Hey Everyone,

A little mid-week golf fix for you here at Bay State Golf.

I’ve been working on some YouTube videos about courses I’ve played. Aiming to make them 5-7 minutes long.

I did George Wright last week and Franklin Park this week.

Mass. Women’s Amateur: Imagine holing out on the final hole of a round to lock up medalist honors? Mekhala Costello (Blue Hill CC) did just that on Tuesday to fire her second straight 69 at Taconic GC and is the No. 1 seed in match play. Costello is getting ready for the fall season, but not on the golf course… she’s a soccer player at Amherst College.

Carys Fennessy, who won the NH Women’s Open by 18 shots last month (and 15 shots last year), is on Costello’s side of the bracket. Players are allowed to play in other state amateurs provided they have a handicap index in each state. Josiah Hakala from New Ipswich, NH won the Mass. Junior last week.

Molly Smith and Morgan Smith could meet in the semi-finals.

MassGolf has the whole shebang over on their site. I’m jealous of everyone out in the Berkshires this week.

U.S. Amateur: 13 players from New England and five from New England played in the U.S. Amateur this week. Joey Lenane just lost on the second playoff hole in a 14-for-11 playoff. He shot 69-73 over the two days; a triple bogey on Tuesday will probably haunt him for a bit. He’s had another great summer, winning the Mass PubLinks in late July by 11 shots. Ben James is the only player of the 13 from the region to reach matchplay. He’s the third-ranked player in the World Amateur Rankings and finished T12. James is playing Jose Luis Ballaster, also a stud, in the Round of 64. Following live scoring here.

Five of my favorite golf holes

Earlier this summer, Golf Digest released their top 100 golf holes in America. Five of them are in the Bay State:

• Myopia Hunt - 9th hole - Par 3

• Kittansett Club - 3rd hole - Par 3

• The Country Club - 3rd hole - Par 4

• The Country Club - 11th hole - Par 5

• Eastward Ho! - 6th hole - Par 4

I have been fortunate to play all those holes at one point or another. The only one that I haven’t played since I started my quest is Eastward Ho!

They’re all exceptional holes.

Over the winter I started to put together a list of my favorite 100 holes since I started my quest. I like to start lists from memory and jot down what springs to mind first before reviewing notes, scorecards, and pictures from my rounds.

Here are five of my favorite public golf holes in Massachusetts that I’ve played during my quest.

Brookline Golf Club - 12th hole - Par 3 - 99/132 yards

Brookline, Mass.

A charming downhill hole with a green tucked in a small cove. The tee shot requires accuracy to a green with a bit of a nose that runs through the middle. A bunker will gobble up shots from uncommitted swings that don’t fly far enough.

Kettle Brook Golf Club - 13th hole - Par 4 - 238/289 yards

Paxton, Mass.

After a walk across the parking lot from the 12th green to the 13th tee, golfers are delivered to the closing stretch that befits the silo and barn framing the left side of this drivable par 4. The land is flat and open. It would be easy to picture a farm on this part of the course. Some golfers might arrive at the 13th licking their wounds after battling the tough par 3 12th and wanting a bit of revenge. That’s the beauty of this hole. It’s tempting to push the ball up near the green, but out of bounds, bunkers and some wetlands all await errant shots. Even for a hole so close to the entry road, it’s one of my favorites.

D.W. Field - 4th hole - Par 4 - 276/348 yards

Brockton, Mass.

A short par 4 with a blind tee shot and a lovely reveal once players crest the small hill that blocks the view from the tee. The green site is one that any course would covet. Players can hit a long iron safely over the hill and have a short iron in, or they can take on the hole and leave a flip-wedge into the wicked green that slopes hard from right to left.

Atlantic CC - 8th hole - Par 4 - 341/448 yards

Plymouth, Mass.

This hard dogleg right doesn’t have an inspiring tee shot. Driver is necessary to have a clean look at the green. Once the corner is rounded, the view from the fairway is what makes this hole a favorite. The second shot is long and uphill to a narrow, skinny green. The landing area is slightly downhill, making the second shot even tougher. Birdie putts are hard to come by on this hole.

Waubeeka Golf Links - 16th hole - Par 3 - 110/162 yards

Williamstown, Mass.

Ignore the “Links” in the name. This course is hours from the ocean; however, the 16th hole is superb, and Waubeeka often comes up in conversation as a hidden gem in the Berkshires. This par 3, which is, to my untrained eye, a reverse redan, sits in an open part of the property—a welcome respite from a tree-lined stretch of holes. Similar to a redan green, it has a big slope at the front that can kick balls forward onto the green and towards the back corner. On a classic redan, the slope is on the front right and kicks balls to the left. In this case, the slope is on the left and kicks balls to the right. A bunker protects the right center of the green, so firing at the middle of the green can create some jeopardy for players.