Woodstock Golf Course

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.