Norton CC (Semi-Private)
Norton, MA
Played on May 14, 2022
Yardages: 5,045 - 6,561
Architect: Brian Silva and Geoffrey Cornish
I played in my first No Laying Up Roost event at Norton CC. Met some great guys on a beautiful day.
Norton CC is a target golf course that requires accuracy and patience off the tee. The holes are not only tight, but have cross hazards requiring distance control, too. Add in the challenge of reading the wind as it’s blowing through the trees, and this place can be quite a challenge.
The greens were very good and rolled nicely but were also interesting. Plenty of slopes and odd shapes to keep the imagination humming.
I’d rank the front nine over the back nine by a wide margin. The front nine has two solid par 3s. The 3rd is a mid-iron and the 7th is a 105 yard shot into a cool green with slopes that must provide a few aces during the year.
The only hole on the front I didn’t like was the par 5 fourth. It’s a 5 iron, 8 iron, wedge hole due to cross hazards (can we call these station to station holes “National League Holes?”).
The back nine is kind of a mess. 10 and 11 are actually good. 10 is drivable with a wild green. And 11 has an excellent green, too.
But from holes 12-18, I’d only rate 13 as a good hole. It’s a short drivable par 4. It certainly generated a lot of discussion on the tee, which I love.
However, the rest of the back is a mish-mash of holes with forced carries, forced lay-ups, and internal OB.
The 15th is probably the worst of the bunch. A diagonal hazard cuts in from the left and then across the fairway. Players have to hit into a section of fairway that’s 20 yards wide and then still hit a 180-190 yard shot into a challenging green.
This is not the type of golf I enjoy.
When players arrive on the 17th hole, there’s a bit of relief. It’s wide open. However, to keep the tight vibes rolling, the adjacent 18th hole is marked out of bounds.
Overall, Norton CC was in good shape with a consistently solid set of greens. Bring a lot of golf balls and some patience if you’re willing to tackle a quirky, narrow course.