The Shattuck Golf Club — Attraction in Jaffrey

The best word to describe this place is "quirky". I gave it 5 stars so I don't mean it in a "can't brush her teeth without toothpaste running down the front of her shirt", (true story), kind of way. More like a "weird hat" kind of way.

The course is, at heart, very positional. And being out of position is not where you want to be. The designer highlighted this with water mostly. That is, if you don't find the right position you'll find water. That makes the course sound unfair, it isn't. But local knowledge is a huge help here. Get a yardage book if you don't have an app. And make sure it adjusts for elevation. You can thank me later.

There's also a lot of forced carries. If your game off the tee is not there then this place will eat you alive. That sounds bad until you realize that you can play this course pretty well with your driver in the trunk of your car. Sure, there's par 5's, but what's better? Three 7 irons and on, or getting there in 6 thanks to penalty strokes and back-to-the-fairway chips?

I seriously think you could play this course with 7i, SW and putter and do really well. It's when you pull driver on a hole where the fairway runs out at 210 is when it really hurts. And that's the case on a lot of the course. You could maybe drive 17, but the landing area is about 10ft wide. Tempting? Only if you're a moron. (I am that moron which is how I know.) 2 PW's is a much better idea. The angel on one shoulder, devil on the other. Choose wisely.

Is that risk reward? Maybe. In the same way that Russian Roulette might be. The only way to win is not to play. That goes for regular humans. If you've got 260+ and can hit a 10 yard target, have at it.

Greens were in pretty good shape, as was the rest of the course despite the lack of rain this summer. Not a lot of ball marks, but lots of divots that weren't replaced. Weird, it's usually the other way around. Anyway, putts rolled pretty true. Which reminds me, because it was dry the ball rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled. And that was just the fairway. I had a couple good shots roll into bad places because of it.

I also wouldn't call this course walkable unless you can hike Manadock with a loaded day pack on a hot day. One reason is the hills, another is the very long hauls from green to tee on the back.

The practice facilities were pretty ok too. Grass on the range and a very large putting/chipping area that was only slightly faster than the course. Pace of play was pretty good at 4hr 20m even though it felt like longer.

I don't really play courses for scenery. If that's your thing, you'll...

Beautiful course. Extremely well maintained tee to green. Also reasonable greens fees. Great upstairs bar/ restaurant with a deck over the first tee with a stunning view of Mt Monadnock and looking over #1 tee and first hole and #9 green. Great staff. Very challenging course. Not really for beginners. If you’re not a low handicap player you should probably play the whites. Range finders or 18 birdies app are a must. Whatever your level of golf, most people (even low handicappers) will score substantially higher here. Be mentally ready for every shot. Don’t spend too much time on lost balls. (You will lose balls here- get over it). Hit a provisional or drop and take your medicine. Accuracy and playing for a bogey is probably the best strategy for most people. This course is real golf. It will uncover whatever deficiencies are in your game. Only reasons for 4/5 stars: no water or toilets on course. Driving range is pretty far from club house and hard to find. Greens on par 5’s are VERY small, which is a bit unfair. Would certainly come back. This course is unique. It’s...

Ill start this review by saying I am a hack golfer, the type that's usually putting or chipping for birdie or par and walk away with bogey or double. However I can hit good fairway shots and navigate a course generally well. This was by far the hardest course I have ever played. Very unforgiving with plenty of opportunity to lose your ball. If you're not hitting the fairway you may as well reach for your pocket ball and take a drop because the chances of you finding the ball are slim to none. I lost almost every ball in my bag and tossed my 8 iron in to the water out of frustration on 16, which is very uncharacteristic for me. Extremely frustrating and difficult course that I found discouraging and for a few holes was not really enjoying the game. If you're a skilled and accurate golfer looking for a challenge you would probably enjoy this course, and the views are unmatched. Staff is very friendly and helpful. If you're a hack like me save yourself the drive, grab a 12pk and hit your local...