Minnechaug Golf Course

Great beginner course! A little confusing when the holes go through the neighborhood to find the next one, but keeps it interesting. Hole 8 & 9 are awesome. Will play again.

Course layout and conditions are good. Price is low. Value is great.

Today we went out in the afternoon and both my son and I were looking forward to our return trip after a month had passed since our last visit to Minnechaug. We were not disappointed. In fact, one look at the first fairway and it was clear that everything looked better: you could see, paralleling the white fence and tree lines, the smooth green expanse of late-May grass, a lush carpet covering all. The whole course felt bright and summery, and it was clear immediately how smoothly the greens themselves were rolling. This time during our round, we saw quite a few maintenance workers out on the course, each one looking industrious. It was also nice to see one of the friendly clubhouse workers, Shane, whom I met at check-on, out monitoring for slow play. For many clubs this is not always, shall we say, customary.

Our pleasant day here reinforced my point from a month ago (review of late April) that this is a course worth playing. There’s not much to add on the layout itself, though holes two, five, and six are superb—that was abundantly clear again. I would put the short but tight and rugged par-4 second on a statewide list of top-ten short holes. It’s the ultimate test of precision for a two shotter, but also fair enough, such that you can’t call it too finicky. Six, likewise, impresses deeply by the accuracy required of golfers to hit (from 175 yards) a green that varies from 18 yards wide to a mere 13 near the back, all after traversing a stream on the right. Despite the simplicity here—call it elegance—I’m not sure Geoffrey Cornish designed a better par-three than this one. The two finishing holes, both par-threes, looked absolutely stupendous in the sun on this gorgeous afternoon. And, sure, I can here critics carping about such non-classic sequencing, but really—who cares! I’ll gladly take this all-or-nothing, slam-bang finish.

Kudos, then, is due to Minnechaug’s greenskeeping staff for raising the level of conditioning a couple of big notches to the point where everything, save for still some greenside areas and intermittent patchiness in sections of fairway and rough, is genuinely looking much better. Today these putting surfaces really impressed by their smoothness and trueness. And that’s worth coming back for. My son, whose opinions accorded pretty much with mine, agreed that this should be on our rota. (By the way, he birdied eight today by chipping in, though that’s not his sole reason for liking Minnechaug).

Maybe this course doesn’t quite have all the ingredients for perfection just yet, but it’s honing in rapidly on superiority. It’s managed well, lots of fun to play, and adds splendid woodland scenery on every hole.

Great experience. Staff was extremely friendly and well prepared given the circumstances (Covid-19). Carts were clean and in great condition. Course was very nice and also in good shape. Very reasonable rates. I will definitely be back to play here again.

Fun layout. Beautiful scenery. Definitely some difficulty here. Had a blast.

This was my first time playing here! This course was good. Very well maintained fairways. Challenging but not overly difficult. Very friendly staff.

The tight opening hole at Minnechaug features a semi-perched green flanked by a steep drop-off on its left side, leaving the unfortunate who miss there only scant hope of saving par. The tone is set, then, for what follows immediately: a tough tee shot on the second to a narrow tree-lined fairway. Miss this by much and your ball is either OB or lost. Your tee shot at three, moreover, will be eerily similar. The message should already be clear: this is not your typical, laid-back nine-hole layout.

Although short, this is not an executive course, either, as goes the common misperception: it sports two full-length par-5’s and a pair of par-3’s that will require a mid-iron for most. Of the four par-4’s on hand, only one falls short of 300 yards. These, too, cause discomfort by their modestly-scaled and tree-lined fairways. Those who spray the ball should at Minnechaug expect few breathers.

Minnechaug, which means "blueberry" to the Nipmuc Indian tribe, neatly achieves a healthy (if you'll pardon the pun) variety in its routing, something I’ve not seen consistently on nine-holers. Here the shotmaker is given lots to chew on: doglegs both left and right; visually distinctive and differently plotted holes; rolling hills exploited throughout; a mix of green dimensions slopes and backdrops. Most of these holes sit handsomely among their forest backdrops; the attractive neighborhood sometimes hovers at the course margins.

The beginning stretch of mid-range holes here vary in quality and difficulty. After the tight drive on the second, a sharp wedge will be required into this hole’s narrow green, situated uphill and blind from the landing area on this demanding hole. As tight as its predecessor, the 463-yard par-5 third holds no particular fascination for me. A straight tee shot will allow many to play it as a two-shotter, with one caveat: a pair of leftward large trees (situated 100 yards from the green) here will meddle with any approach from the left. Four, a beautifully curving hole, is best played by a drawn drive around the trees, then an accurate pitch.

Five is a better version of the par-5 third; it also marks a turning point to impressive golf on every remaining hole. The sentinel tree at the left-center of the fairway may complicate the line of attack on the approach. And the green, situated on an uprise, should have you bringing out the heavy ammunition.

At six, the course begins to draw to its climax: start with this moderately-long par-3 with water looming right; on to seven, a short but tricky four-par; next the classic penultimate, island hole; lastly the closer, a somewhat longer three-par nearly beset by a large pond. When the wind is blowing, the pond may consume golf balls at an alarming rate. Don’t let your nerve falter here.

The island green here, the first of its kind in Connecticut, is not particularly difficult as these holes go, though all bets are off on blustery days. It brought to mind a couple of other similar holes I’ve played, the famous number 9 at Ponte Vedra Inn and Island Club in Florida (1928), and number 3 (virtually an island) at Robert Trent Jones’ James Baird State Park (1940) in New York State, only few hours from here. I wonder, given that these two predated Minnechaug (1959) and that they are of similar scale, whether they influenced this Geoffrey Cornish creation. All three islands have similar bailout areas around the green (they are not wholly green-covered) but Minnechaug’s has no bunkers embedded in this peripheral area.

Bunkering is used judiciously at Minnechaug but beware: it can be devilish. On seven, you’ll want to avoid the cavernous, multi-lobed trap that guards the corner of the short dogleg leading to the green. I landed in it today, finding myself with a 40-yard shot that had to carry the prominent hill (forget about seeing the flag!) protecting the right-front of this green complex. From the depths of this trap, it’s ridiculously easy to leave it short.

Conditioning, which was below average today, dampens what is admirable here. Respectable fairways and greens are playable, but greenside areas need more grass seed overall. My pitches from tight lies were successful, using extreme care, but these lies derive not from superb agronomy but lack of growing grass (Odd thing that the grass grew so well, I noticed, in the surrounding neighborhoods. Shouldn’t a golf course, of all places, be able to ‘keep pace?’)?

Still, enjoying this clever layout is well worth the price of admission. It’s essentially functionalist design typifies the work of Mr. Cornish; it can be played by nearly all golfers. Happily, almost every hole features a forceful strategic element or two. The sixth, an extraordinary hole, exemplifies the architect’s careful attention to simple but important details: to hit its slender green from some 160 yards, option “A” is taking the direct line over a water hazard on the right. But option “B” is using the canted slope on the left and rear as a ‘backboard,’ bouncing your tee shot sideways/backwards onto the surface. The latter is a safer choice—though distance control must still be precise.

The eighth may be Minnechaug's signature piece, but in my estimation a hole as subtle and strategic as six is the true token of a master architect.

Requires all the clubs in the bag! Love the par 3s

Considering what's going on right now you have to be really patient while you wait for your cart... Expect to tee off a half hour after... The island hole is worth the wait!

Minnechaug is what it is. It's a solid little 9-hold course to get your fix if you dont' have 4+ hours to carve out, or are playing with less experienced golfers.

In regards to Covid protocol, it was a little disappointing that they wouldn't let my wife ride in a cart with me, since we live together and all. I get the reasons behind it, safety first and all, and the course is particularly visible being off a main road and winding through an affluent neighborhood and all.

As for the course, it held water pretty well for having poured all day the day before. Greens rolled true, were mostly great, with some patchy spots here and there.

Pace of play was fine considering how many people were out there. We offered to let a single behind us play through, but they insisted on taking their time.

Value can't be beat. $20 for 9 holes and a cart on a weekend? Fantastic.

Another solid day at Minnechaug.

Designed originally as 18 holes by the illustrious Geoffrey Cornish, Minnechaug, now a nine-holer only, is an intelligently-designed, tree-lined, parkland course; it easily has enough variety to hold our interest.

Built on a typically gentle landscape, the course does sport some elevation changes, though these are mainly reserved for tee-boxes situated on knolls or hillocks. There are also gradual upslopes on some of the fairways, while some of the greens are slightly elevated or perched about the fairways or greenside rough. The holes move mostly through the woods, but some of them are, in places, bordered by or situated near houses, lending this the feel of a golf course community. Now, however, the course is owned and managed by the town of Glastonbury. My perception today, and those of two course regulars who played with us, is that they are managing the course well. Case in point: a course marshal helped alleviate a slow-play situation in front of us, and did so diplomatically (Kudos!).

This is a short track, but a likeable one for its simplicity and subtleties. Precision is invariably rewarded over brute power, though the fairways are typically generous enough.

COMMENTS:

AN OPENING FLAW, SOON FOLLOWED BY BRILLIANCE: The one real flaw my son and I observed was a first tee that is squeezed far too much to the right, near a massive net (to protect the adjacent housing community). Right from the start, then, forcing the golfer to aim left (conservatively) and thus at the side of the fairway nearer Route 83. Awkward is an understatement for this tee shot, and I’m puzzled why a leftward tee (there is one) is not always used. Outside of that, though, Minnechaug is fair and well-designed layout. The rest of the first hole is perfectly good, though it won’t tax you too much. The second hole, moving into the forest, changes the complexion of the golf course quickly. When on this tee, the hum of traffic begins to fade; your focus should sharpen considerably. Before you is a superb par-four, the course’s toughest and best hole. Driver won’t be a necessity off this tee, but this shot will put demands on your ability to hit a straight or predictably shaped shot. The landing area is accessible after a forced, downhill carry over marshland, but it also contains a pair of bunkers. After that, you'll need and accurate mid/short iron to the plateau green.

BEST RUN OF HOLES: While the first four holes are somewhat more than passable (only the second really inspires), what’s worth the price of admission are the holes stretching from five through nine.

The fifth hole, a tight but short par-5, requires the utmost care on shots one and two: huge, mature trees intrude upon or are simply part of the fairway. An ability to work the ball either left or right should come in handy—otherwise, you may be refining your punch-shot game (from out of the trees).

The sixth is an outstanding par-3 over that involves a carry over a marshy area that does not quite extend frontally all the way to the green. But the marsh does wind its way further rightward, around the right of the putting surface. Your mid-iron or hybrid into this green will need to be a good one.

The third demanding hole in succession comes at seven, a four-par. At 272 yards, it’s a driveable hole, and its right-angled dogleg creates intrigue with its teasingly short second leg, leading to the green. The line of play is critical, but one is tempted to be more aggressive because the fairway is relatively broad. Penalties ensue, though, when your ball leaves the short grass. The safe option may seem to hit your drive down the middle or right, but you may run through the fairway (bad). The next option is to try to cut it close on the right side for a close second shot to the pin, but a miss lands you in a huge and deep bunker (worse). A third is to take the ball over the right-side trees, but your shot might be too low (horrific). Should you simply find the fairway with a proper tee shot, all that follows is a mere wedge, anyway. It’s a hole that seems designed to tempt us into being foolish; perhaps thinking outside the box here means, paradoxically, playing it as conservatively as possible, wide and leftward of the dogleg.

ISLAND GREEN (!): It’s clear that the inviting-looking island green on hole eight was carefully planned for fairness. More than deep enough to accept shots from 125 yards, the green itself also has a peripheral area that extends the isle considerably both left and right—where you’ll be in the rough. At least bailing out to one of these ‘wing’ areas is preferable to deep-sixing your Bridgestone. This hole is also a beauty, though it’s oddly part pastoral, part suburban (see photos). The overall effect is still stunning. Inasmuch as island greens pose the threat of a quick double-bogey, I enjoy their pulse-pounding challenge.

THE CLOSER: Nine is equally beautiful, though instead of an island, the 158 yard par-three features a scenic carry over a serene pond. The green, set on a slight plateau, is pitched only slightly, and we should expect a routine two-putt following an iron that touches our ball down at relatively close quarters to the pin. All of which should make for a comforting, if unspectacular, finish.

EXECUTIVE (?) COURSE: This is not, technically, an ‘executive course,’ as some have asserted. True executive tracks are very short, with par between 60 and 65, with a surfeit of par-3’s, and thus providing a quicker pace of play (hence they are ideal for executives with little spare time). Minnechaug meets none of those criteria, and cannot typically be played in an hour and a half or less.

IN SUM: Solid recommendation. Everyone in my foursome today enjoyed the layout and its playability, including the conditioning (the greens were aerated, but they still putted true enough). Cornish cleverly designed a challenging short course that still holds up. He was a master architect, and, as was typical, made every design aspect of this course count, generating several nicely strategic holes. In fact, you seldom observe here the kind of overkill—of hazards, around green complexes, or in terms of shot values—that has often plagued some modern courses.

Played very quickly and the course was in decent shape.