Winter New England Golf

[TheMassHacker]

BTW how is McGolf. I was in the neighborhood once (at the Apple Store opening, got a free t-shirt) but it was raining like all hell when i got to the driving range so i didn't go. I didn't look as nice from the parking lot as is does on their website, but then again it was raining so hard i thought i needed to build an ark. Also, i thought they had a

Good rule for life: things rarely look as good in person as they do on the Internet.

They did advertise having a Golf Zone there when they first opened with the new upgrades, but I never saw anyone in that part of the building. Not sure if it was a lack of staff or a lack of interest that made them close. Other than that, McGolf is pretty good. They had a fire there in 2007 and turned that negative into a positive by using it as a chance to build the covered bays, a new refreshment stand and expand the practice area with a new putting green. So, it's miles ahead of where it was before then. Also, because of this most of the pads are fairly new and the ones in the covered bay are still in especially good shape. There are lots of bays so you never have too long a wait, even on the busy Saturdays and $8 for a decent-sized bucket is a fair deal. It's not the best range I've ever been to (best thing they may have going for them is a lack of a better option in the area) but the staff is friendly, the balls fly true and there is actually grass on the range. Can't ask for much more that that.

[safetrip]

Well i just went to ForeKicks Marlborough today, and it was great. You get a large bucket of balls and you hit into a net about 50 yards away. Also i was the only one there so that was neat. The distance is just enough so you can see snap-hooks and sh**ks and also a little bit of curve on baby draws and fades. I had been to ForeKicks Norfolk before and they are nearly identical.

It's good to hear that you had a good experience. I'll just need to find a time during weekday. Now, you mentioned, the net is 50 yard away? They advertise (also from the picture) that it's 200 yard long so what's up with that? It's not a show stopper but still 50 yard and 200 yard are quite different.

Not being crowded is good but I hope that there will be enough people going there so that they can continue to offer this. I really think that they should do more advertisement since I'm sure there are lot of people like us looking for winter practice.

[jamo]

It's good to hear that you had a good experience. I'll just need to find a time during weekday. Now, you mentioned, the net is 50 yard away? They advertise (also from the picture) that it's 200 yard long so what's up with that? It's not a show stopper but still 50 yard and 200 yard are quite different.

When i went the net was 50 yards away but there was another soccer field on the other side of the net so maybe they can extend it to 200 yards?

Not being crowded is good but I hope that there will be enough people going there so that they can continue to offer this. I really think that they should do more advertisement since I'm sure there are lot of people like us looking for winter practice.

They should definitely advertise. I think they might not because it is more of a soccer and basketball place, the golf is more of an afterthought. It seriously looks like they bought a couple mats and some balls and made a range. If fact, thats probably what they did. The whole golf part is very informal. You have to ask at the front desk for some balls and pay there. I don't see why they would stop offering golf. They already have the balls and the mats and the dividers. It isn't costing them any money, they already have to heat the entire dome and they keep the lights on. They just don't do much between 8-3 on weekdays because of school.

Also, i should mention that the guy said that sometimes they are open later for golf. Yesterday, when i went, they were open for golf until 6:30. They just advertise 9-3 because thats when they always have golf. It is's 4 pm and you want to go, call them.

[murphmjm]

Also, i should mention that the guy said that sometimes they are open later for golf. Yesterday, when i went, they were open for golf until 6:30. They just advertise 9-3 because thats when they always have golf. It is's 4 pm and you want to go, call them.

If your going to be heading over to marlborough forekicks i would reccomend calling ahead, i was driving by today thinking of stopping in and called, they said they were not open for golf until after 12 due to a soccer event. So call ahead if your going to be driving any sort of distance to get there (damn 15 min drive across town for nothing!)

[RemyM]

Pound Ridge Golf Club in Pound Ridge NY will re-open Saturday 1/23. Greens will be open and it will be cart paths only. A great Pete/Perry Dye course. However its offseason rates are $150 before 2:00 and $100 after. Cheaper then flying south but a bit pricy for winter.

[murphmjm]

for that kind of $ i would recommend trying some cape cod golf courses (not close to ct but still!). The only one i have experience with is the Dennis Highlands (pines is closed for winter), its a fantastic course for the $. There are many courses down the cape and most of them stay open all year round due to the differing climate being so close to the ocean. Copious amounts of old people wouldn't be there unless they had golf all year round, so it can't be that bad!

[boogielicious]

Kelley Greens in Nahant is open all year round. I haven't played there, but may try if it gets above 35F!!!

http://www.kelleygreens.com/

[TheMassHacker]

One of my favorite places to play in the winter is Little Harbor down in Wareham. Also a bit of a drive, but you can't beat the price.

http://www.littleharborcountryclub.com/index.html

Also, I wanted to check out Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, but never made it there last season. Does anyone know if it is open year-round?

[bogeyhitter25]

Does anybody know any courses that are open down in Cape Cod right now? Is there like a list or something at a site? I really wanted to get out for Feb. vacation.

[jamo]

Does anybody know any courses that are open down in Cape Cod right now? Is there like a list or something at a site? I really wanted to get out for Feb. vacation.

First off-

http://www.golfcapecod.com/winter_golf_report.html . I've heard some really good things about Captains Golf Course, which is listed on here. Second- http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Winter+Golf+Cape+Cod

[bogeyhitter25]

Thanks jamo for helping out a lazy sob like me.

[murphmjm]

Not sure if any of you are fans of Stonybrook in Southboro but they might be shutting it down...
http://tinyurl.com/yfd7vpd

I learned how to play golf there and so did my sister, would be sad to see it go, its improved so much over the past few years.

[jamo]

Not sure if any of you are fans of Stonybrook in Southboro but they might be shutting it down...

I wouldn't call myself a fan of StonyBrook, but i've played there about 10 times before. I didn't particularly like the elderly woman who is often at the "pro shop." I went with my mom when i was about 13, because you need to be 17 to play there alone, and she wouldn't let my mom (not a golfer) walk the course with me. We didn't really mind paying the $13 extra, but it really pissed us off that we had to pay because my mom wasn't playing, she doesn't even own clubs. Another time i went by myself after i turned 17, and she didn't let me play even though i showed her my license, and i had driven myself to the course, in my own car. The course was always in decent shape, though the greens were painfully slow, and it was a fun little course to play in about an hour if it wasn't busy. It doesn't particularly surprise me that they are putting up houses, it is surrounded my a bunch of big new houses.

[MrW00t10]

As many of you are probably well aware, it becomes near unbearable to even go outside in the winter months of New England, let alone even consider playing golf. So my question to everyone is,

How on earth am I going to keep my game sharp enough this winter to be ready for tournament play on 4/2/2011?! I have no idea except putting in my dorm room

[Uber$winG]

I used to live outside Lowell, MA and I went to this place for batting practice in the winter. It is actually more geared towards the golfer than the ball player. I don’t know where in MA you are located but this place is in North Chelmsford.

http://bpappasgolf.com/

[jamo]

We had a pretty sizeable thread on this last year: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...england+winter

It depends where you live, really. My favorite indoor places to go are Forekicks (in Marlborough and Norfolk) and Natick Golf Center.

Forekicks is an indoor golf dome that they (at least last year) set up some golf mats during the afternoon, when there was no soccer or anything. It's great because you can see some of the golf ball's path, but the hours are limited.

Natick Golf Center is right on Speen st, south of the Natick Mall, and they have an outdoor and indoor range. Indoors they have some hitting stations and a few simulators, plus a putting/chipping green. And it's only $6 for all you can hit (though a few times they charged me $12. Don't really know why...). Forekicks is pretty cheap too.

One place I don't like is Golf Rite, which used to be in an old warehouse in Hudson. Now they are at The International. I laid out why in the other thread, but I really don't like that place. The pro messed up my swing something bad in the lesson I took with him, then I saw him chewing out another student when I was there last winter. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed when I heard they were moving. Plus it was expensive. $20 an hour.

[Stretch]

This thread is making me dread returning to Boston. It's 65 degrees here at 7:30 am. Time to put some shorts on and go hit some balls.

[boogielicious]

Stay in a Warm Place Stretch!!!

There's another indoor place in Woburn, http://www.bigsticksgolf.com/index.shtml . He charges $15 for an hour.

Middleton has an outdoor heated range that I have been to when it is a cold as 30. It's on 114.

Whirlaway is a pro shop in Methuen that has an outdoor heated range as well.