Stow Acres Country Club, Stow, MA

I've played the North front 9 twice now - after not having played golf in two years...enjoyed my outings. Course is challenging but not intimidating. I will come back.

Friday July 17,2015
I take turns playing the North & South courses. The North course usually charges $10 more than the south course;however,both course are good in there own way. The North course is about 500 yards longer than the South course, and there are more doglegs. The south course is more traditional New England with more elevation changes. Both course are tree lined with basically no housing in site. I enjoy courses which are all golf with no outside interferences. Both courses have a short par 5, which can be reached in two, so there is a chance for an albatross! On the north side, it is hole #12, a slight dogleg left. My two favorite holes are #4, a par 4, 421 yards, and the 2nd shot is a carry over water. When the pin is tucked left, most people will be happy with a bogey. My other favorite hole is #18. A great finishing hole. It is a 3 shotter for me. The hole is a real par 5, 566 yards uphill with water in between. The first time you play this hole, it appears to be a bear. But, with strategic shot placement, the hole is not as hard as it appears. The course was in impeccable condition. The greens role true, and the superintendant gets a bonus in my book.

The North course is the course preferred by the better golfers. The course is more difficult than the South course.
We played last week after not playing here for many years.
The greens were very well maintained and the ball rolled nicely.
Many of the fairways had very thin hard pack areas that suffered from what appeared to be flooding. Last winter was the mildest in history so it wasn't ice damage.
We played from the Blue Tees and faced some difficult tee shots. How about a 249 yard par 3?
Too many dog legs, especially on the back nine. You reach a point where you want to hit your driver but can't. 18 is a monster dog leg left (you can hit your driver) with a narrow gap to lay up and the green is up a severe slope. With the wind, a local told me to play up 4 club lengths.
Maybe it was the fact that we hadn't played here in a long time but we were not impressed.
Need food at the turn? We did but as walkers it is not easy. The clubhouse is about 100 yards away and across the road. We saw nothing that allowed us to order via phone. Maybe we missed it but we had to eat from the beverage cart (candy bars and trail mix).
Not the friendliest staff in the shop or on the course.
The men's room still stinks of mold,mildew and urine.

this is a great coarse. its difficult yet playable. however there is a "snobby" feel rom the pros and employes