Golf Course Tiers and Ratings

There are 350(ish) golf courses in Massachusetts, and I am aiming to play all of them. Over the last two years people have asked for my thoughts on golf courses and where to play. Context is always important because people are looking for different experiences or have different budgets or are trying to squeeze in a ton of golf on courses in close proximity.

Others just want a ranking or rating for a course so they can make up their own mind. A totally fair request.

So, I decided two create two different ways to think about golf courses and let people decide where to play.

Every course will be in a tier and also receive a rating.

As I play more and more golf around the state, trying to keep a fair and balanced ranking is daunting, and considering I am playing most of these courses only once, and possibly when they aren't at their absolute best because of the time of year or weather, I feel like I can rank a top 20 or 30. However, anything beyond that isn't going to really help anyone.

So instead I created seven tiers.

Each tier is analogous to a type of restaurant.

Similar to when we're picking a place to grab a bite to eat, we all have different golfing moods depending on the day.

This is not a novel idea. Andy Johnson of The Fried Egg has used the restaurant analogy with regards to why every golf course should be accessible. People can eat at any restaurant, they just have to foot the bill. In his estimation, golf should be the same.

My analogy is a little different; I have picked out multiple types of dining experiences from the dive bar to the "Momentous Dinner" location and then I relate them to the golf courses I have played.

In addition to each tier, I am going to include a simple rating that has to do with how often I would want to play the course. This is because there are plenty of courses in the "lower tiers" that I could play often and plenty of courses in the "upper tiers" that playing occasionally is enough.

A quick run-down of the ratings:

1 = One and done. I'd never return to play here again.

2 = Intriguing enough to play it once more, but after that, I think I'll have seen enough.

3 = I would enjoy playing here 1-2 times a year, but I wouldn't be upset if I didn't get to play it every year.

4 = This place is sweet and I'd very much like to play here 3-6 times a year. I would be disappointed to not play it every year.

5 = Can I please speak to someone about a membership? I could play here every day.

Tier: Dive Bar

The idea of a dive bar golf course was brought to me by two friends: Deacon Chapin and Kevin Van Cleef. They used it in reference to Kelley Greens in Nahant. A delightful, run-down, scraggly nine-hole course that weaves through a neighborhood and smells of salty sea air.

The dive bar golf course has zero frills. The clubhouse is simple (if there is one...), the people might be in jeans and t-shirts, the beers are cheap, and there might be some interesting things to look at and experience. Just like the walls of a dive bar, there is probably little continuity to what you see while you're there.

These golf courses have very few rules or pretense, but there are likely some loyal patrons who love the course.

If you're in the mood for a dive bar, you're probably in the mood for a good time. So pop a dollar in the juke box and crank it up.

Course	Location	Public/Private	Holes	Rating
Cedar Glen	​Saugus, Mass.	​Public	9	2
​Cedar Hill	Stoughton, Mass.	Public	9	1
Kelley Greens	Nahant, Mass.	​Public	9	3
Norwood CC	Norwood, Mass.	​Public	18	1
Ponkapoag CC #2	Canton, Mass.	​Public	18	2
Reedy Meadows	​Lynfield, Mass.	​Public	9	1
Swanson Meadows	​Billerica, Mass.	​Public	9	1

Tier: Fast Food

Sometimes choices are limited. You're on a road trip or need to snap something up on your way somewhere and a drive-through is all you have time for.

Fast food golf courses may bring to mind nine hole courses, but that's not the case here. We all have our go-to orders at fast food spots. You know what you're going to get, it might not be exactly what you want, but it's still going to fill you up and satisfy you.

Fast food courses have some redeemable features but also some items you'd never want to order on the menu. That horrible par 5 with two cross hazards is the filet 'o fish. The par three with the over-hanging tree limbs or power lines is the chicken fries. However, that dogleg par 4 with the sexy green complex and wild bunkering that seems completely out of place is the number 2 combo meal at McDonalds (two cheeseburgers... IYKYK...)

Course	Location	Public/Private	Holes	Rating
​Bunguay Brook (Permanently closed)	​Franklin, Mass.	​Public	9	2
Butternut Farms	Stow,Mass.	​Public	18	2
CC of Bilerica	Billerica, Mass.	​Public	18	2
Lakeville CC	Lakeville, Mass.	​Public	18	2
Quail Ridge	Acton, Mass.	Public	9	2
Sagamore Springs	Lynnfield, Mass.	​Public	18	3
Sassamon Trace	Natick, Mass.	​Public	9	2
Wayland CC	Wayland, Mass.	​Public	18	3
Widow's Walk	Scituate, Mass.	​Public	18	2

Tier: Fast Casual

Maybe you have enough time to grab lunch and scroll through your phone at a Chipotle or Sweet Green. It's a little bit better for you, there are more options on the menu and some of the items are more flexible, so you can mix it up a bit more.

The fast casual golf course has more intrigue than the dive bar or fast food courses. The holes might have more choices off the tee, there are more holes that you look forward to playing, the greens are more interesting, and you will probably use more clubs in your bag.

​Course	Location	Public/Private	Holes	Rating
​Atlantic CC	Plymouth, Mass.	Public	18	3
​Bass River	Yarmouth, Mass.	Public	18	3
Bayberry Hills	Yarmouth, Mass.	Public	18	2
​Black Swan	Georgetown, Mass.	Public	18	2
​Captains - Port	Brewster, Mass.	Public	18	2
Captains - Starboard	Brewster, Mass.	Public	18	3
CC of Halifax	Halifax, Mass.	Public	18	2
​Green Harbor	Marshfield, Mass.	Public	18	2
Lexington GC	Lexington, Mass.	Private	9	3
Merrimack Valley	Methuen, Mass.	Public	18	2
Mt. Hood	Melrose, Mass.	Public	18	3
North Hills	Duxbury, Mass.	Public	9	3
Olde Salem Greens	Salem, Mass.	Public	9	3
Ponkapoag #1	Canton, Mass.	Public	18	​3
Presidents GC	Quincy, Mass.	Public	18	3
Scituate CC	Scituate, Mass.	Private	9	2
Sharon CC	Sharon, Mass.	Private	9	3
Southers Marsh	Plymouth, Mass.	Public	18	3
Stow Acres - North	Stow, Mass.	Public	18	3

Course	Location	Public/Private	Holes	Rating
Stow Acres - South	Stow, Mass.	Public	18	2
​Trull Brook	Tewksbury, Mass.	Public	18	3
Weathervane GC	Hignham, Mass.	Public	9	2
Wenham CC	Wenham, Mass.	Public	18	2

Tier: Regional Chain

As a New Englander, the 99 Resaturant comes to mind with this tier. You're going to have a sense of place when you walk in. The holes have some character and the menu is extensive, sometimes it might be too extensive, making the golf a bit distracting because, frankly, there's too much going on.

It might be overwhelming trying to remember everything from the golf course when you finish, and the holes might blend together a bit. Even after going to the regional chain multiple times, you're still a little gun shy to try something off the beaten path on the menu because that one time you tried the sirloin you got food poisoning. However, the regional chain golf course is one you find yourself returning to because you know what you're getting.

​Course	Location	Public/Private	Holes	​Rating
​Blissful Meadows	Uxbridge, Mass.	Public	18	3
​Brookline GC	​Brookline, Mass.	Public	18	3
​Brookmeadow	​Canton, Mass.	Public	18	2
Cape Ann GC	Essex, Mass.	Public	9	4
D.W. Field	Brockton, Mass.	Public	18	4
Fall River CC	Fall River, Mass.	​Private	18	3
Granite Links (Milton/Granite)	Quincy, Mass.	Public (Granite)/Private (Quincy)	18	2
Granite Links (Quincy nine)	Quincy, Mass	Private	9	2
Highfields Golf & CC	Grafton, Mass.	Public	18	2
Indian Ridge CC	Andover, Mass.	Private	18	3
Maplegate CC	Bellingham, Mass.	Public	18	2
New England CC	Bellingham, Mass.	Public	18	3
Norton CC	Norton, Mass.	Semi-Private	18	1
Olde Scotland Links	Bridgewater, Mass.	Public	18	3
Pembroke CC	Pembroke, Mass.	Public	18	2
Poquoy Brook CC	Lakeville, Mass.	Public	18	2
Sandy Burr	Sudbury, Mass.	Public	18	3
Shining Rock	Northbridge, Mass.	Public	18	3

Waubeeka GL	Williamstown, Mass.	Public	18	3
Waverly CC	Plymouth, Mass.	Public	18	3
Wentworth Hills	Plainville, Mass.	Public	18	2
West Bridgewater CC	West Bridgewater, Mass.	Public	18	2

Tier: Neighborhood Joint

Meeting someone after work? Have a friend coming into town for the evening? The neighborhood joint is the perfect easy spot you'd bring a friend in order to show them a good time.

You love walking your guest through the menu, sharing what you like, similar to the way you might describe oles on a golf course. The neighborhood joint probably requires a reservation or a wait at the bar for a spot to open because it's rather popular. The draught list is solid, too. Due to its popularity, you might have to eat at the neighborhood joint at odd hours unless you're organized and have a plan a week in advance.

It always delivers and impresses.

Course	Location	Public/Private	Holes	Rating
Blue Hill CC	Canton, Mass.	​Private	18	4
Butter Brook GC	Westford, Mass.	Public	18	3
Cape Cod CC	Falmouth, Mass.	Public	18	4
Cohasset CC	Cohasset, Mass.	​Private	18	4
Crosswinds	Plymouth, Mass.	Public	18	3
​Crosswinds	Plymouth, Mass.	Public	9	3
Framingham CC	Framingham, Mass.	​Private	18	3
​Franklin CC	Franklin, Mass.	​Private	18	3
​Franklin Park	Jamaica Plain, Mass.	Public	18	4
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