Newton Commonwealth Golf Course in Newton, Ma. is an exceptionally groomed course located just minutes from downtown Boston.
The year 1997 marked the centennial anniversary of the club, which was redesigned in 1920 by the renowned architect, Donald Ross. The layout offers a short, but challenging round of golf, featuring quick greens and relatively narrow fairways. Course management is essential, as many a big hitter has discovered, with water and sand bunkers scattered about.
The course has benefited from constant upgrades and beautification under the management of Sterling Golf. Several tees have been rebuilt and landscaped, bunkers have been renovated, and a recent addition to the clubhouse has added changing rooms with showers and increased the seating capacity for outings. French doors on this addition overlook a new stone-tiled patio with outdoor seating for patrons who wish to relax after a round.
The sixth hole, a 276-yard par-four, can be reached by the longest of hitters, but a narrow fairway slopes severely from left to right, and the hole features the most difficult green on the course. There is no such thing as a “straight putt” on this multi-sloped and undulating green.
The seventh is a pretty par-three playing 173 yards from the tips. The steep downhill hole provides a difficult tee shot, especially on a windy day. A small green slopes from back to front and is heavily bunkered on the front edge. The safe shot onto this green is to aim for the left side where a bail-out area is provided. Miss this green to the right and you are left with a difficult pitch shot back up onto the putting surface.
The 10th hole is another great, short par-four playing 276 yards from the back. It’s directly uphill to an enormous two-tiered green sloping from right to left. The green is protected on the front and the right by large bunkers. A solid wall of trees on the right of the fairway catches any errant shots in that area. If you’re too far left on your approach shot to the green, you are blocked by a huge oak tree. Accuracy off the tee is key.
