Falmouth Country Club – Played July 2022
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 1 Congressional Drive, Falmouth, Maine
- Year: 1988
- Architects: Geoffrey Cornish & Brian Silva
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Gold: 7,372 yards, Par 72, 75.7 Rating/139 Slope
- Blue: 6,756 yards, Par 72, 72.6 Rating/137 Slope
- Green: 6,292 yards, Par 72, 70.5 Rating/134 Slope
- White: 5,836 yards, Par 72, 68.4 Rating/126 Slope
- Red: 5,156 yards, Par 72, 70.8 Rating/123 Slope
Through the advancements of technology, I have expanded my network of golf friends. I’ve spoken about that at length before, but it bears repeating upon my visit to Falmouth Country Club.
As luck would have it, I’ve been fortunate to play with my Falmouth host a few times at other courses. We hope to continue doing so going forward. It seemed only right that I come see his home course. I hope to return the favor soon.
Falmouth Country Club came about in the late 1980’s. Quite frankly that time period is a dark era for golf course architecture. But don’t be distraught, because I was pleasantly surprised with the course.
I found it to be scenic and quite playable. Not to say it is a pushover though, since it does host the Korn Ferry Tour for the Live & Work in Maine Open.
The tournament history goes even deeper than that. The New England Amateur, Maine Amateur, Tri-State Amateur, and other events have been contested here.
Let’s check Falmouth Country Club out!
Hole 1 – 351 yards – Par 4 – Away
You can start the round with less than a driver depending on your length. This hole doglegs hard left with a sloping green. Approaching it from the short grass is much easier.
Hole 2 – 191 yards – Par 3 – Tarn
Slicers will be nervous on this tee. Thankfully, there is plenty of room to the left for bailouts.
Hole 3 – 378 yards – Par 4 – Composure
Accuracy is more important than length on this tee shot. The best angle to approach the green is from the right side of the fairway.
Being on the proper side of the ridge will make putting a lot easier.
Hole 4 – 388 yards – Par 4 – Crozen Knotty
We’ve got another tee shot that doesn’t demand too much length. The approach shot is the more important one. With a two-tiered green, distance control is key.
Hole 5 – 198 yards – Par 3 – Breathless
I airmailed this green so it must play shorter than the yardage. Either that or I got the wrong target with the rangefinder! The green has a lot of depth from front to back.
Hole 6 – 480 yards – Par 5 – Crestfallen
This may be a short par five, but your tee shot must be accurate. Left is pretty much dead and the lay up is difficult.
Multiple rounds will help you get a feel for where to place your second shot.
Once the green is revealed, you realize it’s guarded by a lot of sand.
Hole 7 – 399 yards – Par 4 – Geronimo!
You’ll feel like you can pound it on this elevated tee. Be careful though because left misses can get into the trees quickly.
Hole 8 – 502 yards – Par 5 – Inverness Pass
Compared to our last par five, this one is a good bit more open. The elevation change from tee to green is much more muted as well. The hole bends slightly to the left and features an open green you can attack if you hit a good drive.
Hole 9 – 380 yards – Par 4 – Reckoning
Like many holes at Falmouth, this one all depends on the tee shot. A good one sets you up to go for the pin on the tricky green.
Take note of the pin position, as you’ll want to be in the proper section due to all the contouring.
Hole 10 – 400 yards – Par 4 – Old Soak
If a fade is in your bag, now is the time to summon it. You’ll want a good drive to shorten the approach shot into this elevated green.
Big ridges and slopes are plentiful on these greens.
Hole 11 – 172 yards – Par 3 – Sandbox
Eleven is aptly named with all the bunkers surrounding the green. Get your preferred sand club ready if you are wayward off the tee.
With a closer look the pronounced slopes in the green begin to take shape.
Hole 12 – 417 yards – Par 4 – Judge
Let the driver go up the left side of this hole. Good ones allow for a mid to short iron approach into an inviting green where the slopes help more than hurt.
Hole 13 – 390 yards – Par 4 – Canty Lye
It might be tempting to cut the corner on this left bender, so just make sure you have enough distance to cover the rough. If you can, the approach is much easier, especially when the pin is tucked like it was for our round.
Hole 14 – 556 yards – Par 5 – The Troubles
My host, Patrick, told me this was a formidable hole. He was absolutely right. It plays all of the yardage and has a pitched green to boot.
Hole 15 – 410 yards – Par 4 – Deception
I flared one left which is not the play here! Getting it in the fairway is imperative if you want a better shot at par.
Hole 16 – 183 yards – Par 3 – Last Easy
Even from the tee, you can see the slope of the green from right to left. The green is pretty shallow so distance control is a must.
Take note of the slopes in this green.
Hole 17 – 522 yards – Par 5 – Gorilla
I liked the open feel of this slightly uphill beast. The landing area is massive, so it’s almost impossible to lose one here.
If you’re going to go for it, you must be aware of the two deep bunkers fronting the green.
Hole 18 – 439 yards – Par 4 – Home
The finishing hole is no joke. Copious amounts of bunkers dot each side of the fairway. I found myself in the right side collection and got lucky to get it up near the green. It’s totally luck of the draw for lies in there. You can see the green off to the right in this first photo, for reference.
Falmouth Country Club was a stern test, but not unfair. I’m always a little skeptical of courses built in the 80’s, but this one exceeded expectations. It’s not hard for the sake of hard and it will reward good shots. Couple that with a great group and the post-round beer tasted quite good after seeing this course!