CLaw1185

Having heard and read great things about the course, I was excited about getting a change to play, but I left somewhat disappointed.

For the price, I was expecting top end, all the way around. The driving range disappointed, the staff friendliness wasn't the greatest and the course conditions while OK, weren't what I was expecting.

The layout is tough. There is little to no room for error on most tee and approach shots. Your tee shots are visually intimidating and present a lot of blind shots. If you are a sprayer of the ball, you will have a long and aggravating day. The greens weren't overly fast or difficult to read, but you pay a steep price if you're offline and trying to get up & down.

Overall, it was OK. I would enjoy playing the course again, but for the price, it's not worth it. I was expecting a top end experience and left disappointed. We did have lunch after the round however, and the food and service were great.

Going into, I knew it would be tough. I've heard all the stories and watched all the professional tournaments, specifically the two Opens played here, but actually walking the grounds and playing the holes, you don't really understand how difficult it can play until you experience it.

The first challenge is the walk. The undulations and elevation changes, specifically getting to/from the tee boxes was surprising. With the exception of hole #9 however, I wasn't faced with too many awkward lies.

I played really well, and was fortunate that I drove the ball well. I played from the white tees, which still measure at 6700 yards, but was fortunate to keep the ball in the fairway on most holes. The approach shots are intimidating and tough. There is no room for error. Hole #16 may be the only hole I can remember where you can run the ball on the green, but event that is a narrow gap. Most greens are elevated and guarded by massive and deep bunkers. Hole #16 and #18 are really the only holes where you can stand on the tee box and see the entire hole. If you miss a fairway, you have an extremely tough time holding a green. If you miss a green, you have an extremely tough time getting up/down. The only fair element of the course were the greens. Although they were small and tough to hold, there wasn't much slope or speed issues. A few holes have challenging pin placements, but they were not the most difficult element of the course.

All in all it's a great experience. It needs to be on every serious golfers' must play list. I was fortunate to play extremely well, and I look forward to getting a chance to play it again and moving back a tee box.

At $140/round for a non-member on the weekend, it's steep, but for an above-average player looking for a challenge, great conditions and an upscale experience, it's worth it.

From the moment you pull onto the property, you can tell you're in for a great experience. The range, short game area and putting green are all located in the right location, adjacent to the parking lot and close enough to the first tee to have the starter find you. A great touch is the clock located between the range, putting green and first tee which helps.

Since the University purchased the property, two changes I've noticed. Unlimited balls on the range and adjusting the layout. I enjoy getting here with time to spare before my round for a thorough warm-up. Flip flopping the front and back nine, to avoid starting on a par 3 was a great change, IMO.

The course is always in great condition and has some extremely difficult holes. 3 of the par 3's can play over 180 from the blues, two of which play 200+ with forced carries and there are a few par 4's with challenging tee shots, 4 and 7 come to mind.

It's a fun test for the avid golfer. I've played with a few members who were awesome to play with and really treated me great. This is a place I try to go 4-5 times a month in the heart of golf season and am seriously considering joining as a member for the practice facility and 14 day advance tee-time ability.

It's worth the drive for most people and highly recommended. Enjoy!

I had played here a few years ago as part of the Travelers Pro-Am, but was excited to play here after the renovations.

The practice facilities are amazing. A huge driving range, putting green and short game area. A great asset for members. The clubhouse isn't great, but I've heard rumblings they'll be renovating in the near future.

The course conditions were great. The greens are fairways were great, the rough is underrated and the new bunkering is great. A mix of fair, difficult, fun and risk/reward holes. Overall it's a great experience, and a place I may inquire about joining, for the practice facilities alone.

I enjoy warming-up prior to my rounds, if I have the time. That is somewhat challenging at Wintonbury as the range is 1/4 mile from the clubhouse and you need to get your personal vehicle to get there. It's also mats only, and only offers 8-10 spots. The mats are nice however.

After that, the place is great. There are some similar holes, (1 & 10, 2& 11, 3 & 12, 4 & 13), but there is also a great mix of wide-open and tree-lined holes offering nice variety. The most difficult holes are definitely holes 14 & 15 with tight drives required and precise approach shots needed.

The greens are very challenging. Very undulating, quick, and difficult to read. There are also some challenging pin placements. The conditions of the course is great and it's a very enjoyable play for all skill levels. I've been multiple times and will continue to go, as it's a great option for anyone in the central CT/Hartford region.

Having watched this tournament for many years, and actually attended, I was extremely excited to get a chance to actually play it the course. We stayed on the property and the staff at both the hotel and course make it extremely easy and fun to get around, enjoy the property and ensure you get where you need to get too. Very reassuring.

The only disappointing element was only getting a small bag of balls to warm-up with on the range. I was hoping for unlimited, but I got over it quick. We rode in carts, but had the mandatory fore-caddie, who was great and and nice to have.

As far as the course itself, it was memorable. Seeing each hole in person, as I have for many years on TV was awesome. Some of the tee shots were more intimidating in person than on TV, such as the two par 5's on the front nine, 2 & 9. The conditions were great, and each hole had a different element that really distinguished each from one another.

16, 17 & 18 were definitely the highlights however. The tee-shot on 16 is critical, 17 is a simple wedge or 9-iron, but still intimidating. The green is huge, it's just very helpful to be on the proper level. 18's tee shot is great. The clubhouse in the background, lake to the left and trouble right. A really cool experience.

The property itself is massive, as is the clubhouse. It was a great experience that I can't wait to do again. I played terrible, so I'm excited to get back again, but spending the weekend with my Dad in one of golf's most recognizable spots was pretty cool.

The course is in great shape and has a great layout. It combines challenging holes that are fair. You have to think about every show. The greens are extremely challenging. Very fast, roll well, but nothing is flat. Pin locations seem to be in very difficult locations too.

A little over-priced too. at $79 for a weekend round, range balls should be included. The range has grass, which is a plus. We saw the ranger 4 times and pace of play was solid.

Certainly worth the play and will return for future rounds.

The only disappointing aspect was that for $150 the carts were not equipped with GPS. The practice areas, course conditions, course layout, clubhouse & staff were tremendous. Certainly a very challenging layout, but the course offers some great risk/reward opportunities. The course is also marked very well, which helps alleviate the lack of carts with GPS.

Overall a great course, lived up to the hype and provides a great experience. I will look to get back.

I heard nothing but negative comments about the course, so I went in not expecting much, but I was surprised. My wife and I played the course and while there certainly are improvements needed, it was tremendous value. The course was in fairly decent shape, a challenging layout, with some tight fairways, and average greens. Of course the carts aren't great, and the cart paths a little rough, but for less than $50, it's great. Seems to be headed in the right direction from a management perspective, and living 2 miles from it, I'll look to get back quite often.