Hey Everyone,

With all the rain and unpredictable weather this week, I was lucky to squeeze in nine holes at Bellevue Golf Club in Melrose on Monday evening. Incredibly, this round came about because my host read the Boston Globe article about me in May 2025.

A good lesson that sometimes an invite takes 14 months to come to fruition.

As July wraps up (what is happening to the summer??!) August is shaping up to be a very cool month. I have a media credential to the U.S. Amateur, so I will be at Merion for the first two rounds of stroke play and the Round of 64. We’ll see how it goes from there. If a New Englander makes a run to the Round of 32 (or deeper!), I might stick around! I also plan to be at the final of the Mass Women’s Amateur on Friday, July 14 at Oak Hill CC.

These are the kinds of trips that you can help support by becoming a paid subscriber to the newsletter.

You get access to all my writing, early access to my course reviews, and free access to my Bay State Golf digital book. I will also have some bonus content from Merion while I’m out there.

Michael Thorbjornsen shot 69 (-1) and Davis Chatfield shot 71 (+1) in the opening round. Keegan Bradley is T5 after shooting 65. He is currently ranked 70th in the FedEx Cup Standings. Peter Malnati shot 61 to hold the first-round lead.| Live Scoring

I wrote about what’s at stake these next two weeks for Chatifled and Thorbjornsen. You can read that here.

Chris Francoeur is T8 after shooting 64 (-6), and Rob Oppenheim shot 67 (-3) and is T59. Ross Steelman leads after shooting 61. Live Scoring

Megan Khang shot 74 (+3) and is in 75th place. Jeeno Thitikul shot 64 and leads by two shots. | Live Scoring

The Champions Tour is in Europe this week. Jason Caron tees off at 5:54 am EST. | Live Scoring

Ryan Downes and Sascha Robinson both played in the Western Amateur at Beverly GC in Illinois. They missed the 36-hole cut in one of the most prestigious events in amateur golf. | Live Scoring

Trevor Drew (Tyngsboro, Mass.) holds the lead in a weather-shortened Ouimet Memorial after a round of 67 (-4). The field completed one round at Foxborough CC, and now the players who made the cut will play Woodland GC on Friday. Patrick Kilcoyne and Zac Georgantas are one shot behind.

In the Women’s Division, Cecily Henshon (Longmeadow, Mass.), last week’s Mass. Girls’ Junior winner, is tied for the lead with Alexis Florio after rounds of 74 (+2). Lillian Guleserian is one shot behind.

The leader in the Lowery Division is Chris Congdon after shooting a 72 (-1). Frank Vana is one shot behind.

Julian Ragnosa won the Collegiate Division with rounds of 70-73 (-1)… Doran Gibbs shot 73-36 (+1), and Nolan Leonard shot 72-37 to tie for the Boys 15-18 Division title… Reid Meyers shot 74-38 (+4) to win the Boys 14 & Under Division… Lele Liu shot 77-72 (+11) to win the Girls’ Division…

Brendan Hester (Northbridge, Mass.) shot 72 and Mike Verde (N. Easton, Mass) shot 73 at Manchester CC in Vermont to qualify for the U.S. Senior Amateur, which will be held at Baltimore CC… Bradley Sawka (Ellington, Conn.) won the Connecticut Open… Yvette O’Brien (Greenwich, Conn.) won the Women’s Florida Legacy Cup… Maddie Savary won the New Hampshire Women’s Amateur… Maria Ouimet won the Maine Women’s Amateur.

I really enjoyed my round at Forest Park CC in Adams, Mass. Here’s my course spotlight.

It’s starting to feel like walking a course for $70 is a bit of a dividing line in public golf.

You can find some good deals under that price and feel good about what you’re paying. As you creep above that price, expectations go up a bit, especially if you ride a cart and suddenly you’re touching $90-100 for a round.

This is a selection of courses that never go above $70 any time of the week. There are discounted courses that might charge above $70 at times and below that price for weekday or twilight golf. Those courses aren’t what this list is about.

This list is dedicated to courses priced at $70 or less, even for non-residents.

Peak Rate: $70 | Full Rates

While Butternut isn’t my favorite kind of golf: narrow and tree-lined. It is a good value for the area when you consider options like Butter Brook, Red Tail, and Shaker Hills.

Butternut’s challenge comes from its narrowness (it can get kind of ridiculous in some spots), but there are some cool holes and sections of the course that feel more open and playable. A nice set of par 3s, too.

Peak rate: $70 | Full Rates

There’s a chance this course remains open into the 2027 season, but as of right now, this is the last year you can play Cape Cod CC before it is turned into a solar field. It’s an excellent 98-year-old Golden Age design. It’s a great mix of holes, and the green complexes are superb.

Peak Rate: $70 | Full Rates

Boston is lucky to have to two incredible courses within the city limits

Franklin Park is more open as a design, with some fescue and a more manageable routing. It’s a moderate walk with some hills to climb during the round.

George Wright is the brawnier of the two Boston courses. It is also a tough walk, but it’s doable with short walks between most of the holes. There are a bunch of blind tee shots and a bit of course knowledge goes a long way.

$69 walking

CC of Halifax is a rather easy walk that provides a good challenge to a good player. There are some long par 4s that wind through the woods. It gets a touch claustrophobic in areas, but it’s a solid option in the area with a killer closing stretch that will test anyone’s game.

Peak Rate: $67 | Full Rates

Recently purchased by Stonehill College, Easton doesn’t look overly challenging, but a good player will have to hit solid shots from the tips if they want to score. A beginner would also enjoy Easton CC, as there are plenty of opportunities to roll the ball on greens.

They have a grass range, too.

Peak Rate: $67 | Full Rates

A true slump-buster golf course. It’s incredibly flat and easy to walk. There are a bunch of scoreable holes with some short par 5s and par 4s. It’s tree-lined, but playable. Hitting the ball straight here and you might shoot the best score of the season.

Peak Rate: $65 | Full Rates

Yes, it’s a golf course in Brockton. And yes, it’s one everyone should try to play. It’s an easy walk, with some of the best green complexes in public golf in Massachusetts. From what I have heard, the course conditions have continued to improve over the years.

Peak Rate: $62 | Full Rates

One of the best deals in the state. Incredible conditions, a cool routing that brings golfers through the trees and then out into an open section after the 12th hole. Some of the closing stretch is a little odd, as marshland cuts and clips into the fairways. Overall, this is a great place to check out and worth the drive.

Peak Rate: $57 | Full Rates

This course has been slowly revived through drainage work and a focus on building community around it. It’s a great value; it’s a pretty simple walk with some cool holes and some solid greens.

Peak Rate: $65 | Full Rates

Some people are turned off by the seven par 3s at Merrimack Valley. But there are also five par 5s on the course. It’s a rather easy walk. There are sections of the course that are a little tight and narrow due to some housing, but overall it’s a good spot with one of the best 18th holes in the state. A solid par 5 with an excellent, but wild, green. It can get a little soggy when it rains, as a lot of the course is down in a bowl.

Peak Rate: $67 | Full Rates

Recently purchased by Stonehill College, Easton doesn’t look overly challenging, but a good player will have to hit solid shots from the tips if they want to score. A beginner would also enjoy Easton CC, as there are plenty of opportunities to roll the ball on greens.

They have a grass range, too.

Peak Rate: $57 | Full Rates

A mini-George Wright in many cases. Blind tee shots, some narrow corridors, a few awkward holes. The land rolls up and down, and there are a ton of options off the tee.

Peak Rate: $54 | Full Rates

A walking-only course that’s pretty flat and another place that can relinquish a good score to players who hit the ball well. There are some funky holes, like the 10th and 18th. But for the price and the simplicity of knowing everyone on the course is walking, it’s a cool option for all sorts of players as it doesn’t have many forced carries but can lure the good player into making mistakes if they get careless.

Peak Rate: $52 | Full Rates

This might be the toughest walk on this list. A lot of hills on this course, but the value is great. The front is a bit more open, but it has some blind shots off the tee and accuracy is important. The back climbs up and down a hill a few times. Some tough par fives go up the hill but the payoff is a few holes that dive back down.

Peak Rate: $51 | Rates

Two very different nine holes at Hillview. The front nine is rather flat with a brutal par-3 ninth hole. The back is tighter and shorter and plays over rolling hills. Bonus points for its proximity to Boston. A good layout and a good option. They also have a range and big putting green.

Peak Rate: $33 | Full Rates

A very low price for 18 holes out in Western Massachusetts. The course is a moderate walk, with some long walks between holes. It has some rolling hills, but nothing crazy. The conditions are good. The course is tight and has some tricky doglegs that require accuracy to be in the proper position to have a clear view of the green. But for $33 to walk 18 holes on a weekend (cash only!), it’s a good option for folks who live in the area.

Peak Rate: $31 | Full Rates

A very good deal. Veteran’s has two different nines. The front is a bit more open and scorable. Some have called it “sporty.” The back, especially holes 10 and 11, provides a sterner test. It’s in good shape.

Springfield also owns Franconia, which I have no played yet, but has the same rates.

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