Fat Guy's Boston MA Golf Weekend
Where To Play:
Per T&L Golf, Granite Links Golf Club at Quarry Hills
Boston's infamous $14.6 billion Big Dig replaced the city's decrepit highways with sleek tunnels. It also helped build a wonderful course. Before the Dig, these 450 acres were a morass of landfills and quarries seven miles south of the city. Quarry Hills' developers needed fill; Big Dig contractors needed a place to put 13 million tons of earth. Now, more than 900,000 truckloads later, architect John Sanford has fashioned a work of art.
Although short by today's standards, Granite Links compensates with dense bluegrass, fescue and heather rough bordering bent-grass fairways and large, bone-white bunkers that look like the footprints of prehistoric beasts fleeing the nearby metropolis. (Although Boston's skyline comes into view from many spots, a hundred acres of adjoining conservation land lend the feel of a rural track.) Boston has long needed a nearby, first-rate public course. Now it has one—on its very own soil.
—Roland Merullo
Yardage/Par: 6,836/72. Greens Fees: $65-$85. Tee Times: 617-296-7600 or www.granitelinksgolfclub.com
Per www.travelgolf.com, the real gem in all of the New England area, and one to definitely check out before the blanket of snow hits in late fall, is Stow Acres Country Club. Roughly 45 minutes outside of Boston, the club’s North Course was recently named the best public course in the state by Golf Digest and hosted the 70th U.S. Amateur Championship. The 7,000-yard track winds through beautiful pine trees and golfers will encounter a piece of the property’s eight ponds all the way around. And the South Course isn’t too shabby either.
George C. Wright Municipal, Hyde Park MA
A decent value course, a 1939 Donald Ross.
Golfcourse.com Review: This course was built on rolling terrain and has tight tree-lined fairways and small greens. There is a pond that comes into play on 1 hole.
Avg. Golfcourse.com Player Review: 3.4/5.0. Consensus seems to be that this is a great layout in horrific shape, dirt greens, staff sucks, no rangers, consistent 6 hour rounds, but where else can you play a Ross for $25 greens fees?
Best Bar Nearby, Boston: My buddy Scott (a short-time Beantown resident) says it's not really worth it, but your first thought will be to go where everybody knows your name. Cheers aka The Bull & Finch on the north side of Boston Common, is not only Boston's most famous bar, but maybe the most famous bar in the world. Hit the Cheers at Quincy Market instead for a quick 16 ounces of '80's nostaglia on a replica of Naam's barstool. OR, nearby Bell In Hand claims to be among America's oldest taverns (although it's moved 4 times since it's inception). Other famous surroundings include Woody's L Street Tavern (658 E 8th St #A, S. Boston, 617-268-4335), put in the spotlight by Boston's own Matt and Ben when they filmed the bar scenes from Good Will Hunting there. Philly Metro likes Sevens Ale House (Charles St) as a typical Boston pub. For nightclubs, head to Lansdowne St, with 6 clubs of varying themes, Avalon being the largest.
For a good pub to catch the British Open or a PGA Tour event on TV, T&L Golf likes DOYLE'S CAFÉ
All the Irish trappings are on tap at this 124-year-old tavern—wooden booths, tin ceilings, murals of Ireland, framed pictures of Kennedys. Cozy up to the bar and order the house specialty, eggs Bellange: corned-beef hash with a poached egg on an English muffin with hollandaise. Be sure to bring cash; credit cards aren't accepted, although there is an on-site ATM.
3484 Washington Street; 617-524-2345, 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily, Quincy, MA
Where To Grub: Start your tour at Quincy Market for street performers, shopping, and fresh foods of all kinds. Ray O'. recommended the beer & oysters at the raw bar at Union Oyster House (41 Union St, 617-227-2750, www.unionoysterhouse.com), America's oldest continuously operated restaurant. So I checked it out. The bar is a great Colonial spot to belly up, but I wouldn't stray much past the raw bar. My meal here reminded me of the bland, overpriced tourist food at Philly tourist trap Bookbinder's, indicative of a restaurant that's been living on reputation for years. The clam chowdah I got from a stand at Quincy Market was much better than Union's. For Italian on the North Side, hit 5 North Square (617-720-1050) for basic old school dishes. Try the homemade ravioli stuffed with cheesecake-like ricotta, or their veal parm ranks right up there with Philly's best at D'Angelo's. Scott's formidable beef palate likes the semi-reasonable steaks at Abe & Louie's (739 Boyleston Ave, 617-536-6300). Pat says the pricey steaks at Kansas City-based Plaza III's first satellite location (1 S Market St @ Quincy Market, 617-720-5570, www.plazaiii.com) are the best he's ever had in his wide travels in sales. Playboy named Grill 23 and Bar as one of the Top 10 Steakhouses in America. Jacket & tie required in the 75-year-old mahogany-walled, Corinthian-columned, former Salada Tea building. Start with chilled New England shellfish, or soft-shell crabs crusted with pumpkin seeds, then move to a Delmonico or filet, with sides of hash browns and mac & cheese with truffles. Don't overlook the wine list, rich with great reds. Philly Metro paper likes The Barking Crab (88 Sleeper St, Waterfront 617-426-2722, up to $35) serving simple seafood, known for it's New England clambake. OR Chau Chow (50 Beach St, Chinatown, 617-292-5166, up to $25) features Chinese seafood cuisine, try the clams in black bean sauce. OR Aura (Seaport Hotel, 1 Seaport Ln, Waterfront, 617-385-4300) does a menu featuring fresh seasonal produce. Forbes likes Anthony's Pier 4 Seafood, among Beantown's oldest and most venerable fish joints.
Where To Stay: OK, this is probably a stretch even for the blonde-obsessed-Maxim-subscriber in you, but the Onyx Hotel has a Britney Spears Suite, designed by her mom to look just like the diva's room back home. The minibar contains Britney's favorite snacks. Might be worth it if the wife/grrlfriend offers to dress up like Britney's schoolgirl video.
Other Touristy Stuff To Do:
Of course, half the reason to come to Boston is to go to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park.
Circa 1912 and way more atmosphere than any of the new breed of old-style parks. While there, be sure to hit Fenway tradition Cask N' Flagon, or newcomer Boston Brew Pub. Boston's Freedom Trail hits all the historical hightlights on an easy-to-follow walking tour, featuring Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church.