Course: Highfields Golf & Country Club

Location: Grafton, MA

Date Played: May 12 , 2008

Played By: Ross & Jason

Overall Rating: 84

Friendliness of Staff: 5
We were here for a tournament, so some of our encounters were with tournament staff. The course employees that we did encounter were friendly enough, but nothing stood out to either of us. The gentlemen helping us locate our cart seemed a bit confused as to how they had the carts set up. The guy running the buffet was very high strung and not very friendly to his employees. I doubt that his staff will hang around too long if he keeps treating them the way he does, just our observation.

Facilities/Pro Shop: 9
The clubhouse here is brand new. How new? Our tournament was on Monday, and the clubhouse opened on Saturday. They definitely did not hold back on the clubhouse either. It's a great design, with a large, fully stocked pro shop, a snack bar, a full bar with TV's, and a large banquet room, capable of seating 200+. Before your round, you can get loosened up at their practice range or take some putts on their practice green. We recommend hitting the practice green, as it has a ton of breaks in it, perfect for preparing you for the round.

Quality/Value of Food/Snacks: 7
Our tournament had a dinner set up for afterwards, where we were served buffet style with steak tips, chicken, salmon, and salad. Since the food was included for the tournament, we didn't have a sense of what a lunch would cost there. But we were not overly disappointed with our meal. The steak tips could have been marinated, but we were eating buffet style, so expectations did not need to be too high.

Fairway Conditions: 8
The fairways were in good shape, very green, with minimal presence of weeds. The fairways did seem a bit thin, and we noticed that it was very easy to take a large divot. It almost felt as though the grass and ground were still in their infancy stages of growth and life. We didn't see when the course opened, but we're guessing not too long ago, so the ground may just need some time to mature. But overall, the fairways were cut well, as was the rough.

Greens Conditions: 6
Again, we are not sure when the course first opened, as the greens really seemed immature. There was a lot of damage from what we were guessing to be previous seasons. Quite a few of the greens were covered in ball marks and divots that either were not repaired or just did not recover from previous damage. Again, time may allow the greens to recover more quickly, but don't be surprised if you are putting over ball marks that will make your ball jump off line. While they rolled relatively true, their greens need some TLC to get back to top-notch shape.

Scenery: 9
There are great views abound throughout this course. First, the course winds through a development of new, high-end homes, some of which will leave you in awe of their size and design. Don't be surprised if some of these homes are fetching $750k and above. As this course is designed basically on a mountain, you will encounter a lot of great views of Blackstone Valley. From the clubhouse, you have a 270-degree panoramic view of the valley. This place will definitely be a hot spot for weddings and other events throughout the summer. Once their old pro shop (a small trailer) is gone, there will not be one thing that looks out of place here.

Difficulty of Course: 9
This course is deceivingly difficult, with a lot of risk/reward shots available. Playing in a tournament, the course can play fairly easy, as once you get one shot in a safe position, the others can gamble and swing for the fences. If you're playing your own ball, this can be a tough course. The tournament tees play at just over 6,000 yards, but the championship tees stretch to 7,021. Starting your round on the 512 par-5 can give you a chance to score quickly right off the bat. Ross hit a bomb of a tee and hit a follow up 3-wood that had us putting eagle from 10 feet out. The second is a short, downhill par-3 that requires a soft swing, basically hitting a 60 yard shot to the hole, 120 yards away. Walking away with par here is nice. Play it right, and you could have a good shot at a hole-in-one, as we saw one player hit it perfectly, just in front of the green, and let it feed to the hole. He finished 13 inches from in. Three and four are dogleg par-4's, one bends downhill, the other bends uphill. Hit your shots in the right spot for a good approach. The fifth is a 218 yard downhill par-3. The right shot will land short and feed on to the green. Six, seven and eight are shorter par-4's, with eight making you want to hit driver to see if you can reach it (339 yards). Nine is a lengthy par-5 that should be a birdie hole. Ten is a tough fairway to stay in, as it feels very small and slopes off drastically if you go in to the right rough. Eleven is another short, downhill par-3 that requires perfect club selection and an even better swing. Twelve is a tough tee shot, as it doglegs right over a pond and has a narrow landing area. There is nothing to tell you how far to a safe landing area, so until you get it judged right, lay an iron straight away. Thirteen provides you with a great view and a hole with a great chance to be short of the green off the tee. It's a downhill dogleg right, to which Ross boomed a drive and left us 10 yards off the green. Fourteen is a straight forward , uphill par-4. Fifteen and sixteen are two tough holes back-to-back, and seventeen is another short par-3, to a deceiving green. Eighteen finishes you off on another potentially reachable par-5. All told, the course can play very tough because of the length from the championship tees. Factor in wind since it is exposed at the top of a mountain and a tough day can be in store.

Value Received: 9
If the prices on their website are right, this place is a bargain! $54 during the week and $61 on the weekend, both including cart, are a steal for the challenge you could face here. You won't find many other courses that are this good at this rate. The course also puts in your cart a small towel that you can use to clean off your ball or clubs throughout the round. The new facilities definitely add to the experience and are beyond top-notch for the price of your round.

Speed of Play/Design of Course: 9
This course is laid out really well, with a bit of space between some of the holes. Playing in a scramble, with two teams per hole, we were still done in 4.5 hours, even on a cold and windy day. The only slow down we encountered was from a group two in front of us that seemed to hang around on the hole after finishing up, but that only held us up on one par-3. The Design of this course with the homes around it really created a great golf-community feel to the course. Driving up to the course can be a bit confusing, as there are a couple different streets and you’re guessing your way through a maze to get to the clubhouse.

19th Hole: 8
Since we had a buffet waiting for us, we didn't spend any time in the 19th hole, but we did take a walk through it and were impressed. A large bar with TV's, assorted small tables, an outdoor patio, and plenty of beer on tap would make this a great place to unwind after a round.

There is a beer cart on the course. +5

Comments:
Highfields was a fun course that we would definitely recommend, especially for the price. The new clubhouse adds to your experience. The electric carts certainly moved and were quiet to boot. The mini snack bar that is part of the clubhouse is easily accessible after 9 or 18 and has a walk-up window for quick access to get you back on your round. This course will definitely benefit from the new clubhouse, as they can expect more tournaments or other events, like weddings, be booked here. This course scores very well in our rating system, but they have definitely done a great job creating the full experience for golfers.