B-Man’s Review of Deer Brook Golf Club on 3/19/22

Deer Brook Golf Club

Date: 3/19/22 Sat Afternoon
Overall Rating:

"Great course"
Conditions: Good - normal wear/tear
Pace: 3 1/2 Hours
Cost: $37
Username: B-Man
Profile: Golf Addict (more than once a week)
Handicap: 6
Today's Score: Not entered
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My first time out at Deer Brook and I loved the layout. It’s scenic, with several elevated spots where you can see several holes at once (I love courses like that, a la Eagle Chase). It’s challenging with elevation changes, fast, tiered greens, and water in play on 3 of the last 5 holes. For my round, the greens were in good shape and rolling great. It was crazy windy (30-40mph gusts at times) so that made the course play harder – though it allowed me to nearly drive the first green with the wind at my back. The aesthetics take a minor hit with lots of holes framed by power lines but at least they don’t buzz like the ones at Birkdale. Otherwise, I loved the layout. It felt very wide open and straightforward with only a few exceptions where the landing areas were narrow and bordered by OB or hazards. The par 3’s are all tricky with most requiring a long carry. The closing 2 holes offer great risk-reward with the short par 5 17th requiring a 2nd or 3rd shot to carry a large pond and the long par 4 18th requiring a similar carry over water for your approach. Even though I suffered from some difficult putts due to the slopes, I enjoyed the challenging greens and I am sure they are even tougher when the green speeds are ratcheted up. Speaking of the greens, Deer Brook is one of the last public courses in the area with Bentgrass greens. So if you prefer them over Bermuda, Deer Brook is a great course for you. I had lunch and drinks at Mulligan’s on the covered patio watching March Madness before my round. It’s a great spot with a wide variety of menu items. Overall, I had a great first visit and will be back a few times a year now that I know what I’m missing.