I went down to Quincy on Friday afternoon to ring in the weekend at Granite Links. My 11th course in my quest to play them all. Granite Links has three nine hole courses. I played the Milton and Granite nines on my visit. I have played here quite a bit over the last five years or so. The wind is nearly always blowing, the fescue is hungry, and the big numbers are always just around the corner.
We played the blue tees, which takes driver out of your hand a bit. However, accuracy off the tee is paramount. Big bunkers and thick fescue lurk on the edges of every fairway. First timers can easily end up in strange spots due to the blind shots.
The Milton 9 starts tough, with a challenging first hole. A tight landing area and well defending green offer a glimpse into what the next couple hours are going to be like. The third hole is a great challenge, with the second shot over water that attracts a lot of balls short and right. The highlight of the round is the fifth hole, a par four that offers a great view of the city. On a clear day isn't striking. The par 5 ninth feels like it's always into the wind, up a hill. The urge to impress people hanging out at Crossing Nines, the outdoor spot, adds to the pressure as you approach the elevated green.
The Granite course's second hole, a par 4 is framed by big bunkers and offers a peek at a lot of the property the 9 holes sits on. The two best holes on Granite are the drivable par 4 6th and the picturesque par 3 7th. The 7th is a forced carry to a long skinny green that slopes back to front. It also offers a great reminder of the climb you'll be making back up to the clubhouse on the final two holes.
GL usually eats my lunch. It asks some good questions and there are a handful of awkward, tricky shots. The place was in good shape, surprisingly soft for the heat we've had, which made the round a bit more manageable, as the greens weren't running too fast.
THE FACTS
Date: July 31, 2020
Tee TIme: 12:30pm
Playing Partner: Roberto, Josh, and Matt
Tees: Blue Tees (6300)
Game: $20 Close-out (18 hole match-play. When the match is done, if there’s more holes to play, you start a new match for half the original bet).
Score: 77
Birdie Count: 2 (15 total)