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: Keney Park Golf Course (Part 2)

It's time for the back nine at Keney Park, if you haven't seen the front yet go here.

The tenth hole is a par 5, and at 533 yards is the longest hole at Keney Park. The trick here is to hit a draw off the tee to reach the downslope. Doing that will give you extra roll and a great chance to go at the green in two. Or rather, that's how it works in dry conditions. In wet conditions, it's much more likely you'll be playing this as a three shot hole. The decision to be made on the second is whether or not to carry over the big fairway bunker cutting in about 80 yards from the green. The green itself is open, but there are plenty of knobs and bumps to complicate matters, depending on where the hole is. A bump on the very front-right section of the green made the hole location of the day quite tricky, especially if you're short in three.

The tenth hole.

The fairway bunker on 10 is quite large.

The tenth green.

This front-right hole location is brutal if you're short. The knob really gets in the way.

The eleventh hole is the toughest hole at Keney Park. I don't care that the scorecard says that the seventh is the number 1 handicap hole, when you throw a 240 yard par 3 surrounded by a stream and tall grass at the golfer, that is the toughest hole. It's a bit downhill, but that's not much compensation. You might be better off playing it as a par 4. Lay up on the fairway with an iron and then pitch onto the green. Otherwise, it's a wood or long iron to a very uninviting target. At the very least, the green is subdued. It's probably the easiest on the course.

The eleventh hole.

Even from here, it's not an inviting shot.

The twelfth hole is a short 320 yard par 4 that plays significantly downhill. Obviously, the most notable feature of this hole is the graveyard to the right and behind the green. The hole is called Soldiers Field, and the graveyard is filled with upwards of 5,000 soldiers. For the golfer, that means the stone wall is OB and that you don't want to go right. Considering the stream left you might think this is a lay-up hole. However, the hole does widen at around the 250 yard point as the stream bends to the left, and if you land a drive past the high point in the fairway, you'll get plenty of roll. Basically you should give yourself whatever shot you feel comfortable with to attack this green, which is very much not flat. Any putts not on the same level as the flag will be extremely difficult.

Definitely don't want to go right on 12.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a 190 yard par 3 that for some reason is called Peninsula. I guess it did give the hole an element of surprise, because when we stepped up too the tee, we were not expecting to be confronted with a classic Redan. The strategy, of course, is to draw an iron towards the flag rather than aiming directly at it. The slope is your friend, and will guide golf balls down. If you end up in one of those bunkers... well, have fun. They're all at least 10 feet below the level of the green, which is highly built up over its surroundings.

Fun fact, if you miss long right, your ball will kick off a slope and into a native area. Definitely didn't find that out the hard way.

The thirteenth hole.

My brother and I are both quite tall, but the front left bunker is even taller.

The fourteenth hole is the final par 5 at Keney Park. It doglegs to the right, but the ideal tee shot is out toward the left or in the middle of the fairway. Not only is there OB right, but trees hang over the fairway and block out the green. If you're in the proper position, the green is very easily reachable, and if you can go for the green, you really should. There are no greenside bunkers, but there's a big fairway bunker and a small pot bunker right where lay-ups would end up.

The fourteenth hole.

The green is behind the treeline on the right.

The smallest bunker I've ever seen.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a straight, mid-length par 4 with some very dramatic terrain, even by Keney Park standards. The fairway starts off high and then tumbles down the hill toward the narrow stream. Most drives will end up on the flat area short of the stream and right of the hill. The second shot is back up the hill to a green that slopes sharply from back to front. In addition, any shot that fails to reach the green will roll back down, and will roll down a lot. A shot that lands 5 feet short could easily end up 50 yards away. This is definitely one of the harder holes on the back nine.

The fifteenth hole.

It's interesting how simple elevation change can be such an effective hazard.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is slightly shorter than the last hole and runs in the opposite direction. It's also the weakest hole on the course. The main reason is the big tree on the right side of the hole. Without it, golfers could bail out away from the stream left in exchange for a tougher second shot. With it, this hole becomes a simple hit a straight drive, hit the green sort of hole. It doesn't help that the hole is extremely flat. All in all, this just isn't a very interesting hole.

The sixteenth hole.

It started to rain at about this point.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is an interesting hole. At 370 yards, it isn't long, but a bunker eats into the fairway and must be cleared to obtain a decent shot at the green. Lay up short and you'll have a long, blind approach. The green complex is a funky one. The green itself is not large but features a ridge running through the middle and a significant left to right slope. If that wasn't enough, there's also a Principle's Nose bunker cluster right in front of the green. I'm not sure how necessary the Principle's Nose is to the strategy of the hole, but it's interesting having it.

The seventeenth hole.

The Principle's Nose bunkers are right in front of the green.

The seventeenth green is definitely an unusual one.

You don't normally see par 3s as a closing hole, but Keney Park has been thoroughly unorthodox this whole time, so an unorthodox conclusion seems appropriate. However, this is also one of the weakest holes on the course. It's semiblind and there isn't a whole lot of drama anywhere. The green is set in a punchbowl, so shots will funnel in toward the center of the green. The green itself is one last foray into insanity. Lots of bumps and dips to consider while putting. I think I would have enjoyed the hole more if it hadn't been cut at the top of a mound. It was a silly hole location that was nearly impossible to get a lag putt close to.

The eighteenth hole. It was really raining hard at this point.

The eighteenth green down in a small depression.

One last crazy green.

It's unfortunate that two of Keney Park's weakest holes come at the very end of the round, but that's the way it goes sometimes. However, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is still a fantastic golf course and one of the best I've ever played. It's quirky and bold, the first few holes feature an incredible diverse and intriguing landscape, it has strategy almost everywhere, it's walker-friendly, and you can play it for $40. And that's not even mentioning the presence of replica holes. It's a simple truth that nearly all the golf courses designed in the Macdonald/Raynor style are private, and the ones that are public are associated with resorts and very expensive. If you want replica holes, the Macdonald/Raynor aesthetic, and value all at the same time, I'm not sure you could do better than this. If you're in the Hartford area and you don't play here, I would say you're missing out. It's a fun golf course, and I'd play there again any time.

Before I finish, I do want to say one thing about Keney Park for the golf course architecture nerds out there. If you're looking for a true Devereux Emmet design, you may be disappointed. Other than the routing, there isn't much left of the original design. Devereux Emmet may have been a friend and associate of C.B. Macdonald, but he didn't build replica holes. Of course, the original course also had no bunkers and apparently suffered from a lack of drama on the greens, something the current course has NO trouble with. What I'm trying to say is that Keney Park really isn't a Devereux Emmet/Robert Ross course. It was renovated, not restored. I think that was a good thing, and I think Hartford did a good thing spending all that money on Keney Park. But I just wanted to mention this for completeness' sake.