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Ellinwood Country Club
Rating Snapshot
About
Ellinwood Country Club in Athol boasts a unique 18-hole layout with nine holes designed by Donald Ross and another nine designed by Geoffrey Cornish. Having two different designers gives the golf course plenty of variety, especially since the holes are intermingles. Cornish's greens are bigger and flatter while the Ross holes feature some of his characteristic greens and bunkers. Water hazards come into play as well and you'll face a few tricky doglegs and blind shots. There are some challenging holes but overall it's not an overly difficult golf course. The average player can still approach it with confidence. With a secluded location in rural western Massachusetts, Ellinwood Country Club offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The 11th hole, with a winding brook that runs alongside the fairway before cutting in front of the green, is particularly scenic.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 71 | 6210 yards | 69.7 | 121 |
| White | 71 | 5948 yards | 68.5 | 116 |
| White (W) | 71 | 5948 yards | 74.0 | 130 |
| Gold | 71 | 5322 yards | 65.2 | 112 |
| Gold (W) | 71 | 5322 yards | 70.6 | 122 |
| Red | 71 | 5051 yards | 64.2 | 105 |
| Red (W) | 71 | 5051 yards | 68.9 | 117 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue M: 69.7/121 | 405 | 328 | 185 | 493 | 423 | 194 | 418 | 173 | 387 | 3006 | 225 | 311 | 171 | 455 | 152 | 411 | 485 | 448 | 546 | 3204 | 6210 |
| White M: 68.5/116 W: 74.0/130 | 393 | 318 | 152 | 482 | 416 | 176 | 408 | 162 | 374 | 2881 | 216 | 282 | 152 | 447 | 136 | 400 | 478 | 431 | 525 | 3067 | 5948 |
| Gold M: 64.7/106 W: 70.6/122 | 393 | 312 | 144 | 367 | 410 | 165 | 299 | 155 | 365 | 2610 | 207 | 272 | 142 | 423 | 125 | 400 | 390 | 365 | 388 | 2712 | 5322 |
| Red M: 64.2/105 W: 68.9/117 | 336 | 307 | 137 | 367 | 396 | 157 | 299 | 149 | 346 | 2494 | 175 | 265 | 133 | 385 | 119 | 388 | 390 | 321 | 381 | 2557 | 5051 |
| Handicap | 5 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 6 | |||
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 71 |
| Handicap (W) | 7 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 10 |
Course Details
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Practice/Instruction
Policies
Available Facilities
Meeting Facilities, Banquet Facilities
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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From the left rough, a look at the slightly elevated green at hole number two, a par-4 measuring 328 yards. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/21/2025
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The par-5 fifth will bring down the hammer if your approach shot falls short–leaving a difficult pitch up a green tilted back to front. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/21/2025
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Eleven, originally the eighth hole on the 1929 Ross course, presents several challenges from tee to cup. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/21/2025
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The par-three fourteenth is short but bold par-3, its green guarded by gaping bunkers. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/21/2025
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A view of the fifteenth green as it appears in the late summer sun. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/21/2025
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The long, par-4 seventeenth hole features a first-rate approach shot playing to a green set between mounds right, big bunker left. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/21/2025
Hidden Gem
Great course, well kept. Very challenging and many holes are deceptive and play longer than what they are. Looking forward to going back. For the money it is the best value in the area.
Great course
Excellent course and great staff . For central mass it has to be one of the top courses. Would recommend it to anyone.
Good place to play - bit of hidden gem
I was able to get a great discount to play this course on a Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm for $20 including cart. Fantastic deal to play a good course for short money.
It had been about 10 years since I played there, and I was looking forward to going back. The course starts off with a easy par 4 to get you going. The second is a straight short par 4, but the green is the challenge on that hole. You get to hole 3 - a long 185 par 3 from the blues - and you better land it on the green. If you go short - you better be part mountain goat - as there is a steep valley between the forward tee area and the front sloping green. Miss it long and the putt will be interesting. I am not going to go into all the holes - but the 5th is a longish par 4 I believe - and the green is elevated and features a good slope from right to left. The greens are one of the better points of this course - and the putt on the 5th if going downhill is another tester.
The course is a mix of Donald Ross and Geoff Cornish designs - the Donald Ross holes seem to have the smaller greens with some undulation to them. You will get a chance to use most of the clubs in your bag.
The 14th through 18th holes are my favorites on the course. The greens are excellent - maybe due to the fact that members play 13 and then head to the clubhouse. These 5 holes are challenging and you have to make some decisions on whether to pick driver or layup to avoid a hazard, and shoot to a hidden green if you layup (15?).
The bottom-line is this is not a fancy course, but the staff is friendly, the price is right - even without a deep discount, and you will like the greens - especially if they are recently cut. Pace of play is good and it is not crowded when we went. If you are heading out to UMass on route 2 to drop off or pick up a child - then you may want to work in an extra 4.5 hours to get ready and play 18. It is close to Route 2. The clubhouse was closed when we finished at 6pm on Saturday - but the drink prices in the past were reasonable and it likely is still the same if you like to relax with an adult beverage after the round.
I will be going back and have recommended this place to my golfing friends in Central MA.
Ellinwood Sunday
Our foursome played on a Sunday afternoon, tee time was at 2:00pm but we arrived early and they let us right out. Never had to wait and played fairly fast. Overall in very good condition despite big rain a few days earlier.
For the $ this is a decent course.
We paid only $20 which included cart. For the money you can't beat it. If we weren't 1 hr and 45 mins away I would play this course again.
Good value with Golfnow
Overall, we liked the course and would possibly come back. Course is in good condition, but not as well landscaped (flowers and shrubbery) as other courses. The layout is a little awkward for some holes, and we were glad the course wasn't crowded.
Nice not great
Fairly tough course with some good challenges. The 18th is a bear. 500+ yds plays like 650. The beverage cart was out there but never came near us. Overall condition was pretty good and thanks to Golf now the price was good but would not go back at full price.
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