Course 109: Acushnet River Valley
Acushnet, Mass.
Date Played: August 14, 2023
Yardage: 5099 - 6807
Tier: Neighborhood Joint
Rating: 3/5
Acushnet River Valley's curb appeal is not going to send any excitement ringing through your golfing loins. From your car to the first tee is a bare-bones set-up. The clubhouse is a trailer with a small pro shop, a small food counter (which was closed), and a big tent out back for outdoor revelers.
Once the round starts, the opening holes will grab your attention; they wind and weave through the trees. The opening nine has a cool mix of holes, even though it plays across some flat land. The 3rd and 5th holes give players the choice to bang the ball up close to the green. The 3rd is drivable with a long bunker that runs along the last 120 yards of the hole. The fifth is a dogleg right, but blasting driver over the dogleg is an option.
Holes 7-11 play through some land that moves up and down, creating blind tee shots on 7,9,10.
The long walk from the 11th green to 12th tee brings players out to an open pasture that's dotted with wetlands.
This part of the course falls flat a little bit. The holes are straight, and lack the character that felt more present on the opening 11 holes.
The 15th hole might be one of the worst holes I've played this summer. A short par four. Tall reeds block the view of the fairway's landing area. A chainlink fence lines the right side of the hole, and the OB is made bigger by a cart path and a massive oval parking area. Not a friendly shot for a first timer.
I thought the par 3s were good. The 8th was the standout of the group. A mid-iron shot to a green that wraps around a bunker. A short grass area on the right collects misses. It sits below the green and makes par very tough from down there. I hit four different clubs into the four par 3s, and the 17th was a good long par 3, playing about 195 yards to a wide green.
The greens were punched, but the course was in good shape otherwise, and I enjoyed the round. If I lived in the area, it would be a spot I'd visit a few times in the summer. A good, fair challenge at a solid price ($48 twilight)