BisonM

On the short side but tight holes, elevation changes, and hazards make it challenging. Great condition and very scenic surroundings. A fun and friendly course.

I don't understand the hype. The conditions of the fairways, rough, and a few greens left a lot to be desired. The bunkers were nice though--new sand tinted to a brilliant white (lime?). The greens were shaggy and slow, the rough was often bare dirt. The layout is OK, but nothing really special--just another course. Can you say "dogleg"? You'd better be able to on this course! The greens are good-sized and many holes have ample landing areas. Nice and walkable too. So a good local golf experience but nothing really special or memorable. Lots of outings and leagues, so expect slow play.

Water right and left on several holes leading to very tight landing areas. Some very nice par 4s. Condition were good although it was cart path only when I played due to heavy rains (understandable). This is a course you would have to play several times to understand the layout of many of the holes. Very friendly an welcoming staff.

Beautiful to look at but very tough to play. There are very few level spots on this course (including the greens). You always seem to be hitting from a sidehill/uphill/downhill lie--it it rare to have a level stance anywhere on this course except on the teebox. The greens were running at 11 and they are extremely contoured. The day we played the pin placements were silly--not even the USGA would put pins where they put them. They need to rethink the green contours or at least run them slower.

It's not a bad course, in fact I kind of like it. But the conditions are not great, the staff at the counter couldn't be ruder or less helpful, and the pace just plain stinks. Slow, slow, slow. The course attracts hackers due to the low greens fees in season on the Cape. Play it for what it is, but play it in the off season!

The staff and members could not have been friendlier or more helpful. The course is very well designed and maintained. Some especially challenging holes and quite a few enjoyable ones. Not necessarily worth a special trip to Dalton to play, but if you are in the area and can pick up a GolfNow special it is well worth the time.

Gardner is two course in one. The front is fairly wide open, mostly back and forth, and a bit shorter than the back. The 3rd (par 3) is slightly downhill, but very long. Our GPS had it at 240 to the pin the day we played! The back is very hilly and heavily wooded. Lots of doglegs out there! Again, one of the tougher holes is a long, uphill par 3 that played well over 240 due to the elevation change. Pace of play is not terrible (slightly 4 hours for 18 on the weekend), somewhat surprising given the number of hackers out there. Conditions are pretty good, especially given this year's drought. At a slope of 133 from the Blue tees this one is no slouch! Give it a try, you'll like it.

Back-to-back par 5s on both the front and back, short par 3s (and a longer one), out-and-back layout, multiple road (highway!) crossings. This is an old school layout that is in fairly good shape (except for the greens--slow and not putting true). Fun to play if you are in the area, but not worth a long drive to get there. Just watch the road crossings, the cars don't slow down for golfers!

Beat up tees, rocky and barren fairways, and greens that putt like a shag carpet. There are a few interesting holes here (it does claim a Donald Ross pedigree after all) but the awful conditions detract from every part of the game. Poor Donald must be rolling over in his grave. The one saving grace is that it is a really short course so you don't have to put up with it for too long.

I wanted to like this course, really I did, but honestly I did not. The design is a combination of the “penal” and “target” schools of design, and it brings the worst of both to bear (pun intended). For the first time player the course is almost unplayable unless you are a single digit handicapper. For the average golfer (I’m in the mid-teens, right where the USGA says the “average” golfer lies) the layout is just way too tough and unforgiving. A good design makes the course a challenge for the really good golfers and still fun and playable for the rest of us. Look at the Wilderness Club by Nick Faldo, Old Works by Arnold Palmer, The Irish Course at Whistling Straits by Pete Dye, Panther Run by Gordon Lewis, Waverly Oaks by Brian Silva, and any number of other tough, destination courses. I’ve played them all and each is a stern test while being fair. There is nothing fair about not being able to discern the target from the tee, having no options on a second shot on a par 5, having balls hit the fairway and run off into the swamp, and putting on fast (10+ on the day I played) but rough greens. On at least three greens I counted five old pin placements within 15 feet of the pin, a mixture of grasses (poa?) all over, a minefield of pitch marks, and incorrectly installed cups with raised lips. The kids at the clubhouse and the guy in the pro shop were great, the starter/ranger was great, having gps on the carts was great, the course (except for the greens) was in pretty good shape, but the design is masochistic at best. For those of you that feel golf is fun only if you get whipped by the course this one might be for you. If you want to test your game, and have fun doing it, go elsewhere.

This Donald Ross gem has received a complete make-over, and kudos to golf architect Steve Smyers! I played the course 3 years ago and again this week and the difference is amazing. The turf conditions are some of the best I have ever seen, and I’m “in the business”. The greens are fast and true. The renovations have brought this course back to a true Donald Ross design, except that in his day the greens were never this quick! So, stay below the hole, putt from off the green, sharpen up your short game (this is not a long course), and have a ball! This one is great for walkers and fun for all ages (well, not for kids!). Challenging enough without being silly, a number of holes give you options. You really have to think your way around this course. Golf as it should be!

There are certainly nicer courses around the area, but very few are the bargain that Ellinwood is. The course still has many "Donald Ross" elements, the greens are in pretty good shape, and the layout is interesting. The fairways are in tough shape and whether on the cart paths or on the fairways be ready for a bone rattling ride!

Very nice layout with a few hidden surprises and more than a few blind shots. It would be good to have a better map/key to the course showing the hidden hazards for us out of towners. Earlier this year the greens were apparently pretty bad but they were very nice yesterday. Still a bit bumpy, but I'm sure improvement will come along with time.

Played Red Tail recently for the first time in a while. The prices are up there, the layout is superb, there are great views, but the conditions are not good. On the front 9 the tees were completely beat and the greens were awful. Pockmarked, bumpy, slow, the turf had a number of "issues"; they were almost un-puttable. The greens were in somewhat better condition on the back (only 2 or 3 were in the really nice condition I remembered from previous years). The tees on the back were not in good shape. The fairways in general were all pretty good (wish I was on them more!). It is a shame to see this layout go downhill. I give the course 4 stars and the conditions 2 stars.

This is a very nice, fairly challenging, layout routed in the hills and woods. There are some very interesting and scenic holes here, and a few clunkers. The course is usually in pretty good shape, especially the greens. Now if someone would teach the masses how to fix a pitchmark! The pace can be slow as the course gets a lot of play. The rates are reasonable for the area and they do run some specials. Give it a try, but think twice about walking it. Unlike some of the courses around Central Mass you can walk this course, but you'll know that you did!

This course is great. It has a nice layout, the conditions are usually very good, the staff is friendly, the pace is pretty good, and it is not too tight or too tough. And it is walkable! Too many courses around here are no more than paths cut through the woods and up rocky hills. This course has a few blind shots, a few quirky holes, but it is a fair test of golf and not just target shooting. It is becoming my "go to" course for a fun round.

Definitely save this one as a special treat and play in the off hours. The Oaks is a beautifully designed and impeccably-maintained course--but it is not a resort course. This course is tough! Too tough for the average Joe (or Jane) and nearly impossible to walk, but go anyway (and ride) so you can see what great golf design is like. You may never get on the Pines (another wonderful course), and they are very different from one another, but you will enjoy your special day at the International. And stay and eat--the restaurant is fabulous!

There are a few reasons to play this course, and the first two that come to mind are the super friendly staff (mostly family) and the daily specials. The course is very, very hilly, heavily wooded, wet, and tight. Don't stray too far off the fairway or you might be calling for help to find your way back! The layout is interesting, the conditions are usually pretty good, and the pace is OK. Everyone is in carts (you simply cannot walk this course) and the tee sheet is usually pretty full. The course does not appear to have been designed by a golf course architect, although it is listed as such. You really shouldn't have to start off with a dogleg left, downhill, trouble right and left, with a blind second shot par 5! The second hole is worse--a completely target golf tee shot. After that there are many much better holes, and a few more real oddballs. Having said that it can be fun--as long as you don't take your golf too seriously.

I looked forward to this round and the course did not disappoint. It was my first time here and it was an enjoyable round. The speed of the greens was not consistent from one to another, but none were too fast or too slow. The bunkering was attractive and very well maintained, as were the tees and greens. I have two slight gripes about the management. 1) We had a 7:20 am tee time and there was no coffee, breakfast, or snacks available till 11, so we couldn't even get anything at the turn. The excuse was that the restaurant was separately managed--a poor excuse since putting out a pot of coffee and some granola bars would be easy. 2) 7 1/2 minute tee times. Even though we were one of the first groups out it meant waiting on tees and getting hit into on fairways. I know they need to max the course out but 10 minute times is more acceptable. With that said I'd come back, but I'd bring my own food next time!