Country Club of Farmington

Connecticut is an underrated golf state as it is, and the courses around Hartford fly well below the radar. With a first-rate superintendent (Scott Ramsay, formerly of Yale), talented consulting architect (Matt Dusenberry, whose transformation of nearby Keney Park is was magical) and passionately history-minded members pushing for it, Farmington has tremendous potential that will be realized if the ongoing gradual restoration of Devereux Emmet’s inventive and appealingly idiosyncratic design can be completed.

Bunkering on several holes has been adjusted to look more Old-World and recent green expansions have elevated the intrigue on several front-nine holes, including the sensational drivable par-4 1st and reachable par 5s at holes 3 and 6. Back-nine highlights include the improved curb-appeal of the par-4 13th and the par-4 16th, as well as a brand-new putting course alongside the Farmington River, which frames the beginning of the inward nine. With continued TLC, Farmington will step out of the shadows and stand out as one of New England’s most appealing inland courses.