Rolling Meadows Country Club

Playing the front nine at Rolling Meadows again today, late in the afternoon, I enjoyed the combination here of British parkland-style golf (some may see this outward half, too, as a bit links-like), with its overall affinity for gently rolling terrain and openness, along with several hilly, tree lined holes that bring variety. These—notably the first, seventh, and ninth–add an element of brutality when you miss the fairways, aside from their awkward sidehill lies when you’re on them.

Above all, this front side delivers straightforward golf, if only from tee to green. With the possible exception of the eighth, no hole is overly clever or tricky, the doglegs or bends in the fairways are gradual, the landing areas spacious enough and fairly proportioned. Greenside areas are also nicely proportioned (not too tight or small in area). Mostly gradual rather than severe downslopes exist around the majority of them. Most greens are raised significantly above grade, or are blocked by frontal bunkers, meaning approach shots–as well as greenside shots–often go well beyond the simplistic.

Putting surfaces, too, can be complicated. Many of these RM greens slope significantly for a modern course (on which typical stimpmeter readings tend to be high, as modern players seem to prefer fast greens). At seven, I found that my long downhill putt ran quite fast. The good news, however, is that the ball still held the green, finishing near the hole instead of running on uncontrollably. In short, the greens here are cut properly and proportionate to their slopes–which aren’t excessive. Other greens, such as one, five, six and nine, are enhanced by complex slopes that will challenge your ability to read them. Green sizes and shapes tend toward the large and conventional.

Although many of these challenges may seem conventional, the front side also supplies some definite verve. What’s exciting are the two big downhill tee shots that come at holes two and eight. The par-3, downhill eighth is really tough to gauge, to the point where judging the bounce–for those players who don’t hit King Kong-like seven irons–will be the thing. Also interesting are the tight confines and offbeat slopes of the seventh fairway. These should give you pause about where exactly to play your tee shot. And the seventh’s tee shot is followed by an equally difficult approach into a pitched green guarded almost wholly across its front by a magnetic bunker. The approach at the par-4 ninth is similar

but even more extreme. Buckle up. Then there’s the fourth, a 523-yard par-5 with a broad fairway that gradually narrows down between the treelines prior to the green. It’s a clear green-light opportunity that encourages you to make the hole a two-shotter. The green is large enough, yet it lies on a 45-degree angle to the fairway–and so is a tough target from long range.

Conditions:

About as solid as it gets for its price range. Conditions excelled on greens, tees and fairways, and are at least good on everything else.

Some Conclusions:

Rolling Meadows is both an aesthetically beautiful and memorable golf course.

Over its front nine, this playable track may seem a mostly conventional routing, underscored by its parkland style. Yet there is not only plenty of tee-to-green rigor but also design interest, especially in these green complexes. Although the scratch versus par rating of 72.3 versus 72 is fine, I would say the slope rating of 125 is far too low: it should be in the low to mid 130s. Why? The front side, which will seem hard enough to many, is followed by a tough back nine, carved out of the woods and often running up and down some steep hills. This even longer side, where a couple of par-4s exceed 430 yards, lies in wait for those who can’t hit relatively straight or controlled tee shots.

The first thing that always impresses me about Rolling Meadows is the conditioning. Finely-manicured greens run smoothly and predictably, fringes cut and defined perfectly, fairways groomed carefully. Making a bigger imprint, though, is the layout itself, perhaps the finest of many courses Albert Zikorus designed in Connecticut over a forty-six year span.

Here you’ll find scenic backdrops, plenty of angles and rolls to contend with on the fairways, challenging breaks on every green, and, on the front side, the not-uninteresting attempt to blend links-style with traditional American parkland.

What makes the front nine so impressive, beyond the stylistic accents, is its array of strong and varied holes. The first, a tough opening five-par of 550 yards, opens the game with a broad fairway slanting vigorously from left to right and leading to a well-guarded green. Drive the ball like a PGA touring pro and you may well reach this first in two. Testing accuracy, on the other hand, is the tight tee shot at the par-4 second, its fairway heavily protected by a pond on the left side and dense woods down the right. Four is an almost wide-open par-5, but several side hazards–including a long pond on the right and large mounds to the left–will snag errant shots along the way. Seven, which I would list among the state’s best short par-4s, can become diabolically punishing when your drive ends up in the wrong place or you misplay–even slightly–your approach into a plateau green, on which three-putting is commonplace. The par-4, uphill ninth is simply fantastic, a 350-yard mini-beast that demands nothing less than excellence from your approach to its hilltop green. The top of this embankment, fortified like a citadel with two gaping and bunkers, has only a narrow opening between them. Front pin placements, especially, require hard-earned pars at the ninth.

Perhaps the most exhilarating moment on the front comes at the tee at the par-three eighth. The view is downhill to a large green, fully in sight yet protected by a big, left-side trap. Beyond the green, down a steep fall-off and also fully in view, lies a large expanse of water from which there is no escape when your tee shot is overhit. Shotmakers might consider drawing a low shot that bounces onto the green’s right-side opening, but this is a tall task. The best approach is simply a high, soft shot that lands on the front half of the green. The hole is a great test of precision, and, since pitching and putting are also tricky when the green is missed, finesse.

While the general character of Rolling Meadows is open, this is only true for the bulk (twelve) of the holes, with six holes running almost wholly through woodland on the back. The fairways on these six run from narrow to tight, and some are strongly tilted in the landing areas, meaning they play even tighter. While the back nine doesn’t stand up to the front, it’s still solid–and tougher. Three holes stand out:

Twelve, Par-4, 430

Along with the eighth, this is one of the best two holes at RM. Playing slightly uphill from the tee, then down to the green from an undulating fairway, this par-4 demands two well-struck shots for a GIR. And the green has plenty of pitch and roll.

Thirteen, Par-3, 190.

Only index 13 on the card–which gives you some idea of the difficulty of this 6,800-yard track. Thirteen plays straight uphill to another undulating green, a fortress fronted by three big traps. Hitting a high tee shot, Nicklaus-like, will certainly help your chances for a GIR.

Eighteen, Par-4, 363.

A short but wonderful finishing hole, eighteen provides a shot at a closing birdie. It feels much like a Cape hole, though the rough on the right–which forms a line curving next to the first cut–may be escaped if you find your ball. You’ll still need to work for a two-putt on the slippery green when your approach shot doesn’t finish close enough to the pin.

CONDITIONING: Very good to excellent overall. The greatest strength: the very smooth and consistent greens, along with their surrounds, which make for predictable lies from which to chip and pitch. Fringes are wide and perfectly groomed, too. Roughs are consistent, typically, as are tees. Some of the fairways showed signs of a lot of play in the landing zones, so I’ll call them good in general.

SOME CONCLUSIONS:

I enjoyed my round today, paired by chance with a very pleasant partner (initials A.K.) who enjoys the course at least as much as I do. We had fun comparing notes on the strategic angles of this track.

Designed at the close of Mr. Zikorus’ career, this is one of his distinguished works. I would find it hard to argue against it as his best Connecticut design. The back nine may be frustratingly tough on a few holes, but, when you’re on your game, it’s certainly playable. Each time I play it, my feeling after the round is a desire to return again.

Bordering the course at Rolling Meadows are not condos or neighborhood homes, but fields and farmland. On the back nine, where holes glide back and forth up an imposing hill, you’re afforded some spectacular views of the nearby foothills, and, stretching over longer expanses, the Berkshire mountains.

The drive up to the attractive clubhouse winds along a rhythmically tree-lined road. Better still was the friendly greeting I received from the staffers inside, who were polite and welcoming.

I don’t think too many golfers would be disappointed with this striking, modern (1997) Al Zikorus-designed Ellington layout. Rolling Meadows’ strengths would comprise a nice highlight reel, but three central characteristics make this a track well worth playing. The first is variety: we get a pleasant mix of parkland, forest and semi-links holes scattered across the 18. Another is the relative dearth of flat holes: only 5, 6, and 7, all quite open as well, lend a breather from the hills and greater challenges. Most important, though, are Zikorus’ well-designed green complexes. These are distinguished as a group by moderate bunkering—with every trap well-placed—frequently stern contouring, and some sizeable falloffs that will test your pitching skills when missed in the wrong places.

Rolling and heavily wooded fairways, pitched greens, and sharply contoured surfaces make three of the par-5’s—1, 11, and 14—quite challenging. Fourteen, a tough, tight uphill brute, is an exemplar of these target-golf style holes. One could question the fairness of its twenty-yard wide landing area on 14’s second shot—with its OB right (which prompted me to decline going for it in two). Still, the 14th green is fantastically contoured and will challenge you to take just two-putts. The par-five fourth contrasts sharply with its three brethren; it is wide open and nearly dead flat, leaving long hitters a green light to make it a two-shooter.

Each par-three at Rolling Meadows looks pretty, but none seem dainty when played. Three may be the most dramatic, on which your tee shot must fly over a large pond, and that same pond lies behind the eighth, arguably the toughest. Enjoy the downhill, 215-yard tee shot and its long, beautiful vista.

There are a number of standout medium and short 4-pars here, all serving as the course’s backbone. I especially liked 9, a little monster that sweeps dramatically uphill and boasts the best-defended green on the course, and 18, the downhill but open finisher with some wispy, links-like rough on the right, but a hole that also begs you to rip the driver fearlessly. You’ll still need finesse hitting into green eighteen and around it. But the best among these holes is seven, a jewel, combining a fairway that heaves and surges upward in the landing area with a tricky, sloping green and surrounds. The towering greenside pines here inspire awe.

Not every longer par-4 impressed on these 18, but the ones that did were outliers. Twelve has to be one of Connecticut’s best holes. Its uphill tee shot is daunting (coming out of a chute of trees), its view is fantastic on the downhill second shot, it plays long at 430 yards, the green large but still tough to hit, the ground movement perfect on and around its green. Fifteen, a similar hole, is 463 yards of woods, a leftward bending fairway, and big slopes that punish imprecisely played shots. It’s a bit too fussy in the right rough (much is also hardpan) by the landing area, which slopes hard into the forest. But managing to leave your drive on the fairway’s right side—no easy task—will reward you with a perfect angle for the long, downward-sloping approach.

The linksy holes, including 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 18, are of interest. Although they do not have the genuine ground contours in the fairways that true links do (there is far less pitch and roll in the fairways of the RM holes), there is enough openness, as well as mounding off the fairways and movement around the greens, anyway, to lend the aura of a links. Such design compares to what Mr. Zikorus fashioned at the Tunxis Green track three years before creating Rolling Meadows. Although this was only a first play, I found that I preferred the front nine over the back, despite four of five excellent holes on the latter. The outward nine was simply more strategic and engaging; to outsmart the back, you’ll need patience and good shot placement.

Considering this uncooperative summer weather, conditions here were surprisingly strong at this

6,818-yard layout; the one exception was some mild inconsistency in a few fairways. Everything else was impressive. The greens ran at medium speed, and my only trouble was hitting firmly enough on uphill putts.

Al Zikorus did much of his best work in the 90’s, and this course rates among the top two or three of his many Connecticut designs, comparing in quality to one of his private courses I was fortunate to have played many times in high school: Southbury’s Heritage Village, where the LPGA tour once stopped.

Course is very well manicured and good condition. Biggest complaint was the greens were just too slow. Even downhill putts came to a halt.

Recently played the course with the Safari Club and was not disappointed. Excellent conditions from Tee to green made it a pleasure. Staff was friendly and willing to answer any questions.

This course is outstandning for all level of players.

THe front nine and the back nine arfe two different courses. THe staf treats you like you are their only customer. I played wiht the Safari group that day we were over 100 strong and the service and staff were all there to help us at every turn. This is a must play golf course

#191

we played this track with the Safari golf club about 100 of us .The Staff treated us very good .

The conditions were very good ,no problem playing the ball down.The greens were a little slow for me but in great condition.This is a return trip in the fall for sure .

I've played this course several times. It is challenging but a pleasure to play this well maintained course. Played here this time with the Safari Club. We couldn't have been treated any better! It was extremely warm and very very humid. The staff was terrific showing great concern for our comfort. They had plenty of ice water on the course and were handing out water bottles as we passed the club house. They also provided towels and buckets of ice water that were put out at several holes to stay cool. If that wasn't enough, they had a staff member driving around the course with more water and towels. I felt the whole staff were genuinely concerned. Will definitely be back!

Played the course last Wednesday with the Safari Club and it did not disappoint me in any way. The course was in top notch condition and was only surpassed by the great staff on this hot day . Cooling towels , water and friendly smiles greeted the golfers at every turn. A great experience.

Safari Club outing on one of the hottest days of the year 95+ The people that work there have a thumbs up from my four sum and I. There were culling stations on every third hold, and a cart going around to see if we needed the towel they lent us soaked in cold water. Nice job guys. The food was very good also.

The Safari Club, western Mass's premier travel golf club, played this course in late May. Everywhere you looked, it was green. A well manicured course, you paid the price if you were not in the fairway because of the green conditions. The greens a truly rolling and make for fun putts. The course is well care for and the two nines are quite different in style. Feels like two different 9 hole courses.

Rolling Meadow was a lovely course to play with much undulation. Very exciting at times.

First time going there which seemed to take forever but I know it wont feel that way the next time I play there. Which I can't wait!

Staff was very friendly!

Food was good.

Glad to hear that Safari Club is planning another day there this year.

I have played this course with The Safari club each year. We played it May 30 and I returned on July 9-18. The course and views are spectacular, the greens are well managed and fair to the average golfer. In addition the staff is friendly and very helpfull. Once we were there, hoping the rain would pass by us, we were caught in rain and some lighting, we stuck it out for 3 holes, it cleared and we again enjoyed a day at Rolling Meadows. Special thanks to you to Marti!!

This course is special...it is well groomed and cared for..we played with the Safari Club and the pace was excellent..

this is a course that you will use every club in your bag...

The owner took the time to say hello to everyone... she was everywhere!

Played this course on 5/30/2018 with the Safari Club. Great day! Course was in excellent condition throughout. Greens putted very true. Staff was great to work with. They were extremely organized, and buffet lunch was excellent. All-in-all a worthwhile experience. Highly recommend this course.

This is the second year we have been to this course and found it to be in pristine condition....the fairways were perfect, the rough was a little tough and the greens rolled nicely

Definitely a comebacker

Another Safari Club outing. And another very good golf course. Good condition from the tips to the green.

Played the course with the Safari Club and had a great experience. The course layout was demanding but fair. You need to keep the ball in the fairway to score and some holes have tight fairways. Conditions from T-box to greens were excellent with the greens putting true if you read the breaks correctly. A fine course with more than friendly staff.

Rolling Meadows is all about the greens. The greens are full of dead elephant humps and slopes as tough as Vail. The course is easily walkable but by the back you will be tired. The back is the real challenge, much longer than the front. Narrow and long tee shots are required on the back. Not any really memorable homes but still a major challenege. You must put the ball in the correct spot on many of the greens or you will three putt.