Goodwin Park Golf Course, Hartford, CT

MDM ruined a lot of courses in CT, including this one. They have been replaced and the work of the new superintendents can be seen. This is still a work in progress but the course is in much better shape than it was two years ago and continues to improve. It is worth playing now and should be an outstanding municipal course in a couple of years.

I grew up playing this course, back then it was a deal, 75 cents for 9 holes with ypur city residnt youth card, it eas never known for beong highly groomed and maintained, but i played it yesyerday and i have never seen a coutse thi bad, greens half dead, holes from spring aeration still evident, crabgrass on the greens, fairways with large ateas of dirt, no grass, heavy grass clippongs arpund the greens tee boxes are a joke.
What a waste of time and money. Avoid at all costs....it is f#%@$ng awful.

Goodwin Golf Course is now a disaster! The greens appear not to have been tended to at all. If there is any grass at all it is like putting on the fairway! Many tee boxes have no grass either. Didn't use to be as bad as this and was often in the past in decent condition. Not now ( July 3, 2013)! I will not be going back at any price. Sorry to say but Goodwin Park is now a complete waste of time and money.

A decent Muni Course for the Hartford Area. The driving range and putting area great a help in warming up before a round.

I grew up near Goodwin and played the flat/beginners nine many times 40 years ago while first learning to play golf. I then put away my clubs until three years ago. This year I returned to Goodie and played the 18 hole course. It was a wreck in comparison to most of the municipal courses in the Hartford area. To start my day I found the pro shop locked and fees being taken in the bar. The tee boxes were barren, the fairways ill maintained and lumpy with tree roots in many places, yardage markers were missing as were directions to the next hole, the cart paths were falling apart and people were walking on the course picking up your just hit golf ball. First time I've seen that. MDM, which manages this course should be ashamed.

Why this course is so popular is a mystery. Okay it's cheap to play but so is Keney and Long Hill, two other muni's also managed by MDM. Long Hill is in good shape. Keney? I'm playing there tomorrow against my golf parters advise.

You can try Goodwin but don't have too high expectations.

October 8, 2011, Saturday
Weather was in the 80's, and playing conditions were great. This is a nice municipal, executive course and the service employees were polite and professional. The front nine is a little more wide open than the back nine, and a tad shorter. There are some short holes, but there are doglegs where you have to make it to the corner or else! There's a variety of water holes, and some drivable par 4's. There are two par 5's that can also be reached in two with two good shots. My only negative is the course was busy, but play moved o.k. Overall, I'd give the course a good rating, and I would definitely return again.