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2.8
297 Reviews (297)
5 Stars
19
4 Stars
106
3 Stars
83
2 Stars
53
1 Stars
36
Conditions
2.1
Value
3.4
Layout
3.7
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.1
Amenities
3.1
51.4%
Recommend this course
201 out of 297 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
2.3
3 Reviews (3)
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
1
Conditions
1.7
Value
3.3
Layout
4.5
Pace
4.7
Amenities
3.5
StaffFriendliness
4.7
33.3%
Recommend this course
1 out of 3 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
2.6
55 Reviews (55)
5 Stars
4
4 Stars
11
3 Stars
12
2 Stars
13
1 Stars
15
Conditions
1.9
Value
3.2
Layout
3.8
Pace
3.9
Amenities
3.0
StaffFriendliness
4.5
38.2%
Recommend this course
21 out of 55 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Resort
Par 72
Length 6158 yards
Slope 118
Rating 68.9
Book a Tee Time at
Black Birch Golf Club
Powered by GolfNow.com

Course Details

Year Built 1945
Architect Donald Ross

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Proper attire is required.

Food & Beverage

Snacks, Restaurant

Available Sports

Tennis

Reviews

2.8
297 Reviews (297)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 9
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 10
Elevation Changes 10
Forced Carries 9
This course/club is great for:
Locals 10
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 9
9-Hole Rounds 7
This Course's Location is:
In the 'Burbs 14

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 313
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Top 25 Contributor
Connecticut Advisor
Perfect weather
Walked

Not Bad on the Front Side

My replay of Black Birch, some ten after the previous one, was of the front nine, which proved to be somewhat better than the back (last round). The fairways, especially, were more consistent. Still, the greens were about the same as on the back, which made putting dicey. Playable, but still has a long way to go to be called ‘good.’

Conditions Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 06/09/2023

Hello, AptlyLinked. Thank you for visiting us at Black Birch Golf Club and taking the time to write a review. We are sorry to hear that your experience didn't quite live up to your expectations. We will share your feedback with our staff to make corrections and improvements. Any feedback is greatly appreciated so that we can improve your future experiences at our course. Thanks again for choosing us.

Played On
Reviews 3
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 313
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
2.0
Top 25 Contributor
Connecticut Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Good Layout; Conditions Not Up to Par

I’ve always been able to warm up to the good layout at Black Birch, having played it now for quite some time, but during the two of the pandemic years--after being shut down during the first--the club has struggled with conditioning of both fairways and greens. Last year the greens had improved somewhat by late summer of 2022, but they were still pockmarked–which hasn’t changed to date. They were also rough and bumpy today, and without enough grass. The fringe areas are not good either, though variable in places. Some of the fairways have improved (I played the back side only) but several still had patchy areas, and the fourteenth’s landing zone is little more than dirt. When on the short grass, then, preferred lies are often a necessity.

So while the course conditioning lags greatly, the rest is still pretty good, especially friendliness in the clubhouse as well as pricing. Pace was on the slow side, but I still enjoyed playing these back nine fairways and greens on a comfortable spring afternoon. It certainly doesn’t hurt that you’re in a peaceful rural setting amidst mature trees and rolling terrain, punctuated here and there by water hazards. Although Black Birch is mostly woodland, there are still a few pleasant views to farmland beyond on the front.

Conditions Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/24/2023

Hello. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Your feedback helps us do better. Thank you for visiting our course. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Previously Played

Great layout— but course is in bad shape

We played last week the greens are terrible- follow the bouncing ball across the greens— usually stopping in many of the holes or low spots on the green-sand traps are more like a course gravel.
The rough was like grass in the cow pasture -between the tee box and the fairways-some fairways were to far to reach from the white tees and especially the ladies tees - spent a lot of time looking for balls in the rough areas. Greens also has lines from a mower with a oil leak and it is evident the the grass is dying in those areas. Piles of dead limbs and even log’s laying along the fairways — This course has so much potential but apparently the owners do not care as it continues to go downhill every year since Covid.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/25/2023

Hi! Thank you so much for leaving us with your feedback. We value our customer experience, so your review is important to us. Please know the current conditions are by no means the standard we strive to achieve. We will continue to work towards a 5-star experience and we hope to see you back!

Played On
Reviews 1
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Poor
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/19/2023

Hi. We’re sorry your experience didn’t match your expectations. It was an uncommon instance and we’ll do better in the future.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any further comments, concerns, or suggestions you wish to share. We would love to make things right if you give us another chance.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing

Get what you pay for

Course is in rough shape. I left after the front 9 because it was too slow and the course was in horrible shape. Couldn’t tell where the fairway ended and the rough or sand traps started. Big patches of dirt on the course and the greens were more pock marked than a teenagers pimple face.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/19/2023

Hello. Thank you for reviewing the course. We would like to apologize for your recent experience.

We're sorry to hear you were less than satisfied during your round. We pride ourselves on our providing great service and the high-quality standards we maintain.

We would like to make things right. Please reach out to our management team at the pro shop.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Sub par conditions

Greens were just treated- and led to them being extremely slow for being a very dry day

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/09/2023

Hi,

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We are going to pass on your feedback to the teams in charge so they can work to make changes.

Your feedback helps us do better. We are looking into this issue and hope to resolve it promptly.

Thank you for visiting our course. We hope you'll give us another try in the future.

Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Cold weather
Used cart

A nice friendly course

Our first time to play. We played quickly and finished in about 3 hours. We were never rushed though, we caught up with a couple groups ahead of us. The front nine is more nicely maintained than the back nine, but both the front and back were fine.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great Value

Very laid back place to work on your game. Staff is friendly.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 20
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

$30 for 18 holes

For $31 for 18 holes and a cart is a great price but the tee boxes were torn up and the greens were an absolute mess.

Conditions Fair
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Poor
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/22/2023

Hello, Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We see you rated the course 2-stars and are interested in learning what we can do to improve for your next visit.

We take customer feedback very seriously at our course. Please reach out to our team in the golf shop and tell us what's on your mind.

Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Good, fun golf

Course was fun and challenging. Great bang for your Buck. Not kept in greatest of shape. Definitely going back to play another round

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 56
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played

Needs lots of work.

Fairways are terrible. Greens are terrible. Needs some love. Played in the past and was decent. Will sit out the rest of this year. Needs love and water and nutrients.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/03/2023

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We apologize for the current condition of our fairways and greens and understand your frustrations. We appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve the maintenance and overall experience for our future guests.

Played On
Reviews 1
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/03/2023

Hi. We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. We see you rated the course 1 star and are interested in learning what we can do to improve for your next visit. We take single-star feedback very seriously at our course. You are welcome to comment further or reach out to our team in the golf shop. We always appreciate the feedback. Thanks for choosing our course.

Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Hidden Gem, EXCEPTIONAL Value!

Discovered this course in 2022 through GolfNow.com site. It is a 30-minute drive from my house, but well worth the value. Rates are 50-75% LESS than what the course on my street charges. Course is located in a beautiful off-the-beaten-path setting. Began playing Black Birch during the end of the drought... the course condition improved greatly as each drought-busting rain event came through. The pro shop staff is wonderful - very down-to-earth and helpful; a welcome contrast to the stuffed shirts and skirts who ru(i)n the experience at my "home" course. I love the unexpected appearances of wildlife around the course... a doe/fawn by the 11th green, wild turkeys calmly strutting along the edges of the 12th, a fox, squirrels, and chipmunks at other points... a welcome distraction to offset my typical successions of poor golf shots ;). Trying to talk my (anti-sports) wife into buying a season pass for me, but THAT will require divine intervention... in the meantime, looking forward to returning to Black Birch for 2023! Phil F., Norwich, CT

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 23
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Getting Better

Played Black Birch a few times this year and the condition of the course has improved each time. It’s getting greener since the drought. Greens in pretty good shape. Today, we played in 3 hrs and 15 minutes. Can’t beat it.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Fair
Friendliness Fair
Pace Average
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/03/2022

Hello, ralltj. Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We see you rated the course 2-stars and are interested in learning what we can do to improve for your next visit.

We take customer feedback very seriously at our course. Please reach out to our team in the golf shop and tell us what's on your mind.

Played On
Reviews 313
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Top 25 Contributor
Connecticut Advisor
Previously Played
Walked

Challeging Layout

Black Birch offers a fine, old-school rolling layout with lots of up and down ground movement, especially on its front side. Most of the greens are bunkered; many of them are set upon knolls, meaning that you’ll have to be careful with club selection. The par-5s are not long on the card but seem to play longer, due to either twists and turns down the fairways or some strategically-placed hazards near or next to their greens, not to mention plenty of woods on their margins. A couple of long four-pars will challenge you, but for the most part they’re of moderate length, so making a good score here is possible when you strike the ball well: the course isn’t tricked-up or unfair. Without too many water hazards, you’ll mainly be concerned with hitting relatively straight shots on the tighter back nine, where the toughest holes–twelve, thirteen, fourteen, seventeen–require some careful and precise shotmaking.

The course’s one deficit is still its conditioning. Greens are passable but still pockmarked too frequently; tees are rough; the roughs are sometimes sparse. Fairways have improved since summer as they’re now pretty well grass-covered, but much of it is crabgrass. It’s all fair but decently playable.

I played here three times over the past week–all nine-hole afternoon rounds. The first time I spotted three white-tailed deer behind hole eight near dusk, and on the third occasion a family of five in the same location. Prior to that I encountered a flock of wild turkeys near the pond on the seventh.

The setting was invariably beautiful on these early fall afternoons.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Default User Avatar
Commented on 10/04/2022

We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us, AptlyLinked. We are going to pass on your feedback to the team. Thanks for visiting Black Birch Golf Club, and we hope to see you again in the future.

Played On
Reviews 56
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Mike’s review

The 4 star rating I gave is probably more than the course deserves because of condition issues. I gave that rating because this is such a nice course to play and I keep hoping that the owners will wake up some day and realize what a gem they have and do what is needed to make it the first call course it can be.
Just the rains we had the past few weeks has improved things greatly, the fairways are green and the greens are looking good. Of course all the rain in the world won’t help the traps, that will take money.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
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