Course: The Orchards

Location: South Hadley, MA

Date Played: July (Ross - tournament), August (Jason)

Played By: Ross & Jason

Overall Rating: 79

Friendliness of Staff: 8
Not applicable for Ross’s tournament as he did not come across any staff. Pro shop guy is friendly, offered us complimentary tees. Waitress knew when to bring us more beer.

Facilities/Pro Shop: 8
Upscale pro shop. Small building overall. Locker room smells like a cedar humidor. Real nice bar upstairs with outdoor deck overlooking the golf course.

Quality/Value of Food/Snacks: 7
Snack shop at the turn. Snacks, beer and food available. Quick and easily accessible. No real basis for judgment on value as it was charged to a members account. Free popcorn in the bar was good.

Fairway Conditions: 8
Potential to hold too much water, but lots of work was done to it a couple years prior when the Women’s US Open was held here. Very green and well groomed.

Greens Conditions: 8
Some small greens are tough to hit. Lots of slope. The ball rolls very well and true. Not a lot of noticeable damage from overuse or lack of care. No disease.

Scenery: 8
Rolling hills and you can see Mt. Tom on some of the holes. The houses near the 18th green are very nice. Great place for fall foliage.

Difficulty of Course: 8
Narrow, tough greens. High rough. Shot placement and club selection on this course are critical. Tough bunkers that you do not want to be in.

Value Received: 7
Must be a member as it is a private course. Free popcorn and complimentary tees are a great touch.

Speed of Play/Design of Course: 7
Play moves fast and there are no hold ups. Par-3’s are located before par-5’s to keep people spread out. Well designed by Donald Ross.

19th Hole: 9
Nice, rustic feel. Indoor porch with a big outdoor dep. Lots of seating. Good beer on tap. TV’s located in the bar area only.

There is no beer cart on the course.

Comments:
Great course to play if you get the opportunity. If you can hook up with a member to take you out, take advantage of it.