Tallwood Country Club

Located in the rolling, rural hills of Hebron just off CT RT 85, family-owned Tallwood Country Club is a great course for players of all levels. Many state tournaments use Tallwood as their tournament site, which attests to the quality and management of this course. It also has a very large and active men’s league indicating the popularity of Tallwood.

At 6523 yards from the tips to 5424 yards from the forward tees, Tallwood is longish for the average public course in central Connecticut. It is also quite hilly with a slope rating ranging from 121-126. It’s not an easy course, especially with six ponds to contend with. Four of these ponds are located on the back nine, which is more difficult and longer than the front nine, thus the 35/37 par differential. There are three par 3’s on the front nine and only one on the back side.

Rates are reasonable: $38 weekdays, $41 weekends and $29 seniors/juniors/military (weekdays only). Carts are extra.

Upon arrival, overhead power lines and a large gravel parking lot awaits. To the right of the clubhouse are two large putting greens, a chipping and sand trap practice area (with three traps) and a large driving range. Inside the clubhouse there is a fully-equipped pro shop and comfortable but Spartan eating area. The restaurant is not known for gourmet meals, though the basic fare is satisfactory.

The day we played it was hot and humid. An acute lack of rain in the past weeks dried out the course a bit but the fairways and greens were still in excellent shape. There were also plenty of strategically-located water jugs to keep us hydrated and quite a few porta-potties for relief. Most fairways are narrow and bordered by deep woods or ponds so hitting your shots straight is crucial in keeping the bogieman at bay.

Good course management is necessary at Tallwood so here are some tips for the trouble areas you’ll need to cope with. All distances are from the white tees.

At 528 yards, the uphill first hole is the longest on the course, but it should not be a too difficult for accurate hitters. Problems and decisions start at hole #2, a short (287 yard) dogleg right. The fairway runs out on the left into deep woods so a long or mid-iron/hybrid is an excellent choice off the tee to get within wedge distance of the green. A fade with a driver or 3W is desirable but not many of us mortals possess a fade on demand. My fade is more like a slice that comes without warning. On #8 a pond protects the green starting roughly 240 yards from the middle tees. Keeping to the right side of the fairway is smart. Long or left on the par 3 ninth spells trouble.

Almost every hole on the back nine has a pond that comes into play, starting with the short (296 yard), downhill 10th where a small one defends the front of the green. It’s about 225 yards to the water from the white tee box. Although only the #8th handicap hole, #11 gives many players fits. I hate it. This twisting par five 500 yard double dogleg is troublesome. Off the tee is not the problem, your second shot is where trouble looms. You’ll be hitting blind over a hill with water long. I suggest a trip to the hilltop to see what you’re facing. You’ll see that anything too long and straight gets wet as yet another pond guards a very small green that is bordered by water in front and a steep bank behind. Choose your weapon carefully to give yourself a short wedge to the green. The next hole, requires a tee shot over a geese-infested pond than uphill to a small green. Walk carefully near the tee box and pond to avoid the “gifts” the geese have left. Number 15 is water all along the right side of the fairway and deep woods down the left. Some players are tempted to go for the green on their 2nd shot but any ball short goes for a swim. A smart play is driver or 3 wood off the tee then a mid-iron to a collection area along the left side of the fairway. From there it’s a short wedge to the green. The short (317 yard) #4 handicap 17th has the last pond you’ll see; it crowds the left fairway just short of the green. With a blind tee shot, club choice off the tee and accuracy to the green are the keys to par. If you can, ride or walk up the hill before teeing off, to survey the hole layout.

There’s only one negative I can speak of and that is the condition of the gravel cart paths. They could use a new layer of gravel to cut down on the kidney-jarring ride around the course. Also, a suggestion is a menu at the ninth tee box so players can call in their order when making the turn.

In conclusion I give this course high grades. The staff is friendly and helpful, the course very well laid out, challenging and the practice area is great. It’s also worth the trip from anywhere near Hartford and a good place to bring a client and still stay within your budget.

Finally, I’m surprised that there are no other reviews for Tallwood. I use reviews frequently to check out golf courses I’ve never played, vacation sites I’m planning to visit and restaurants I’m thinking of eating at. Oh well.

Course in good April shape , overall very wet but greens in good shape

Great people - great layout !
If you are thinking about trying this course , I recommend it!

Tallwood CC has done a great job updating the course over the past few years. Conditions were pretty good for spring golf - fairways were in good shape and the course was not too wet. There are some temporary tee boxes and the greens are somewhat sandy. Nevertheless, it's a fun course to test your game after a long winter without golf. The staff are very helpful and the price is exceptional.

1”-2” rain everyday, what did you expect? Under those circumstances, everything was great. Thanks.

A little wet but that was expected. Good day, great weather. Thanks.

Considering we’ve had nothing but rain and snow melt, the course was OK but soggy. I look forward to when it dries out. Good job. Thanks.

For a December you can’t complain. Course held up. Greens were subpar

The course was in good shape especially considering the time of year.

I gave the conditions and value the ratings that I did because greens were recently aerated and were virtually covered with sand. The reservation was made on line thru TeeOff and , of course, no mention was made about the greens condition.