Blue Hill Country Club (Championship) – Played October 2020
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 23 Pecunit Street, Canton, Massachusetts
- Year: 1925
- Original Architect: Skip Wogan
- Additional Work By: Ron Prichard
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Black: 6,646 yards, Par 72, 73.0 Rating/130 Slope
- Gold: 6,376 yards, Par 72, 71.5 Rating/126 Slope
- White: 6,138 yards, Par 72, 70.3 Rating/124 Slope (Men’s), 76.2 Rating/136 Slope (Women’s)
- Blue: 5,621 yards, Par 72, 67.7 Rating/121 Slope (Men’s), 73.5 Rating/131 Slope (Women’s)
- Red: 5,355 yards, Par 72, 71.8 Rating/127 Slope
I’ve said it before but social media can be really great for playing new courses. It has a lot of negatives but once I posted about a bunch of courses I was looking to play, I got a message about playing Blue Hill Country Club. The timing worked out great with a trip to New Hampshire.
I didn’t know much about Blue Hill Country Club before this tee time got scheduled. After doing some research, I was interested. The club features 27 holes over their Championship and Challenger layouts. The Championship is the normal 18-hole routing, which we played.
The Championship layout has hosted some big-time events, mainly the 1956 PGA Championship won by Jackie Burke, Jr. The LPGA Tour was also a guest from 1991-1997 for the Ping/Welch’s Championship. Winners of that event include Juli Inkster, Dottie Pepper, and Beth Daniel.
Meeting my host, John, in the parking lot, I continued my streak of having great experiences through social media connections. Our round was played on a dreary day but the time couldn’t have been more fun.
Let’s light this candle! All yardages are from the Gold tees.
Hole 1 – 430 yards – Par 4
There is no soft welcome at Blue Hill. You better be firing on all cylinders from the start. This straightaway bruiser plays from a slightly elevated tee.
Hole 2 – 405 yards – Par 4
On many old New England courses it is rare to have back to back par fours over 400 yards. Blue Hill breaks that mold with a challenging second hole. I enjoyed the land movement from tee to green on this one.
Hole 3 – 411 yards – Par 4
The gauntlet continues with a new challenge as the preferred landing area (left side of the fairway) on this hole is semi-blind. There is plenty of room right but the hole plays significantly longer from that side.
Hole 4 – 181 yards – Par 3
If you’ve gotten through the opening salvo in good shape you can attack a bit here. The green is a generous target.
Hole 5 – 383 yards – Par 4
Don’t flirt with the trees because it’s all open on the left side. I did lose a ball over there but it was due to very wet ground. A fade works wonders here.
The perched green can be tough to hold.
Hole 6 – 278 yards – Par 4
This green is reachable but you have to be incredibly precise. It is tucked to the left of the bunkers in the distance. Good luck if you miss it to the left!
There is ample slope on this putting suface.
Hole 7 – 127 yards – Par 3
This short hole still has bite due to the bunkers in front. If you get careless a bogey is almost a certainty.
Hole 8 – 505 yards – Par 5
This is one of the tightest tee shots at Blue Hill. With the elevation changes this is a three shot hole for most so you can play for accuracy. The layup can be a bit awkward for first time visitors since it is somewhat blind.
You can see the fairway slope in the photo below.
Hole 9 – 444 yards – Par 5
This hole is short but protects itself by bending hard left. However, two good shots will likely result in an eagle opportunity.
Hole 10 – 389 yards – Par 4
Keep your ball between the trees on this wooded hole and you will do just fine. It bends ever so slightly to the right.
Hole 11 – 402 yards – Par 4
This was one of my favorite holes due to the vista from the elevated tee. You can let the driver rip but you must be accurate on the approach to miss all the greenside bunkers.
Hole 12 – 517 yards – Par 5
This hole presents a challenge as it rises uphill and narrows as you progress to the green.
An added challenge is that you cannot see the entire putting surface.
Hole 13 – 216 yards – Par 3
You’ll stay fully engaged on this hole. First, you have to figure out the downhill effect. Second, you have to execute a long tee shot. No time for indecisiveness.
Hole 14 – 394 yards – Par 4
Avoid the numerous bunkers on this dogleg right and you should be in for a good score.
Hole 15 – 325 yards – Par 4
The light got scarce pretty quickly for us. You have to be careful with your drive because you run out of room on the left side.
The uphill approach can be daunting.
Hole 16 – 164 yards – Par 3
With the downhill angle, a smooth mid-iron swing is all you need here. The bunkers are difficult to navigate with some slope around the green.
Hole 17 – 338 yards – Par 4
This hole is tailormade for my “draw” that sometimes turns into a hook. The best play is to start at the tree and hit a hard draw. That line shortens the hole a great deal.
Hole 18 – 467 yards – Par 5
At the beginning of the round I was mentioning how tough the holes were. The final holes at Blue Hill provide you with some birdie chances. I liked the juxtaposition there.
Two good shots are all you need on this straightforward hole. There is, however, some slope in the green that can mess with you a bit.
I had a great day at Blue Hill Country Club. My host as excellent company and made me feel very welcome. Good people is my first want when playing somewhere new, so it’s always appreciated when that comes true.
As an added bonus, Blue Hill’s golf course was an excellent test and pleasure ride. Birdies are out there but so are doubles. You need to be on your game. I can see it being a phenomenal match play venue. The members should be proud!