Maynard GC (public)
Maynard, MA
Date Played: May 20, 2022
Yardages: 2,548 - 2,853 (nine holes)
I grew up playing Maynard, but hadn't been back in 15 years. I'll save the nostalgia for another post, this is about the course.
The (after a long time) first impression when I stepped into the Maynard clubhouse was not good. The lights were off and some sort of alarm was beeping in a back room. The bar was closed and a small table had assorted snacks for sale.
It almost felt abandoned.
The signs on the first tee were weathered, the clubhouse roof looked tatered, and the course’s conditions matched that overall presentation.
The layout at Maynard is actually very good. The land is interesting with some rolling hills that effect 7 of the 9 holes.
The par 3s are probably the highlight of the routing. The 3rd and 6th tee boxes are about 20 yards from each other and go in opposite directions from low points on the property up to raised, interesting greens. They require different clubs, too. The 3rd is a mid-iron and the 6th is a long iron.
The only par 5 on the course is a travesty. It used to be a challenging little par 4. Now, the hole is a three shot hole with a massive tree in the fairway at the point most players would want to hit their tee shot in order to have a good angle for a layup.
The same stream crosses the 8th hole, a charming downhill par 4 with a blind tee shot and then a short iron approach to a small green.
The greens were the worst I've played in a while. They were baked out and spotty with patches of dirt running through some of them. They'd be a joy to putt if they were in good condition bc they are varied and have some wild slopes. The first four greens are bigger with some interior slopes and final five greens are smaller but have some slopes that players can use for some cool shots, or frustrating ones, depending on the pin positions.
I was excited to return to Maynard. The head pro and starter were extremely nice and welcoming. However, I was disappointed by the course's condition. I hope it gets a little TLC in the near future, because it has some potential.