Franklin CC (private)
Franklin, MA
Date Played: September 16, 2022
Yardages: 5,586 - 6,749
The opening tee shot at FCC is a slice of what’s in store all day. A creek runs along the right side of the dogleg left, making club choice and commitment pivotal. Over the round, players will negotiate blind tee shots and water hazards regularly. In some cases, steep slopes carry balls down into hazards.
We played w/out a member, so we were surprised when shots that we thought might be good ended up lost or in a bind.
The course was in superb shape. Greens were excellent and fairways were bouncy. No excuses for mishits!
The stretch of 5-7 was my favorite. The three holes run straight away from the clubhouse along rolling, tree-lined terrain. 5 had the best green site, albeit a very challenging one.
6 is a long par four and 7 is a really strong par 5 that players can reach, but the second shot is blind due to a wave in the middle of the fairway that players must hit over.
The set of par 3s was solid; I would have loved a short one. The fourth was the closest, with a mid-iron approach over water. The long 14th was a great test in a cool setting next to a pond.
The greens sites are rather pedestrian. 5,7,10,12, and 15 stood out for their size and contours.
The overall setting and vibe felt great at FCC. People were nice and said “hello”’in passing to a foursome of guests.
The course has a lot of the things I personally find frustrating about a course - numerous streams, station-to-station holes, and overly penal blind shots where good shots are carried into hazards.
Some holes felt similar
1) Aim over a bunker on the corner of a dogleg.
2) Play to the safe side with a shorter club or hit over a slope to a steep downhill incline.
I’d love to play the course a second time with a bit more understanding to take on some shots more strategically.