Saugus and golf have never really been synonymous with each other in my mind. The stereotypically gritty, tough town north of Boston is home to Cedar Glen, a 9-hole muni where arriving 20 minutes before your tee-time elicits shock from the staff. I went from trunk to first tee shot in record time: maybe 90 seconds (paid on the phone before arriving). I walked the first three holes alone and then met Jeff, who was a delight. He’s worked for an airline for 34 years, and he coaches the Saugus middle and high school golf teams. He was a lefty with a classic Saugus accent and a nice little draw. I was scared of him at first, I’ll be honest. But we chatted all the way around the rather mundane track about golf and the differences in coaching a group of boys versus a group of girls. Just a pleasure to walk and chat with. The 9 holes took about 70 minutes, which was delightful. If you’re hoping to make putts don’t come here. If you want length and challenge. Not your place. However, the par 3 third is a monster (265 yards) and the fourth hole, a little dogleg right offered some interest. But CG is short, flat, and scraggly. As I left the course, the parking lot was rather full. Jeff headed over to the practice green to chip and putt and hang out. These are the types of places that show that golf doesn’t have to be elitist and closed off. I learned to play on a 9-hole course, and while Cedar Glen isn’t anything special, at all, It’s always fun to go see a new place, meet new people, and see all the different ways golf reaches people.
THE FACTS
Date: August 13
Tee TIme: 2:10pm
Playing Partner: Jeff (after 3 holes)
Tees: Blue Tees (2731 yards)
Game: None
Score: 38
Birdie Count: 1 (17 total)