Furnace Brook GC (public)
Quincy, Mass.
Date Played: April 21, 2023
Yardages: 2,518 - 2,981
The drive to Furnace Brook weaves through a neighborhood dotted with large houses on big, winding hills. It's clear as you drive into the parking lot that there will be some elevation changes on the course.
The opening tee shot is one of the more scenic I've played so far.
"We've got water views," the starter said when he saw me pull out my phone. The first tee looks out over Quincy Bay in the distance.
The course was a pleasant surprise. Holes traverse some large hills. There is a bevy of blind shots off tees and into greens.
The greens are very small and some of them would be nearly impossible to hit on a blustery day or if the course was firm. My approach into the fifth landed on a downslope off the front of the green and rocketed over the back and down a hill.
It's the type of course where you could leave your woods in the car and play all irons or you could bomb driver on nearly every hole.
The first six holes play on an open piece of land with holes running adjacent to each other. The final three holes are a bit tighter and tree-lined (the seventh is a par 3 on school days due to a playground along the left side of the hole). They believe that children are the future at Furnace Brook.
The standout holes are the 2nd and 3rd. After diving downhill on the first hole, the second is a 400-yard par 4 that requires a good drive to avoid the OB left and trees on the right. The fairway tilts fairly hard left to right. A good drive provides a good view into a well-bunkered green.
The third hole plays uphill to a fairway that has a hard drop to the left. The sixth green is in play if a tee shot is hit too far left. The third green sits in a hill. Misses short and right are ejected, and anything long will require a deft touch off the downhill slope to save par.
With its close proximity to the city, this is a spot I will be sure to return to, as it provides a good challenge and has interesting land and some good holes that require a various selection of clubs.