Sometimes, pretty darn good means just about perfect. Take Green Harbor Golf Club, an 18-hole track tucked into the seaside town of Marshfield.
Operated by the same family for three generations, Green Harbor Golf Club (https://greenharborgolfclub.com) is the blend of all that is classic – like walking-only rules and classic Vesper Velvet bent grass – and the new: like their super fun “Winslow’s,” a furnished, roof-covered state-of-the-art driving range that’s a destination in itself.
I headed out for a quick 18 there this past week and found that good, solid and quite affordable golf can be a beautiful thing.
GHGC is a relatively flat course (and therefore, truly easy to walk), made up of lots of open but tree-lined fairways, a setting that feel a bit more welcoming to the average or learning player.
But don’t mistake that for boring. Green Harbor challenges you with long par 5s; on the back 9 you’ll take on two long, challenging holes in a row on 11 and 12; and almost of their Par 3s clock in at a longer distance than many. There’s a reason why this course’s record of 67 has stood for years and years.
While most holes are pretty straight on, with a few obstacles to keep you thinking, there are also some wicked doglegs like the Fourth, where risk/reward is a true thing. In other words, you’ll use all your clubs as well as all your wit, making it a super fun round.
The signature hole has to be the 9th, when you take on a long fairway up to a lily-covered water hazard that tucks up in front of the green and then – just for fun – a second water hazard hiding from you on the other side of that green.
It’s viewable from the course’s great restaurant; it’s not unusual to have an audience as you approach. Theres’ a family of geese, too, who are unabashed in their heckling of both splashed balls and challenging putts.
Local lore claims that Red Sox icon Jim Rice once bounced his approach shot off the clubhouse roof. (You may not want to emulate that).
Fairway surfaces are in relatively good shape. We found water stops filled completely with icy cold water (even on a hot day it was clear the staff was on top of the little details like that). The snack and beverage cart was visible often, and small shelters and bathroom stops dot the course in just enough places.
Tree lines are a thing here, but almost never so thick you don’t have at least a chance to recover should your ball meander that way. There are water hazards as well, and a few dome-shaped greens that demand precision.
So too are there moments to shine. Some of the par 4s are great chances to hit par or better, even if you’re a learner. I like that: work a player up with challenges and then give them a chance for an ego stroke hole. It’s the ying and yang that keeps us going.
The on-site restaurant, which can serve you inside, out on the porch overlooking that ninth hole or over at a cute seating area with an outdoor fireplace, serves up classic golf course fare, but with true dedication.
I chose the Cuban Sandwich. As a long-time affectionado of Cuban Sandwiches, I’d clock theirs in at a 9.5. Maybe even a 10.
And then there’s the people. From the super funny man who checks you in (I swear he makes me laugh every time), to the starters and rangers who keep things moving along, to the restaurant staff, we felt welcome and appreciated.
Best of all is the price. A full 18 holes on a summer weekend is just $47, and that drops to $42 on weekdays. Sure, that tends to crowd up the course a little bit, but if you’re lucky like me, you’ll get paired up with a regular. Paul, who grew up down the road and has played there for decades, stepped in like our own personal caddy, giving us tips and lines each hole – and there’s no charge for the kindness of the regulars.
Green Harbor Golf Club may never host a PGA event, but for a fun round, great service, quality conditions, excellent food and drink and should it rain, the Winslow’s back-up plan, you’ll feel like you truly won.
