Windham Golf Course
About
Windham Golf Course is tucked away in Connecticut's northeast corner, enjoying a classic New England setting. Formerly known as Willimantic C.C. and The University Club of Connecticut, the original nine holes opened in 1922 and the championship golf course that exists now was completed in the 1960s. Like many of the golf courses built during that time, The Windham Golf Course's greens are smaller than on modern golf courses and they are subtly contoured. The traditional layout also features narrow fairways lined with mature oak trees and there are three that are bordered by natural spring ponds. Bunkers are strategically placed on 15 holes. The front nine provides some scoring opportunities, which you'll need before facing the tougher back nine.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
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Black | 70 | 6435 yards | 71.5 | 126 |
Green | 72 | 6225 yards | 70.4 | 125 |
Gold | 71 | 5365 yards | 65.8 | 120 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5211 yards | 70.6 | 124 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green M: 67.6/119 W: 72.6/128 | 375 | 295 | 155 | 260 | 320 | 165 | 175 | 350 | 370 | 2465 | 120 | 485 | 300 | 500 | 440 | 495 | 170 | 435 | 215 | 3160 | 5625 |
Gold M: 64.3/117 W: 69.1/121 | 295 | 275 | 140 | 240 | 295 | 155 | 150 | 330 | 330 | 2210 | 115 | 470 | 285 | 475 | 340 | 470 | 150 | 340 | 145 | 2790 | 5000 |
Red M: 63.3/113 W: 67.2/117 | 290 | 245 | 130 | 205 | 250 | 150 | 135 | 295 | 320 | 2020 | 110 | 455 | 240 | 445 | 335 | 430 | 140 | 335 | 140 | 2630 | 4650 |
Handicap | 5 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 17 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 10 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 12 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 69 |
Handicap (W) | 5 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 12 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Available Facilities
Clubhouse, Banquet FacilitiesReviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by augie42 on 06/19/2023
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Behind the first green, looking back over an excellent opener. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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A view back to the clubhouse from the first hole’s left rough. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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The third hole, an outstanding par-3, plays 255 from the deep tees. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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From across fairway one, this is a look down the fourth fairway (par-5). Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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The sixth: a rigorous par-4, it energetically climbs a hill on the way to a heavily sloping green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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I can’t help but like the twelfth, a short par-4 that plays tough. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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1st Hole, 393, par-4. Great opener that starts from a high tee, then crosses a rolling fairway to its green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/10/2021
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10th, par-3, 118. This postage-stamp hole is a good one. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/10/2021
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The twelfth. A short par-4 where you’ll cross this serene pond on the pitch. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/10/2021
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Fourteen from the side. Par-3, 170. The elevated, double-bunkered green means a challenge from the tee--and another if you miss it in regulation. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/10/2021
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Across the 16th, looking down fairway 17: The 570-yard penultimate hole seems to go on forever. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/10/2021
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Eighteen. My two playing partners are here closing out their rounds. We all enjoyed the course today. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 10/10/2021
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The third is a great 3-par stretching to 255 from the back tees. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2020
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Hole four is a pretty but challenging par-5 of 480 that doglegs left. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2020
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Green sixteen can be agonizing to putt; it slopes toward the road on this 3-par of 222. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2020
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A view of the ultra-long 17th fairway (as seen across green 16 from the clubhouse terrace). Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2020
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A pond guards eighteen on its left flank. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2020
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Mr. Pete Haddad, a member here, putts out on the finishing hole. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 11/21/2020
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One: A fittingly beautiful and graceful opening hole for a classic course. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/16/2020
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At the fourth: The green complex of this 475-yard, dogleg par-5. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/16/2020
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Six: Nick, to the left, awaits a pitch shot to be hit by one of our playing partners. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/16/2020
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At the tenth, Nick, Chris (blue shirt), and Megan are finishing out on this tricky, short, uphill three-par. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/16/2020
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Fifteen is a straightforward but impressive four-par of 420. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/16/2020
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Seventeen easily ranks among the very best five-pars in Connecticut. It doglegs right to this green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 09/16/2020
Complete disappointment
After reading many reviews on GN that stated this course was really nice and coming around, I decided to take the plunge and drive over an hour to try it out. I booked an early afternoon tee time with two empty tee times on each side of mine, thinking I'd get out with no traffic.
When I arrived a the course, I was told there was a twosome ahead of me (two teenagers) and I could either play with them or wait. I elected to wait, which started out fine. They teed off, and I waited until they exited the 1st green before teeing off myself, since there was nobody behind me. Played the first hole, looked ahead to the next hole and saw the teenagers on the green. However, now there was an old man and a middle aged woman wandering around the fairway hacking the ball all over the place. I waited patiently to see what was going on, and after 10 minutes the woman finally made it on the green and the old man was driving all over the place in the rough in the cart. I wondered how these two got between me and the teenagers. So, I tee off and ride out to my ball where I encounter the man, who informs me that this is his 89th birthday and his daughter is playing for the first time. Good for him, I thought. He said they let the kids play through, recognizing that they were holding things up.
Moved on to 3rd hole, wait for the teenagers to clear the green. Tee off, play the hold. Move to 4th hole where the kids are waiting on a twosome walking ahead of them. Slow as can be. The kids wait 10 - 12 minutes before teeing off and they are wild, shots all over the place. So, I wait, and wait, and wait until I see them hit their shots into the green and realize they are clear enough for me to tee off. I tee off, find my ball, and wait, and wait, and wait again for them to clear the green. I see the walking twosome ahead of them, and now there is a threesome coming up behind me and about to lap the old man and his daughter.
The whole front nine was slow as can be. No ranger, nobody pairing up to speed up play, and guys hacking it all over the place. I got so frustrated that I left after nine holes in 2:30. That is with a foursome and two twosomes ahead of me. Terrible pace of play.
The course itself is rather plain. Tee boxes and greens in good condition, in between rather average. The rough was long and uneven, and looked like it had not been cut/groomed in a long time. Cart paths were dust bowls with ruts and rocks everywhere. There are no visible 150 markers to be seen anywhere, and the course layout is not exactly clear with the sparse signage. The clubhouse and locker rooms are ancient and rather poor condition. No ranger, no beverage cart visible. A bunch of loudmouths playing the adjacent back 9 holes were screaming and hooting and hollering and making a big commotion.
I guess if you are a local, it is an OK track to knock the ball around, but in my opinion it is not worth investing any time to travel very far to play here. A $30 course all day long. Very disappointing experience.
Very poor conditions
The course is under construction with many holes with a temporary greens or mis-marked hole numbers. This made yardage check difficult. Many leaves in the fairway. Should have been blown off first thing in the morning. Fairways were in ok but in worse condition than others that I have played recently. Directions to the next hole was negligible. So you were left wandering around searching for the next hole. First and last time I will be playing this course!
Windham Club
The course is under construction to add 2 or 3 new holes. The course layout has been modified during construction and 3 temporary holes are poor substitutes at best.
This course used to be in great condition- in the 70's and 80's it was the best in the area. The fairways and greens were ok for the most part but most of the rough on many holes was nothing but crab grass.
I hope the new holes are better and fit with the design of the original course.
The course is under construction. Unfortunately, online GPS information is not updated. It needs better signage for golfers and new golfers to navigate the course. The existing holes are in good shape, except the 3rd green. I look forward to seeing and playing the "new" course.
Room to grow
Course is still under going major changes. Got held up a lot by the club championship. Greens were inconsistent. Ground under repair areas were plenty.
Not worth the money
If your going to charge 63 bucks to ride on a week day then enforce pace of play. Having to skip two holes and never having the chance to play them again is trash. I don’t care if your a member. Have the decency to let people play thru. Also don’t allow the maintenance team to use a leaf blower in the middle of the fairway to blow invisible leaves while people are trying to play thru. Then turning it off and on when people were hitting. I’ve never seen such a classless crew between members and maintenance. I will not be back. Two stars only because the greens were fairly decent.
Lots of work going on but that didn't detract from what is always a great place to play.
Tons of upgrades and work being done to better the course.
Improvements are ongoing
Improvements are coming a long Improvements are ongoing Nice day at this golf course. Staff are friendly and the condition of the course is good. Fairways and greens are in good condition just might want to add some side to a few bunkers. Pace of play was good.
This is a good place to improve your short game as driver is not required on the majority of holes.Not a bad place to walk but they might think about putting some more water coolers out for the customers
Will never play here again. Majority of the course is under construction. Bunkers are gravel pits. Looks like they used a beaver to cut the grass. Complete waste of $63. Can play much nicer courses in the areas for the same price or cheaper. Stay away from this course
Work in progress
Paid $50 for 18 & cart. Course is in the early stages of re-design. Thought the timing on this was poor, and the course didn’t put out any info at time of booking. Looks like they are doing a major re work and adding several new holes and a range. Many temp tees and greens.
Major Changes
Nice course in good condition with a lot of maintenance going on.Good place to walk and when all the improvements and driving range are complete it will be even more enjoyable.
Lots of changes
Nice Saturday afternoon on the golf course.Major changes being made on both the front and back nine. Tee boxes greens and fairways were in good condition and the staff at the clubhouse were very accommodating.. This will be a very nice golf course to play when all the maintenance is complete and right now it is still well worth your time to go play there.
Right now they are changing some of the holes and tee boxes but this does not take away from enjoying your time there.
Only 16 holes
Taking away the 2 best holes 17 and 18 so the golf course can make way for a driving range.Only 16 holes open and maintenance doing a lot of work around the course.Tees fairways and greens are in good shape but bunkers are unkempt.Staff are friendly and this is not a bad place to walk.Would recommend this course to anyone and hopefully all the maintenance will be finished soon.
In December, Playable Conditions at a Fine Layout
Windham keeps you engaged from the outset by the sheer energy of its smoothly undulating terrain, while the tree-lined fairways add a second key dimension to the test. Among the main attractions is the opening sequence of holes. I find the pair of nearly opposite, opening par-4’s to be enticing: first a longer, open, and rolling opener, followed by a shorter and tighter affair at two. Then comes an imposing but fascinating par-three, followed by a beautifully contoured, tumbling par-5 that runs through a shallow valley and back up to a semi-table green, which demands a precise pitch on the third shot. At five, another par-3 presents you with a tough tee shot to a crown-like green complex protected by a huge left side trap. The common theme on the opening five holes, it seems, is precision over power–although each has its place, both here and throughout the full eighteen.
While Windham is not often a dramatic layout, it still has its moments, which come mainly at holes like the sixth, a great driving hole enhanced by an even better approach to a green blind from the fairway. Twelve is a stunner of a short par-4, testing you with distance control on the drive that should find a landing zone guarded by a pond, then finishing on a fine, elevated green that will punish, dearly, any miss behind the putting surface. The long and fairly monstrous 17th, now undergoing some form of remake–should continue to add spark.
For those who want a firm driving challenge, the lengthy par-4 fifteenth (435 yards) shouldn’t disappoint. The fairway tilts just enough left-to-right to magnify the effects of both cut and sliced drives, and will dump errant tee shots–in some cases–into a serene-looking pond that sidles up to the clubhouse. A draw, by contrast, is the ideal tee shot for fifteen; however, any overdraw will find, likely, a row of tightly spaced conifers down the fairway’s left side. Not an ideal spot when the approach shot is a long one.
CONDITIONS:
There are no genuine problems here, and much of the conditioning shortfall is simply seasonal: in December, most clubs in this cold state of Connecticut keep only a skeletal greenkeeping staff. So bunkers were weakly maintained (as was expected) and about the course’s best aspect was its putting surfaces, which ran fairly true overall. Still, the entirety was playable. The one area that may lag next spring may be the results of work on seventeen and eighteen, both of which were heavily bulldozed today over parts of their fairways and roughs. Golfers had to skip past them today and play the first and second holes a second time. Over my experience, Windham has been kept–typically–in good to strong condition.
CONCLUSION:
I’m looking forward to next spring–and to seeing what changes will emerge at holes seventeen and eighteen. In any case, Windham has long offered a blend of variety, challenge, and old-school excellence stemming from its fine layout.
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Behind the first green, looking back over an excellent opener. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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A view back to the clubhouse from the first hole’s left rough. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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The third hole, an outstanding par-3, plays 255 from the deep tees. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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From across fairway one, this is a look down the fourth fairway (par-5). Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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The sixth: a rigorous par-4, it energetically climbs a hill on the way to a heavily sloping green. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
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I can’t help but like the twelfth, a short par-4 that plays tough. Photo submitted by AptlyLinked on 12/06/2022
17 & 18 Are Gone
Another course ruined by the desire to add a range at the expense of the layout. Not about golf. All about revenue generation.