeCountryClub.com) in Chicopee, with its rolling terrain, tree-lined fairway and fast, sloping greens is generally regarded as a fine championship course by area golfers. Through the years, this picturesque golf course has received
accolades from publications such as Golf Digest, USA Today, and the New England Journal of Golf. It has been touted as being among the best public courses in Massachusetts, named one of New England’s top 100 golf courses, and among the courses that provide the best value in Massachusetts. The setting is superb at the semi-private Crestview Country Club (www. CrestviewCC. org) in Agawam, which has a beautiful, quarter mile drive to the course. A Geoffrey Cornish design, the course is challenging enough to have played host to the PGA Tour Travelers Championship Open Qualifier in 2015, the Connecticut Section PGA Championship in 2013, the LPGA Friendly’s Classic from 19951998, as well as several US Amateur qualifiers. A scenic collection of challenging par-threes await as you are guided through the meticulously maintained rolling fairways with a number of risk reward par-fours and par-fives to round out you round. Big hitters can tee it up from as far back as 7,100 yards, the reds tees bring that down to a very manageable 5,500. Elmcrest Country Club (www.Elmcrestcc.com) is located in the quaint Town of East Longmeadow on the border of Somers, Connecticut. Rock walls, rustic bridges, and floral accents are just some of the allures of this classic New England course that winds through beautifully wooded, rolling terrain past picturesque ponds and streams. The design of this well-conditioned course makes for an enjoyable round for any level of player. The course has hosted the Joe Pagos Western Massachusetts Amateur Championships and MIAA Division I
Golf Championships. Elmcrest’s expansive facilities, situated on over 110 acres of private land, offer a sanctuary to all who visit. Wyckoff Country Club (www.WycoffCountryClub.com) in Holyoke is an 18-hole, par 69, 6100-yard championship golf course built on the beautiful rolling property at the base of Mount Tom. Wycoff has an interesting mix of holes; a number of short par--fours that can be attacked with a lusty drive and a short-iron or wedge to the putting surface, only two par-fives, one of which, the 478-yard 13th, can also yield birdie to long hitters that can reach the green in two, two par-fours that play over 400 yards from the tips, and several strong par-threes (there are five short holes in all on the layout). The 18th is perhaps the most difficult par-three and a cool way to finish a round. It’s a whopping 229 yards from the tips. East Mountain Country Club (www.EastMountainCC.com) in Westfield was designed by owner Ted Perez, Sr., who wanted to have a course that is approachable for golfers of all skill levels and fun to play. The layout measures around 6,200 yards from the tips and all but one of the par-fives is reachable in two by the big hitters. There are several short par-fours where birdie can be made, and a fun mix of holes on the back side, which has three par-threes, three par-fours, and three par-fives, including back-to-backers at 11 and 12. The toughest hole on the course may be the 429-yard par four 16th. The club prides itself on the quality of its greens. Greenock Country Club (www.GreenockCC.com ) in Lee dates back to 1895. Redesigned in 1927 by the legendary golf
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