Vineyard Valley Golf Club

Vineyard Valley offers a bit of everything. Full size Driving range. Large practice putting greens and chipping area. The cost per round is affordable and the beer and wine selection more than adequate. The 9th hole was by far the most challenging and exciting. It reminded me of the island green at Pebble Beach. The uniqueness of the course made playing through twice a non-issue. Something to consider if your typically a 18 hole only golfer. They had a sit down restaurant and full size pro shop. The owner informed me the restaurant was closed due to Covid and would reopen in the near future. It was reassuring each employee I saw had a mask on. Carts were clean and sanitized. If I lived in the area I’d certainly take advantage of their extremely low cost seasons pass.

Senior citizen. My wife and I play just for fun and exercise. We don`t keep score!
The course is easy for us to navigate,with no pressure for a QUICK PACE! Nice scenery. The course is FUN!

Eight out of nine greens had huge bare spots. Fairways had bare patches. Tees where mostly dirt. What grass there was on the greens was all snarly so the ball wouldn’t roll well at all.

My grandson and I enjoyed our round of golf and I will revisit the course soon. Because of the exceptionally dry weather we have been having some of the greens were burnt otherwise the course is in great condition. The staf were very friendly and helpful.

Hidden gem this course is. It’s only like $25 for 18, so you get what you get. Not the best course conditions and greens always play slow.

However, I’ve never been paired up with anyone (played all different times), course staff is very friendly, never a wait, can get whatever tee times you want. Pace of play is rarely an issue, usually it’s wide open to play at whatever pace you’d like, and it’s not expensive at all so you can go a lot more. 9 holes, and you get to drive on 7 of the 9. Long course which is great for 9. Hole 7 is really fun, straight with a huge downhill drop so you can hit bombs.

If your ball goes into the woods or a hazard, forget about it you’ll never find it, so I do go through a handful of balls. But the atmosphere is great, always available and cheap. I would definitely get a membership if I lived closer.

Tee boxes are a wreck.
Greens very slow, but we are in a heat wave so mowing them would probably kill them.
Scenic views from 7th tee.
7th is the most fun hole I played in some time. Your tee shot stays in the air so long you thing you are Bryson Dechambeau..

Love playing here. I have fun every time. Always meet new people. Pace of play is great. The owner is one of the nicest people you could ever meet.

Vineyard Valley, built—as its name suggests—over a former vineyard, derives energy from its mix of doglegs, and its variation between up and downhill holes. The course was constructed on a good, if extremely hilly site. The seventh has the largest drop from tee to fairway of any hole I've encountered in Connecticut; from down by the clubhouse, it looks like a Vermont ski slope. The par-3 ninth is a sterling golf hole, and 5 and 8 are fairly good par 4's. Most of the difficulty of the course stems from big sidehill lies (a nice gentleman I played with here for the last few holes told me the course has almost no flat lies; I certainly didn't have any throughout the nine).

What I don't see the point of, though, the way most green complexes here are designed: they possess small and flat—often quite flat—greens that were more suited to executive courses (with short holes) than a layout of this length and potential. Granted, there are few greenside bunkers here, but these are the one defense—used only sporadically—around the putting surfaces.

The conditioning I observed here did not meet a reasonable standard for serious play. Both fairways and rough were marred by crabgrass, clover, and other weeds. Bunkers were filled with weeds, some of them tall. Nearly undefined fringes didn't help, and greens were ultra-show in speed, my putts bumping their way to the holes. The net effect was of a layout without mowing lines from the tees and into the greens, as only the greens were set apart visually. Many of the tees—although not all—were chewed up. Unfortunately, conditioning of this caliber affects the overall playing experience.

As at least one GA reviewer has noted before me, this could be an attractive venue if the owner(s) were to put something more than basic efforts into the conditioning. It deserves better. Some of these reviewers, too, insinuate that the course isn't fit for even casual play, but I respectfully disagree and would call it fine for a good percentage of golfers. Despite the conditioning, I still essentially enjoyed my nine holes here; after all, it's golf!

The chief benefit of playing here is experiencing some of the finest scenery you'll find anywhere as you get up (quickly) onto the massive hill on which this course is built.

Best Hole: The course's best hole comes at the concluding ninth, a nifty par-3 nearly surrounded by water. This variation is better than the standard, totally penal island green, because it allows a bail-out area behind the green, with water on its front and two sides. You'll need a straight tee shot on this one.

Most Difficult Hole: A par-five less than 500 yards, six nonetheless runs straight uphill between the woods on the left and a huge, rambling, impressive-looking modern mansion. The views are magical up here, but the green is very small and basically blind from the fairway. Although the fairway is wide enough, straight and straighter is the order of business on this imposing hole.

Other notes, comments, opinions:
(a) Noted a generally careful response to Covid-19 pandemic.
(b) Friendly gentleman at check-in.
(c) Course was quite busy.
(d) Great scenic, drive through the Connecticut countryside to get here; course itself is located on a scenic drive itself through farmland and mainly pristine forests.

Had a good time playing the corse with friends. Good pace and friendly people

We had a very nice round. . Played right along and staff was very friendly. I booked on Golf now and was treated very well. Enjoyed it lWill be back soon even though it’s almost an hour drive for me. About 20 minutes for the friend I played with. Thumbs up.

Glad I played this course! I live close and thought it would be very hilly, I was wrong. Great layout! Fun course. Definitely recommend this course.

Course in great condition and very friendly staff. great accommodation and safety guidelines for COVID-19

Early in season condition was ok and as to be expected. Very reasonably priced 9 holes with cart $23.00. great views from 6,7 and 8 holes. Friendly staff; guy who cleans the carts is a hard-working righteous dude. Things that were not good was the complete disorganization at the tee box. Tee times are ignored. We waited an hour; tee time was at 2 got out at 3. Not enough carts (had to wait for them to be returned as people finished their round. All in all not a bad little course. If I lived near by might try every once in a while. I live 45 mins away and would not travel that far again to play.

The course is hilly, the conditions are poor, but the staff is friendly and the price is right.

Played Vineyard Vines with my son and 2 of his college roommates. After reading some of the reviews I didn’t know what to expect. It was outstanding!
This was during the Clovis-19 deal so things were different than normal operations. Jabbar the owner and Otis (starter and great guy) do a wonderful job of keeping things moving. The place was packed!
There is a driving range and putting green to warm up as well before your round, all very reasonably priced.
Folks must have proper expectations here, this is not Augusta National. VVGC is built on a former wine vineyard, with incredible views throughout the course. It is an old school 9 hole track and traditional par 36.
This an ideal club for beginners, juniors, couples as well as experienced golfers.
Jabbar and Otis are good dudes who just want you to have fun and enjoy their course, and we did just that....we had a blast.
Although Vineyard Valley is an hour drive from my home, I will absolutely be back, and plan to bring some of my hometown buddies with me. Also going to my son and his college buds back again soon.
Tip of the cap to Big Otis and Jabbar, until we meet again my friends, keep up the good work!
Best
Roger