The VUE in Hamden, CT is situated in the quiet countryside right outside of New Haven. The course is a par-72 that is surrounded by tall trees, mountain tops in the background, and even a view of the Long Island Sound on a clear day. The Vue is managed by President Matt Menchetti and PGA Pro Tony Roberto. The daily rates are reasonable, and the restaurant serves amazing food and beverages.
To be fair, the course is sort of a ‘work in progress’ because it was hit by tornadoes a few years ago that swept right across some of the holes, the driving range, and parking lot. Renovations for the driving range are ongoing, but will be epic when completed. It will have grass bays with tracking technology for all hitters, like TopTracer or Trackman. There is also a new putting green being built and some of the cart paths are being worked on.
This course can challenge any level of golfer because the aim points from the tees and the tall trees hanging over the fairways intimidate you throughout. It seems to me that the front is more wide open while the back is tight. The white tees play at just over 6000 yards, but the combination of accuracy needed, and the sloped greens make it tough to score low.
1st-Hole
The front-9 starts with two basic holes, which is a nice way to start a round and hopefully score low. After that it gets tricky, and if you don’t know the course it can be frustrating. The third hole has a narrow fairway that slopes to the left, where this is a pond that runs along the whole left side of the fairway. If you hit a drive right down the middle, you should assume it is going to roll 10-20 yards left and possibly go OB. #7 is a par-3 uphill guarded by bunkers on the left and right. There is an entrance to the green straight ahead, but the uphill green combined with wind at your back make club selection critical. The ninth hole is a tough par-4 with OB on the left and a narrow fairway to land on. The green is very elevated and has bunkers on all sides. It’s tough to hit an approach shot with confidence because you can’t see the greens surface or slopes. Fun fact: the 7th and 9th holes are part of a double green connected by a 10-yard-wide strip between them, this is a unique feature for New England golf.
9th-Hole
The back-9 requires more accuracy off the tee because the fairways are either narrow or have doglegs. Hole 11 is a 500-yard par-5 with a pencil thin fairway landing area. It is the crest of a hill so you can’t see the green. It also slopes severely from left to right so it would be best to hit a high shot that lands soft instead of something low that will roll off the short grass. The green is in a bowl at the bottom of a long hill which makes it tough, and it also has bunkers on every side to deal with! The 15th hole is a doozy. You must hit a tee shot 180-220 before the base of a massive hill leading up to the green. From there you have 130-150 to pop it up the hill and have it land softly on the green. This is one of the flatter and larger greens on the course, so you have some room for error. The next hole, the 16th, requires a draw off the tee to the downhill fairway. If you can pull a drive around the 50’ trees you will have a little wedge onto a tiered green.
The course is challenging, fun, and full of potential. Tony said that on weekends you can expect to finish your round in a little over 4 hours…and he guarantees that because he and his staff are the rangers tasked with keeping up the pace of play. I played on a weekday in July and finished in under four hours.
This is a golf article, but I must talk about the venue built above the clubhouse. If you are getting married and want scenic views, a top-notch ballroom, and gourmet food then this is the place to go. It is easy to see the amount of dedication and attention to detail that was put into this space.
The interior is full of quartz, marble, crystals, and other materials I don’t even know about. It is an elaborate castle sitting on top of the golf course, and an amazing place to host a wedding or conference.. The venue is equipped to host parties for over 280 people and offers upscale food and drink options, a wrap-around deck, and a bridal suite. This is a prime destination for any special event in this region of Connecticut.
There is a restaurant and bar right next to the clubhouse with a menu filled with delicious items. I had the big mac tacos and chicken parm egg rolls after my round and was not disappointed. The menu has traditional pub fare with appetizers like wings, pot stickers, and fries. The main meals are chicken sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and daily specials. Another fun fact: you can use a QR code in your cart to order sandwiches…that they deliver to you on the course, so you don’t have to wait for the turn to get your food!
Area FOOD
If you want to leave The VUE’s great food and amazing views, there are some options in the area to go before or after your round of golf.
For an extensive craft beer selection paired with local, and seasonal items, then check out Mikro Depot in Hamden. Once a train station, the layout is eclectic and a great spot to grab some drinks with friends. Can’t go wrong with some burgers, wings, and local craft beers on tap!
New Haven is known as the apizza capital of the country, and it’s only 20 minutes from the course. And no, that’s not a typo – New Haven pizza is called apizza. You have so many famous options that it is worth the drive over to any of the famous apizza joints: Frank Pepe’s, Zeneli, Sally’s, Modern, and several others give you plenty of options for post-round apizza. If you aren’t up for eating, then grab some of the frozen pizzas to bring home.
