Minnechaug Golf Course

A bit busy but good pace. Dry conditions. Great for beginner and intermediate players.

Definitely a gem of 9 hole course. Great price and challenge for the beginner and average golfer.

Among short nine-hole courses between 2,500 and 3,000 yards in length, Minnechaug’s design will rival just about anything across the state. The rolling terrain is typically more subtle than dramatic–even unremarkable for Connecticut–but architect Geoffrey Cornish, who designed this in 1959 (which may seem the medieval era of golf to many players), worked smartly with green placement; he also positioned some of the tees on high hills. The key to this course is that no hole is a clinker because the variety and choice of design elements is consistently excellent.

LAYOUT SUMMARY

Most golfers will find the trio of watery par-3’s here (6, 8, 9) to have sharp teeth, although the hardest single hole is probably the second, a narrow and tree-lined four-par playing to a plateau green. The third, fourth and fifth holes lie at the heart of the course, strengthened by two par-fives that combine relatively straight fairways with a few obstacles on the way to their greens. In fact, Cornish created a set of straightforward holes on this nine, yet the fascinating short par-4 seventh offers the one big risk-reward option at Minnechaug, as it tempts you, from the tee, to cut the corner if you wish to drive the well-guarded putting surface–because also at this bend is a sprawling cloverleaf bunker, embedded like a crouching tiger and promising a difficult recovery if it snags your errant drive.

CONDITIONS
The greens, sanded and aerated, need more time to return to form. What I noticed, however, were some significant improvements over last year on holes one, two and four in both the fairways and roughs. The last fifty yards of hole three, however, still needs much work. Tees as a group were fair at best. I expect overall conditions to be good–better than they are now–within a month or so.

BOTTOM LINE
Today, as always, my son and I enjoyed the general playing experience on the course itself, but we were disappointed with the pace of play, as it clocked in slower than expected. In terms of difficulty, this well-frequented and enjoyable nine-holer ranges from fair to moderate and will suit a wide range of player handicaps.

A really fun course that makes you hit it straight. Love the challenge

Course in good shape for the time of year. Made a reservation on GolfNow and when I got there the clubhouse guy said they don't write in slots for online reservations. Had to talk to the two groups waiting and was lucky to get in with another single in front of the foursome I was put behind.

The Ranger allowed one group to grind the course to a halt. A Threesome (Husband, Wife, Child) were playing poorly, which is OK, but with no regard to those behind them. They did let a twosome play through, but for the last 5 holes, they hit multiple tee shots, searched for balls in the water, took FOREVER to putt, etc...

First day out for the season. The course was in good shape and pace of play was perfect. Staff is always extremely pleasant and helpful.