Boston MA Golf Weekend
Links Magazine/PGATour.com, 8/10
Destination: Boston
WHERE TO PLAY
TPC Boston: This course, located 25 miles south of Boston, hosts the Deutsche Bank Championship every Labor Day weekend.
George Wright Golf Course: Named after the Boston Red Stockings Hall of Famer who donated the land in the city's Hyde Park section (and later started a sporting goods company where Ouimet worked), this Donald Ross design is one of the best munis in the country.
Granite Links Golf Club: Just seven miles south of the city, this semi-private 27-hole facility is set on a former quarry and features open holes with sculpted bunkering, dramatic rock outcroppings and views of the Boston skyline.
Red Tail Golf Club: New Hampshire-based Brian Silva crafted this wooded gem, which is the first Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Signature Course in New England and features contoured greens, waste bunkers and strategic challenges.
WHERE TO STAY
Boston Harbor Hotel: Splurge for a room overlooking the waterfront, which was the scene of the Boston Tea Party and now has been revitalized into a major attraction.
Fairmont Copley Plaza: Nearly a century old, this historic property is as much a part of the Boston landscape as nearby attractions like the Freedom Trail and the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.
Hotel Veritas: Taking its name from Harvard's motto, this upscale 30-room hotel, which opened this year, is located in Cambridge's Harvard Square, just across the Charles River from Boston. The main entrance to the four-story hotel is a rebuilt carriage house.
WHERE TO EAT
Abe and Louie's: Boston Magazine voted this upscale steakhouse as the best in town last year for aged cuts of beef like bone-in fillet mignon, served to diners sitting in oversize leather courtroom chairs and Hollywood-style booths.
Locke-Ober: This Boston Brahmin institution was in need of a fresh infusion a few years ago, which is exactly what Lydia Shire provided by adding some contemporary energy while preserving the legacy and old-world charms of the eatery, which dates to the mid-19th century.
Union Oyster House: Located near Faneuil Hall, America's oldest continually operating restaurant dates to 1826 and was a favorite of Boston icons Daniel Webster and John F. Kennedy. Ask for the Kennedy booth and order a pint of the custom-brewed Sam Adams Red Brick Ale.
GolfDigest.com, 7/10
My Town: Jane Blalock Boston's history and charm make a stay in the region more than the ordinary golf vacation
By Mike Cullity
July 12, 2010
After a 27-win LPGA career, Jane Blalock moved from Florida to Boston in 1986 to work in finance. "I wanted a complete change from my life in golf, and I got it," she says.
A New Hampshire native, Blalock fell in love with the city and has called it home ever since. In 1991 she launched the Jane Blalock Co., a golf marketing and consulting firm now known as JBC Golf Inc. Blalock oversees ventures such as the LPGA Golf Clinics for Women and the Legends Tour, the LPGA's official senior tour.
From her condominium in neighboring Cambridge, Blalock enjoys an enviable view of Boston from across the Charles River and has plenty of local knowledge of the area.
COURSES
If you're looking to play close to Boston, there's Granite Links GC, which is just south of the city and offers great skyline views. It's an excellent daily-fee course with 27 holes, very challenging and always in great condition.
Pinehills GC is in Plymouth, about 50 minutes south of Boston but worth the trip. There are two courses, one designed by Jack Nicklaus and the other by Rees Jones. They're open to the public but play more like high-end private courses, given the quality of the design and conditions. You can play 36 in one day or make it a multi-day destination.
To me the greatest course in the area is Boston GC, a relatively new Gil Hanse layout in Hingham. It's private, so you have to know someone to get on. It's absolutely gorgeous, a walking course with a links feel.
The New Hampshire seacoast is an hour north, but it's worth traveling there to play Portsmouth CC, which is where I grew up. A semiprivate Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, it's right on Great Bay, where you always get a little wind.
LODGING
If money is no object, I'd recommend the Four Seasons. It's a fabulous hotel overlooking the Public Garden and is home to the Bristol Lounge, a great place for lunch, dinner or cocktails...The Charles Street Inn is a smaller, less-expensive option in Beacon Hill that's close to everything.
DON'T MISS
Taking one of the Boston Duck Tours is a great way to see the city's neighborhoods and learn their history. The tours are given in World War II amphibious-landing vehicles and conclude with a cruise on the Charles. You can't come to Boston without visiting Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox and in my opinion the greatest ballpark in the world...And be sure to stroll the Public Garden, which is amazing in the spring, and explore Harvard Square in Cambridge.
DINING
I love eating at the bar at Legal Seafoods, in either Park Square or Kendall Square in Cambridge. They serve fresh seafood, pour Guinness on tap and have an excellent, reasonably-priced wine list...Another favorite is bouchee, a French bistro on Newbury Street in the Back Bay. The flatbread is to die for, and they serve great escargot...If you're looking for authentic Italian, it's hard to find a place that's not great in the North End.
PUBS
If I'm going to a Red Sox game, I always stop at Cornwall's, a British pub in Kenmore Square. You can play darts, and they have great beers on tap...For a good scene near the TD Garden, check out The Harp...For a great cup of coffee, try Peet's Coffee & Tea in Harvard Square.
Where's Matty G.?
GolfDigest.com, 8/09
If you're looking to match a game at Fenway with good value, challenging Boston golf, Matty G.'s buddy Ramos, a Boston local, recommends:
1. Red Tail Golf Club: 4.5 stars-- www.redtailgolf.net ; 978-772-3273 (M-Th: $99; F-Su: $115). "Awesome. A beautiful course that should be perfect in early October. It hosted the ’09 U.S. Women’s Amateur Pub Links. Red Tail Ale is also one of my favorite ways to finish a round."
2. Maplegate Country Club: 3.5 stars-- www.maplegate.com ; 508-966-4040 (M-F: $72; S-Su: $82; Twilight starts at 3:00 and rates drop to $37/$42).
"It was the host of the U.S. Open qualifier 1998 and 2001 and the U.S. Amateur qualifier in 2009. It’s my favorite public course in Mass. No nonsense, just golf."
3. Triggs Memorial Golf Course: 3.5 stars-- www.triggs.us ; 401-521-8460 ($40).
"A Donald Ross gem that’s an hour from Boston and it’s in great shape, but it’s a tough track. Going to see the Sox play Cleveland to finish the 2009 season won’t bring much consolation."
4. Franklin Park Golf Course: 3 stars-- www.sterlinggolf.com/franklin ; 617-265-4084 (M-F: $37; S-Su: $44).
"Another Donald Ross design that's also known as the William J. Devine Golf Course (that’s the actual name of the course, but it’s located at Franklin Park). It’s 6,000 yards and they say it's the second oldest public course in America."
5. Ponkapoag Golf Course: 2 stars-- www.ponkapoaggolf.com ; 781-828-4242 (M-F: $27; S-Su: $30).
"Built in 1936, this is another Ross course with 27 holes."
Zane Lamprey's Drinking Made Easy Guide To Boston (2010):
As the capital and largest city in Massachusetts, Boston is generally referred to as the unofficial “Capital of New England.” Steeped in history, it was founded in 1630 by Puritan colonists from England, and became a prominent source of action during the American Revolution in the 18thcentury. From the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre to the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Freedom Trail, it was a city that was deeply involved in laying the groundwork for our country and our freedom. Today Boston is a blooming metropolis and the combination of avid sports fans, university students and a strong Irish community Make Boston one Easy place to Drink.
TOAST TO TALES
As one of America’s oldest cities, it’s only natural that Boston would be home to many historical drinking establishments, and some of the oldest in the country. Established in 1795, the Bell in Hand claims to be America’s oldest continually operating tavern. Built by Jimmy Wilson, Boston’s last Town Crier, who didn’t believe in “the hard stuff,” it served only Smith’s Philadelphia Cream Ale until 1919. Among its famous patrons were Daniel Webster and Paul Revere. More recently, in the mid-1980s, it was one of the first bars to carry Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Today, the history is still evident in its façade, but its renovated image includes features like live music, DJs, karaoke and trivia nights and plasma TV’s. On the weekends it becomes a popular nightclub and is one of the hottest nightspots in the Faneuil Hall area.
Bell in Hand | 45-55 Union Street, Boston, MA 02108 | (617) 227-2098
Another watering hole in Boston that dates back to 1654, is The Green Dragon Tavern. While not still in its original location, it was once a meeting place for The Sons of Liberty (like Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Dr. Joseph Warren and John Hancock) and is said to be the place where The Boston Tea Party was planned and where Paul Revere was sent from to Lexington to take his famous “midnight ride” (“The British are Coming! The British are Coming!”). In fact, they met here so often that it came to be called the “Headquarters of the American Revolution” and in 1788 the Patriots met here to draw up a resolution to support the Federal Constitution. Today it retains many of its historical traits and has managed to stay true to its historical roots.
Just a few miles away in North Boston in the neighborhood of Charlestown you’ll find the Warren Tavern. Built in 1780, and with claims of being the oldest tavern in Massachusetts, it was the first building to be built in Charlestown after the British burned the area during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. To date is the oldest tavern in Boston that is still in its original building and location. Built by Captain Eliphelet Newell who fought at Bunker Hill, it was named after his close friend, Sons of Liberty leader and fervent patriot, Dr. Joseph Warren who was killed in the battle. Its history is evident in its structure as the ceiling beams were made using wood salvaged by old boats from the nearby Navy Yard.
A bar that has a more recent historical significance isCheers, located in Beacon Hill. Originally called the Bull & Finch Pub, it was chosen as the exterior for the television series Cheers which ran on NBC from 1982 to1993. Because only the exterior of the bar was used for filming, the inside does not resemble the set from the television show. Founded in 1969, the Bull & Finch has gained notoriety over the years and officially changed its name to Cheers in 2002. In 2001, a second Cheers location opened in Faneuil Hall, which was built to be a replica of the bar from the Cheers television show set. Serving traditional American bar food, they also have a full bar and serve many local Boston beers on draft.
Cheers Beacon Hill | 84 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108 | (617) 227-9605
BOOZE AND BASEBALL
Boston is one of America’s original Baseball cities. Fenway Park is known as America’s oldest Major League Baseball stadium that is still in use and has been home to the Boston Red Sox since 1912 when it opened. It’s considered to be one of the best-known sports venues in the world and has sold out every Red Sox home game since May 15, 2003.
The area surrounding Fenway Park is swarming with bars and nightlife and on game days there are no shortage of sports fans wandering the streets and filing in and out of bars. For those who haven’t been able to score tickets, the Bleacher Bar is a great place to catch a game. Located at field level just under the bleachers and behind center field, patrons are only a few feet away from the center fielder and are treated to an unprecedented view. Featuring local brews like Harpoon IPA and Samuel Adams, Bleacher Bar also carries unique brews like the 6.4% ABV Monsta Ale from Wachusett Brewery. Located outside of Boston in Westminster, Wachusett has been in business, producing quality craft beer, since 1993. Other Wachusett brews include the Blueberry Ale, Country Ale, IPA, Nut Brown Ale as well as a number of seasonals.
The Bleacher Bar | 82A Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215 | (617) 262-2424
Another place to catch a Red Sox game, from a unique viewing perspective is The Baseball Tavern. Located just a short fly ball away from Fenway Park, their roof top deck, which is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, overlooks Fenway Park with a view of the Jumbo Tron. Operating since 1963, they feature a menu of traditional American pub fare.
Just across the street from Fenway Park is Game On, a multi-media sports bar that features over 90 high definition televisions, where patrons can catch a Red Sox game during baseball season, and a full bar and menu. Combining the best of sports viewing and casual American dining, it’s more than just a sports bar. Game On also houses batting cages, that when not being used by visiting MLB teams, patrons can enjoy at a cost of just $5 per person.
Game On | 82 Lansdowne Street, Boston, MA 02215 | (617) 351-7001
For a beer-lover, one Fenway-area staple not to be missed is Boston Beer Works. With 17 house-brewed beers ondraft at any given time, they produce some of Boston’s tastiest brews. Created as Slesar Bros. Brewing Company by brothers Steve and Joe Slesar in 1990, two years later they opened Boston Beer Works, which is now known as the oldest restaurant and brewery in Boston. With a revolving tap menu of beers, they produce between 75 and 100 different variations of beer every year. They have experimented with fruit in the brewing process and created beers flavored with blueberry, watermelon, raspberry and cherry. Their most popular beer is the Blueberry Ale which includes the addition of fresh blueberries after pouring. Some of their more daring creations include a Habañero Black IPA, which is aged and conditioned in old scotch barrels and infused with fresh sliced habañeros. Today the company has expanded to two new locations: one is within Boston at 112 Canal Street across from the Fleet Center and the other is in Salem, MA and is called Salem Beer Works.
Boston Beer Works | 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 | (617) 536-2337
BOSTON BREWED
Likely the most notable brewery out of Boston is the Boston Beer Company, makers of Samuel Adams. As a pioneer in the microbrew craft beer movement, founder Jim Koch was born into a family of brewers. Founded in December 1984 by Koch, Harry Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid, the original recipe for the Samuel Adams Boston Lager was actually developed in 1860 by Koch’s great-great grandfather, Louis Koch. In April 1985, Samuel Adams Boston Lager made its debut in about 25 bars and restaurants in Boston. A few months later, it won “Best Beer in America” at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival and the publicity that followed allowed the company to grow. The success of the company was in many ways a catalyst for other small brewers, and around 1995 the microbrew revolution began to take hold. Today, Boston Beer Company is the producer of about 35 different varieties of beer including Samuel Adams Utopias which was once the strongest beer in the world, and the newly introduced Samuel Adams Infinium. Samuel Adams is available in all 50 states and in more than 20 foreign countries and over the years has won more awards than any brand in history.
Founded in Boston by three Harvard classmates, the Harpoon Brewery, has been brewing some of New England’s best craft beer since 1986. Rich Doyle, Dan Kenary and George Ligetti formed the Mass Bay Brewing Co. and began brewing Harpoon under this banner. Their early ales were the Harpoon Ale, the Harpoon Golden Lager, and Harpoon Winter Warmer. Harpoon IPA, one of their most popular brews today, began as a summer seasonal beer in 1993 and has since become a year round beer and a Boston staple. Their other in-demand year-round brew is the UFO Hefeweizen and you can currently find winter seasonals like the Chocolate Stout and the Winter Warmer.
With several universities in Boston, there is no shortage of brewpubs or locally made beer. You’ll find two in Cambridge, just a stone’s throw away from Harvard. Cambridge Brewing Company is a brewpub located in Kendall Square, that serves fresh beer and flavorful dishes. You can also check out John Harvard’s Brew House whose motto is “Honest Beer. Real Food.” They make about 5 year round beers and serve several seasonal specials throughout the year. Visit them in Harvard Square.
VIVA VARIETY
One would be remiss to visit Boston without a trip to the Sunset Grill & Tap. It boasts the largest selection of beer in Boston with 112 different beers on draft and 380 micro-brews and imports. Their beer menu is not only extensive, but also informative. Even the most novice beer drinker will find something to choose from. But don’t worry. If, after perusing the menu, you still don’t find a beer that interests you, they also have a full bar, an extensive cocktail list and other liquid treats. If you’re in the mood for something a little different, try a sampling of their mead selection. Voted the best selection in Boston, they carry almost 30 different varieties that can be purchased by the glass, or by the bottle. If you stop by, be sure to ask for Zane’s Peach, a drink concoction that consists of a shot of Nalewka Babuni Polish Mead poured into a glass of Peach Lambic beer. Yum!
Zane’s Peach
1 shot of Nalewka Babuni Polish Mead
¾ of a glass of Peach Lambic beer
Pour shot into beer and drink
Sunset Tap & Grill | 130 Brighton Avenue, Boston, MA 02134 | (617) 254-1331
Just outside of the city center in Brookline is The Publick House. With 35 taps and an extensive bottle list with rare international offerings from Belgium, Germany, Norway, and Canada this pub opened in 2002 and has been schooling Boston-ites in the craft of quality beer-drinking ever since. In 2007, they opened the Monk’s Cell, a tap room adjacent to the Publick House that exclusively serves Belgian beer on draft.
See Also: Fat Guy's Boston MA Golf Weekend