Course: Oak Ridge Golf Club

Location: Feeding Hills, MA

Date Played: June 16 , 2007

Played By: Jason

Overall Rating: 67

Friendliness of Staff: 5
The guy in the pro shop was blah. When I walked in to the pro shop, he told me I had to pay on the course, but I was paying with credit card, which they weren't taking on the course. He really didn't seem like he wanted to be there. That, or he was overwhelmed because of the 7:30 shotgun start. The guy that did collect the money on the course was nice and he struck up a brief conversation while making change. Other than that, we did not encounter much staff.

Facilities/Pro Shop: 7
The pro shop is a fair size, with plenty of merchandise. It looked like they had the new Sasquatch driver there, which shows they have the latest equipment in stock. The men's locker room was fair sized, albeit a tad outdated, with lockers for any members. They have two putting greens available, one of which has a sand trap to practice your bunker play. They do not have a driving range, but do have a practice net that you can hit at to get loosened. A large banquet hall is available for tournaments and parties.

Quality/Value of Food/Snacks: 7
I've always loved the hot dogs here. Since I hadn't played here in a few years, I was worried they didn't carry them any more, but was pleasantly surprised to see that they still had them. The dogs were priced at $3 each, which seems a tad high, but they were yummy! Hot dogs and sausage dogs seemed to be the only things available on the menu.

Fairway Conditions: 7
All of the fairways are very green. They did have some problems with the 18th fairway, which was very soggy and ripped up. It may have a drainage problem, but there is definitely a high water table based on the nearby pond.

Greens Conditions: 7
The greens here do not look very fast, but the ball sure does cruise. Shots that landed well short of the hole had no problem running 15-20 feet past the hole. The color of the greens are amazing. You will get frustrated with some of the reads, so definitely take an extra moment to examine your putt from different angles. Some greens had minimal damage from normal wear and tear throughout the season thus far.

Scenery: 6
There definitely are not any bad views on the course, but nothing stands out as being special. There are plenty of trees and water throughout the course. The course must have the largest squirrel population of any course in W. Mass. These animals are crazy and are always chasing each other up and down trees.

Difficulty of Course: 6
The par-5's are tough to even think about reaching in two, as two of them have hazards that require you lay up to them. Water can be a factor on 9 holes. The course is a par-70 and is only 5,700 from the white tees. #14 is a short par-4 that is driveble if you get a hold of one. You can put up a good score here if you are putting well.

Value Received: 7
It's $50 to play 18 with cart, which is a shade on the high side for area courses, but I've always enjoyed playing here. The golf carts are electric and very quiet, and they move along nicely. The golf card has a course layout and even has a sponsor on it that will give the low score in a foursome a free lunch when eating with the foursome. Not sure how many people take advantage of it, but it's rather ingenious.

Speed of Play/Design of Course: 6
As I said before, this is a par-70. We were part of a shotgun start and were behind a slow group. Once they got moving after the first 9, we were rarely waiting long for them. Play seems to move along nicely.

19th Hole: 7
Pretty good bar here with Long Trail and Sam Adams on tap. There is plenty of seating and large tables for a good game of pitch. They also have an outdoor area to eat and will have a grill going outside for tournaments.

There was no beer cart on the course this morning, but they do have one that was stored away. They get +2 for having it, even though it wasn't running in the morning.

Comments:
You can't go wrong with playing at Oak Ridge. The course was in great shape with minimal damage from previous play. You can walk away from here feeling good about your game as you can put up a good score if you are striking the ball well. I'm sure that I will be back here before the season ends.