Snow covers parts of Kelley Greens' shaded 1st tee.
Kelley Greens clubhouse sits only yards from the Atlantic Ocean, as the course is on an island in the Boston Harbor. Unfortunately, a seawall blocks all view of the water and Boston skyline in the distance, and the course itself does little to take advantage of its unique setting. Originally laid out over tidal swampland at the end of the 19th century, the design morphed into a 3135-yard nine hole course under the guidance of architect Wayne Stiles in 1929. Regrettably, all that remains from his layout is the current wild 2nd green, as the course closed from World War II until 1966, a period during which much of the land was taken over for the town's use. The Kelley Greens Golf Course currently measures under 2000 yards, made up of 6 par threes and 3 short par fours.
Water lurks right at the short 1st.
The best hole at Kelley Greens is found right off the bat at the 1st. Measuring 141 yards and downhill at that, the length poses no issues, but the small convex green next to water certainly does! The severe turtleback nature of the 1st green shrugs indifferent shots off its surface into the pond with ease.
The flagstick's angle gives some hint of the insanely tilted 2nd green.
The 2nd hole measures 181 yards, but despite the additional length, the major concern is once again the green. This green is as severely sloped as any I've ever seen across Massachusetts - if played at even mediocre green speeds I can't imagine a ball staying on it. It's shaped like an upside down egg-shaped bowl, where the only viable pin positions are along the high middle ridge. Hitting the green from the tee is no guarantee of a par, or even a bogey. This is the only remaining green from Wayne Stiles' 1929 design... and what a doozy it is. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th holes measure 187, 160, and 220 yards, respectively; they make you test different clubs in your bag despite the awkward partial blindness created by cattails obscuring parts of the greens. The 6th through 8th holes are the only par fours on the course and offer birdie chances if your drive stays in play. In fact, numbers 7 and 8 are potentially reachable with even less than a driver. The challenge on the 296-yard 7th is gauging how much to cut off the corner of the sharp dogleg left, and the challenge on the 257-yard 8th is keeping the teeball dead straight at the humpbacked green. The course concludes with its second best hole, in my opinion, the 183 yard 9th. The green complex is a bit different but no less challenging than previous ones, defended by a sharp falloff to the right side and a bunker eating into the left of a rolling putting surface. Almost every crazily sloped putting surface on the course stimulates creativity and rewards a skillful short game.
Kelley Greens is by no means a great golf course - the town's decision to use part of the layout for three baseball fields is probably a better use of the marshy land! However, Kelley Greens has one big saving grace in that it is consistently open during the cold winter months due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Its fairways may be muddy and puddles may abound, but the course is an absolute oasis to golfers craving a game. Get yourself to Kelley Greens on a winter Saturday afternoon - with the round costing only $12, you'll have a few bucks left for a little something to warm up your insides after the brisk walk!
Swampy brown fairway greets the golfer at the 7th hole.
Course Rating: 1 star out of 10
Bang for your $12 bucks: 5 stars out of 10
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