Swansea CC (public)
Swansea, Mass.
Date Played: July 19, 2023
Yardages: 5,261 - 6,847
Tier: Regional Chain Restaurant
Rating: 2/5
I was struck by how solid the practice facility is at Swansea. Grass range, short game/ bunker area, along with a putting green. A place I'd spend time if I lived close by. A place I didn't get to explore with a 6:30am tee time. But it looked great.
The course is your typical tree-lined New England golf course. The tee boxes offer plenty of options, as the tips stretch to 6,800 yards.
The land the course wanders through is rather flat.
The greens have no real imagination. They are round for the most part, and their main defense is severe back-to-front tilts.
The front 9 is the narrower of the nines. The third hole has a center-line tree smack in the middle of the fairway.
The fifth hole is a charming par four that requires a 230-yard tee shot and then a short-iron approach over water.
The back 9 has a bit more charm, even with the power lines hovering over multiple holes. They are very much in play.
The 10th plays downhill and then the 11th-17th holes meander around low land with trees dividing a lot of the holes. Then the 18th plays back up toward the clubhouse.
I'd rate the 14th hole as one of the better on the back. It offers various choices off the tee. It's drivable, but a simple 6-iron could leave a full wedge. The challenge is choosing the proper line as some bunkers and a smattering of trees can come into play.
The 13th is a beastly par 5 with a very tough tee shot, as a tree on the right blocks a lot of the fairway.
Overall, Swansea CC is a playable golf course, and for $41 to walk on a weekday morning, it scratches the golf itch but doesn't provide much inspiration or intrigue.