Ranking the Golf Courses I Reviewed in 2018

We've reached the end of another year, and it's been an interesting one. Lots of good things have happened, but wow, the weather was absolutely terrible the whole year. A late winter, seemingly endless deluges over the summer, and an early winter. All that made doing these golf course reviews way more stressful than I thought they'd ever be. But I completed my goal of doing one review a month. So, what better way to commemorate 2018 than by ranking all those courses I reviewed? You may recall that I did something similar last year, but in that, I limited myself to golf courses that I never played before, regardless if I had reviewed them yet or not. This year, I'm limiting myself to the 12 golf courses I reviewed in 2018. I may have played them before, and as you'll see, I may not have even played them this year. Sure, there will be some overlap, but I think this will make things more coherent in the future. But that's enough introduction, let's get to the list!

12. The Landings Golf Club

The sixteenth hole at the Landings.

I can't believe I'm writing even more words about this golf course. It's a pancake-flat executive golf course right next to a small airport. It is completely uninteresting, there are no holes that I would consider even remotely good or exciting, and to cap it all off, it isn't even that cheap. I would most definitely not recommend.

Read my review of the Landings here.

11. Glade Valley Golf Club

The sixteenth hole at Glade Valley.

The best thing about Glade Valley is the price. If you do things right and you play here at the right time, you can play a decently maintained, full-length golf course, with cart included, for under 20 dollars. Unfortunately, I think everyone knows that, so while the round is cheap, the golf will be slow. And this isn't an interesting enough golf course to warrant a 5 hour round. It's not bad, I guess, just bland. Lots of holes that play just like other holes.

Read my review of Glade Valley here.

10. Shenandoah Valley Golf Club

The first hole of the Blue nine at Shenandoah Valley. If only the rest of the course looked like this.

Trees. That's the most enduring thought I have about Shenandoah Valley when I look back at my round there. There are lots and lots of trees. Way too many of them. For one, this is bad because my brothers and I spent half our round looking for golf balls. That's no fun and it made the course tougher in an unenjoyable way. And secondly, this was a golf course with excellent terrain overlooking the northern end of Shenandoah National Park. And as you can see from the picture, it's quite an impressive view. But you barely get to see that landscape. You just get to see trees. If the course took out, say, half the trees, I'd move this course up the list. For now, it earns my "Most Disappointing" award.

The second hole on the Red nine.

Read my review of Shenandoah Valley here and here.

9. Flatbush Golf Course

The last hole at Flatbush.

Flatbush is not the most exciting course in the world. But it had a decent amount of variety, had some nice bits of elevation change, had some actually challenging holes, and it was very well priced. And while I can't guarantee you'll have an empty golf course, we certainly did. It's pretty user-friendly too, and I'd say it's a decent place to learn the game.

Read my review of Flatbush here and here.

8. Little Bennett Golf Course

The third hole at Little Bennett. Long is pretty dead.

Not every golf course can meander freely across the landscape. Sometimes, the terrain is so severe that routing options are limited, and even then, the end result can be disjointed and near impossible to walk. Little Bennett is one of those golf courses. Walking isn't even an option here. The course itself is a bit underwhelming. It's certainly got its interesting and quirky moments, but considering the ruggedness of the landscape, I was expecting a bit more. Not to mention that the place is not cheap to play.

There were some nice views at Little Bennett.

Read my review of Little Bennett here and here.

7. Wentworth Golf Club

The extremely difficult second hole at Wentworth. I like the hole, I just wish it came later in the round.

My younger brothers played here when they made a separate trip to Florida, based on my tepid recommendation and the fact that it was one of the few courses open during a day of bad weather. They were under the impression I thought it was the greatest course ever. It is not, and I never thought that. I thought it had some good points but it also had plenty of issues. My general assessment of the course remains the same though, it's tough and narrow, but I can appreciate that in moderation. The front nine, in my opinion, is by far the better of the two nines. The course itself looks great, I especially enjoyed the sandier look of the front nine. But there's too much water in general, and too much OB on the back. It was never my favorite golf course, and it doesn't even crack the top half of this list. Is that better?

The fourteenth hole at Wentworth.

Read my review of Wentworth here and here.

6. Westminster National Golf Club

The seventh hole at Westminster National is, to put it mildly, a bit strange.

Westminster National is an interesting proposition. Is it a good golf course? To be honest, it really isn't. It's not bad, but it's simply maintained, kind of bare bones, nothing fancy. However, much like Little Bennett, Westminster National is situated on a very rugged piece of property. That level of elevation change combined with a basic design lends itself to a certain level of quirkiness. And Westminster National has some extremely quirky holes. The king of strange has to be the seventh hole, which is a short par 5 that doglegs 90 degrees at around the 250 yard mark down a big hill, crosses a small stream, only to climb back up almost the same height in half the distance. But the quirkiness isn't limited to that one hole, there's enough weirdness to keep you going through the round. Westminster National constantly put a smile on my face, and that's why it's in the top half of my list.

Much like Wentworth, the second at Westminster National shows no mercy.

Read my review of Westminster National here and here.

5. Triggs Memorial Golf Course

I'm being a bit merciful and giving Triggs the benefit of the doubt. I had way more fun during my round at Westminster National than at Triggs, and I'm betting both of my brothers would say the same thing. The golf at Triggs was mediocre, and the only thing slower than the pace of play was the green speed. However... this is still a Donald Ross course we're talking about. A relatively untouched Donald Ross with lots of authentic New England charm and aesthetic. There was plenty of subtle strategy and challenge as well. If the greens had been appropriately paced, Triggs would be up one, maybe two, spots.

Read my review of Triggs Memorial here and here.

4. Dunedin Golf Club

The tenth hole at Dunedin, nestled among palms and live oaks.

We go from an old Donald Ross course to... an old Donald Ross course. But this one is in Florida! And the greens didn't feel like you were putting through Velcro! Otherwise, Triggs and Dunedin feel pretty similar. Obviously, Dunedin is flatter, but it's not as flat as you might expect from a Florida golf course. There's enough movement to be interesting. It's reasonably challenging for the good golfer, but because water only comes into play on a couple of holes, it's completely playable for the not-so-good golfer. It won't deliver extreme thrill, but it is relatively affordable and fun golf. I wish there were more courses like it.

The fourth hole. You couldn't ask for a better day to play golf.

Read my review of Dunedin here and here.

3. Royal Manchester Golf Links

I think it's pretty fair to say I have an affinity for older golf courses. All four of the Golden Age courses on my list are in the top five. However, as proof that I am not completely biased against modern golf courses, I present Royal Manchester. It has its faults, the ninth and eighteenth holes are fronted by water and feel out of place and there is a 400 yard walk to a tee so that you can play a hole that doubles back in the direction you just came from. Otherwise, Royal Manchester is a solid golf course with quite a few good strategic holes. It's very well maintained and also fairly cheap, making it extremely good value. I'd definitely make the hour and a half long drive to play there again.

Read my review of Royal Manchester here and here.

2. Keney Park Golf Course

The Redan at Keney Park. Definitely not your standard par 3.

The Church Pew bunker next to the eighth green. Definitely not your standard greenside bunker.

It is very difficult for the average golfer to experience Macdonald/Raynor replica holes. C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor worked almost exclusively for a extremely wealthy clientele, and as such, most of their courses are extremely private. There are a couple exceptions and there are some courses that pay homage to the style, but most of this group is expensive to play. Keney Park is an exception. If there's a cheaper way to experience Macdonald/Raynor replica holes, I don't know it. For $40, you can play a Redan, a Biarritz, a Short, a Road, among some other lesser known replicas and original holes. All in a location just a couple miles from the center of Hartford. Not only does Keney Park possess fun, rolling terrain and an endlessly entertaining set of greens, it's set in an almost unbelievably serene forest. You can't see the city, you can't hear the city, you feel isolated from the world. It's not easy, but it is relentlessly memorable, and I definitely recommend it if you're in Hartford.

The graveyard-adjacent twelfth.

The ninth green with its Road bunker.

Read my review of Keney Park here and here.

1. Shennecossett Golf Course

The sixteenth green at Shennecossett, overlooking the mouth of the Thames as it empties into Long Island Sound.

While my choice of Shennecossett as the best course I played in 2018 isn't quite as obvious as my choice of Atlantic City last year, if Keney Park didn't beat it, nothing would. It's very close between the two, and if you prefer Keney Park, I completely understand. It has a lot going for it. But so does Shennecossett. Shennecossett has history. And while the Donald Ross design has been changed and altered, a lot remains, and the new portions were woven in almost perfectly. And let's not forget that the course looks incredible. It's exactly how a seaside course should look, with plenty of wide open space and fescue at the peripheries, waving in the sea breeze. And it has what I would say is the finest view of any course I've ever played. The sixteenth hole is something I won't soon forget. Don't worry though, Shennecossett doesn't depend on the strength of its looks, there's plenty of substance and strategy here too. With about a hundred bunkers scattered around, you're almost guaranteed to have something to think about on every shot. Simply put, Shennecossett is everything you could want from a golf course, and for only $40 a round, it's great value too. I would definitely play here again if I was ever in the area.

The fourteenth hole.

The tenth hole.

The sixth hole, with the fourth in the background.

Looking back down the seventeenth hole toward the river.

Read my review of Shennecossett here and here.

And now, it's time to move on 2019! Once again, I plan on doing one course review a month, and I've already got reviews lined up through March. So stay tuned!

Review: Flatbush Golf Club (Part 2)

Here's the back nine at Flatbush, and here's the front nine if you haven't seen it.

The tenth hole is a short par 4, and you should get used to that particular phrase. This hole, and two of the next three, are all par 4s less than 375 yards. This one is just under 360, and doglegs left between a pair of fairway bunkers. There's an empty field right that is also OB, but it's very easy to get your golf ball back if you do go over there. The second shot is a little wedge, preferably from the left side to give yourself a better angle at the green, especially when the flag is tucked behind the greenside bunker.

The back nine starts off with a short par 4.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a medium-length par 3, just under 190 yards. It plays over level ground, and is guarded by bunkers front left and to the right. The par 3s at Flatbush aren't the most thought-provoking or interesting holes in the world.

The eleventh hole.

The twelfth hole is the shortest par 4 on the golf course at 340 yards. So, not quite reachable, and a pair of fairway bunkers around the length a good drive would go mean that the smart play is to lay up with a wood or long iron down at the bottom of the hill. The second shot is a wedge back up the hill to the green, which is guarded by two bunkers. Also, there's a neat little windmill thing by the green, which I thought was kind of nifty.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

Here's the little windmill.

The thirteenth hole is 363 yards, and doglegs to the right. There are no fairway bunkers, but the road that separates 12-17 from the rest of the course is to the left. You'd have to hit a big hook to get there though, the native area to the right is much more of a threat, considering the shape of the hole. The green is fairly undulating, and there are two bunkers short left and one short right.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is a bit longer than the previous three par 4s at nearly 400 yards. The pond in between the tee and the fairway really isn't much of an obstacle, but this hole is pretty narrow. There are dense trees left and a native area right. So the driver still may not be a good idea. The green is once again pushed up above its surroundings, and there is a single bunker to the right.

The fourteenth is not an inviting driving hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is the only par 5 on the back nine, and at 510 yards, it's not a particularly long one. However, this is most definitely meant to be a three shot hole. The fairway runs out after 250 yards and the hole bends significantly to the left over a narrow stream. Should you be able to sling a draw around the treeline, you can carry it, but there isn't a huge reward for doing so. The hole is a double dogleg, and there are trees in between the second shot landing area, wherever that is, and the green. Unless you can summon a big draw and then a big fade, you'll be laying up on this hole. The green is at the top of the hill, and has bunkers left, right, and behind. This is a hole to play patiently.

You'll probably be laying up off the tee on 15.

We'll see the fifteenth green at some point...

Here it is.

The sixteenth hole is just under 390 yards, and for whatever reason, there are five bunkers clustered in the corner of the dogleg. Now, Flatbush isn't quite as bereft of fairway bunkers of some of the other courses I've played, but there hasn't been anything of this magnitude, and it struck me as being a bit strange. There isn't even any great benefit to carrying the bunkers, sure, you get a shorter second, but that's it. The angle to the green isn't any better, and if anything, you'll have less green to work with. I think it's better to play this hole with a 3 wood and then a full wedge.

The sixteenth hole with its large collection of fairway bunkers.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is the last par 3 on the course, and while it's slightly shorter than the eleventh, it plays a bit uphill. If you can hit a draw around the front-left bunker, you have a definite advantage. Right isn't a bad place to miss though.

The seventeenth hole.

The eighteenth hole is about 420 yards, and this is the only par 4 on the back nine that is over 400 yards. It plays uphill the whole way, but it's a slow, steady climb. There really isn't much in the way of obstacles on the drive, so it's one last opportunity to pull out the driver and see how far you can get. The green is guarded by bunkers front right and back left, and is angled to best receive a fade. It's a long enough hole that it isn't easy, but it's definitely easy enough that you can see yourself being able to finish with a birdie. And that's a good thing in a finishing hole.

The eighteenth is very wide open.

The eighteenth green.

Looking back down the eighteenth.

Now, to be honest, Flatbush isn't the most exciting golf course in the world. But it definitely wasn't a bad golf course. I'd definitely put in the middle of all the golf courses I've played. Also working in its favor is the price. It cost $22 to walk on a Saturday afternoon, which is a thoroughly reasonable price for the golf that you get. I've spend more money on less enjoyable golf courses. It's a better golf course than Glade Valley, which I was reminded of more than a few times while playing Flatbush. 

One interesting thing about Flatbush that I didn't notice when I first looked at the course is the disparity in length between the two nines. I saw a course that was a bit under 6,700 yards from the back tees, which is pretty much ideal for me. However, the front nine is just over 400 yards longer than the back nine. This is a little strange, but I think I preferred the longer front nine to the shorter back nine. There was a bit more challenge and interest to the front nine.

Now, for the big question: Would I play this course again? And the answer is yes, but I wouldn't go there again in the height of the summer golf season. I think this is a good course to play on a particularly warm day in the winter/late fall/early spring. It's very wide open, not particularly long, an easy walk, cheap, and while I obviously don't know what the course is like on a day-to-day basis, it was thoroughly unbusy when we played there. My brothers and I got around in less than 4 hours quite easily. I would travel the extra half-hour and pay the extra $5 to play here over slogging through a 5 hour round at Glade Valley. And that's all a course of this quality can reasonably ask for.

Review: Flatbush Golf Club (Part 1)

We're heading north of the Mason-Dixon Line again for this month's review. Today, we'll be looking at Flatbush Golf Club, located in Littlestown, Pennsylvania. This is another one of the many, many golf courses littered about in the general Gettysburg area. Way back in 2014 (I can't believe it's been that long), I reviewed Meadow Brook and Cedar Ridge, two other courses in the area. I passed a sign for Cedar Ridge on the way to Flatbush. And that's not even mentioning the other two courses in the vicinity, Quail Valley (which I have not played but would like to soon) and the Links at Gettysburg (which I have played but you couldn't get me back there unless you paid me). And that's just the area southwest of Gettysburg. So, if you're looking for a vacation spot and you like history and golf, Gettysburg could definitely fit the bill.

Anyway, back to Flatbush. I can tell you from the start that half of the name is quite apt, and that there aren't a whole lot of bushes here. Hey, nothing wrong with a fairly flat golf course, it just means it's easy to walk. And Flatbush is quite easy to walk.

The course starts with a short par 5, not much more than 500 yards. It's not always good for getting golfers out the door at a decent pace, since you often have golfers waiting in the fairway for the green to clear, only to top their 3 wood 50 yards, but there's something about having a good birdie opportunity right away that's very appealing. Who doesn't like being one under through one hole? To have the best chance at hitting the green in two, the drive should be down the left side, flirting with the fairway bunker and the native area. From here, you have a clearer shot at the green, which is guarded by two bunkers front right and by another bunker behind. There's lots of room to bail out right on the drive, but you may be blocked out by trees. Overall, it's a good starting hole.

The first hole.

It's beneficial if you can fade it into the green.

Looking up at the first green.

The second hole is a 423 yard par 4, the first of several long par 4s the front nine has to offer. However, this one is definitely on the not-so-tough side. The drive is quite lenient, so long as you're not directly behind a tree (most of which aren't very big), you'll have a shot at the green. The second shot is a lot tougher, the green is elevated and not very big, and there are two bunkers very much ready to catch wayward shots.

The second hole

The second shot is semiblind.

The third hole is the first par 3 at Flatbush, and also by far the longest, weighing in at 220 yards. There's no great trick to this hole, the green is slightly elevated, much like the last two holes, and there's a bunker front left and behind. You just have to be able to hit a good long iron. No problem, right?

The third hole.

The fourth hole isn't quite the longest par 4 on the course (that honor belongs to the eighth), but this is definitely the toughest hole at Flatbush. It's 450 yards, and it was playing straight into the wind when we played it. There are two ponds bordering the fairway, one on the right side that is definitely in play off the tee, and one left that is really not much of an issue unless you possess some stupendous amount of length. The green isn't big, and there is one bunker to the right, but I do feel the approach is a bit underwhelming. This is supposed to be a tough hole, it should be tough from start to finish. I can't believe I'm advocating for more difficulty, but a more thoroughly protected green would make the hole more memorable. Just don't use more water please. Ponds are not my favorite kind of hazard.

The fourth hole.

There isn't much around the fourth green.

The fifth hole is a short par 4, the only one under 400 yards on the front nine, and the start of a welcome 2 hole respite from an otherwise stern and fairly long opening nine. The hole doglegs significantly to the left, and there are trees in the corner of the dogleg, so you can't really go at the green. That means you'll be teeing off with a wood or long iron, and that brings a pond, lurking behind the trees on the left side, into play. If you've done everything correctly, the second shot will be slightly uphill to a green guarded by a bunker front left, which is an issue, and a bunker long right, which really isn't. That bunker probably doesn't get a lot of action, and I forgot about it completely until I looked at the course on Google Maps.

Laying up is the obvious choice on the fifth.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is the shortest par 3 on the course at 160 yards. It plays slightly downhill to a small green, and there are bunkers left and right. And that's about it for this hole.

The sixth hole.

The seventh hole is the longest hole on the course at 532 yards. The tee shot plays uphill to a small plateau, and is very wide open. There is a pond that cuts across the hole around 100 yards from the green, so if you've hit a poor drive, there's a very good possibility you'll be laying up short of it. So you may end up with quite a long third shot. That third shot (or second shot, if you've got the length to go for the green in two) is made more difficult by the presence of a pair of trees just over the pond, directly in the way unless you're far enough left. The ability to either hit it high or hit a fade is quite beneficial here. The green is fairly undulating for this course, and is guarded by bunkers left and right. Unlike the first hole, this par 5 is not such an easy birdie prospect.

You can't really see much from the seventh tee.

This is not the view you want on the third shot of a par 5.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is the longest par 4 on the course at 455 yards, but it was playing downwind, so it wasn't playing as long as the fourth hole. A draw threaded between the fairway bunker and the OB line right of the fairway is the ideal shot off the tee. But essentially, so long as you keep it in bounds, you can go at the green, which is defended by two small bunkers. It may be a pretty long hole, but honestly, it's not really that tough.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green is pretty open at the front.

The ninth hole is 436 yards and uphill pretty much the whole way. There's OB right in the form of the property line and a thick group of trees, and there's OB left in the form of the driving range. The playing corridor is plenty wide, but it's always a bit constraining having OB on both sides like this. The green has sand left and long. The back bunker has a sort of brick wall behind it, which I thought was a fairly unique feature.

The ninth hole.

The second shot plays across a shallow valley.

The green, with the rear bunker backed by a wall.

That's it for the front nine, next week we'll check out the back nine.