The Golf Club At Oxford Greens, Oxford, CT

I have been a member here for 5 years. When I originally joined, this course had a great reputation. It was considered one of the top public courses in the state. Very challenging. Frequented mostly by better golfers. Ownership has ruined it. They have no interest in maintaining that great reputation. They, instead, think they can sit back and benefit from old press articles which rave about the course. They seemed to be most concerned about the amount of play they get, rather than the quality of play. They have initiated some ridiculously cheap rates. Consequently, the course is full from sun up to sunset. But, not full of quality golfers who understand etiquette and have respect for a golf course. Now, it's full of many who have no business being on a golf course. People who are there because it's so cheap. Not because it WAS a great course. The membership is starting to grumble. Many talk of not returning. The tee boxes are terrible, the fairways are full of unfilled divots, some deep enough to see China, and the greens look like targets full of buck shot. Nobody, other than true golfers and members, fixes any pitch marks. The grounds crew can't keep up with the mess which this cheapo rate golfer is making. It is beginning to remind me of a low-budget muni. It's a shame. This was once a highly respected golf facility. Now it is a dump. The general manager seems to have his hands tied by ownership, who only cares about how much play they are getting. I predict their will be a membership uprising in the near future. The value of the membership went way down when they started the reduced rates. It's not worth it to pay for a membership, when you can play as many rounds as a member might, and pay less money over the counter. All summer it has been 19 bucks, with a cart, after 5. 5 and a half hour rounds are common. Weekend outings, slowing the course down to a crawl are also common. Most (not all) the rangers are useless. Some try to keep things moving, but the majority just ride around and wave. And even when there is a slow group, the rangers have trouble because it seems management doesn't support them to force someone to pick up and move it along after being told to do so two or three times. I guess I am spoiled. I joined five years back and felt like I was at an really nice, quality golf course. The range was always filled with nice swings and good golfers. Now it looks like it could be one of those ranges where there are batting cages, an arcade and and supply of free 15-20 year old junk clubs to use if you don't have your own clubs to whack away. It's sad. Ownership has ruined what was once a highly respected track.

Played Oxford Greens in mid-Sept 2012. Course was in the worst shape in the 5+ years that I have been playing there. Unfortunately, the course clearly suffers from apathy and neglect on the part of the greenskeeping crew - tees and greens in bad shape, and sand traps unplayable (erosion cracks, no sand). It will be a long time before I return. Also, a lot of the wooded areas around 5th tee, 6th fairway (left side) and between 6th green and 7th tee have been 'clear cut', with much digging to prepare for new housing units. Area to right of 7th green and fairway already have new construction underway. I played the course in mid-May and none of these issues existed, and if I had written a review then, it would have been significantly better.