Nahant Golf Club at Kelley Greens is a 9 hole par 30 course.
This course will not be memorable for any of the holes, but instead will stand out because of the setting, which is odd; the wind, which was plentiful, and the people I ran into. As my friend Deacon explained it to me: It’s a dive bar kind of course. Rough around the edges but just right if you’re looking for that kind of thing.
I had never been to Nahant before. Driving through the winding streets left me with that Cape Cod feeling. As soon as I stepped out of the car the salty air smacked me in the face.
The course winds through some marshy land, with tall reeds giving off a sense of false claustrophobia because every shot is more open than it looks. Ultimately, the holes are adjacent to some playing fields, and the course was an extension of it.
On the second tee, I came across five high schoolers, three of whom I taught back in the day. We played the second hole as a sixsome and then I played through.
This was the charm of the place. It’s a spot I would have loved to play as a kid with my friends. Low key, and no one chasing us around and watching every step we take. The pace of play was slow, so it did allow me to practice around the greens a little bit. That was great because I haven’t practiced at all this summer.
THE FACTS
Date: September 1
Tee TIme: 3:10pm
Playing Partner: Solo round
Tees: Blue Tees (1955 yards)
Game: No Game
Score: 34
Birdie Count: 0 (24 total)