Manchester Country Club, Manchester, CT

I played this course over 20 times this season and it has been a very good value - to a point. There is a recent down-side although that I will discuss later.

The three reviews below are accurate and fair. For me MCC is a challenging course as I shoot in the high 80s to low 90s from the white tees. The fairways are quite wide and there is a variety of good to tough holes. It is not a tricked up course and is popular with the women, although the two sets of back-to-back 500 yd holes: 3/4 and 14/15 can be quite a challenge for women as well as men.

I find the course very well maintained and managed with some amenities found at private courses like cart/bag service from your car to a very popular restaurant with great food.

The downside. During the winter of 2010/11 management offered several fantastic discount packages that were snapped up quickly by many including yours truly. I believe the popularity of these packages has caused difficulty in obtaining tee times. Too many times morning tee times (8-11) were unavailable as were some weekdays due to scheduled events. Since I can play only once a week (on a weekday) this has caused me to search elsewhere to play. Although I like to play different courses the flat fee plus cart fee only package I bought at MCC gets more valuable the more I play there.

Also, if you plan on playing only 9 holes, take a cart, as the 9th green is at the far end of the course as is the 10th tee box. Many golfers take advantage of this remote location and play 10-13 then drive the 1000+ yards back to the clubhouse. The July 2010 review is right on the mark.

One final note. Route 83 runs parallel to the course and golfers need to cross this road 4 times during 18 holes. Although the road is marked golf cart Crossing at the 2 crossing points it is a hairy situation that demands your full attention and quick reactions especially at the southern crossing due to limited visibility of on-coming traffic.

Sunday September 4, 2011
One of the best conditioned courses in the general area. The superintendent and his staff does a marvelous job. The course is relatively easy with a great variety of holes. Normally, I'm a bogey golfer, but from holes 6 through 14, I had 8 pars in 9 holes. I've played this course a number of times, and every time I play it, it is always crowded. My signature hole is #6 which is also the #1 stroke hole. It is a dogleg right to an elevated green. Hole #1 and hole#18 has water on the left side. For the price, this course is a good take. A public course with a private feel.

A fun course requiring a variety of shots. A great clubhouse for some cold ones and chow after a round.

Word to the wise, if you play just the front 9 be sure to have a buddy park a car out by the 9th hole. It's a loooooong walk back to the clubhouse!