GOLF GUIDE AREA COURSES AND VIRTUAL GOLF

golf course that measures 6,213 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 118 and a 69.7 USGA rating. The course features 3 sets of tees for different skill levels. The facility also offers a full pro shop, lessons, and Junior Golf Camp. The website offers tips to master each hole.

Greathorse

128 Wilbraham Road • Hampden, MA greathorse.com

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Named the #1 private club in Massachusetts by Northeast Golf, GreatHorse is a secluded, plush mountain retreat where beyond a top-notch golf experience, golfers and their families can enjoy a wide range of clubhouse amenities such as an outdoor pool, private spa, fitness center, golf simulators, tennis and platform tennis courts, and a restaurant and bar.

ST. ANNE COUNTRY CLUB

781 Shoemaker Lane • Feeding Hills, MA stannecc.com

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St. Anne Country Club is a semi-private course that measures 6,608 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 116 and a 70.8 USGA rating. The course features 4 sets of tees for different skills levels. Before or after the game, players can enjoy the amenities of a full bar and restaurant alongside a banquet facility for any event.

Country Club Of Wilbraham

859 Stony Hill Road • Wilbraham, MA ccofwilbraham.com

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Country Club of Wilbraham is a semiprivate club that opened in 1927 as a 9-hole course designed by Willie Ogg, a professional golfer and club designer from Scotland. A back nine holes introduced in the spring of 2002 rolls through wooded terrain. Other features include a Juniors Program, pro shop and practice facilities. The Grille is open to the public to enjoy a meal or drinks on the patio.

Wyckoff Country Club

233 Easthampton Road • Holyoke, MA wyckoffcountryclub.com

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A family-owned and operated, semi-private country club in Holyoke, Wyckoff Country Club is an eighteen-hole, par 69, a 6100yard championship golf course built on the beautiful rolling property at the base of Mt. Tom. Beyond golf – Tee Time Bar and Grill located at the country club offers lunch and dinner on the patio or in the dining room.

East Mountain Country Club

1458 E Mountain Road • Westfield, MA eastmountaincc.com

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The panoramic East Mountain Country Club promises to give golfers a feeling that is not found anywhere else in the Springfield area. Featuring an 18-hole public golf course that is ideal for all levels of golfers, East Mountain Country Club is designed to help golfers improve their game. The facilities also offer a pro shop with the latest golf gear, as well as a snack bar for a quick bite before or after the golfers round.

In Connecticut

Cedar Knob Golf Course

446 Billings Road • Somers, CT cedarknobgolfcourse.com

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Designed by Geoffrey Cornish and built in 1963, the tall cedars lend a dramatic backdrop to most fairways that feature numerous water hazards and tactically placed sand traps to challenge even the best of golfers. Cedar Knob also offers golf lessons through its pro shop and special membership packages. Players can end their round with a delicious meal or their favorite beer, beverage or snack in the Cedar Castle Restaurant.

Suffield Country Club

341 N Main Street • Suffield, CT suffieldcc.com

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Entering its 96th year of operation, Suffield Country Club provides a beautiful nine hole private golf course designed by Orrin Smith, a swimming pool and three clay tennis courts. The club also offers a full service restaurant which is open from late March through November.

Grassmere Country Club

130 Town Farm Road • Enfield, CT grassmerecountryclub.com

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Grassmere Country Club is a 9-hole public golf course offering golfers a challenging round with beautifully manicured greens and fairways, rambling brooks and a hilly terrain, as well as sand traps and natural grass bunkers that make for that special PGA feeling. Other features include pro shop, practice green, special membership packages, banquet facility and The Grill.

Topstone Golf Course

516 Griffin Road #A • South Windsor, CT topstonegc.com

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Great conditions including lush fairways and rolling hills await golfers at Topstone - an 18-hole, par 72 Championship golf course. Off the course, the clubhouse offers a fully-stocked golf shop, Grill Room and banquet facility. Topstone’s PGA Jr. League offers a scramble format that builds confidence and encourages sportsmanship among boys and girls of all skill levels.

Rolling Meadows Country Club

76 Sadds Mill Road • Ellington, CT rollingmeadowscountryclub.com

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Rolling Meadows offers a challenging encounter for all golfers with its more than 30 sand traps, some tight fairways, and a par 3 where you must carry over water nearly the full length of the hole. The public course features a pro shop, multiple practice greens, youth golf camp, various membership packages, and The Tavern at the Meadows. The back nine features spectacular views of the imposing Berkshire mountain range rising in the distance.

Copper Hill Golf Club

20 Copper Hill Road • East Granby, CT copperhillgolf.com

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If 18 holes are just too much for you to play, Copper Hill Golf Club offers an invigorating 9-hole regulation length golf course to suit your needs. The public club also has an active youth golf program, PGA professional golf instruction, all grass driving range with 3,500 square foot practice green and bunker, season passes, banquet facility, The Grill at Copper Hill, and an 18-hole AFGL certified footgolf course. Growing in popularity, the sport is a combination of the games of soccer and golf where the goal is to get your regular size 5 soccer ball into a 21-inch foot golf cup.

Tristan Kiendzior is a golf junkie and like so many others, he hates putting his clubs away in the winter.

So, he’s come up with a solution—Tee Times Indoor Golf and its virtual golf simulator that transports golfers to nearly 50 of the greatest golf courses in the world.

“ You can play all your bucket list courses. We feature St. Andrews, Pebble Beach—a lot of the big names you see on professional golf tours,” says Kiendzior, who coowns Tee Times in Westfield.

Tee Times is in Roots Athletic Center, which also features indoor and outdoor fields for soccer, track, lacrosse, cycling and batting cages.

Golfers drive balls into a screen that’s 17 feet wide, 20 feet tall and displays simulated golf course images based on actual topographical data. Players tee off from artificial turf that’s 10 feet away from the screen.

There are two simulators that mimic shots as if golfers were playing outdoors. Each simulator can accommodate up to six golfers at a time. Cameras and sensors watch the swing and track the ball, delivering instant analysis that helps golfers improve their game.

“As you’re hitting the ball, you’re getting real-time feedback on what would happen if you hit that same shot outside. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a teaching tool if you want to improve your game,” said Kiendzior.

Most golfers would rather not play in the snow or rain, so the simulator avoids inclement weather altogether.

“It’s always a sunny day on our courses. The last thing they want to see are dreary weather conditions,” said Kiendzior.

The virtual game simulates nearly everything a golfer would encounter, from the tee to the green—with notable exceptions.

“ You’re never in the rough, there aren’t any divots. This is just a great way to keep your body moving and your swing fluid so when you do get back to golfing in the spring, you didn’t miss a step,” said Kiendzior.

It can take an average foursome two hours to play nine holes, four hours to play 18. Tee Times doesn’t generally provide clubs and there are no pros on staff to give lessons. Instructors can come in and work with their students, or golfers can simply play on their own and refine their game.

Winter is very much a gray zone and golf courses are mostly frozen from December to March. But golfers don’t have to tee off on the weather anymore. They can simply come in from the cold and hit the links in a space that is always a balmy 70 degrees.

“B eing that it’s New England, we have a lot of people that like to golf and this way they can continue working on their game throughout the winter and not lose any ground as far as getting better or maintaining their handicap,” says Kiendzior.

The cost to play a round at Tee Times is $55 per hour for an entire group of golfers. Players can reserve a simulator by booking online at www. teetimeswestfield.com or calling 413-562-7433 during normal business hours, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Tee Times is in Roots Athletic Center, 181 Root Road in Westfield For more information either call Tee Times or email info@teetimeswestfield.com

Main Office 860-684-4261 staffordsavingsbank.com

Serving the Towns of Stafford, Ellington, Union, Tolland, Ashford, Willington and Somers.