Player at Lyman Orchards Golf Club
About
Lyman Orchards is a popular Connecticut destination most known for the nearly 100 varieties of pick-your-own fruit but it also offers two championship 18-hole golf courses and a nine-hole course. One of the longer courses was designed by Gary Player and the other by Robert Trent Jones. Lyman Orchards' Player Course is a seemingly mild 6,600 yards from the tips but don't let the yardage fool you, this layout is a tough but fair test. There are over 30 bunkers strategically placed along the small greens and deciduous trees and beautiful white pines line the fairways. Routed through the orchards across gently rolling hills, the golf course is as scenic as it is challenging. The terrain provides the course with plenty of ups and downs, as well as great views, especially on the 11th and 13th holes.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
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Gold | 71 | 6725 yards | 72.7 | 133 |
Blue | 71 | 6325 yards | 71.0 | 130 |
White | 71 | 5890 yards | 68.9 | 129 |
Red (W) | 71 | 4900 yards | 68.3 | 113 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black M: 72.9/134 | 408 | 378 | 395 | 198 | 397 | 357 | 228 | 592 | 388 | 3341 | 386 | 219 | 437 | 217 | 493 | 346 | 196 | 536 | 554 | 3384 | 6725 |
Blue M: 71.2/132 | 400 | 367 | 374 | 173 | 386 | 342 | 191 | 578 | 381 | 3192 | 348 | 211 | 427 | 181 | 473 | 306 | 165 | 520 | 502 | 3133 | 6325 |
White M: 68.8/129 W: 73.3/123 | 368 | 339 | 344 | 153 | 352 | 321 | 180 | 511 | 364 | 2932 | 318 | 195 | 407 | 154 | 449 | 294 | 151 | 508 | 482 | 2958 | 5890 |
Red M: 64.3/118 W: 68.6/117 | 290 | 296 | 204 | 118 | 300 | 303 | 148 | 380 | 345 | 2384 | 250 | 170 | 309 | 140 | 411 | 280 | 110 | 432 | 414 | 2516 | 4900 |
Handicap | 9 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 8 | 6 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 36 | 71 |
Handicap (W) | 7 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 4 | 2 |
Course Details
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Reviewer Photos
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The third hole is a brutal par-4 that plays over a brushy, deep pit. The view here looks backward down the fairway, toward the abyss. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/24/2023
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At the par-4 sixth, the fairway “runs out” alongside the green, where most pitch shots will be blind down the the putting surface (situated to the left, out of view). Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/24/2023
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The seventh, a classic downhill par-3 that drops precipitously to a well-defended green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/24/2023
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A view from tee eight, looking up toward the driving zone on a monstrous par-5. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/24/2023
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Tee-to-green, the eighth concludes with a third shot (typically) over a sizeable waste area. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/24/2023
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The closing eighteenth: as aesthetically pleasing as it is difficult. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/24/2023
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Photo submitted by u314159836253 on 01/22/2023
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The Player’s 2nd is a straightaway par-4. A stream crosses its fairway; the green is well-guarded. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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The fourth: a challenging par-3 of about 200 yards. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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Six is a scenic par-4 playing to an elevated fairway, its green hidden below in a small dell. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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Eight demands this tough tee shot to a perched fairway, requiring a carry of some 200 yards from the blues. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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The eighth fairway, as seen from the high right-side rough. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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Under late afternoon shadows, a view from the ninth fairway into its green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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The opening hole glides uphill all the way to its green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 04/13/2022
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Seven travels 228 yards downhill. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 04/13/2022
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View from the blue tee at eight: Par-5, 578. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 04/13/2022
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Green eight is set behind a large, marshy depression. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 04/13/2022
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Fourteen is a downhill five-par of 493. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 04/13/2022
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Eighteen qualifies, a long, uphill par-5, qualifies as strong closer. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 04/13/2022
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Five: par-4, 397. Plays downhill to a two-tiered fairway, then farther downhill to a well-defended green. First-rate hole. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/29/2021
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Five: A view of its green, from the left rough. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/29/2021
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Seven: A fine three-par with big contouring--reminiscent of Scotland-- around the green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/29/2021
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Eight: Par-5 of 592. One of the longest par-fives in Connecticut. And one of the toughest. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/29/2021
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Eight: A view over the large thicket that precedes the green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/29/2021
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Eighteen, 40 minutes prior to sunset: A 554-yard par-5, with its green set upon a large plateau. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/29/2021
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Tee shot on par 5 #8 Photo submitted by u314159379595 on 08/08/2021
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Photo submitted by John4576224 on 07/26/2020
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Photo submitted by u1732467322 on 07/15/2020
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Photo submitted by nugentmk on 07/05/2018
Nice round
Good day playing the Players course. it was a bit wet but still a nice day for the start of February. The staff in the clubhouse were very friendly and paired up with a twosome and had a nice round. The fairways greens and tee boxes were in good condition for this time of the year. Pace of play was fine and we finished in about four hours and 15 minutes.My only gripe would be that there was no markers on that tee boxes and very few markers if any on the fairway telling you what yardage. It was car path only and It would be nice if the sprinkler heads had yardage marked to the center of the green. Driving range was closed but the putting greens was open. Would not recommend walking the players course As it is quite hilly and a fair distance between some of the greens and tee boxes.All in all a good day and it’s nice to be able to play golf in Connecticut in February
Player
Course overall for late November was in good shape . Greens quicker than regular season. Few cart paths need major work . Gripes were cart path only and not even wet , no rakes for traps , greens full of ball marks and rough so thick often can’t find the ball just off the fairway .
If you’re going to keep the course open take care of it a little
Lots of potential
Weekend rounding with patient.
it was great weather for the end of November. It seems like everyone had same thought; thus, the course was very packed.
It can be understandable, but the course manager or rangers should involve for controlling the pace of play.
I booked for 12pm, and tee-off at 12:15pm. Delayed, delayed, delayed...couldn't finished round. Had to leave at 15th hole. with sunset warning.
Course is in good shape and cart is powerful though. Cart path only even in sunny and dry day.
Target golf
One of my go to courses in the area, great job by grounds crew on the upkeep. For the time of year course is still in great shape.
I will never play this course in the fall again!!!
We played nine holes. The fairways were soggy, with longer then normal grass, and a lot of leaves. The rough on the sides was covered with leaves and the ball would be buried in the the grass, it was so deep. Balls were lost in the fairway because of the leaves and if you hit into the rough, forget about it! There wasn't one green that didn't have a bunch of leaves, with some greens almost completely covered. Carts were only allowed on the cart path.
I think we should have be informed of the condition of the course when we checked in with the option of a refund.
Player couse fall golf
The Player course is a very nice course to play in the fall. Picturesque to say the least. Course must have had significant rain recently because there was standing water in a number of fairways. It was cart path only which was necessary but it does slow the play. The traps had been raked and were mostly dry which means they have decent traps. Fairways were blown of leaves as well as greens. The tee boxes need a lot of work. I was disappointed that a nice course like this didn’t send someone out to fill divot’s each afternoon. Overall the course is fun to play you have to hit shots not just bomb away and the views add to the day.
Solid Offering at Lyman
The Player is brawny and hilly, mainly tree-lined and strongly target-oriented. And target golf means you can’t stray much from most of these fairways, especially on the front side, where you may well encounter large mounds and daunting hills, woods, rows of trees, marshy bogs or other various and sundry hazards.
The hardest hole, number three, intimidates those among us who don’t routinely fly the ball 250 yards, with a gaping pit that reminds me of the infamous 16th at Merion Golf Club’s East Course. Like that hole, which may have inspired the famous architect of this design, the third’s tee shot requires a long forced carry over scrub, along with a fairly tight fairway but no bail-out to speak of. At least things settle down on the fairly flat green.
I played the front today, and here the challenges persist for the first eight holes, only to let up just a bit at the fairly routine ninth. Other standout holes include the tight, par-4 fifth, on which the fairway plunges abruptly down toward another bushy no-man’s land past the landing zone, and the dramatic, downhill 7th, a terrific par-3.
Around the greens themselves, you’ll likely be giving your pitching game more of a workout than chipping, with the added difficulty of plush and dense greenside roughs. And the bunkers can be magnetic, so a capable bunker game will preserve many a good score. For many players, the greens at the Player will probably be the only “easy” aspect of this course, but they are still fast and have plenty of subtle breaks.
Without a doubt, the Player course’s conditions have improved since I played here in the springtime, when the maintenance staff was engaged in a few significant projects. Today, despite a few flaws around the greens and fringes, along with mediocre grooming of some of these bunkers, the green complexes were in good shape and the fairways some of the best I’ve seen since summer began. Only some of the tees lagged; they could use better attention. This does seem like a course that–rightfully so–gets fairly heavy play.
Surprisingly, this is a decent walking course as long as you’re up to climbing a few hills, but also the long walk (involving a tunnel) between the bulk of the holes and the stretch across the road–the third, fourth, and fifth. Most golfers opt to take carts. Pace was only about average but service professional (as usual) in the clubhouse.
Having this much going for it, the Player offers strong value, and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a stout challenge, but also a venue with some of the most impressive scenery across Connecticut.
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The Player’s 2nd is a straightaway par-4. A stream crosses its fairway; the green is well-guarded. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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The fourth: a challenging par-3 of about 200 yards. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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Six is a scenic par-4 playing to an elevated fairway, its green hidden below in a small dell. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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Eight demands this tough tee shot to a perched fairway, requiring a carry of some 200 yards from the blues. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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The eighth fairway, as seen from the high right-side rough. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022
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Under late afternoon shadows, a view from the ninth fairway into its green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/22/2022