Authors Note: With spring starting to break through the crisp grey mornings, I find myself getting ready for the Chewning Cup, my annual golf trip down south or out west. Stemming from a best buddies’ bachelor party in Charleston, I made some new best buddies during our rounds of golf, with one lobbying me hard to join the annual golf trip, happening in Fort Lauderdale the following spring. The Chewning Cup is no regular, packaged, run-of-the-mill golf tournament. This is a 3-day Ryder Cup-style, team best ball format, complete with longest drive, closest to the pin, putting contests and a comical amount of side bets and gambling in between rounds with cards, “pong,” shuffleboard, and billiards. (The rental house usually sleeps 16+ and as expected, has lots of toys on the property.) Two teams face-off, much like the United States versus Europe -for bragging rights and of course, some cash. Players wear different color shirts on each day to signify what group they are playing in since there are always a few freshman in the group. This year 22 golfers are participating. There is even practice round on “arrival day”/Thursday; so for the first time in my life, I’m scheduled to play 72 holes of golf in 4 days…and I have yet to swing a club!
You may be wondering where I am headed, since I have not yet mentioned it? The destination is Scottsdale, Arizona, which conveniently will allow me visit another State Capitol and also catch a Diamondbacks game. Phoenix will give me 23 U.S. Capitols and the DBacks game will give me 11 ballparks visited. Saving the best for last, Team Captain Matt and I are on the same flight outs, so my quiet foam dice will allow us to get a few solid games of Yahtzee on the plane. Those rolls may actually be the first side bets of the trip. Wish me luck.
Cape Cod is the Golf Coast!
As the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce states, “Cape Cod truly is “The Golf Coast!” It is no secret that this sandy peninsula is the top golf destination in the Northeast.” While that could be perceived as a stretch, I tend to agree. I’ve played golf in all four parts of the Cape, most of the popular courses and even private country clubs. There are two dozen public courses and another 12+ private country clubs across Cape Cod, with a higher concentration in the Mid and Upper Cape, though some of the oldest and most scenic courses lay on the Outer and Lower Cape. Below is an overview of the courses I’ve played in geographical order, with a short description and pricing (subject to change). Is Cape Cod the Golf Coast? You decide. Drive for show, putt for dough!
Outer Cape
Chequesset Yacht & Country Club, 680 Chequesset Neck Road, Wellfleet, 9-holes, $35 ($55 for 18-play the course twice). Tee times can be booked in advance.
Chequesset Yacht & Country Club is a semi-private club located in the fishing village of Wellfleet (on the Cape Cod Bay side). While the course’s official name has the “Yacht and Country Club” moniker, the membership is much more laid back. On the website, they kid that they don’t even have yachts, they have small boats and kayaks, plus their golf course is open to the public. For a mesmerizing view, take a seat on the bench in front of the pro shop, facing away from the golf course for a picturesque view of Cape Cod Bay.. My first time playing CYCC had two notable occurrences. First, I re-connected with Jim Knowles, the pro (formerly of the PGA Tour and Cranberry Valley Country Club), wearing his can’t-be-missed-American flag shirt and matching shirts. It must have been around July 4th. Second, in a bitter back-and-forth match play with frenemy Matt, it all came down to Hole 9. I managed to drive my ball straight, but not far, right in front of some standing water/ground under repair. Miraculously, my second shot took off like a bat out of hell (think I clubbed up 2-3 clubs to compensate for the soaked grass) and the ball headed to the flag, hit the green and stuck. The green was also damp. My buddy was able to get onto the green in 3, which set me up for a 20-foot birdie putt with a down hill break for the win. Let the record show, I nailed it and he bought the beers.
Highland Links Golf Course, 10 Highland Light Road, North Truro, 9-holes, $35 ($65 for 18-play the course twice). Tee times can be booked in advance
Founded in 1892, Highland Links is Cape Cod’s oldest golf course. The course is naturally stunning, perched along windswept bluffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, with Highland Lighthouse always within view. More significant than its age is Highland’s heritage. Deep natural rough, Scotch broom, heath, non irrigated open fairways, and spectacular ocean views keep the course a genuine links, close to the Scottish tradition. Years back, an ocean hotel and cottage resort lined the property, which attracted a steady stream of professional and casual golfers. In the 1960’s, when Congress approved President Kennedy’s Cape Cod National Seashore Act, Highland Links became Federal property and is currently leased to Johnson Golf Management. Accuracy is an important skill set when playing Highlands. On a breezy day, you may need one ball per hole!
Lower Cape
The Captain’s Golf Course, 1000 Freeman’s Way, Brewster, 36 holes, $77 (multiple discounts for time of year, time of day, day of the week, age, etc.). Tee times available (can be booked any time!)
The Captain’s is my go-to these days. There are so many discounts that we always seem to find a great deal and are still able to have a full day at the beach or do whatever with the rest of the family. This place is massive, with two 18-hole courses, appropriately named the Starboard and the Port Courses. In my (humble) experience, the Port course is the scoring course and the Starboard course is the more challenging layout. I say this mainly because the last time I played the Port Course, my scorecard was -1 after the first five holes (Par, Bogie, Birdie, Birdie, Par…and then I got a snowman (or three) to round out what should have been a record-setting front 9. Alas, golf is a cruel game, that for some reason, I enjoy tremendously. In terms of amenities, The Captain’s has a large pro shop, above average restaurant and multiple putting greens. My spiritual golf guide/mentor, Pete and I sometimes drive to the course before dinner just to have a putting competition on the green in front of the clubhouse. The only drawback to The Captain’s is that the driving range is down the street and you are NOT allowed to take carts since there is not cart path. Plan ahead if you want to hit the range before teeing off.
Chatham Seaside Links, 209 Seaview Street, Chatham, 9 holes, $20 ($31 for 18 holes-play the course twice). No tee times, first-come, first-serve.
Ahh, where it all started for me, summer, beach and golfing on Cape Cod. The second oldest golf course on Cape Cod (1895), this quaint 9-hole golf course is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean, elegant homes walking distance to downtown Chatham and the one and only, Chatham Bars Inn. In fact, the golf course use to be owned and operated by the Chatham Bars Inn, but now it is run by the Town of Chatham. The charming part about this course is that the first five holes play short (the first hole, a Par 4, playing 286 yards downhill is reachable off the tee) with two par 3s. However, there is not a whole lot of room for error on those first five, given the deep woods and private property lines off the cart path. The back four, however, are wide-open, links-style fairways with ocean breezes and the peek-a-boo view of the ocean from the seventh and ninth hole tee boxes. I recorded my first birdie on Hole #8 a long time ago. I missed a maybe-hole-in-one by 4 feet on Hole #3 not too long ago.
Cranberry Valley Golf Course, 183 Oak Street, Harwich, 18 holes, $74 (some discounts for weekday, twilight, etc). Tee times available.
I bought my first set of driver covers at Cranberry Valley. Knowing myself, I probably did this to commemorate the first time completing 18-holes as the scorecard did not satisfy remembering the occasion. While I do not play Cranberry Valley regularly despite it’s close proximity to Chatham, I recall it being a relatively tight, tree-lined course with plenty of sand traps and other man-made obstacles to hold your score hostage. A not-so-noticeable perk is that the driving range is located very close to the first tee. Recently, the popular Hot Stove Saloon in Harwichport expanded their reach by agreeing to operate the snack shack at the course. I should probably go back this season and see how good my memory is.
Eastward Ho! Country Club (private), 325 Fox Hill Road, Chatham, 18 holes, ($100+, cart included). Make a friend or two to get a tee time.
To say this golf course is stunning, is an understatement. Hold that thought. My “bogey brother” Dan is a member, and almost every summer since he’s joined, we’ve been able to play. Before he joined the Ho!, Chatham Seaside Links was our home course and we must have played it every weekend in the summer since becoming adults. Back to the Ho!. Most of the front and back holes have views of Pleasant Bay, with a few even having tee boxes or greens mere steps from the water. The ridge line on Hole #6 is looks like a ski hill and the tee box from Hole #7 and Hole #15 (if memory serves me), make you do a triple take. Only Holes 1 and 2 have an “okay” view. Dan’s father, Dr. William Healy, actually wrote a book about the history of the course including the original design, membership and competitions that is a delight to flip through. (He’s gone on to be hired to write similar style books about other golf courses on the Cape and in his hometown of Concord.)
My favorite history about Eastward Ho!, however, is a little different and entirely based on my experience. For three consecutive years (2014-2016), Dan and I played a simple match play during our annual outing. Our abilities are about even, with him edging me on driving distance, getting out of trouble (bunkers, deep rough) and overall fundamentals with me having him slightly on accuracy and putting. Buying the first round in the Clubhouse afterward is always on the line, not to mention the coy smile of bragging rights. We seem to trade holes and it always comes down to the fabled 9th, or 18th hole, to determine the winner. Well, I’m happy to report coming out on top, having collected the scorecards from those three rounds to prove it. In 2017 we did not play due to availability and in 2018, we did a team match play with him and his cousin paired with me and another buddy. For a competitive pair that we are, owning those scorecards puts a smile on my face every time I think about it.
Harwich Port Golf Club, Harwichport, 51 South Street, 9 holes, $25 ($35 for 18-play the course twice). No tee times, first-come, first-serveNote: Cash only!
The most recent time I played Harwich Port Golf Club was with my buddy Brian who was vacationing for the week in town. Not only is he not a golf, he didn’t have his own clubs, and for some reason, thought I was bringing an extra set for him. This critical information was not communicated clearly as my text messages proved, though we did speak on the phone the night before which he claimed was the time he asked for the extra set. We both realized the problem when on double-check with the starter. My “phone-a-friend” was to none other than Bob Shaw, my pop, who promptly dropped what he was doing in the yard, grabbed the cobweb covered bag, and flew to the course. Pop arrived when our names were being called. Brian promptly shanked his tee shot into the road. Despite having a loyal following and seemingly packed by tourists hoping to squeeze in 9 before beach time, the pace of play moves. The course is not long as it crosses Forest Street twice. The putting green was also large and in good shape considering the volume of players.
Mid Cape
Bass River Golf Course, 62 Highbank Road, South Yarmouth, 18 holes, $73 (discounts based on time of day). Tee times can be booked for anytime!
Unfortunately, my one and only time playing Bass River was during aeration, with the plugs littering the fairway and the putting surface taking the form of an off-road trail for my ball. But, it was a beautiful fall foliage kind of day and I completed 18 holes in less than 3 hours. The staff was very friendly considering the condition of the course and I would certainly give the course another go earlier in the season.
Bayberry Hills Golf Course, 635 West Yarmouth Road, West Yarmouth, 27 holes, $83 (discounts based on time of day). Tee times can be booked for anytime! For the record, the Yarmouth Golf logo was the inspiration for the Cape Cod Mini Golf Masters. Therefore, I felt obligated to play following my colossal defeat at Ocean’s Edge in Orleans. Bayberry Hills features 3 nine-hole courses, patriotically named, the Red, White and Blue courses. I chose the Blue course, a traditional, wide-open links course with ample tall grass, and not a soul to be found on this late September Sunday. I also scored some awesome discounts on two golf shirts, one of which, a Ping “Sunday red,” which I will be sporting in Arizona in less than a week. I have not played the other courses yet, but judging from the scorecard, they are slightly more difficult based on yardage. I will definitely get back to West Yarmouth to play the other courses this summer — sporting my Sunday red.
Upper Cape
Sandwich Hollows Golf Club, East Sandwich, 1 Round Hill Road, 18 holes, $55 with cart. Tee times booked up to 3 weeks in advance. Because there are so many good golf courses in the Lower Cape, I almost never travel past the mid Cape to golf. However, years back on my way to Chatham, I stopped at Sandwich Hollows for a quick 9 holes before a late dinner. While there are a few “peek-a-boo” views of Cape Cod Bay, the majority of the course is tucked away in dense woods, perfect for losing a ball – or five – on one hole – number 4 if my memory serves. The course proudly touts that it “invokes images of the quiet solitude of great golf in Vermont or New Hampshire,” because each holes is essentially isolated from the others. This is not your wide-open links course. While Sandwich Hollows may be missing the Green and White Mountains or our northern states, I’ll take the salty air of Cape Cod Bay any day. I played bogey golf, the equivalent of the professionals par golf, so a part of me just wants to retire this course and let that scorecard stand.
What are your favorite golf courses to play on Cape Cod?