Gillette Ridge Golf Club

Gillette Ridge Golf Club in Bloomfield, Ct. stands as a tribute to the traditions and challenges of golf, and is considered one of Palmer Course Design Company’s best creations.

As you journey through Gillette Ridge, you’ll appreciate its natural beauty and a dynamic layout. The course will challenge and excite you as you maneuver through a variety of terrain; treelined fairways, spectacular carries, and several natural obstacles.

Gillette Ridge was named to honor Francis Gillette, a local 19th century reformer, politician and business leader, whose house still stands on the site. The course features elevation changes and mature trees.

Gillette Ridge closed briefly and fell into a state of disrepair several years ago due to management problems.

Century Golf has addressed many issues and refurbished much of the golf course, as well as the clubhouse. A main issue was with course’s the bunkers. A design team fixed bunkers, coring them out, fixing drainage issues and filling them in with all new sand. All 21 greens (including practice greens) on the property were redone. In addition new forward tee boxes were added. The clubhouse got a new carpet, new paint, new televisions, and new tables for the restaurant.

Gillette Ridge has had a bit of a reputation as being a very difficult golf course that caters to the better player. But the owners’ new goal has been to keep the course challenging, while adjusting it to accommodate all levels of player without compromising the original intent of the design. www.GilletteRidgeGolf.com

There are four sets of tees at Gillette Ridge, making the course play anywhere from 7,191 yards at the tips to 5,582 from the forward markers. The course has been given a slope of 135 and a rating of slightly over 74 from the back markers. Play up if it’s your first time, you’ll enjoy your round to a far greater degree.

The eleventh hole is the course’s signature. The tee box affords a view of the Heublein Tower in the distance, and the 505-yard, par-five winds down to a peninsula green. This is a true risk-reward hole as a long drive will leave the player with an opportunity to go for the green in two. But a pond guards the right side of the putting surface all the way to the green, and long is bad.