A Public Course Conundrum

+ News, Notes, and weekly favorites

Author

Sean Melia
August 21, 2025

Hey Everyone,

Fall is certainly in the air! While pumpkin beer and Halloween candy in stores feel like a personal attack in mid-August, I don’t hate the cooler, drier temps.

I played in The Crocker on Saturday at Cotuit Highground. My friend Kevin has organized this fundraiser for the last four years. Cotuit is a zany par-28 golf course with tiny greens. The Barnstable Land Trust recently bought the course after it was family-owned for the last 96 years. They are unsure if it will remain a golf course and are floating the idea of turning the land into walking trails in five years, which would be a real shame.

On Monday, I headed out to Westminster and checked off two new courses—Westminster CC and Monoosnock CC. I share some thoughts on my experience at Westminster CC and how it crystallized something I had felt at a few public courses during the quest.

You can read about that below. But first, news, notes, and results.

News and Notes

Golf Courses

⛳️ Last year, Easton CC announced it was negotiating with Toll Brothers for purchase. The plan was to turn the course into nine holes and build housing on the land. However, the marshland was too… marshy, so the sale was never finalized because they couldn’t build enough houses on the land. Therefore, Easton CC will remain an 18-hole course (with a grass driving range).

Pro Golf

🍑 The Tour Championship is at East Lake this week. Keegan Bradley is teeing it up, hoping he can convince Keegan Bradley to pick him for the Ryder Cup next month. Live Scoring

⛳️ Megan Khang shot 66 (-5) and sits in second place in the Canadian Women’s Open. Alexa Pano is T38 after shooting 71. Khang won this event in 2023. Live Scoring

🇨🇦 The Manitoba Open was postponed on Thursday due to heavy rains. Chris Francoeur is hoping for a great week. He spoke about the stretch run and what he needs to do to crack the top 10 to earn a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour next season. It’s all about winning to crack into that top 10. Live Scoring

Amateur Golf

🏆️ Maddie Smith completed the New England Golf Association double this summer. She won the New England Women’s Amateur at Haverhill CC in June and won the NE Girls’ Amateur this week in a playoff over Jun Xi Guo at Crumpin Fox. She was also the cornerstone of Team Massachusetts, as the girls’ team won the New England Junior Team event. Results

Connecticut’s North Chery won the New England Boys’ Championship, riding an insane 62 in the second round. He beat Zac Georgantas of Massachusetts by three shots. The Connecticut boys also won the team title. Results 

⛵️ John Hadges shot 71-65 (-2) to win the Senior Hornblower at Plymouth CC by eight shots over Doug Clapp. The second-round 65 was the best round of the day by five shots, and it was the only under-par round of the entire event. Geoffrey Holt shot an even-par 69 in the first round.

🇺🇸 Boston Golf Club hosted U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying for men and women on Monday. For the third straight week, Bay State Golf can claim a connection to a player who booked a spot in a national championship. Maria Cianchette and Conor O’Brien both qualified for their respective U.S. Mid-Amateurs. And now subscriber Jake Ratti shot even par 71 to book his spot in Arizona. (clearly, this type of play does not rub off on the Bay State Golf writer…). Ratti is a caddie at BSG, so he took advantage of his course knowledge and then hit a clutch shot on the par-3 18th to make a birdie and avoid a playoff. MassGolf Recap.

Women’s results 👇️ 

Men’s Results 👇️ 

WRITING

On Monday morning, I stepped into the Westminster CC pro shop and a very nice woman welcomed me. She took my $30 to walk the golf course. I asked if I needed a receipt for a starter.

“We don’t have a starter this morning, but the threesome you’re paired with has already checked in. The tee sheet is pretty open, so you can join up with them or play solo.”

Throughout this season, I have had a half-baked thought about public courses and how they can make visitors feel unwelcome at worst or, at the very least, out of place.

The next 20 minutes (and then the following 4.5 hours…) at Westminster CC crystallized this thought for me.

I wandered across the street and to the first tee; a group of three men zoomed up to the forward tee box without acknowledging me. To be fair, I didn’t acknowledge them, either. I was happy to play alone, especially after being told that it should be okay to slot in behind them on the tee sheet.

I ended up playing behind this threesome for 16 holes. I watched them rake putts back and try them again as I stood at my ball, leaning on my club. A foursome caught up behind me by the 7th hole.

The threesome group didn’t let me play through; I joined them on the 17th hole after they each hit two tee shots on the par 3.

The round took me 4.5 hours. On a Monday morning.

This experience is why I make tee times and pay my way just like any other public golfer in the state. I want to have a true experience during the quest.

Some public courses are popular enough or market themselves to golfers; they are built to welcome “outsiders.” They have starters and rangers and help folks start their round on time.

Last Monday, I played nine holes at Butter Brook. They had a ranger on the first tee to keep the trains on time.

Here’s the catch: The places that are built for “outsiders” are usually more expensive. The places that feel a little more closed off are usually cheaper. This is not a rule, but it’s certainly a trend I’ve noticed.

Another trend I’ve noticed is that public courses have created various memberships and permits that give people access at certain times of the day.

I’ve received eye-side looks from people at public courses because they didn’t recognize me. I’ve stood on the first tee at George Wright at 6:20am while regulars scan me and my group to figure out how we got there; we have even been asked, “Have you played here before?”

Just a reminder, this is at a public golf course.

I’ve been playing golf for more than 30 years and feel comfortable showing up to a golf course on my own to either play solo or join up with strangers.

But not everyone is comfortable doing that, and one bad experience can turn some people off to a specific course and, in other cases, chase people away from the game in general.

As waiting lists at nearly every private course grow, I’ve noticed the public golf scene has slightly changed. It seems like there are more public courses catering to regulars or granting those regulars a little more control of the proceedings.

I understand the economics of having people pay a bit of money up front for extra playing privileges throughout the season. That money up front helps the bottom line in a tough industry.

Courses off the beaten path don’t consider that a new visitor might benefit from some help navigating their first 20-60 minutes on their property as they pay, make their way to the first tee, and start their round.

On the flip side, other public courses have dialed in their guest experience, understanding that a good day will bring them back, either this season or in the future.

The hope is that throughout the quest, I can find the courses that split the difference between affordable and welcoming and share those with you all so you can enjoy new golf courses.

If you would like to support my work, you can upgrade your subscription.

When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

🪝 This story about catfishing golf fans with fake LPGA account is insane. I found myself reading chunks aloud to Tiff.

  • Last May, a Pennsylvania man in his 60s drove four hours to Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J., for the Mizuho Americas Open. He was there to meet 22-year-old American golfer Rose Zhang. He told tournament staff that she had left a VIP package for him and even booked him a hotel room. He said they had been communicating on social media for over a year, during which he had sent her around $70,000. Zhang’s agent confronted the man, breaking the news that he was not communicating with Zhang.

I’m listening to…

🎵 A good week to listen to Mt. Joy. There’s a hint of late fall in their music

🏫 The Daily dug into why parents are opting out of public schools. As a former private school teacher, this was an interesting listen.

I’m eating…

🍔 Went big this week and had the smash burger at Monument.

🇬🇷 Zo Greek continues to carry a lot of weight as we finish up our kitchen renovation.

I’m watching…

💊 We watched the first season of Hightown, a detective show set on Cape Cod. It’s pretty solid, a little like The Wire (but not nearly as good because The Wire is the best).

Know someone who might enjoy this newsletter… send it along to them!

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