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Richter Park is a fantastic public course, but unfortunately it is often packed dawn to dusk and often results in 5 hours rounds. I usually opt to play less courses in a reasonable amount of time.

Played Wintonbury Hills for the first time yesterday, in a breezy mist which added to the links experience. Excellent course, good value. I would caution that low handicappers might be disappointed as the fairways are generous and the fescue only comes into play on very bad shots. I assume this is by design to insure reasonable pace of play. It works, at twilight on a Sunday I played front 9 twice in under 3 hours

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Interesting selection. But you got to give love to Tallwood Country Club in Hebron.

Frank, sorry to say I have not played Tallwood. Have heard good things over the years. Will try and check it out next time I'm in CT.

I believe that the 18th hole at Manchester county club is a Barritz hole/green with the front part allowed to grow up as fairway. Also without side bunkers. The 12th hole is the Short hole with the Thump print green feature on the right side of the green. Again without the sea of sand around the green. #5 is also a copy of the short hole with the sea of sand.

Nick--
Interesting re: some template holes at Manchester. Thanks for sharing! 18 would be really cool if the front end of the green could be restored. Frankly, a modest but targeted restoration effort throughout the course could bring it into the conversation with Keney Park, I think.
--Tim

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Don't bother with Great River. It's overpriced Meh.

Tim,
Writing to you from Berlin, right next door to Hard Hittin' New Britain!
I enjoy your work.
I've played all the courses on your list, and I agree 100% with your top 4.
After that, I would replace 5 of the 6 (keep Manchester).
If you consider price/value relationship and difficulty for average players, L of I, Mohegan, and Fox Hopyard are not good. And you can put Great River in that category as well.
Replace them with Timberlin, Longshore, Tashua Knolls, and Hotchkiss, and you will have many happy campers.
Keep up the great work, and let's tee it up anytime you are in the neighborhood.

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My father was able to play Yale a few times in the 60s and 70s as we lived in Milford. If its not so tough to get on I'd love to garner an invite one day. I'd take the trip just to play that and Great River (and my dad's old stomping ground, Orange Hills).

RyckyRych--

Yale is one of those courses of great architectural value that doesn't tend to turn away genuinely interested people from playing if they're in the area. A letter or gracious phone call to the club expressing your interest and a willingness to play (and pay an unaccompanied guest fee, which at Yale shouldn't be too high, relative to the quality of the course) at a time that is convenient for the course (i.e. not a weekend morning in the prime season) should get you on. Be gracious, be flexible and I think you should be able to score a tee time at one of America's greatest courses.

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Your pictures and descriptions have me convinced that I need to find a way to get to Connecticut for some golf. Thanks.

Awesome! When you make it to CT, be sure and let us know how your trip goes - where you play and what you think of the courses.