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: Shenandoah Valley Golf Club (Red Nine)

You've seen the Blue Nine, now here's the Red Nine at Shenandoah Valley

The first hole of the Red Nine is a short par 4 at 309 yards. The tee shot plays downhill, and the second heads back up to a very small green. The greens on the Red Nine are, in general, smaller than the ones on the Blue Nine. Laying up with an iron here isn't a bad option, but the closer you get to the tiny little green, the better your view will be. But you'll be left with a pitch of an awkward length, so it's really up to you to decide the best way to tackle this hole.

The first hole of the Red Nine

Not a bad place to hit your second shot from.

The second hole is a straightaway par 4 of 391 yards. The green, once again quite small, is best approached from the left side of the fairway. That bunker front right is not really somewhere you want to be.

There's another decent mountain view on the second hole.

The second has another small green.

The third hole is a very short par 3, barely more than 130 yards. It's the shortest hole on the golf course. This is one of those holes where the general idea is either hit the green, or struggle to make a par, but there's not enough trouble on this hole to make missing the green that bad a punishment. If the grass bunkers right were regular bunkers, this hole would be a little bit more intimidating, and a little bit better.

The third hole.

The fourth hole is a short par 5, almost exactly the same length as the ninth hole on the Blue Nine. There's nothing particularly interesting about this hole, but I like the way it's set in a sort of natural bowl, where everything funnels towards the center. The fourth is an excellent opportunity for a birdie, it's a reachable par 5, dead straight, and there's very little trouble. It's one of those holes where if you don't make birdie, you really feel like you lost a shot.

The fourth hole plays along the bottom of a little valley.

The fourth hole is very reachable in two.

Looking up at the fourth green.

The fifth hole is a short par 4 at about 350 yards. The tee shot is quite blind and quite open for this golf course, but I wouldn't recommend a driver here. Go too far and you'll end up on a downslope with a little half wedge into the green, which is quite small and guarded by bunkers left and right, as well as by a big drop-off behind the green. Precision is very important on this hole.

The fifth hole features the return of the blind tee shot.

You definitely don't want to go long on this hole.

The sixth hole is the last par 3 we'll see. It's 175 yards and plays downhill over a valley to a refreshingly large green. There is a noticeable tilt from back to front, if the hole hadn't been on the very front edge of the green, I'd say that long was a bad place to be. But in this case, long was the better miss. That would be a tough chip from short of the green.

The sixth hole plays over a valley.

The seventh hole is the longest par 4 on the Red Nine, weighing in at 414 yards. It's also not really that interesting, although if I'm recalling correctly, the green is quite long and thin, and the left side of the fairway is slightly favored.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a shortish par 4 at 369 yards. The position of the greenside bunker would suggest approaching the green from the left, but the green slopes from left to right, meaning the second shot from the left side will run away from the golfer. So again, it's up to you to decide the best way to attack this hole. I hooked it into the trees, so my decision was pretty simple.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a very short par 5, and a big dogleg to the right. The golfer is invited to cut off as much dogleg as possible, and if you get far enough right, you'll get a big kick off a slope in the fairway and gain an extra 20 or 30 yards. It's very possible to hit this green with a wedge or short iron if your drive is good enough. The second shot into the green is not easy though, the green has significant sloping and is guarded by a pair of bunkers. Still, it's a real opportunity to finish off with a birdie.

The last hole of the Red Nine is a very big dogleg.

The ninth green.

There is one thing that Shenandoah Valley should really do with their golf course, and I swear, I'm not just saying this because I'm horrendously inaccurate off the tee. They really should clear some trees. This golf course is set in a very scenic location, you can see the northern end of Shenandoah National Park from a couple of places. But you can't see the many mountains from most of the golf course because there are trees everywhere. Open up some sightlines, Shenandoah Valley, give the golfer more long views.

So, what about the golf course itself? Well, it's not the most interesting course I've played this year. A lot of the holes are a little too similar. There are too many straight, medium length par 4s playing through a corridor of trees. And there isn't a single fairway bunker to give any sort of distinction either. Nobody likes fairway bunkers, but they do wonders for lending a golf course a bit of variety. I did like the greens, and I liked the rolling terrain. And the few views that were available were good.

All in all, I was a little underwhelmed with the course, and while I didn't dislike it, I don't see myself going back down there to play the White Nine any time soon.

Review: Shenandoah Valley Golf Club (Blue Nine)

Here's a strange little fun fact about my golf career: Up until now, I've never played a round of golf in Virginia. Considering I've lived within an hour of Virginia for most of my life, that feels a bit strange to me. I've played in Florida, which is a thousand miles away, and I've played in New Jersey, but never Virginia. It just never came up. I'm happy to report that this injustice has finally been corrected.

So, Shenandoah Valley Golf Club. It's just north of Front Royal, Virginia, located right in the middle of the scenic...Shenandoah Valley. How about that? It's also a 27 hole facility. This review will be on the Blue and Red Nines.

Another fun fact, there's a lot of golf in this one particular area. Shenandoah Valley has 27 holes, and literally right next door is another golf facility with 36 holes. Why so much? I have no idea.

Oh, and since this is apparently fun fact time, Shenandoah Valley is located in a really, really weird place. You turn off the main road, and you spend at least 5 miles on a tiny little road, half-covered in gravel, where there's no posted speed limit for most of the way and there is literally nothing around. I was glad I had my GPS up so I knew where I was going. My younger brothers, who met me there, did not have GPS, and got quite lost. It's a very strange place to have not one, but two golf courses.

Anyway, let's get to the golf, shall we? The first hole of the Blue Nine is the longest hole on the entire property, a par 5 weighing in at 546 yards. Yeah, this isn't an excessively long golf course. You'll notice the mountains in the background, those are, of course, the Blue Ridge within Shenandoah National Park. It's a very nice view, but unfortunately, it's the best one you're going to get on either the Blue or Red Nines. A little disappointing, but that's how it goes. The hole itself meanders to the left over rolling terrain. If you can get your drive to the top of a little plateau, you'll have a clearer view of the green, though it's going to take two big shots to get to the green in two. The green is reasonably large, and full of interesting little breaks. Actually, Shenandoah Valley has, in general, some interesting greens. They're quite tricky, full of subtle little breaks. You can easily have a poor putting day if you're not on your game.

The first tee on the Blue Nine has the best view on either the Blue or Red Nine.

You can get a sort of view of the green with a well-placed drive.

The first green is large.

The second hole is a 180 par 3, playing downhill to a green tilted at a 45 degree angle to the line of play. A fade is definitely the shot to hit here.

The second hole.

The third hole is a short par 4 at 350 yards. This is one of the best holes on the course, if not the best. At around 200-230 yards, the fairway plateaus, and this is where you want to hit your drive. You'll be left with a wedge or short iron from a level stance to the green. Obviously, leave the drive short of the top of the hill, and the second will be blind. But if you go over the plateau, you'll have a downhill lie, and that's a much more difficult shot to hit, especially when the hole is in the back of the green. It's very easy to hit that sort of shot long.

Get your tee shot on three to the top of the hill.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a fairly long par 4, and a tight driving hole. A 3 wood through the chute to get yourself into play is not a bad idea. The ideal aiming point for the blind tee shot is where the cart path disappears over the ridge. The second shot, is to a green guarded by a small bunker left, so the right side of the fairway is probably the more favorable place to be.

It's another blind tee shot on the fourth.

Not a bad place to be after your drive. Unfortunately, this was my third shot.

The fourth green. Long is obviously no good.

The fifth hole is, at 430 yards, the longest par 4 on the golf course. Once again, the tee shot is blind. Left is out of bounds, so you don't want to go there. If you hit the fairway, you should get a nice kick down the hill. Otherwise, this hole is pretty straightforward.

The tee shot on five is very blind.

I'll say it here, I was a fan of the bunker coloration. Nice to have something that wasn't just white.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a 383 yard par 4, and after three blind tee shots in a row, we can finally see the fairway. Blind tee shots are fine, but stacking them together gets tedious. This is another tight driving hole, but luckily, the hole's not too long, so a 3 wood should be more than adequate. The second is up the hill to a semiblind green, and is best played from the right side of the fairway. The bunker short right of the green is very much in play.

Not a lot of room to miss on the sixth.

Up the hill to the sixth green.

The seventh hole is another medium-length par 4. This is a pretty straightforward hole, hit down into the valley, hit back up to a semiblind green. I do kind of like the way the hole moves over the landscape. Golf courses on this sort of terrain will always have some sort of interest, so long as they use the land in a mildly competent fashion.

The seventh hole.

After five par 4s in a row, we are finally greeted with a par 3. This is a short one, just under 150 yards. If the hole is on the left side of the green, you can hit whatever sort of shot you want, I'd imagine. But when the hole is on the right, a fade is better. You don't want to be in the bunker short right.

Today, a fade is best for the eighth hole.

You can see all the little green contours here.

The ninth hole is a short par 5 at 487 yards. The dogleg can be slightly cut, but going too far right will get you blocked off by trees. Assuming you've hit the fairway with your drive (too big a task for me or either of my brothers), the green is very reachable, although this is the most tightly defended green on either of the two nines we played. Also of note, this green looks like it has a false front, but it isn't. So don't worry about that.

The tee shot on nine is fairly wide open.

The ninth green.

Here's the link to see the Red Nine.