Olde Scotland Links CC (public)
Bridgewater, MA
Date Played: October 12, 2022
Yardages: 4,949 - 6,790
Olde Scotland Links was a pleasant surprise. It's set on a rather flat piece of land, with 11 holes on one side of Pleasant St and the last 7 on the other side. The final 7 holes are in a more open section, with only the charming, short par-3 16th hidden in a wooded corner.
All 18 holes weave and wind around some ponds and marshland. Visually, it appears as if trouble is everywhere and you'll need a lot of golf balls to survive the day.
However, the trouble is almost always avoidable, or it's so far off the line of charm that it doesn't come into play at all. There's always one side of the hole that a player can use to stay away from water.
The tightest hole is the 9th, a short par-5. A squeezed fairway with water on both sides starting at 230 yards acts as its main defense.
The greens are large, with waves cutting through them and running off the edges. There isn't a ton of variation between the greens, but they do offer some challenge if you don't find the proper section.
I thought holes 7 and 12 were the best of the bunch.
The 7th is a short, tempting par 4. A bunker cuts across the hole, giving players the option to take it over the trap and have 50-60 yards left or play left of it and have 135 yards into one of the only raised greens on the course.
The 12th was a dynamite par 5. All the par 5s were very good. They are reachable, but not without risk. The 12th hole snakes around some marsh land. Large bunkers frame the last 100 yards of the hole. A shot to the left can end up in the woods, making the choice to go for it all the more challenging, especially with a generous lay-up zone.
While I don't love when courses nowhere near the ocean have "links" in their name, I did find OSL very good for what it is. On an October morning I paid $39 to walk. The course is walkable, playable, and scorable. A player could leave driver in the bag all day or hit it on every hole. The par 3s and par 5s were varied.
Go check out Olde Scotland Links.
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