Michael2049432

You can tell they’re trying to get the course back in good condition. Still needs a lot of work, but it’s heading in the right direction. Pace of play was nonexistent. No ranger or starter. There was a 5 some behind us. Golf carts are terrible and belong in a graveyard. Old school gas chugger. Cart would just randomly die after you’d come to a stop, then you’d have to pump the gas a bunch and then you’d eventually go flying. Anything left on the seat would slide back and fall out the back of the cart. Not ideal! I’ll be back, I love the layout of the course, but prob not until next season. Worth noting I wouldn’t pay a full rate, HotDeal only.

I've played Maplegate numerous times over the years. It used to be in great shape and was a great value w/ GolfNow. What the management and owners have allowed this course to become is an embarrassment to the game of golf.

Tee boxes: uneven w/ dirt, rocks and divots everywhere.

Fairways: very bare, barely taken care of. Numerous fairway bunkers had 3-4" of grass growing inside of them. Seriously.

Greens: unbelievably, almost painfully slow. They didn't appear to have been cut in a few days (a few days is being generous). The greens looked like most fairways at nicer courses.

It's a shame what this course has become. It's such a great layout. I wouldn't play here again if you paid me to play. On top of the conditions, it was a 5.5 hour round.

Save your money and drive the 7-8 miles to New England County Club in Bellingham.

Played here for a $20 HotDeal. Guy in the pro shop was very friendly and helpful. Gave me a yardage book for free when I said I'd never played there before. He paired me up in the same cart with another single, which can be a nightmare sometimes. Luckily the other single was about my age and skill set. He played there before and his advice on how to play some of the holes was very helpful. Fairways and greens were very lush given the current drought conditions. Tee boxes could use some TLC. Greens were hard and fast. Very difficult to hold them on approach shots. Had numerous shots land 5-10 ft below the hole that rolled right off the back of the green. The layout is funky and gets tight on the back 9. No easy par 3s except for the 2nd hole. The 16th is the worst golf hole I've ever seen in my life. Overall a good deal for $20. I wouldn't go out of my way to play there again though.

Booked as a single on the South course. Had a $10 off promo. Came to ~$47 w/ cart. Paid in full online. Get to the course and the pro shop tried to charge me again. Pulled up the email on my iPhone and quickly ended that conversation.

As for the course itself. It's not worth the money they charge, IMO. It's an interesting layout, just not in the best of shape. I'd rather go play Butternut if I'm in that area.

Both Stow courses need a tremendous amount of work. I heard they're putting money into both tracks. With the price of primetime tee times they need to do A LOT better. I'd only play here again if I got a HotDeal for under $30.

I've played the course 3 times now and every time it's been in excellent condition. The greens are fast for a public and roll true.

My only gripes with the course is the starters are very unfriendly. It's as if they don't want you playing the course. My other grip is the course allowing members to tee off from the back 9 to start a round. 2 different times I've sailed through the front only to be greeted by 3 foursomes in front of me somehow on the back. It completely kills the flow of your round. Beverage/snack cart came about every 3 holes. They have beers, mixed drinks and sodas. No on course drinking water, unless it's very hot out. Then they place 2 coolers full of bottled water at hole 4 and hole 12.

Small thing, but as others have said the cart paths need to be paved badly. They are extremely bumpy. The GPS on the golf carts are ancient. 90% of the time it gives an accurate distance to front, middle and back. The other 10% of the time it doesn't work at all. I use a Garmin S2 so this doesn't affect me.

Overall NECC is a very challenging course that is well taken care of. It has one of the best "out and in" (9 and 18) hole combos I've ever seen on a public course. Take an extra club on your 2nd shot into the green on 18. If you're not accurate off the tees make sure you bring plenty of balls.

Not the longest 9 hole track around, but course is always in great condition and the greens roll true. Staff is always friendly and accommodating. Course can be walked, but the walk from 8th green to 9th tee is a haul up a steep hill. One of my favorite courses in the area.