What started as two farms, the Dwight farm, and the Beebe farm, was transformed into an 18-hole golf course where legends have walked and played golf. In the spring of 1922, nine holes were temporarily laid out by Eben Adams, the greenkeeper at the time (formerly of Worcester C.C.). Meanwhile, construction work was ongoing for the permanent 18 holes, with Donald Ross employed as designing architect. Donald Ross completed the first nine holes on June 26, 1923, and the second nine holes were finished in the spring of 1924.
Playing Sandy Burr is like traveling back in time to the golf of the 1920s. The holes will feel a bit shorter due to the advances in technology, but the layout and the overall golf experience will still feel the same as it did when it first opened. The course plays beside the Sudbury River, and it is used mostly for the ambiance. The river never creates too much trouble for golfers.
At a typical Donald Ross course, you can expect tougher greens with soft edges that will not keep golf shots on the greens. This course has less complicated green complexes than most of the Donald Ross designed courses. Of course, this is relative to how hard he typically made them and how well they are kept. Sandy Burr does a great job of keeping their greens running fast, which allows for the slopes of the greens to become much more treacherous to short pitches and long putts.
The course has one significant hill in the corner of the property that feels like the routing revolves around. 9, 10, and 18 play up the slope while 1 and 11 play down from it. Still, it remains a lovely walk where most people will not need a cart to get around the property, especially considering it is only about 6,400 yards.
The conditions were first-rate. Tightly mowed fairways and speedy greens that made playing here feel more like a country club than a public golf course. Most of the course lies in low lying lands that the massive hill in the corner of the property drains to when there is heavy rain. Some wetlands are visible, and some areas are starting to be taken over by rising water levels.
There is a tasty variety of short to mid-length par 4s, attackable par 5, and challenging holes that will keep a golfer honest about his or her game. The double par 5 is undoubtedly a stretch of golf holes players will want to take advantage of to get off to a great start. For less experienced golfers, these golf holes offer an extra shot to get par or better.
The value to walk 18 during the weekdays at certain times is agreeable with most golfers’ wallets. Prices are also based on time of play. Therefore peak times are more expensive than off-peak times. The earliest rounds of the day are not exorbitant, so grab those when you can or visit for a twilight round of golf to save even more.
The holes in the corner of the property were the routing of holes 1, 10, 11, and 18 come together at the highest point on the golf course are the most memorable golf holes. However, understanding and realizing that great golfers of the 1920s and 30s used to play this course has to be the coolest part of playing Sandy Burr.
Conditions: Greens and fairways were in impeccable shape.
Difficulty: Most golfers will find this course uncomplicated, and they can quickly get comfortable playing here even if it is their first time.
Practice Green: Yes, there is a practice green located near the first tee.
Value: Good value to walk 18 during the weekdays at certain times.
Range: No, there is only mats with nets for warming up.
Wear a hard hat: Yes, this course has many golf holes running parallel to each other without much space for errant golf shots.
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History - Sandy Burr. https://sandyburr.com/history/
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