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2.7
297 Reviews (297)
5 Stars
19
4 Stars
106
3 Stars
83
2 Stars
53
1 Stars
36
Conditions
2.1
Value
3.4
Layout
3.8
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.0
Amenities
3.0
48.5%
Recommend this course
201 out of 297 reviews
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Value
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Layout
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Friendliness
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Amenities
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0%
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About

Holes 18
Type Public/Resort
Par 72
Length 6158 yards
Slope 118
Rating 68.9

Editor's Note: Course closed for business in 2024.

Course Details

Year Built 1945
Architect Donald Ross

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Pull-carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Proper attire is required.

Food & Beverage

Snacks, Restaurant

Available Sports

Tennis
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Reviews

2.7
297 Reviews (297)

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Update

Was told next week course receiving much needed repairs. Played here many times. Worse conditions with TLC needed. This course has struggled over passed years. Will play again under better conditions when they get it together again.

Conditions Poor
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/20/2021

Hello, thank you for leaving us a review. We are sorry to hear your experience was anything short of 5 stars, but we hope you will give us another try in the future. Thank you for choosing Black Birch Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked
Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/27/2021

Thank you for taking the time to review the course. We take single star feedback very seriously at our course. You are welcome to comment further or reach out to our team in the golf shop. We always appreciate the feedback. Thank you for playing Black Birch Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 33
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Poor course condition

Course is in rough shape from not being taken care of last year( Closed due to covid) pro shop has little to no merchandise.

Conditions Poor
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 33
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Just ok

Unfortunately the course right now is in rough condition. Attendant said being closed last season due to covid really took a toll on the course. Layout is great, staff is awesome and hopefully will play here again once it is fixed.

Conditions Poor
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/10/2021

Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. Your feedback about the course is important to us. We are working to get everything up to par. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We are going to escalate your feedback to our team so we can make improvements before your next game, and we will continue to work towards an excellent experience by using your comment for guidance. Thank you for playing Black Birch Golf Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Rough shape

I'm sure by summer it will be in much better condition. Will I play here again? Yeah probably. But much work needs to be done to the course

Conditions Poor
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/05/2021

Thank you for taking the time to review us, and for the 3 stars. We're sorry to hear the course may not have been in the best shape on the day of your round, and we appreciate your feedback. Thank you for choosing to golf with us, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
2.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Staff is awesome, course...not so much

I/we have played at BB over a dozen times over the past few years. We have come to realize that later in the summer is a challenge for them to keep the fairways watered.

We have always had good luck in the spring and early summer.

Not the case this time. I understand they didn't open the course last year and did very little maintenance to keep it up.

I think that even $20 w/cart might be to much for the current conditions.

We'll hold off coming back this year and try our luck again next season!

They seem to be committed to get the course back into shape.

Staff as always was awesome, very nice group of people.

We stayed and had lunch, that was very good!!

Best of luck to BB, I hope they bounce back strong

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/04/2021

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are going to pass on your feedback to the teams in charge so they can work to make changes. Thanks for visiting Black Birch Golf Club. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Hope the course conditions come back

I have played here quite a few times over the past several years. In 2019, the course was looking quite good. Not sure what happened in 2020, but they lost a lot of their grass. Repairs are in progress but the course is in rough shape. The gentleman in the pro shop, who I remember from other visits is always polite and friendly. He was very honest and up front about the course conditions. It was $25.00 for 18 holes and a cart. The bar/restaurant which is under new ownership since 2020, was very good, and the staff very accommodating and friendly. I hope they can get the course in better shape, it seems they are trying. I would come back, especially at that price.

Conditions Poor
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/04/2021

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We understand your frustration. Please bear with us as we work diligently to make improvements. We hope you'll give us another try in the future. Thanks for choosing Black Birch Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
First Time Playing

Needs work

The layout of the course is great. Some fun holes and good amount of obstacles. The issue I have is when you walk up to pay they warn you that the course is in rough shape. That is a understatement. The staff was very nice but rough shape is a complete understatement. One of the holes my ball was in the middle of the fairway and found a 10ft by 10ft patch of gravel. I think I hit on one patch of grass in all of the fairways. It didn’t seem like they were working on the holes at all either.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/30/2021

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are going to pass on your feedback to the teams in charge so they can work to make changes. Thanks for visiting Black Birch Golf Club. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 387
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Connecticut Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

In Need of a Comeback

Today the same black birches lined the sides of this course, but most of its fairways have become brown. The course suffered the same fate of about four or five venues I played last year in Connecticut after a long dry spell in July/August. But in the case of Black Birch, this occurred not just because the golf operations stayed closed during the pandemic, but more importantly because no one was tending to it (apparently).

The fairways especially are unplayable now, and they will recover only after quite some time. Greens didn’t roll smoothly, as they were pockmarked in too many places. Traps, rough, greenside fringes, and tees were all in substandard condition. It’s a major falloff from the very good condition this course enjoyed in the early summer of 2019. The good news is that work seems to be underway to restore the blighted conditions.

For now, I won’t ‘rate’ the layout itself, simply because that is so dependent on the foundation of a conditioned course. Black Birch remains a relaxing place to play golf, set in a handsome countryside parcel.

I’m glad to hear that other reviewers hope Black Birch will return to form, as I do. When open in 2019, Black Birch delivered enjoyable golf. The staff is invariably pleasant and friendly here and the clubhouse good for a drink or after-round meal. At present, the standard greens fees have been cut in half. There were still quite a few foursomes out on the course today.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/30/2021

Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for your experience during your round. This is by no means the standard we strive to achieve. Please reach out to our management team. We hope to hear from you soon.

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Black birch Golf course

Was very optimistic too have Black birch opening again because it’s close by and for less then 40 bucks to play 18 I thought I was getting a great deal. I will say the staff was super friendly as well as the few groups we saw on the course. As far as the golf course goes it looks and plays absolutely horrible. Long unmowed fringes, bumpy patchy greens, dirt for Sand bunkers, and fairways that look like they haven’t seen water or a mower in 3 years. I will say I hope too see changes get made because the layout of the course and how it was made years ago it could be such a nice course if it just shuts down for 2 months and gets a complete course maintenance done. Overall in all seriousness if they keep the course in this condition it should cost no more than 20 dollars to play 18. I

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/27/2021

Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve, and we are working towards getting things up to par. Thank you for playing Black Birch Golf Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

The condition of the course was plain awful. The staff was very friendly and the course seemed nice in a great area. However upon reaching the second hole I was in complete disbelief of the condition of the course, what I believe was design to be the fairway was a complete mud pit. It Looked like a construction site the greens need some work as well. Was very disappointed with the playing experience especially since a buddy recommended the course to me. Ultimately walked of the course after two holes and went else where to play. Not a good experience

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/23/2021

Thank you for reviewing the course. Let us first start by apologizing for the poor experience you had during your visit. The current condition is by no means the standard we strive to achieve, and we are working towards getting things up to par. Thank you for playing Black Birch Golf Club. We hope to see you again soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Needs lots of work

It is hard for me to be this negative but there are many holes that have no fairways. The tee boxes are not cut at all. Greens are a mess. Really hope they turn it around.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/21/2021

Thanks for the review. We take single-star feedback very seriously at our course. Please reach out to our management team at (860) 891-8066. Thank you for playing Black Birch Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/21/2021

Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We see you rated the course 2-stars and are interested in learning what we can do to improve for your next visit. We take customer feedback very seriously at our course. Please reach out to our team in the golf shop and tell us what's on your mind. Thank you for playing Black Birch Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 57
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Worst condition course I ever played

The only thing good about the round today was the pace of play, which was good because there was almost nobody on the course. This course was virtually unplayable and should not have been open. Where there was grass in the fairways, it was long and needed mowing badly , where there was no grass there were dead weeds and bare dirt. The greens were absolutely horrible with many bare spots and in just overall poor condition. The traps were pretty much void of sand and were just dirt and debris.

I will absolutely never play this course again and TeeOff should not be involved with a facility of this poor caliber.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/21/2021

Thanks for the review. We take single-star feedback very seriously at our course. Please reach out to our management team at (860) 891-8066. Thank you for playing Black Birch Golf Club.

Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 34
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Poor
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 387
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Connecticut Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Walked

Plenty of Challenges on the Inward Half

I played the back nine only today under excellent conditions: it was a nice autumn afternoon, as the accompanying photos show. The course conditions here are respectable, and the greens are quite smooth and putt well, without many blemishes. Green complexes, too, are mostly good. Some of them are still rough some five yards (or so) away from the short grass. Most of the fairways are playable, although 11, 13 and 14, all still patchy in places, have never quite ‘turned the corner’ this year. Augusta National this is not, but I like it just the same and again enjoyed the challenge on 10-18 this afternoon.

Given the many good holes at Black Birch (I have amply reviewed this in late June), this course is a solid value. The Al Zikorus-designed inward half—shown in these pics—features rolling fairways, tilting greens with amply used bunkers nearby, multiple elevation changes, a pair of ponds, pervasive woodlands, and clever strategic design elements. This should be more than enough to satisfy most avid golfers.

Plenty of golfers were out on the front today, playing a shotgun; the parking lot was mostly full.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Used cart

Rough around the edges

Been dry here and this course gets no water except for the greens. If there was no crabgrass there would be no fairways. Not a lot of sand in the bunkers. Pace of play was awful when we started so we scooted around a bit and found a good pace away from the crowds.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/04/2019

Hello, thank you for taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are going to pass along your feedback to the staff in regards to conditions and pace so they can work to make changes. Thanks for visiting us!

Played On
Reviews 387
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Connecticut Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Improving Again on Conditions: Course is a Great Value

Give credit to the management here for taking the bull by the horns: the course is in better condition, considerably, since I last played here six weeks ago. Above all, it is pretty clear that the grounds crew has cleared up the crabgrass infestation. Many of the fairways had been party consumed by crabgrass in August; now it appears that the front nine—which my son and I played today—was in far better shape down the fairways and, even more importantly, around the greens. Without the crabgrass, drives certainly roll out longer upon landing. Kudos for this change!

The fairways were a bit patchy in places, but this was mainly from a very dry September, which is understandable. Tees were still a bit rough, but better, and the 7th tee is finally coming back and should be acceptable again in the spring. The greens were a bit slow, but this may be from catching it on the day before they will be cut. They still putted relatively smoothly.

All in all, this is a big step forward from the low point this year in August. Let’s hope the progress continues.

For now, with the course in reasonable condition and offering low greens fees, Black Birch is a bargain. And juniors are can play at only $10 for nine holes, making this course even more attractive as a family value.

This could be one of the top value courses in the state with more attention to conditioning. I plan to return here this fall for more 9-hole (and possibly full) rounds.

Both nines have their challenges, but the inward half will test an array of clubs throughout the bag. It’s a very sporty and likeable—as well as scenic—county track.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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