Gannon Golf Club
Lynn, Mass.
Date Played: July 28, 2023
Yardages: 4,107 - 6,110
Tier: Regional Chain
Rating: 3/5
Gannon is tucked in the Lynn Woods Reservation, a hilly property highlighted by narrow, short holes that offer plenty of options to hit various shots off tees and into greens.
One of the defining features of Gannon is its massive greens. For such a short course (6110 yards from the tips), players can have a bunch of birdie putts.
Some greens are perched up into hills and high areas, while others allow players to roll the ball onto the green. Some approach shots are blind, and after a few rounds, players can figure out where tee shots need to be in order to have a view of the pin.
The front nine is the tighter of the two nines. The five holes (all par 4s) offer a great introduction to the rest of the course.
The back nine is a bit more open, with the chance to hit drivers and 3-wood if a player would like to push it down closer to the green.
Throughout the entire course, there are spots where a ball can end up on severe slopes (2,8,10,17, and 18) so picking the right club off the tee can be vital.
There are some holes with trees that impact approach shots. Most notably, the 12th hole is a dogleg left with massive trees that block shots into the green even from the middle of the fairway.
Holes that I particularly liked:
The 4th hole plays downhill off the tee and along a graveyard and then back up to the most severe green on the course. It has two tiers and a nasty false front.
The 5th hole, mainly for the wonderful view looking down to the green to Breeds Pond and the skyline of Boston.
The 13th hole is a classic dogleg right with a green tucked into the back corner of the course.
The 17th hole has a real risk-reward feel at the end of the round with some cool mounding to the right of the green and rock outcroppings on the left.
The par 3s were just okay. I did appreciate that I hit four different irons into them (7,4,9,5).
Gannon gave me some Mt. Hood meets George Wright vibes. Short and a bit brawny as far as the land goes. Short and wooded. Go check it out.