I played my 50th new course in style this week. Fall River hosted a MassAm qualifier, so that means limited pictures as I was trying to shoot a score and hit 18 cups. The course is a good one. The 18 holes are very compact, nestled in among hills and along the Taunton River. A collection of the holes have a lovely view of the river, on both the front and back nine. There are some strong stretches of holes. I particularly liked holes 11-16. A nice mix of shots up and down elevation changes. The blind tee shot on 13 and the rollicking blind approach on 14 grab a players attention. The uphill approach on 11 and the very claustrophobic par 3 12th challenge the short clubs in your bag. The pressure valve is released as you walk to the 15th green, which is set in the middle of the back nine in an open part of the property. 15 is a wonderful par 3 with the river in the background. The other stretch I enjoyed was 1-3. I always like playing three different pars in a row, and this par 4, 5, and 3 are a good test. The second hole offers some Eastward Ho! vibes with winding land sending the tee shot downhill and then the approach to the green requiring a shot back uphill. The first is a challenging, long par 4 with a large ravine running down the left. The third is a picturesque par 3 with a massive two tiered green with the water all around providing more visual intimidation than strategic. Holes 4 and 17 might have been my least favorite, both holes ended a stretch of enjoyable golf holes. 17 is the most awkward tee shot on the course with a small landing area framed by water hazards. The second shot is to a green tucked up between the trees, putting a premium on position off the tee. The 4th is similar, with a bit more freedom off the tee, however, a small pond protects people from cutting off the dogleg. Another awkward tee shot upon playing it for the first time. Fall River is a course I could play everyday. It would certainly provide various shots each time around and the greens were very good, with good slope and variation. I look forward to playing it again in the future when my heart rate isn’t at 140 bpm as I grind for a score!
THE FACTS
Date: June 2021
Playing Partners: Ryan and Jake
Tees: Blacks
Game: Stroke play
Birdie Count: 2 (54 total)