Sleeping Giant Golf Course — Local services in Hamden

To be quite blunt, I had my WORST golfing experience at this course and for good reason. Some of my friends and I, who are in college decided to book a tee time at this course on a Friday afternoon. After arriving a half hour early, we saw that the first hole was backed up and our tee time would be delayed. This was fine, and we patiently waited for the group in front of us to finish. This was on a 130yd par 3 so there is no way to begin the whole without the other group finishing. This did not stop ownership from coming out to tell us that we needed to hurry up on our hole. On the next hole which was a 400yd par 4 we waited until the group in front of us was at least 200 yards out until we drove off the tee box. Despite this, the owner came out again and asked us to leave the course because of how backed up the groups behind us were and offered us a refund. Being young college students we did not want a huge confrontation and were unsure if we were doing something wrong so we left the course but asked for a better explanation afterwards. He then kept fumbling his words and kept changing the reason everytime we asked for a better explanation. It was clear that they had overbooked with their 8 minute tee times and now seeing the angry groups behind us they decided to exploit our youth and inexperience and ask us to leave. What should have been a fun afternoon with friends was cut short due to the incredibly unprofessional nature of the staff. I will certainly never return to this course whether its a round of golf or the...

I just played the course on Monday. Our tee time was delayed 40 min due to a tournament but that was fine because the weather was so nice. It would have been a nice round except for the actions of their employee named Ray. He was golfing 2 parties behind us and felt it was his job to speed up the pace of play for the entire course. He repeatedly drove up to our group and shouted at us that we had to play faster and told us to us to hit up onto the group ahead of us. On the short par 3, He chastised us that we were supposed to tee off while the other group was putting. When I pointed out that was dangerous on this very drive-able green, he told me that was the course rule but someone stole the sign. These types of incidents occurred for 4 or 5 holes with Ray driving up to several groups telling them to speed up play. The whole course was backed up so we had ample time to talk to the group ahead of us and behind us and compare notes on what Ray said to them. Everyone felt pressured to rush and spent more time talking about how Ray got to them instead of how well kept the course was. We subsequent learned from other golfers , that this wasn’t an isolated incident and to beware because Ray had a daily tee time. So unfortunately my experience was so soured by the actions and etiquette of their employee that I will choose a different course for my next round and it will be a long while before I...

I am passionate about golf architecture; I have played 194 courses all around the United States. This week, I had the privilege of playing Sleeping Giant Golf Course for the first time...and then again a few days later.

Golf as a game is dying: rounds take too long, the costs are high, courses are too challenging, and the air of pretentiousness around the game is a barrier to entry. Sleeping Giant defies all of these negative connotations. I implore you to take negative comments below with a grain of salt.

For the budget I imagine they have, the course is very well maintained. You can tell it is a classic design since it follows the land so well. If you call for a tee time, be prepared with your request. The pro-shop staff are not especially warm (most people in CT aren't...), but they are efficient, and kind when you treat them with respect and candor. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

This is a blue collar golf course that is perfect for beginners, or a seasoned player. Rounds may run about 2-2.5 hours, but that is caused in part by the short par-4's at the end. Go in with an open mind and expect this. Drop the notion that you need a collared shirt, a ranger, and the most expensive golf carts in the world to enjoy your round. Soak in nature, and enjoy your time spent with family and friends at this gem of a...