Framingham CC (Private)
Framingham, MA
Played on July 23, 2022
Yardages: 5,400-6,682
I was fortunate to take two spins around FCC during The Ham this past week.
I found FCC to be a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde type golf course.Some features and holes were interesting and engaging but other parts were repetitive and didn't hit the right chord for me.
I liked the greens and green sites. They have embraced the shaved grass around the greens, allowing players to putt or chip. We all had some tough shots and also had a ton of options, which I appreciated.
The greens were also tough to putt. They had subtle breaks and were penal if a player was in the wrong spot. Downhill putts looked uphill and visa versa on many putts.
I liked the par fives, as they were varied and gave players chances to score but with varied risk. The 18th tee shot, with a serpentine creek (think Southern Hills), was my favorite on the course.
I appreciated having to hit some different types of shots off par 4 holes. Draws and fades were both required to find a favorable spot on fairways.
I liked the land movement. A lot of uneven lies and tricky approach shots. It really forced us to commit to shots.
I didn't love the use of trees as blockades and for shaping holes. The stretch of holes 2-8 all had some form of air interference. The second hole was the worst, as OB left pushes players to the right, where a huge tree overhangs the fairway about 100 yards from the green.
Holes 2-8 all had OB along the left, which just becomes kind of a bore when it's more than 1/3 of the golf course.
The back nine is the better set of holes. It's across the road, 10-12 is a good stretch that sits on a ridge that runs across those holes.
The par 3s are very hard! Tough to pick the right club, and the greens were challenging.
FCC isn't a place I'd love to play everyday, if I'm being honest. It's in great shape, which I have heard is always the case. But there are too many holes with the same type of strategy and thinking. Playing it in a best ball and then alt-shot setting was a perfect way to experience it.