Rockledge Country Club

Rockledge, West Hartford (5.7/10)

Conditions (8)

Greens were in great shape. Uniform and quick. Fairways were well manicured and the rough was consistently thick, but not too long. Very good for public course in the area.

Layout (5.5)

It is a very flat course that has holes on top of each other. This is not my preferred style, but the hole routing was relatively self explanatory despite the hole proximity. You will change directions here quite a bit.

Design (5.5)

Design is simple. Most of the par 3s required the same club. A few target golf holes. Didn’t use 4 clubs in the bag (PW, 9iron, 5iron, 5hybrid). Nothing spectacular. The area does not encourage creative holes with good scenery. The course does the well for the space it has, but the space it has isn’t special.

Amenities (5)

The driving range hits directly into the 11th hole. Golf balls were carrying the net and landing close to our group in the fairway. They have a few practice greens and due to covid-19, I could not access the clubhouse.

Feel (4.5)

Feels like a well maintained municipal course. Due to the course layout, you are always running into other groups of golfers. It is an easy course to score on but it might not give you the satisfaction of successfully hitting thoughtful approach shots.

Overall (5.7)

Played here several times last year before I moved away from the area, and loved it. It's a popular course, so it fills up quite a bit. The layout is very straightforward and several holes are pretty similar. Greens are true, moderately quick. Fairways are perfect. Not a ton of blind shots, and not long. They do a wonderful job keeping it in great shape, but it can be slow.

A group of us went down from Worcester and played Rockledge everything was great. Andrew Killoran course professional and staff treated everone like we were members. Course conditions were excellent the greens rolled great. We will hopefully be back soon.

I love this course, have been playing it for 20 years or so, and consistently for the past 15, but it should not take 3.5 to 4 hours to play 9 holes on a Monday evening. Unfortunately, the course, like all others, chasing the almighty dollar, puts leagues ahead of everyone and the league player believe they can play at any pace they want. There are no rangers on the course and the staff does not make an effort to move people along. Sad, but I will not go back ever again.

This course is always exceptionally well maintained and is one of the best municipal courses in the state. A very fun course to play and reasonably priced. a good mix of moderate and more difficult holes. generous fairways and very forgiving even if you miss those. hard to lose a ball here unless you go in the drink. if you hit well, you can score here. The 6th iand 9th are par 5s that tempt big hitters to go in two and the 16th is one of the best par 3s in CT.

This review is intended for first-time players of Rockledge GC who would like to play a really nice public course.

For a municipal course, Rockledge surpasses all other courses within 20 miles. Situated off South Main St in West Hartford, Rockledge is a gem and a well-oiled machine. Everyone I met, from the pro shop, to the starter, the rangers, maintenance staff and restaurant/bar staff were friendly professionals. Checking in was a breeze, although a hilly walk from the parking lot. If you get there early there is a large driving range below the parking lot and two putting greens next to the clubhouse. To start with, they give you carts equipped with a GPS, which are very handy, but it is also a very walkable course as it is relatively flat. There is out-of-bounds along the right side of the entire course (backyards, school, etc). This popular course is very busy so be aware that foursomes usually are the norm during peak times and you may be teamed up with other players for your round.

Most fairways are wide and separated by small trees so pull out that sleeve of Pro V1’s you’ve been saving and bang away. If you lose a ball here you need some lessons….soon. At 6440 yds from the tips, to 5212 from the forward tees, the course is longish but a joy to play. The tee boxes are mint, most fairway have smoother grass than some greens I’ve played on, and the greens were immaculate. Although mostly an east/west layout, there are 4 short holes going north/south. Water effects 10 holes. A medium brook is barely in play on 6 holes, but a pond (on #14) is a big problem that I’ll go into detail later. A small drainage ditch effects another 5 holes. On #3 you first see this ditch when you setup for your second shot. Keep it in mind as it comes into play on later holes. A couple smaller ponds also come into play. On the 9th an unseen pond guards the left side approaches to the green. That same pond guards the right side approaches to the 18th green.

There is a snack shack at the intersection of holes 2 and 11 for your mid-round snacks or liquids.

There are very few really difficult holes and I wonder why #3 is the #1 handicap hole. My vote is the par five 14th. It is the longest hole (526 yds from the blue tees) and the most intimidating, in my view. After a decent drive, average players must layup on their second shot and access their chances of clearing a pond and wetlands that guard the distant green. The problem is getting yourself into position to shoot for the green and there are obvious layup areas to aim for. Missing the layup zones long could mean losing a ball. There are no bailout shots left or right so layup and access you next shot. Since you gotta go for it plan your approach shot so that it lands on or very near the green. Long (over the green) is safe, real short gets wet immediately or rolls back into the reeds and brush protecting the pond perimeter. A bogey on this hole is par in my book.

Rockledge is close to Hartford. It's the Main St exit off I-84 . It's also the perfect course to entertain clients or buddies. They won't be disappointed..