Juniper Hill - Lakeside
Town: Northborough, Mass.
Played: May 7, 2024
Yardage: 6,126/4,535
Tier: Regional Chain
Rating: 2
The Lakeside Course is a tight test of golf. Most holes play through narrow tree-lined corridors or require a player to hit over water hazards. Length is less of an issue, as the course measures 6,282 yards from the tips.
There are a few holes that stood out during the round.
The 4th hole, with the tee box near the water, was a good test. The second shot, in particular, was solid. Uphill to a raised green. The sixth hole was the first place where it felt like the course opened up, but the cape-style hole forces a player to pick the right line and club to carry the water. The hole is drivable for longer hitters.
I’m sure the 13th has ruined plenty of rounds. A 420-yard par 4, the second shot is to a green protected by water short and left.
The 441-yard 16th rounds out the strong holes. The view behind the green is lovely, but it is probably blocked in the summer when the trees are in full bloom. A long, straight drive is necessary.
There are some head-scratchers at Lakeside, too. The par 3 14th is one of them. There’s almost no bailout area, players have to carry water all the way to the front of the green. The drop zone is a turf mat. A very tough hole.
The greens are pretty subdued. No big slopes or interesting features that make approaches or putting engaging. They’re built more for pace of play and simplicity.
The routing is odd. I believe they needed to work around some environmental restrictions. There are a couple long walks to holes, and the course starts and ends with par 3s. There are a few spots with some nice views across the course, mainly on the back nine and I wish there were more. The approach into 10 highlights some of that potential.
Lakeside is a good place to play golf. There are some tough shots and some opportunities to score. I found the staff friendly and as a solo I had three groups let me play through before joining up with a threesome. It seems like the kind of place that people have in their rotation but probably don’t play regularly, and that feels about right.
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