Buffumville Lake

In 2010, the powers that control the course at Buffumville Dam decided to turn the existing 27 hole course into an 18-hole course and a short course frequently referred to as the 'mini 9'. While the new 18-hole course is better then many courses you'll see, it's a significant step down from the 27-hole course. A majority of it is unplayable in spring. Holes 9 + 17 require incredible distance from the pro tees, and are horribly boring holes from the am tees. Hole 15 could be the worst designe ...
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In 2010, the powers that control the course at Buffumville Dam decided to turn the existing 27 hole course into an 18-hole course and a short course frequently referred to as the 'mini 9'. While the new 18-hole course is better then many courses you'll see, it's a significant step down from the 27-hole course. A majority of it is unplayable in spring. Holes 9 + 17 require incredible distance from the pro tees, and are horribly boring holes from the am tees. Hole 15 could be the worst designed hole in all of Massachusetts, requiring you to throw over a fenced-in portion of the dam, over water, in a gap which is windy even on a still day. Sounds like fun, sure, until a gust of wind captures your perfect throw and dumps it into the spillway.

For the holes that receive my condemnation, the rest aren't bad- but that's it, they're merely 'not bad'. None of them stand out as particularly unique, beyond the aforementioned #15. The course doesn't really require you to use a variety of shots; there are a couple of tunnels to hit, a couple of slight right doglegs, and other then that, it's drive-approach-putt.

Tee pads are a mixture of concrete or rubber. Tee signs are in excellent condition, however some holes lack pads (or even worn out locations in the grass) where amateur tees are shown on the sign. For those not familiar with the rotation from A/B pins at Buffumville, signs could be a little confusing as they list between 2-3 pin combinations without listing which one is being used. (I haven't seen the pin locations change since the new course was installed.)

It's worth a play, but if you're just traveling through the area and trying to pick a course to play, either head south to West Thompson or north to Maple Hill/Pyramids.
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In 2010, the powers that control the course at Buffumville Dam decided to turn the existing 27 hole course into an 18-hole course and a short course frequently referred to as the 'mini 9'. While the new 18-hole course is better then many courses you'll see, it's a significant step down from the 27-hole course. A majority of it is unplayable in spring. Holes 9 + 17 require incredible distance from the pro tees, and are horribly boring holes from the am tees. Hole 15 could be the worst designe ...
continue reading ›

In 2010, the powers that control the course at Buffumville Dam decided to turn the existing 27 hole course into an 18-hole course and a short course frequently referred to as the 'mini 9'. While the new 18-hole course is better then many courses you'll see, it's a significant step down from the 27-hole course. A majority of it is unplayable in spring. Holes 9 + 17 require incredible distance from the pro tees, and are horribly boring holes from the am tees. Hole 15 could be the worst designed hole in all of Massachusetts, requiring you to throw blind over a fenced-in portion of the dam, over water, in a gap which is windy even on a still day. Sounds like fun, sure, until a gust of wind captures your perfect throw and dumps it into the spillway.

For the holes that receive my condemnation, the rest aren't bad- but that's it, they're merely 'not bad'. None of them stand out as particularly unique, beyond the aforementioned #15. The course doesn't really require you to use a variety of shots; there are a couple of tunnels to hit, a couple of slight right doglegs, and other then that, it's drive-approach-putt.

Tee pads are a mixture of concrete or rubber. Tee signs are in excellent condition, however some holes lack pads (or even worn out locations in the grass) where amateur tees are shown on the sign. For those not familiar with the rotation from A/B pins at Buffumville, signs could be a little confusing as they list between 2-3 pin combinations without listing which one is being used. (I haven't seen the pin locations change since the new course was installed.)

It's worth a play, but if you're just traveling through the area and trying to pick a course to play, either head south to West Thompson or north to Maple Hill/Pyramids.
‹ less text