Strawberry Valley GC (public)
Abington, Mass.
Date Played: April 21, 2023
Yardages: 2,059 - 2,578
To book a tee time at Strawberry Valley you need to call up the pro shop. No online booking (which I kind of dig... I have one too many accounts at this point).
I showed up an hour early and they sent me right off with Jessica, an SV regular, and Tom and Don, two brothers (Love when places make time for an early arrival.).
I was paried with a fun, outgoing bunch, which made the nine-hole trip more enjoyable than it might be with a different group.
The course is a dive bar through and through. The holes are crammed together, and three of them run under powerlines that are very much in play (as are the power polls). There aren't many good lies in the fairway and the rough is patchy at best. If you don't know the course, there are a few times when it would be very easy to hit into people or be hit into. Jessica quipped that helmets should be required as we watched a group play the second hole from two fairways over on the fourth hole.
The third hole deserves it's own post, it's a travesty for all but the last 30 yards, where the green surround is kind of cool with some rolling, firm terrain that allows for a variety of shots.
The 7th and 8th holes are probably the best on the course.
The 7th is a good mid-iron par 3 with a long, skinny green that has some good contours including a little collection area on the left side. The pin was back right, and it was tough to get to.
The 8th, even with powerlines running down the right side, is a super fun hole. The tee shot is semi-blind. Miss too far left and the ball winds up in the woods. I chipped an 8-iron approach because the wind was howling from behind and it's slightly downhill to the green.
Strawberry Valley has zero frills. The proshop/clubhouse had no food and most of it was dimly lit with boxes strewn about. The course is in rough shape and there are some bad holes (3rd, 4th, and 5th is a TOUGH stretch).
It's not a course worth driving to, but if I needed my fix, I'd consider a return trip or a relaxed E9 with beers and buddies.
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