Winters over, courses are open (or will be soon), and it’s time to make some new memories, maybe even spot something a little out of the ordinary along the way.
Back in January, when the only thing you were swinging outside was a snow shovel, we asked golfers across Massachusetts: What’s the most unique thing you saw on a golf course last year?
Over the past few years, we at Mass Golf have scoured every corner of the state and have never been disappointed by the character packed into these courses. Unique rock formations? That’s just the beginning.
Between our travels and your replies on social media, we’ve got a vast collection of answers (pared down for brevity) that would make up an excellent lotería card of golf in Massachusetts. If you’re the kind of golfer who loves a little adventure, we encourage you to check these places out for yourself.
About those rocks. A 17-foot-high mound looms along the left side of the uphill par-3 17th hole at Pinecrest, which plays between 175–200 yards. To this day, no one knows for sure how (or why) the rocks were placed there. Some eyewitnesses say farmers once piled them while working the land. Some have speculated it’s the site of an old burial ground or gunpowder dispensary; others go as far as to credit extraterrestrial activity. No matter your take, it can make for one interesting bounce if you ball finds the left side.
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You’ve probably heard of the famous Church Pews at Oakmont Country Club, host of this year’s U.S. Open. But where else will you find seven perfectly round bunkers lined up like dots on a keypad between the 7th and 8th holes at Southboro Golf Course? Elevator Buttons has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Once home to the Scadden Silver Mine, the 13th at Blissful Meadows is now a par-3 that plays across a rocky ravine to an elevated green tucked between ledge and hillside. Rock walls, stone steps, and exposed earth reveal its past and punish the overly bold. A soft fade left is the smart shot, but a drawn-in dart to a tight pin might just strike silver.
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It looks like a barn. Maybe a tasting room. Definitely not a tee box — until you climb to the top. That’s where you’ll find the “Roof Shot,” the launch point for both the 6th and 13th holes (so nice, you play it twice). Hidden until the end of the long 5th, it builds anticipation as your round progresses, and once you’re up there, it’s hard to focus on anything but the view. Before you swing, don’t miss the one-of-a-kind drive-thru for carts, where golfers can stock up on refreshments or duck in from the sun (or cold).
Built around 30 acres of working cranberry bogs, Southers Marsh is part executive course, part family farm, and 100% New England. During harvest season, players might tee off while berries get picked nearby or watch a topped shot explode in a splash of red. It’s not just a golf course with a twist, it’s a cranberry farm that happens to be a really fun place to play.
If the rolling fairways and mountain views in the state’s northwest corner don’t stop you in your tracks, the Native American sculptures just might. Waubeeka Golf Links is full of unexpected details, and its collection of statues scattered across the course adds a distinct, artful layer to the round.
It’s the most scenic spot on the course—and the only one that lets you pick your target. The 6th at Amesbury is a “choose your own adventure” hole with two distinct greens: the original short green for a classic approach and a longer alternate added to match today’s distance and help the pace of play when the tee sheet’s packed.
Boats aren’t exactly what you expect to find at a course called “Woods,” especially one nowhere near the coast. But at Woods of Westminster, a pair of landlocked vessels sit at the edge of the gravel lot, including an old sailboat cleverly repurposed as an outdoor bar, complete with string lights spiraling from the mast. While not part of the course itself, features like this and a couple of tiki bars on site make it clear this place is built for fun, especially when heat rolls in during the summer.
No coastline? No problem for the two boats at Woods of Westminster. (Mass Golf)
Built in the 1930s as part of FDR’s Works Progress Administration, Mount Hood Golf Club once featured a ski jump, a toboggan track, and a four-story lookout tower with sweeping views of the Atlantic. Today, the Slayton Memorial Tower, a familiar sight to anyone who’s visited, still rises above the course, serving as an iconic landmark for both the park and the city. During World War II, the tower even s served as a small Army outpost, scanning the horizon for German U-boats.
Just steps away is another piece of history: a granite memorial honoring Lt. Robert Weston, who crash-landed his B-25 bomber on Mount Hood after ordering his crew to bail out following WW II. Weston was posthumously awarded the Flying Cross for “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.”
Mount Hood GC offers one of the best and most historic skyline views of among public courses in Massachusetts. (Credit: Scenes From The Trail)
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With a community made up of over 130,000 golf enthusiasts and over 360 member clubs, Mass Golf is one of the largest state golf associations in the country. Members enjoy the benefits of handicapping, engaging golf content, course rating and scoring services along with the opportunity to compete in an array of events for golfers of all ages and abilities.
At the forefront of junior development, Mass Golf is proud to offer programming to youth in the state through First Tee Massachusetts and subsidized rounds of golf by way of Youth on Course.
