Shennecossett GC
Groton, CT (20 minutes north of Mystic)
1898, Donald Ross
Back Tees 6562 71.5 122 71
Middle Tees 6088 69.1 121 71
Directions: From I-95 going S, get off @ Exit 87 and turn right at the s
2nd light, then make an immediate left at the next light, head over to Plant St and turn left again, drive a short distance to the course.
Fees: ~$33 plus cart
Ranked #50, Golf Magazine's 2007 Thrifty 50 (Top 50 courses under $50)
Golf Digest '09 Review: 3-1/2 stars, $41
Shennecossett Golf Course is all charm, wedged into the neighborhood that grew up around it. You even play your first tee shot over the traffic on Plant Street. A former private club designed by Donald Ross in 1916, Shenny was purchased by the town of Groton in 1967 and turned into a municipal course. It oozes history even before you reach the first tee. The mission-style clubhouse dates to 1914, and vintage club championship boards with names like Tommy Armour and Glenn Collett Vare line the shop walls. Three of the orignial Ross holes were lost to ensure uninterrupted Viagara production at the neighboring Pfizer plant, but the club received a seaside plot in a tradeout with the drug company, and the three new holes have commanding water views.
Golfcourse.com Review: This course is a cross between a traditional and a Scottish links-style design. The fairways are mounded, lined with trees, and rather narrow. The somewhat small greens are sloping and fast. The terrain is mostly rolling, so you can expect some uneven lies. Golf Digest rated this course as the 7th "Best Public Course" in the state for 1996.
Avg. Golfcourse.com Player Review: 4.0/5.0. A few mixed reviews but overall they were raves. A classic Ross links except for 3 new holes #s15-17, but new holes have great views of the river. Course is in good condition, greens are hard, pace of play is good, wind is a factor, rough can get high. 3rd hole is great 208 yard par 3 with tiny, crowned "turtle shell" green, tough to hit, harder to hold. Pro shop is spartan. Two mentions of great burgers at the snack shop, one guy complained about the service.
Where To Grub: You gotta visit nearby Mystic, home of Mystic Seaport and Mystic Pizza (setting of Julia Roberts' first big movie, but locals say the pizza's like cardboard). Karen recommends Jamm's (8 Coogan Blvd), for a casual diner with the best lobster roll and clam strips on the planet. S&P Oyster House (1 Holmes St) is more upscale, with good seafood and great buckets of clams. Abbott's Lobster In The Rough (117 Pearl St, Noank) has been featured on the Food Network for outstanding lobster, while Golf Digest recommends the lobster rolls. The fishermen bring in the lobster catch on the dock just a few feet away, and dining on fresh lobster on one of their picnic tables with a cold beer at sunset is a real treat. The Newport Creamery has great ice cream.
Other Area Tracks To Play: Golf Digest gives Foxwoods Casino's Lake of Isles North Course 4 1/2 stars ($195). More "lake" than "isles", it's damp, tough, memorable high-end resort golf. The 459-yard 18th features a 200-yard water carry off the tee, then 50 yards of salad and giant boulders between the end of the fairway and the granite green that repels shots with great prejudice.
Where To Stay: Philly's Metro paper likes the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa (Mystic Places, CT; www.mysticmarriott.com ), the region's newest luxury hotel. Check out their Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon & Spa on deals like the "Just Girls" makeover package ($299 for 2). Also try the on-premisis Octagon Restaurant, presumably with ocean views. Or Foxwoods has 825 Vegas-style rooms just in it's new MGM Tower ($240 PN weekends), with plasma TVs and marble double showers, and drawing big names to the 4,000 seat theater.