Pomperaug Golf Club

I always liked to play this course. It's got a quirky layout and was usually in good condition. Now it's not nearly as good...the fairways are bad...you have to move your ball around to find a decent lie. The greens are rough...not fun to putt on. Hopefully it makes a comeback.

On the positive side, this layout is solid, even though it is diminished by conditions (e.g., your ball may sometimes roll too much because of lack of grass and end up in a bad spot). I had fun working the ball today–mainly with my stock draw–and found that this was effective on most of the holes, although not all favor that ball-flight. The toughest holes on this nine are seven and eight, but most are still quite challenging–and may well add extra strokes to your card–when a mistake is made. Pomperaug is essentially a ‘target’ course where avoidance of the numerous water hazards may be, for those who want to score their best, the number one priority.

When I played here two months ago, conditions had improved over last fall–and they were about average. Unfortunately, they’re weak overall now, since the fairways and tees have degraded in different ways (the roughs were okay). Greens were somewhat pockmarked but smooth enough that they did not hamper my putting all that much. I’m not sure what the root cause of the conditioning issues may be, but it likely has something to do with the operation of the watering system, as three other western Connecticut courses I’ve just played are all in at least good condition.

Service in the pro shop is excellent: friendly and accommodating in every respect. The course was quite busy today, as it seemingly always is.

I’d played here a long time ago but not in the last 15 years. Conditions seem much worse than I recall. Friendly pro shop but the course conditions are currently very poor. Many areas just off the fairways and greens are patchy with sparse coverage and considerable dirt surface. Greens are horribly potmarked and show large areas with mixed grass varieties and rough bumpy surfaces. There didn’t seem to be many clear yardage makers on the fairways either. The layout is interesting and reasonably challenging with a fair amount of water and sand trap complexity. Very hot day when we played yet none of the water stations on the course had coolers in them, no water to be had. It also appears they have a makeshift sort of snack area, not a true clubhouse but we didn’t stick around to check it out more closely. Not a great experience.

The golf course was in excellent condition, the course was nice and wide so I didn't feel compact like some other 9 holes courses I played at before. The staff was great and very friendly and helpful. My friends and I will be going back again to this course.

Slow pace do to senior ladies league preceding us. Course could use some TLC.

Of the 4some, 2 were new golfers - ranger came around to 'keep pace'. Not much we can do. As is they picked up their ball a few times. Conditions were horrid, on & off the green. Challenging layout. Would be helpful if scorecards had the layout printed on them. 4 tee boxes set up, but only 3 listed on cards. Will play again, but conditions need to improve. Staff a pleasure.

With terrain that is mostly pancake-flat, Pomperaug’s absence of large hills may lead golfers to underestimate its difficulty. Yet every one of these nine holes threatens tee-to-green play with a water hazard–or two or three. Two longish par-3s supply good scoring resistance, but even moreso does the superb, 425-yard sixth, a modern cape design placing a high premium on accuracy. Then there are the third and sixth, both tricky and tight doglegs, both demanding precise approaches to elevated greens. This layout may also lull you a bit at the start, but by the third hole it becomes stingier, and toughens further over the stretch from four through eight, especially from the back tees.

The balance inherent in this Ted Manning design can be quickly illustrated by a pair of back-to-back holes: three and four. While both have the same, shared large pond along the right side of their landing zones and woods to the left, the rest couldn’t be more opposite. The dogleg third plays short and tight; the straightaway fourth much longer and wider. While the third fairway’s landing zone is protected by bunkers, the fourth’s is edged by mounds and a pair of huge trees (about 50 yards prior to the green) with shot-blocking limbs. The bunkered bi-level third green is easy to three-putt, while the fourth green’s contours are a bit less challenging and without bunkers. Variety is the spice of golf.

The round at Pomperaug is also neatly cyclical: you begin with an opening tee-shot over the river and end at the ninth by a dicey approach that must traverse the Pomperaug River again, reaching a green situated a few yards beyond its riverbank.

No matter how well I play, the trip here always seems an enjoyable one.

SERVICE:

Again, received unfailingly friendly help from Tommy, the Assistant Pro, who pays close attention to details.

CONDITIONS:

Greenside roughs and bunkers were good, but several fairways and some roughs appeared patchy. Greens were in only fair condition because they were not long ago aerated; they were also top-dressed. The sandiness made for slower, less predictable putts.

CONCLUSIONS:

In terms of playing shape, the course has improved since my visit last fall, especially some of the bunkers (e.g. behind green eight); though it still has a way to go on the fairways, I’m hoping the trend continues.

As a layout, Pomperaug’s flatness may render it–at first glance–a bit benign, but it’s like an able sparring partner who is capable of delivering a knockout punch at almost any moment. Its foremost qualities are balance, angularity, and hazard placement. Ted Manning, who laid this out in 1971, was at heart a stern designer, less an architect of wide-open spaciousness than of careful maneuvering by strategic choices. But on balance this short but complex course is quite fair, even if not too many errant shots will pass unchecked when landing wide of the mark, often with your Titleist or Srixon sinking from sight.

This course historically had plush fairways and well groomed greens. It’s quite obvious that overall attention to detail is lacking in upkeep and maintenance of this 9 hole course. Won’t be back anytime soon.

Pomperaug’s solid layout makes for a good round of golf, but the summer drought decimated this course:the fairways (particularly) and roughs are either sketchy or shabby most everywhere. Too bad, because last time I was here in late June, the course’s conditions were good across the board–with the greens leading the way as always. Now the putting surfaces are inconsistent, marred by sporadic pockmarks and other blemishes, and the outstanding smoothness that I’ve become accustomed to over three years now is mostly gone, even though the greens are cut properly. Let’s hope the course returns to form by next spring, although that seems an uphill road for the grounds crew. One further shortfall today was a clear lack of attention to fallen leaves in too many areas, meaning my foursome wasted a good deal of time hunting for any ball that strayed from the beaten path.

Pomperaug is playable, but you’ll need patience. All in all, a disappointment. The course was nonetheless crowded when I left at about noon. Service, as always, was very friendly and helpful.

Very tough to see and write this review. Ive played this course for decades and have always enjoyed other than pace of play on some days. It was always in decent shape, moderately challenging, and well priced for a o hole public. Now, I feel like PGC is almost beyond repair. This course should be closed for at least 6 months and revived before charging people to play here. Greens with bare spots, and previous airation left unattended to. Cups left unpainted and edges overgrown and beat up. Bunkers full of weeds and even signs that say GUR but obvious they were not being repaired. Fairways full of bare and dead spots and crab grass grown in. Rough left neven and unmowed for days maybe weeks. The course looked worse and worse the further we got.

Good course, just not in good condition and was charged full price for the round. Other courses in the area are in better condition and cheaper, so was not happy getting charged $35 to play in the condition the course was in.

The course is laid out well. It is pretty flat. There are enough obstacles (trees, water) to prove interesting. Unfortunately the weather has been extremely dry so the fairways were very dry or with little grass.

Fairway grass is burnt with most areas having nothing left but bare soil -- the bunkers have not had any maintenance for a very long time -- weeds are growing in bunkers --Greesn are okay--a few a damaged by the heat and dry conditions --