Penroke CC (public)
Pembroke, MA
Date Played: October 22, 2022
Yardages: 5,343 - 6,677
The most surprising thing about Pembroke CC was its proximity to Boston. On an early Saturday morning, it was a 35-minute drive.
Pembroke is a walkable, tree-lined course with some tough tee shots. Most of the course is in front of you, but a few tricky visuals, especially on the front nine, require commitment.
The front nine is the better side, in my opinion. Although I could do with one less "water right, water left" tee shots.
However, the back nine's tee shots are similar to each other in a different way. Bunkers protect dogleg corners on nearly every hole.
There are some hard stretches of holes at Pembroke. Starting on the 10th hole will leave any player breathing a sigh of relief once they reach the 14th tee box.
The par-4 12th could use a bit of a wider fairway; we all hit it into a zone where it was pinched to maybe 10 yards. It's a good hole, though, with one of the better greens.
The par-5 13th is a solid hole. It's long, with water creeping in on the left at just the right place to mess with your head on a lay-up.
The tee shots on 4, 5, and 9 are all intimidating. Each hole doglegs left. Players can cut off as much of the water as they want, while water also looms large on the right side of each hole. It's a bit redundant. I do appreciate the requirement of just hitting a good tee shot though.
The 6th hole was a breath of fresh air. The 356-yard par 4 offers some options off the tee. Driver gets a player a great look at the elevated green. Hit it left, and it's sailing into the trees. I opted to lay back and the second shot was tricky. Bunkers and a steep slope protect the green, and it's blind going up the hill. A delightful little hole among some longer, repetitive par 4s.
What struck me most was how tired the facilities were. Starter shacks and half-way houses were neglected - roofs caving in, missing bells, piles of empty beer cans, and chipped paint.
The tee boxes and bunkers were a bit tired, too. However, the greens, even as we played through the morning dew, were solid and rolled pretty true.
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