Woodstock Golf Course

You won’t have to be a scratch golfer or athletic hotshot to enjoy this course. Booming drives aren’t required. Yet Woodstock Golf Course, product of a bygone era (1896), is still relevant in today’s world. The course’s outward appearance may seem oversimplified. It has an internal logic, though, that points to a different underlying character: after repeated plays, I realized how important strategy and careful play were. Strangely, the holes are template-like. The structures are clearly there on at least three of the holes. And that is odd because this course was built before the C.B. MacDonald era. A pure coincidence? No, because it’s hardly implausible that whoever designed this course was influenced (like other architects of the time) by the likes of Old Tom Morris—or others who pioneered strategic golf holes that later became refined by MacDonald into more “standardized” templates.

Without water or even bunkers, Woodstock ignites when the ground movement is strong and when, almost invariably, the greens undulate and tilt. Among these are an impressive inverted saucer at five along with a punchbowl at eight. The par-3, 211-yard seventh feels much like a Redan hole without the embedded bunkers. Should you play the downhill drive correctly off of a slope on the right, your Titleist will find the ideal angle into the green oriented at 30 degrees from straight-on. The short par-4 second is dominated by a large hill that totally obscures a view of the green. Those fixated on driving this green might not have noticed the woods on the nearby right side. An ideal drive is more about real strategy. This would find a narrow strip of fairway close to the hill, where the angle opens up the green.

The 8th fairway skirts the tree-lined road to the right and deep woods on the left. The tee shot at this 385-yard par-4 will cross a rolling, complex fairway that jogs slightly left. It also tilts strongly left-to-right, and the best play, I’ve found, is a draw that works back into the slope, providing a clear line straight into the green. Hitting the right side of the fairway, by contrast, leaves a dicier shot to a totally blind green. It’s hardly a boring hole. Yet these nine holes never lapse into dullness. Short par-4s like two, three, and six are great fun, especially because they will challenge—and maybe confound—with varying pitch shots around their greens. Unfortunately, the closing par-4 is just too short and lacks greenside defenses (although its blind shot will test the imagination).

Course conditioning is somewhat better this spring, especially because the greens have been rid of former blotchiness. They would further be helped, in my opinion, if they were running at medium speed as opposed to their relatively slow pace–several of my shorter putts failed to hold their lines.

Some comments about Woodstock Golf Course:

1) Connecticut’s 2nd-oldest course (1896), Woodstock is also short: only one par-4 exceeds 305 yards. Still, the layout’s dynamic qualities impress, especially the ground movement in the fairways and even in the roughs or around the greens. Additionally, many strong tree lines on several holes will influence strategy.

2) Perhaps to increase speed of play but also aesthetics, trees have been removed in the last couple of years. In fairway six, most notably, a specimen tree–a fir not far from the green–was cut down (regrettably for those who want more challenge). On the other hand, play at the hole is now quicker and potentially more exciting because the green is much more accessible in one shot.

3) Conditions remain a bit above average overall. The greens are good, though a couple still need some care. Fairways (mainly) and roughs have some areas of burnout. Tees are weak to poor with too much crabgrass; fringes and roughs decent.

4) My guess is that course ownership will be working to finish the upgrades in conditioning. Over this hot summer, the weather has been mostly responsible for a temporary setback here (overall, the course was in better shape last year, as the fairways/roughs now suffer from some burnout by excessive heat). I saw continued improvements again this year in the smoother, more consistent, and truer greens.

5) In essence–and because of its length–the course is geared primarily to beginners and some intermediate players. No course scratch vs. par rating is provided on the scorecard.

Overall: This intriguing, old-school golf course can also be appreciated for its beautiful and isolated setting, and is certainly worth playing, especially for those who value the somewhat laid-back vibe it imparts. Service today at the clubhouse was friendly and helpful again. The town of Woodstock is a classic and pleasantly bucolic Connecticut locale.

The Woodstock golf course continues to be improved, especially–over this summer–with the clearing of dense trees on several holes. The greens are getting better, as well, along with the fairways. One of them, the fifth, was out of commission today; a temporary was used instead. Most of the tees are playable, save for one. All in all, a brightening picture, and I would predict that conditions will be good (they’re still average now) sometime next summer.

The 125-year-old layout here is basic (there are no bunkers, for example) but still interesting, and it is greatly enhanced by the surroundings, which are essentially an off-the-grid nature preserve. In fact, Roseland Park—part of the overall facilities here–is just across the street. On the golf course, it is the slopes, the hills, and the ground terrain in general that breathe life into each hole. The eighth seems the most remarkable of them for that reason: not only is it the longest hole, but its fairway heaves and rolls something like a Seth Raynor creation on the Hotchkiss School course built in 1924. I wouldn’t be surprised if Raynor had played here, not too far away from Hotchkiss.

If you’re a low-handicapper, this is a nice place to hone your game, while still being a decent test. For beginners, it’s ideal. When this course finishes its reconditioning project, it will become a certain hidden gem.

Woodstock Golf Course, improved over last year, still has lingering issues with the greens. These putting surfaces, however, are considerably better than last year. Some are even good–meaning they have few blemishes or patches–but about half (the eighth green is one example) remain marred significantly by intermittent patchiness. While the improvement shows that a lot of work has been done on the greens, conditions are best on the fairways, nearly all of which are well-covered with grass. It’s even a bit too lush in places and, I’m assuming, needs to be cut more often. Tees varied in quality from good to fair, while the roughs were decent. All in all, it’s an improving situation.

Conditioning aside, I truly enjoyed playing this layout today. What impresses most turns out to be the use of the landscape here in its natural state–as was the practiced norm 125 years ago. The terrain seems to lie ‘as found’--no bulldozing was done to make the holes–and so their fairways run up and down the hills without fuss or contrivance. With the natural humps and dips exploited by their positioning–at, for example, the second or sixth or seventh–it is ground movement that breathes life into Woodstock.

This course has a laid-back vibe, but ownership seems to be taking improvement seriously from several of the small things I observed today. I’m hoping that they’ll continue with this development by finishing the job on the greens, which apparently needs to be done in stages. It’s nice to see them on the right track, and I look forward to coming back.

Woodstock, a course distinguished by its clever old-school style, seems to be making some progress in the conditioning battle compared with last year, as improvements are underway with better mowing, the removal of a few unnecessary trees and tree limbs, and better conditioning around the green surrounds. But the greens and fringes themselves are still deficient, and it seems that it may take a while–unless they put the full court press on this– to get these back to where they belong. I found I could not putt the ball consistently on most of them, as they’re still riddled with sizable patches and other forms of imperfection. As such, it was impossible to keep a true score. Some decent progress has been made on many of the tees. But until the greens are where they should be, my belef is that finicky or reasonably demanding golfers will find fault.

Nonethesss, it’s an enjoyable round at Woodstock GC. The course was not too crowded today. I had fun cutting loose with my driver off most tees (the only time I used a three-wood was on the finisher, and a five-iron at the fourth). Because of several of the green settings, this track will test your short irons, as well. The more interesting holes seemed to be the second, third, sixth, seventh and eighth, and they generally involve some sort of strategic approach to play well. You need precision, mainly, to score well here; length is strictly secondary. And it’s a nice track for beginners or other developing golfers.

After Fenwick, this is the second oldest golf course in Connecticut. If the conditioning were better, I would call it a four-star course because it’s so much fun to play–a genuine classic from the 19th century. I’m hoping it makes a big comeback.

Although Woodstock GC suffers currently from the effects of a rainy summer, responsible somewhat for poor conditions on these greens, there are still aspects that make it worth playing:

--The layout, fun to play, features mostly good golf holes. Six and seven--a risk/reward par-4 followed by a tough, well-protected par-3--are both excellent, while 1, 3, and 8 all offer some challenges, respectively: a strongly canted green; an uphill blind shot from the tee, a longish tee shot through a chute of mature trees. And the only tame holes here are two and nine.

--Most players should enjoy the turn-of the-century (20th, that is) old-school design. Without bunkers and quite short, Woodstock is hardly a top-notch challenge, though some low-handicappers will enjoy it. It’s mainly a good senior or beginner’s course, with an eye, as well, to the casual player or anyone who wants to work on his or her skills over a quick nine. Pace was good.

--The setting is beautiful and very peaceful because you’re virtually locked out from the world around: I didn’t hear a single car on the eighth or ninth holes because of the thick screens of trees and lightly traveled road. And as the name of this small, classic New England town suggests, you’re in the woods.

Right now I can’t recommend this course with vigor as many of the greens were patchy and marred, so much so that putts had little chance to hold their lines. The fairway landing zones also have too much crabgrass, even though grass is certainly plentiful, everywhere. Nonetheless I enjoyed playing the layout tee-to-green, as the fairways are serviceable. The sixth hole intrigues me most, where the tee shot is key. I played the ball down the right side of the fairway, away from the large pine tree guarding the airspace and short approach from the left. This worked out well enough. Great golf hole.

I’m hoping that the staff can shake off the effects of bad weather and restore general conditions for better playability. It’s a neat little track that requires solid shotmaking.

Opened in 1896 and having the status of second oldest Connecticut golf course, this vintage layout is, unsurprisingly, very short but still creative in design. It has no bunkers but the ground rolls markedly, offering the player a variety of uphill and downhill shots, plus a few over uneven terrain and one across a hollow. Maybe the most pleasant aspect of Woodstock, however, comes from the setting: it is serene and almost utterly secluded, and the acreage is bounded by beautiful northern Connecticut timberland. A nice bonus is the sense of isolation between most of the holes themselves, unusual for a 9-holer, as it winds through pines, firs, red oaks, sugar maples, and birches.

Specifics on the Layout:

Ground movement, a key for turn-of-the-twentieth-century architects, fuels this layout. A few of the greens are set on knolls and some on small rises. At the second, the green is cleverly concealed, from the fairway’s right flank, by a small hillside. The seventh, a long downhill par-3 named, fittingly, “The Ravine,” features a blind tee shot with a final drop, occurring some forty yards short of the green, that plummets down toward the hole.

Every hole benefits from this kind of ground movement. The first five holes are all short, somewhat straightforward, and without great difficulties, so it makes sense that the course’s website calls this a “facility that serves the needs of golfers of all skill levels with an emphasis on novice and high handicap golfers.” For lower handicap players, it is six through nine that supply the spark.

Six, aptly called “The Dipper,” really impressed me as a thinking player’s hole. You might take a shot at driving it, but a dip or deep swale just before the green will play havoc with a mishit that travels leftward, where you might encounter, as well, the lone pine tree in the fairway. The sixth green is well elevated above the ‘dip’ and backed by woods. Eighth is a very solid par-4 and the course’s longest hole at 385 yards. Yet its offset fairway feels like an awkward target, and it rolls markedly toward a green which is blind from the driving zone. The ninth is short but somewhat tight, and it’s landing zone is totally blind from the tee. But it’s a good birdie opportunity.

The course’s Achilles heel, however (Greek mythology may clearly be the theme of this review--see below), is conditioning. While the grass is growing well here, the fairways and rough are indistinguishable on many holes, and the greens were patchy and bumpy. The fairways, infested with too much crabgrass and clover, were cut such that they played more like light rough. Most of the blue tees I played from were in poor shape, some primarily dirt and some sandy.

Each hole of the course has a name in the old-school tradition, and I’m guessing the architect here was a Scotsman. The most colorful were, for me, the third’s “Poor House Hill,” the fourth’s “A-Flat,” and the eighth’s “Long Tom.” Why almost no modern courses use this clever device, in any case, seems baffling.

Some Conclusions:

I enjoyed my round and felt that the layout was compensation enough for the conditions. The routing and the design of most holes kept me engaged. From tee to green are several good driving holes, two decent par-threes, and some tricky approaches that require accurate iron shots.

The course also features a driving range as part of the facility. Woodstock GC should be a nice place to play a round with kids, especially those who like ice cream, as that happens to be a course specialty.

Added Note: A Curiosity

I found the fifth to be a curious hole, named, as it was, after the Greek mythological pair of monsters (see: Homer’s “Odyssey”) named Scylla and Charybdis. I was hard-pressed, however, to identify two hazard/monsters on this hole. Yes, there’s a kind of huge, semi-monstrous tree, now dying, not far from the green’s right side, which may be likened to the six long heads and necks of Scylla. But there is no corresponding hazard on the other side of the green for Charybdis. Hmmm.

Much stranger, as I was driving home on I-395, a car passed me having the license plate, “IMNOBDY.” And “Nobody” is who Odysseus tells the Cyclops he is when the monster asks him his name. Now for me, that makes two Odyssey allusions encountered over the space of two hours. Uncanny, and the odds of this happening on any given day seem about a million to one.

Woodstock’s fifth hole, by the way, can be birdied with a good tee shot and accurate short wedge.

Misled I didn't realize the course was only nine holes the greens were Immaculate the fairways were mostly crabgrass and very rough as were the tea boxes the course was very short. Other than that the staff was very friendly the people on the course were very nice but I would not recommend it

From the moment I walked in "Anne" , the golf pro, knew me by name. After the first hole I realized I had left my wedge in my back yard and Anne quickly resolved the issue for me by presenting me with a loaner wedge. Excellent customer service all around. The course itself was very unique. Never experienced anything like it before or after. If you like nifty par 3's and short pat 4's this course is for you. I would definitely go back. The only real issue is the pace of play. She did say in their defense that the in house tee times weren't syncing with golfnow.com consequently double booking various time slots. Anyway give it a shot! I didnt go wrong selecting this deal!!

great course for a senior with a 150 or 200 yard drive.
super easy, short course. greens are small but in great shape.

When I arrived to the course I was confused. There was a ladies outing. I wasn't sure if I was gonna get out. I went into the club house to see Anne checking at least 15 ladies in. I went out to the deck to check the layout. Anne came out and asked me if I was golfing? I said I had a tee time but was not aware of the outing. She said not to worry and grab a cart. She was able to get me out right away. It did take a little longer than 2 hrs to play 9 holes. That maybe due to not knowing the course. There are a few blind shots. I recommend driving up to see the holes first. Anne was great!!! Course is very short.

A Groupon special and worth the drive. Not a stick out of the crowd course, but one you can have fun with.
The first nine were interesting due to not knowing the course... but the second nine made it fun because you could know where to hit your shot over that hill or around that corner.