Tatnuck Country Club

Tatnuck Country Club, Worcester, MA - An 1898 9-hole, Donald Ross design. Tatnuck is one of the first 100 golf clubs established in the United States. Many golfers including myself, even locals, haven’t heard of Tatnuck. After my visit in mid-October, I left the property wondering; why hadn't I heard of this place? This private 9-holer, where the state of Massachusetts boasts some of the best in the country, should not fly under the radar anymore given the various improvements to the golf course, which have been carried out by @dusenberrydesign. Tatnuck can be up there with some of the best 9-hole golf courses in New England. There is plenty of quirk and interest in the playing surfaces and the routing. Golfers must be prepared and well knowledged of the course before play, as there are blind tee shots like the ones on holes 7,8, and 9, and some blind second shots like on the par 5 4th. These blind shots then lead to phenomenal approach shots and views into the greens. There are plenty of humps, bumps, and rolling fairways which make placement off the tee key to having a good angle, or flat lie into the greens. @dusenberrydesign has carried out tree removal, bunker renovation, green expansion, and fairway expansion which has resulted in wider corridors and wider playing surfaces which bring the natural rolling terrain into play. The downhill second shots with rolling, sloped fairways to the greens give players the ability to land their balls 50 yards short to chase their balls to the greens, where a lot of them can slope away from the player. Plenty of golden age features like the green on the par 5 4th, with its Alps like approach, and the par 3 6th, with a Redan like green and playability. Tatnuck does a lot of things right. Fairways, tees, and greens that share close locations are blended into each other with the fairway expansions. They brought back the Ross feel, expanded corridors to show off the beauty of the property, and not to mention, the great logo. If in the area, Tatnuck is a great place to get on if you know a fellow member and love a good 9-hole walk.