Chanticlair Golf Club

Chanticlair Golf Course is an unpretentious but likable 9-hole track. Possessing old-school character and a mix of solid holes, it has much to recommend it. This layout's calling card is the fourth hole, featuring a testing island green that will try your skill with an iron. We shouldn't minimize the value of the other eight, though, not to mention the beauty of this rolling, wooded terrain. Above all, what puts Chanticlair a cut above the norm are two facets: its playability for golfers of diverse handicaps, and its inclusion of enough challenges on fairways and greens to satisfy better players.

This is one of those courses that does more with less. It doesn't have six bunkers per hole; its greens are not set on big plateaus; its elevation changes tend to be gradual rather than forbidding; the fairways are mostly smooth and flowing, not bumpy or eccentric.

Challenges at Chanticlair, however, are centered on some fairly pervasive threats. Six holes have water in play, either prominently or lurking at the margins. Trees are also plentiful. Some are placed sporadically to catch errant shots; others may interfere from certain angles with approach shots; oftentimes woods line the fairways, causing you to ponder your "big miss."

The first three holes here lie on a flat, plateau-like piece of terrain similar to tableland. You may be lulled by the first hole's apparent ease, but the green on this testy par-3 itself is a relatively narrow one to hit from 190 yards. Hole two is the course's longest 4-par, maxing out just under 400 yards. It is a straight affair, simple at first glance. There is, though, a crossing fairway stream, a tree protecting the green's entrance, and other scattered hazards to keep you fully engaged. The 3rd it is flat and spacious, its green modestly defended.

Given its penal, island green, the fourth hole is transitional, but mainly because this begins a stretch of challenging holes comprising the heart of this layout. And the tee shot at four may have your heart pumping; yet its green is fairly proportioned for a 140-yard approach.

What hits me about the next two holes is their complexity. Five is the proverbial 'short-but-tough' five-par, its right side guarded heavily—off the drive—inside this dogleg-left. You may play short of the right-hand bunker on the dogleg's corner (the right side is the safest route) or you may want to fly it. Either one or the other is advisable, because the bunker pinches the fairway, creating a small bottle-neck. It takes two excellent shots to find this fifth green, bunker-flanked but flat enough for a good birdie chance.

The sixth is for me the most exhilarating hole here. By its leftward curve, the hole seems to give you an invitation to attack its left side, yet that is the weaker position from which to approach. Aim your drive instead for the right/center, which opens up the green. I usually try to manage this with high, mild cut or a small draw. A pond, a copse leftward, a green ringed by thick, towering pines—these are the next problems on the approach, all conspiring to thwart weak shots. About the time you’ve figured out how to play this hole, you may also notice how beautifully it is set, beginning from a high tee, then rolling and curving downhill over a small pond and into the pines.

After another scenic tee shot downward into the valley of the 350-yard seventh, your short iron/wedge approach that follows may need to fly one of two burly greenside traps. Deadly wedge play is essential to attack the pin on this elevated green.

The eighth hole’s narrowness may inspire ire in some; others may love the way it puts a premium on accuracy. In any case, the fairway narrows to seventeen yards at one juncture, with OB (the road) left. Nine, too, is about fairway-finding. This “runway” styled hole seemed nearly obligatory for the 60’s/70’s golf course (Chanticlair opened in ’72). You’ll need two powerful blows to reach the green. There is one deadly threat on this final approach: Stollman Road, 20 yards left of the green.

A big plus here involves course conditioning. One flaw I could find was on some of the tees, which were a bit rough and patchy in places; others were good to excellent. The varied greens here (some are mildly undulating; some have more severe slopes) are well-kept. They also roll smoothly. Course conditions, in fact, are currently superior Minnechaug or Black Birch, tracks with which Chanticlair deserves comparison.

A second major plus at Chanticlair is the friendliness of the staff; they never disappoint.

Having been a member here for several years in the nineties, I can say that this layout holds up. I have never tired of it, even after hundreds of rounds—more than any other course I’ve played over a lifetime of golf. The course’s variety, then, may be its standout feature. It all sounds to me, as I write it, like a solid endorsement, and the course’s popularity in Colchester seems to confirm it. My son, a member here now for several years, loves it here. Chanticlair also has an enduring beauty, primarily the work of its late designer, Mr. Hymie Stollman, who clearly sought to produce a natural routing that flows gracefully over its hilly terrain.

I had brought my 14 year son with me on that day. It was a great par three that I never knew was there. It was a great find.

It's 9 holes and it is challenging from the "first cut" and basically impossible from the rough. If you hit fairways, it isn't a long course by any means, even from the back tees. Fairways decent but not spectacular. If you are just off the edges, you can play this rough okay. But my lord, a few more yards left or right and it's crazy deep and basically unplayable. Too easy to lose balls, even within 8-10 yards from the fairway. 7 of the 9 greens were very good (but slow), and the maintenance crew was working hard at 7am when I played. I will play it multiple times because it forces you to focus on find fairways and be sharp. Tee boxes need to be fixed. Cart paths are really bad. But cheap, so you get what you pay for and knowing that expectation, it's an okay round.

A nine hole course. Played here for the first time then returned the next day for another 9 and I will be back many, many times. Great thing about this course is that it is less than 30 minutes from the Hartford routes 91-84-2-3 interchanges and just 5 minutes off a Route 2 exit. Rates are very reasonalbe. Paid $20 w/ cart through my Golfing Magazine membership. A good value though senior rate is $21 weekdays so I only saved a buck. Course is well maintained (although the 1st cut was high and balls were lost when they should have been found). Fairways are wide, sand traps minimal, rough between fairways mostly mature trees without junk under them, greens mostly flat with some back-to-front slope, layout is challenging and staff is great, especially Cary in the pro shop. Short first hole could lure player to think course is a piece of cake, which it isn't. Most early holes are pretty flat but later holes have some elevation changes. Island green on the par 3 fourth is their signature hole. TPC Sawgrass island green is easy compared to this hole. Shot to green could be over or near a fairway tree. Yardage ranges from 100 to 145 dependign on tee box used. Forunately green is big, although the margin of error is small. Club house is very simple with minimal amenities. Course has the feel of a family-owned facility; friendly, competitive and inviting. I like it.

Great variety and memorability throughout. Conditions were excellent as was the scenery. Very friendly and professional staff. Would happily play there again any chance that I get. Also offer excellent PGA private instruction along with group and beginner/intermediate weekly clinics and summer junior camps.

Not a bad course for the value if you're walking. Unfortunately its only a 9 hole course and the hole locations are almost always the same. Wish the greens were more challenging.