Review: George Wright Golf Course (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at the back nine at George Wright, go here if you haven't seen the front.

The tenth hole is the longest par 4 at George Wright, coming in at an impressive 460 yards. This is a better hole than the ninth because there's a bit more going on other than length. The fairway swings sharply to the left, and there are several bunkers in the corner of the dogleg that you'll have to deal with if you want a shorter second shot. The second shot is sharply downhill, but you'll still be using a mid or long iron. The green is built up on three sides, so chips shots from long, left, or right will be a bit tricky, but it's bunkerless and open in the front, so it's definitely possible and probably smart to run approaches onto the green. My only issue with the ninth and tenth is that they come one after the other; it would have nice to have a bit of separation between the two long par 4s.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole goes right back toward the tenth tee, playing uphill and swinging right. Ideally, the tee shot should get to the top of the hill so you can have a full view of the green. Long hitters may want to use a 3 wood so they can stop on the upper plateau rather than going down onto a bit of a downhill slope. Some restraint on the tee will mean approaching the green from a flat stance with a full wedge. There's a single bunker front right, and it's a deep one that you'll really want to avoid. While the green is sloped pretty significantly from back to front, this is still a pretty good birdie opportunity, a nice change of pace after the previous 2 holes.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is not an especially long par 4, but you can certainly rack up a big number here. The fairway disappears about 230 yards from the tee, falling away over a steep, rough-covered incline. There is some fairway winding around on the slope, but I wouldn't count on finding it. If you can hit a driver 300 yards, then you can get all the way down to the bottom where the fairway widens out. If not, a lay-up off the tee is the play, leaving a mid to long iron down the hill to a fairly narrow green pinched between a hillside and a large bunker. I'd liken this hole to the fourteenth hole at Cape Cod, a controversial hole bordering on excellence, if only there was just a bit more room to work with.

The twelfth hole.

The long, downhill approach to the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is not the best hole at George Wright, mostly because of its low-lying nature next to some marshy areas. Still, there is a reward if you hit driver into the narrower part of the fairway near the marsh: You get a clear view of the hole. Laying up right will result in an obscured second shot, as you have to hit over a small ridge. The green has notable tilt from right to left, and runs off significantly on the left side.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 190 yards, and is normally the best par 3 on the course, but unfortunately there was a lot of damage on the right side of the green and half of it was closed. A right side hole location would be interesting, as it would be tucked behind a hill and trees would lurk nearby. There is a false front on the left side, as well as a bunker lurking nearby, so the portion of the green we did experience wasn't without interest.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is the lone par 5 on the back nine, and the first one since the third. Unlike the third, this one is definitely reachable in two. The tee shot is completely blind, with the fairway being completely hidden by a hill. The hole swings right, but this is one dogleg you don't want to be too aggressive with. Overhanging trees 100-150 yards from the hole mean that, if you want a clear shot at the green in two, you need to be in the left side of the fairway. The opening in front of the green isn't very wide, and there are bunkers short and O.B. beyond to worry about, but overall it's not a hugely difficult green to hit in two. Eagle is definitely a better possibility here than on the third.

Not a lot to see on the fifteenth tee.

Approaching the fifteenth green.

The fifteenth green.

At 345 yards, the sixteenth hole is the shortest par 4 at George Wright. Like the eleventh, which is about the same length, the sixteenth plays significantly uphill. This time, the elevation comes on the second shot. Since the fairway narrows significantly past 250 yards, there's no good reason to use driver. A long iron or wood is plenty to leave a wedge second shot. There's a bunker right, but obviously the most important feature of the second shot is the fact that it's several dozen feet above the landing area. An extra club is probably recommended. The green is pretty big though, and it's subtly bowl shaped, so shots will funnel in toward the middle.

The sixteenth hole.

The steeply uphill approach to the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is exactly the same length as the eighth, though it's downhill instead of uphill. It largely plays the same as that hole and the third though. There are several bunkers guarding the green, the green is sloped from back to front, and there's not really an opportunity for a run-up shot. At least there's no false front here. The par 3s were not a particular strength of this course, in my opinion. Three of the four look and play too similar to each other.

The seventeenth hole.

Thankfully, the final hole at George Wright is not a brutally difficult par 4. At 390 yards, it's not particularly long, though it isn't a wide fairway. The tee shot calls for a draw as the hole bends slightly left, and potentially less than a driver. After crossing a stream that doesn't really come into play, the green is riddled with subtle contours, with a single bunker protecting the right side. It's not an easy hole, but it's not so tough that finishing with a birdie is out of the question.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

When it comes to the Donald Ross munies of the Northeast, Triggs and Mark Twain are similar in quality. Both are good courses and good value (amazing value in Mark Twain's case), but neither are anything spectacular. Then comes Shennecossett a step above. It's a really good course with quite a few really good holes in a scenic setting. Then there's George Wright, which is absolutely a step above Shennecossett. It really is that good a course, with some incredible holes. The fourth through eighth are about as strong a stretch of golf as you'll find anywhere. Those five holes were mentioned in Tom Doak's Confidential Guide in the "favorite stretches of holes" section, a list that included holes at the National Golf Links of America, Pacific Dunes, Shinnecock Hills, Crystal Downs, Pine Valley, and Yale. That's some pretty heady company. 

Obviously, I haven't played any of those courses, so I'll have to compare George Wright with the one course I have played that is on the same level: Atlantic City Country Club. At the end of the day, I prefer Atlantic City. It's just more my kind of golf course (the kind with not a lot of trees). But George Wright is very close, and it manages this while being tree lined and surrounded by housing and city. There's no ocean nearby, no long views, no sea breeze, no links-like ambiance. It was carved out of a landscape that was distinctly unfriendly to golf, but Donald Ross made it work anyway, and the slow restoration has brought out some incredible golf. Then there's the value. To play arguably the best public Donald Ross course not within 10 miles of Pinehurst, we paid $50 per person. Massachusetts residents can get that down to $41. That's half what I paid to play Atlantic City, and there was no twilight rate involved here like there was there. If you want bang for your buck, George Wright blows just about any course out of the water. It was absolutely worth the trip, and I'd absolutely play there again.